Tell me about late August

[Princess_Kirky]

Looking at late August for a quick trip - 8/23-8/28. Stay on-site at Pop. We would only do 3 days at Disney and one at Universal. I really don't care for Universal but my friend really wants to see HP. I might just stay back and have a pool day. We we get Park Hoppers so we can hit all the big attractions at each. Her son is really into Star Wars so we might spend more time at DHS which is great since it is "the shortest bus ride on Disney property" from Pop.

How hot is it? Should I adapt a touring plan with more breaks due to possible heat? We are from MN, WI so are used to heat in the summer but not constant. We do cool down pretty well at night.
Are the summer crowds still in full force?
Has anyone noticed lower crowds at DHS since the construction began?

 

[GillianP1301]

Our normal week at Disney is the week leading up to Labour Day, so this year it's 8/27 to 9/4. Yes, it's hot, very hot. Personally, I love it. Others avoid it all costs. For me, I love knowing that all I kneed are shorts/skirts and t-shirts and never have to ever worry about if it's cooling down in the evening that I'll need a sweater or anything. Makes packing super easy and means I have really nothing extra clothing wise to carry around with me.

There are so many opportunities to cool down at WDW (in lines, indoor attractions, restaurants, shops) that it's very easy to avoid over heating. Rain will happen, but if/when it does it is usually a very short, but very hard, type rain. It's hurricane season, so there is always that risk, although I've been in Disney when a hurricane was hitting the keys and other than some rain and it being a bit windy, you wouldn't even have known it. For me, I only worry about hurricanes affecting my flights. Once I'm there, I'm good. Some of our best memories are touring in the rain.

Crowd wise, they start to fall off the 3rd week of August when southern schools start to go back and steadily decline right up until the Labour Day weekend which the weekend itself does get more crowded, but still very manageable.

 

[Parker Clan]

We always go the week before you will be there - crowds are much more manageable, the heat is crazy but we take mid day breaks at the pool..so we've survived five August's in Disney so far.

 

[SaintsManiac]

Take plenty of breaks and drink lots of water. I live in south Louisiana and hot doesn't even descibe that time of year. Protect your skin and face and get in the A/C when you can. Have fun!

 

[ksinniger]

Like others have said, it is hot. You will step out of your room before 8 am and feel like you're hitting a wall of humidity. But we love travelling to Disney at this part of the year -- the crowds are not horrendous, but the park hours are still pretty close to peak. Drink ALOT of water, and take it a little slower than you might otherwise. Take breaks (either at the pools, in your room, or in air conditioning at the parks), and bring ponchos or some type of rain wear -- some of the best times to tour are right after the rain stops, before everyone who fled the parks during the storms makes it back.

 

[Tomh]

As others have said, it is HOT HOT HOT, and humid. You will very likely be dripping wet pretty much all day every day. However, the crowds are generally lighter towards the end of August than they are the rest of the summer, park hours are still usually pretty long too. Do what you can to mitigate the heat, drink plenty, take breaks in air conditioned shows, attractions and at meals, and have a blast. Be prepared for the afternoon downpour, which will very likely happen every day!

 

[Simba07]

This is the one time of year when we really buy into the mid day break idea. It is scorching in the middle of the afternoon. And bring clothes to change into before dinner. On the other hand, the crowds are starting to decrease and we have had a great time.

 

[Nancyg56]

It is surface of the sun hot....and humid. All day.

 

[Deborah LeSueur]

It is hot, but what you need to be more prepared for is the humidity. We live in TX and while the heat doesn't necessarily bother us when we travel in August...it's the humidity that hits you like a ton of bricks. Just make sure to keep yourself hydrated and mid-afternoon breaks help too.

 

[Princess_Kirky]

Thanks for the input! We get hot and humid days up here but they only last about a week in mid-July. The kind of heat and humidity where your face is covered in sweat stepping out of the house. Usually, this is during the Minneapolis Aquatennial (I've noticed).

We did mid-day breaks last November and I think we can work that in again. Early breakfast in the park, a few rides, mid-day break (love naps, pooltime), back later on to a different park for a few rides and the night show...

 

[MikeandReneePlus5]

Just wanted to mention that it is, indeed, hot.

 

[NileNellie]

I'm from the Midwest and personally hate going to FL in the summer months. It's downright unbearable, especially once the summer thunderstorm rolls through and further increases the humidity. Obviously it's a personal preference but I avoid the parks that time of year. If you do go, just keep the heat in mind and make sure you are taking breaks, staying hydrated, etc.

 

[TwoMisfits]

Thanks for the input! We get hot and humid days up here but they only last about a week in mid-July. The kind of heat and humidity where your face is covered in sweat stepping out of the house. Usually, this is during the Minneapolis Aquatennial (I've noticed).

We did mid-day breaks last November and I think we can work that in again. Early breakfast in the park, a few rides, mid-day break (love naps, pooltime), back later on to a different park for a few rides and the night show...

The only problem with going back is that many, many days have a storm right when you'd go back (or an hour later). You may have to just deal with the heat if you don't want 3-4 hour park days...

 

[Frozen2014]

Subscribing. We are looking at returning to Disney late August too (next year)...but because of the weather (humidity and rain), were considering Disneyland instead....so just subscribing to hear the responses as we did absolutely love our Disney World trip.

 

[disneylove16]

I'll be there the same week! Just be sure to stay hydrated. We'll be bringing personal mister fans, and the cooling towels.

 

[RustManFan]

We have gone multiple times at end of August. We even pitched our tent at FW twice and managed to do without air-conditioning! It was hot but we each carried around a water bottle and made sure we got enough to drink. We used the pool. And we were in and out of the air-conditioning at MK, DHS and Epcot quite a bit. Shows were a good heat break as were the various Future World buildings.

AK wasn't open during our August visits and is likely to be where we would feel the heat the most.

Rain showers tended to be very short in duration but did occur late afternoon most days.

We are from NJ so humidity is nothing new in the summer for us. Sometimes you have to be extra careful of your electronics in and out of the heat and humidity all day long....screens tend to fog up when you step out in the morning and when you leave air-conditioning....

 

[Poppybeach]

I'm from the northeast and we went the end of August 2 years ago. I was hotter than I have ever been in my whole life. I actually got heat stroke one day....and that was keeping very hydrated...or so I thought. I couldn't wait to get back to the resort to jump in the pool. When I did, it was like jumping into hot soup. I quickly jumped out and into a cold shower. The crowd levels were fine though. We did not have very long waits for most things. It did not rain the whole week until the last day we were there and it cooled things down a lot. We were the only ones not running for shelter! It was an hour of bliss!

 

[newestkg06]

I'm from MN too, and we went in Sept (still very hot, but not as bad as August). It is NOTHING like our summers in the Twin Cities. We didn't take breaks (shorter hours in Sept), but we did go into air conditioning a lot (shows, shops, eating). Many of the quick service places are not air conditioned, so keep that in mind when choosing where to eat for lunch. Shade helped some, but I vividly remember standing in line at DHS for rope drop and dripping in sweat before the day even really started. If you have kiddos, one thing that really helped cool us off was bringing a washcloth, getting ice water from a quick service restaurant, and wiping our necks and faces with ice cold water. It can't have been too bad for us since we're planning another trip! Good luck!

 

[happymommy]

We're going that week again as well!

I've gone several times late August, and honestly, it is hot, but not as bad as July (the one month I'd never go).

We do plan for the afternoon storms, as they can and do happen.

The crowds are so much less! Last year, Soarin' was a walk on the entire day midweek.

If you are planning that week, check and see if you can get free QSDP. We got it at Pop 8/23 - 8/31 for us (just DD and me). We don't upgrade the dining plan, as we like QS meals a lot more than TS meals for just the two of us.

 

[MinnieSweetheart]

For those who have been, does it get better at night at all or is it still really really hot?