Tell me about your August trip please or August vs spring break??

[Earning my ears]

We have always gone in the spring. Now the kids are older and we have to go either at spring break (crowds +) or August (heat and rain). We are looking at last 2 weeks in August. Is the heat unbearable? We are coming from Michigan. What about rain? It is a little cheaper but is it worth it if not comfortable? Please help me decide.......it may be our last trip as it is getting too expensive for us.....

Thanks for your help!

 

[lostmypooh]

Last August was hot, but manageable. It rained a few times while I was there, but it mostly lasted for an hour and moved on. My touring style was a little different due to the heat. I would hit the parks in the morning, eat lunch, and then head back to the resort for some pool time. Depending on dinner plans, I either headed back to a park and ate dinner, or ate and then headed to a park. August is perfectly do-able, and wasn't overwhelming due to the heat. I actually enjoyed spending time at the pool, where if I had gone during a different time period, I might have been more of a park commando and missed out on having some down time.

 

[Disneylover99]

We've been to DW during the last two weeks of August for the past five years in a row. Yes, it's hot, humid, sticky and rainy but we love it. And I hate the heat. Drink lots of water and avoid the direct sunlight whenever possible. Go early or enjoy the evening. Definitely avoid outdoor attractions mid day if possible.

 

[ArwenMarie]

We've gone at the end of August for years. August in Central Florida is hot, hotter than the hottest hot. I'm from NJ and it's nothing like here. Sure we get hot days, but they ebb and flow and it cools off at night. Central Florida is just a wall of heat in August (and other months).

The other issue is the daily storms. Sure rain is fine, but when you get daily lightning storms that shut down rides and pools, as well as being a little bit dangerous, it limits how much you get done. And the old go-back-to-the-resort-and-swim strategy doesn't always work either if there is a lightning storm. We started scheduling a morning to swim because there were so many afternoons that got stormed out at the pool.

The end of August can be decent for crowds. We just went over Presidents Week and the crowds were atrocious, I would take August with its heat issues over that week anytime.

Last August trip, I swore I wouldn't do it again because of the heat. But being tied to a school calendar, my choices are crowded breaks or summer heat.

Some people pledge they will never go during the crazy hot season, some go every year. Sometimes you just have to go when you can go, whether its crowds or heat, and make the best of it. If you do it, just go in with an expectation that the weather will limit how much you can get done each day and make touring plans that rotate in AC attractions, even the second-tier ones, to make sure you get enough cooling time throughout the day.

I think it's worth trying once if that's when you can go.

Good luck deciding!

 

[Gr8t Fan]

We've gone the last 1-2 weeks of August many times and it is HOT, HOT, HOT but the crowds are generally lower than they are over Spring Break. We've also gone over Spring Break and, while the parks are crowded, the hours are much longer so we get everything done that we want to. We wouldn't let the heat in August deter us from a trip if that is the only time we could go, just as we wouldn't let the crowds over Spring Break deter us either. As long as you go in knowing that August will be HOT and the Spring Break crowds will be MASSIVE, you'll have a great time no matter what.

We are making our second Spring Break trip in a few weeks and we'll also be there the very last week of August.

 

[senadler]

We went once in August a few years ago and won't do it again. I can handle the heat, but for my husband and kids, who are used to the Upper Midwest, it just did not work. We have gone over Spring Break and would pick the crowds over the heat. I think Spring Break is manageable if you get to the parks early and spend afternoons at the resort. We typically only a spend a half day in the parks anyway, so this works for us. It is also nice to be in the warm weather of Florida while it is still cool at home.