Please tell me WDW is manageable in July

[Disneyland1084]

I'm going to WDW next summer. Some other family members want to come, but they're working it out with their employers. The plan was to go in June,but it might not be until July. I heard the humidity and crowds are far worse then than they are in June. We'll be there at least two weeks, maybe a little more with 10 day park hopper passes with break days in between. We also want to do a couple days at Harry Potter land. Is going in July murder, or is it manageable?

 

[Vijoge]

I had a co-worker who goes every July with about 20 extended family members. They've been doing this for years. I only go from September to March. That's my rule.

 

[Kevin355]

We have went in July...it is hot, but we took advantage of Extra Park Hours and FP+. Spent much of the days at the pool or DtD. It is manageable.

 

[littleblackegg]

I think it depends on your tolerance for heat. Many people deal with this by waiting until evening and nighttime to go to the parks and spending days at the pool. Central Florida is essentially a tropical river basin/swamp climate. In July, it is easily over 100F every day, and it is a humid, cloying heat. If you have traveled to this type of environment in the Summer in the past, you will have a good idea of what to expect. I grew up in this climate and I still find it intolerable in the Summer. You can still get good prices in May and the difference in the weather is dramatic. It's hot, but not impossible hot. Our family takes vacations at Disney between October and May.

 

[terri33inne]

I can't speak to crowds as I've never been in July, but our couple of August trips have been super hot... 2 years ago it was record breaking heat for Florida. As soon as we stepped outside you could just feel the heat settle on you... someone described it as sweat your make-up off hot. We went early mornings... back at resort at noon for pool/rest & then back at night. We had some tricks when we were out in the heat... take advantage of air conditioned attractions (mostly shows), and I would wet our washcloths at night, and stick them in a ziploc in the freezer, and then pack them in our backpack... they were great at cooling us off. Everyone has different tolerance for heat so only you & your travel companions can answer that. If August was the only time I could go again I would... the heat wouldn't be enough to stop me. As for crowds, we've gone the end of August so crowds weren't bad.

 

[Wanderer72]

It's doable. We are going next week and we went in July 2014. Takes a little more planning and strategy, but still possible to have an amazing time. We did 5 straight park days in 2014, did park open all 5 days and our kids (2,5, and 11) all did well. Animal Kingdom was the worst, with most of the attractions being outside and there being quite a distance between them. Just the obvious things like sunscreen and staying hydrated, and then for a place like Animal Kingdom we plan to scatter in the air conditioned shows strategically and a couple rides on Kali to stay cool.

We took breaks and plan on doing so again this year. Hit the park at opening for a few hours, leave midday for lunch and the pool, and come back at night.

We are also doing universal this trip for the first time. 4 park-to-park day ticket there, and 5 days at Disney. So potentially 9 park days, and the forecast seems a bit hotter than it was two years ago, so it might be an interesting trip.

 

[CJMickeyMouse]

We have been to WDW many times in July... and once each in August, May and December. Each time of year is very different, and if you know what you are dealing with... and have a plan going in.... all can be very enjoyable.

In July, it will be hot and crowded. You are there long enough that you can be flexible with downtime... plan early mornings (park hours will be the longest at this time) and late nights as much as possible. I would stay at the highest level of resort you can possibly afford.... preferably deluxe. The last thing I want to do when it's 100+ is go back to a value room. Too tight of quarters, too small of beds, too much concrete, and too much walking. Just my opinion.

 

[heidijanesmith]

If your going to Universal in July, stay on site at one of the deluxe's for the unlimitted Express Pass. The cost of a cheaper hotel and then buying the pass can be more expensive than just staying at HRH for example. The express pass does not get you into FJ or Gringotts, but it does let you into many rides much quicker.

July is hot and crowded, no doubt about it. As previous posters said; go early, take a mid-day break and then go out again when the sun goes down.

 

[Shanti]

I'm going to WDW next summer. Some other family members want to come, but they're working it out with their employers. The plan was to go in June,but it might not be until July. I heard the humidity and crowds are far worse then than they are in June. We'll be there at least two weeks, maybe a little more with 10 day park hopper passes with break days in between. We also want to do a couple days at Harry Potter land. Is going in July murder, or is it manageable?

We went during July 4th week last year and did fine. Crowded, but manageable. A non-July 4th week would obviously be even easier.

I wouldn't put too much stock into "this month is supposed to be great, & this month is supposed to be worse". Crowd patterns for WDW have been in a major state of flux for the past few years, with the time of year seeing the biggest increase in visitation being during the school year, particularly autumn.

June is not necessarily going to be less crowded than July next year. Resort prices are cheaper for July this year than they were for June (we're going to WDW next week), and making ADRs and FP ressies has been unbelievably easy for our upcoming trip, even last-minute.

I hope next July is great for you. Bring sun protection, clothes/shoes that won't make you miserable if they get a bit wet, drink lots of water, and practice a heat-friendly touring style (be in the parks early & late, with an air-conditioned nap or pool break mid-day). You'll have a blast. Try the water parks, too!

 

[bjcaed]

We went during July 4th week last year and did fine. Crowded, but manageable. A non-July 4th week would obviously be even easier.

I wouldn't put too much stock into "this month is supposed to be great, & this month is supposed to be worse". Crowd patterns for WDW have been in a major state of flux for the past few years, with the time of year seeing the biggest increase in visitation being during the school year, particularly autumn.

June is not necessarily going to be less crowded than July next year. Resort prices are cheaper for July this year than they were for June (we're going to WDW next week), and making ADRs and FP ressies has been unbelievably easy for our upcoming trip, even last-minute.

I hope next July is great for you. Bring sun protection, clothes/shoes that won't make you miserable if they get a bit wet, drink lots of water, and practice a heat-friendly touring style (be in the parks early & late, with an air-conditioned nap or pool break mid-day). You'll have a blast. Try the water parks, too!

Just an FYI, we are going in two weeks. We had planned early morning pool, late nights only there are NO late nights while we are there no midnight or later. So upset. We would not have gone at this time if we knew Disney was going to cut summer hours!!

 

[Lynne M]

It really depends on how you define manageable. Expect temps between 95-100 every day, with the heat index (what it feels like) in the 105-110 range. Dewpoints are in the mid-70s, well into the "extremely oppressive" range.

Many people can tolerate that, especially if they're from an area with extreme heat and humidity, and are acclimated. I can't, my asthma would be off the charts. It's like walking around with a hot, wet blanket over your nose and mouth, and you'll be soaked with sweat within minutes of walking out of your resort in the morning.

The important things are water and sunscreen. Lots of both. If I were going to tour in that weather, I'd be at rope drop every day, try to get as much done as I could before lunch, then spend the afternoon in my resort room. A cold shower works wonders to revive you. I'd go back to the parks around dinnertime.

 

[Disneyland1084]

My SIL just texted me and said she accidentally said July instead of June in the earlier text. I realize June won't necessarily be less crowded. It's just the only time a year we can go.

 

[Lynne M]

My SIL just texted me and said she accidentally said July instead of June in the earlier text. I realize June won't necessarily be less crowded. It's just the only time a year we can go.

Late May/early June isn't bad. Late June....well, it's summer in FL, which is pretty much godawful from then to mid-September.

 

[Lisann]

The important things are water and sunscreen. Lots of both.

However...be very careful about too much water. Believe it or not, it can happen and the results are serious.

My sister, this past April, thought she was being smart by drinking plenty of water while in Epcot. She made the mistake of drinking too much water and depleting her body of all her electrolytes! She was very, very sick.

Bottom line...drink Gatorade or a combination of water and Gatorade if you are not use to this climate. Better yet, drink a couple of glasses before you go to the parks and it will make all the difference in the world (you won't have to be guzzling so much water when the temp goes up).

 

[bookgirl]

I always suggest water/Powerade (wish it was Gatorade) mix. I have been in September and July before so I know that Summer is tough in Florida. It can be done with good planning and being proactive with fluids and rest and realistic pace.

That being said I was in Orlando two weeks ago for a conference. I only went to the parks twice, once in the evening and then for a few hours one morning. It was so hot and humid that I wasted having two full day tickets because I just didn't want to go out in the humid/heat days. I did do a monorail crawl one night and then another evening at a resort dinner then Disney Springs and those were tolerable. This visit firmly established my preference for Late Oct to April for Disney visits.