Tell me about your experiences in June?

[MyZoeJane]

I just read the great feedback another poster got when she asked about WDW in May... Well, I am going in June next year and I'm not sure what to expect. I'm taking DD3, my mom, and my brother who will be 17.

The exact dates of our trip are June 10th-17th. This year I think I was spoiled having gone in January and October! I've got TGM onmy "side" with touring advice to avoid lines...

But how BAD are the crowds going to be? The heat? Of course I'll be scheduling breaks during the peak afternoons...

What have your experiences been?

 

[jlovesee]

I hate to be the bearer of bad news but you could not pay me enough to go back to Disney in Mid-June. I was there last summer (2006) about the same time for ACE Coaster Con and it was HOT and crowded. We just got back a few weeks ago from going over Thanksgiving weekend and it was actually significantly less crowded and much more bearable.

My advice, get to the parks at opening, leave around lunch, maybe come back in the evening. Take some time to go swimming, and overall just take it slow. I've never been an ADR person myself (though I did make three this last trip), and I successful got into The Plaza at MK at 3PM with a call same day at about 1PM. On the same page many of the EPCOT restaurants were bursting at the seams even at lunchtime. So definitly make atleast one or two ADR's at places you want to eat.

Have a plan, use Tour Guide Mike or Touring Plans DOT com, I prefer the second option as it works well and is free. When I went over Thanksgiving Bob Sehlinger (Unofficial Guide) never steered me wrong.

Last piece of advice... come with a double helping of patience.

Jennifer

 

[MyZoeJane]

Thanks! I was pretty sure the crowds would be high right along with the temperatures.

I'm curious to hear from someone who was also there the first week of October this year when the temps were at a record high. I guess I'm trying to get a "feeling" about how it will "feel", if that makes sense!

I survived the October 90+ degree heat pretty well... am I in for a rude awakening in June, though?


eta: Since my 180 day window was several days ago, I have, of course, already made all of my ADR's and since the June park hours and EMH hours (which I will CERTAINLY avoid!) have been published, I know which parks are "best days" as far as avoiding crowds goes... How MUCH worse than the first week of October this year will next June be?

Comeon, I know some of you are just sitting at home with your crystal balls...

 

[disnut8]

I have to give the opposite reaction to mid to late June. We went during that time for a while because our son was in junior and senior high school and there was no way he was going to miss school (his decision, not ours and he was dead serious). We lived in Nebraska at the time so the temperatures and humidity were about the same. Well, the humidity was probably a bit higher but we adjusted in about a day.

We are not early risers by any stretch of the imagination so we were going to the parks around 11:00 or even later. If any one of us was lagging, we took breaks in the parks with a sit down, a beverage and either air conditioning or shade. We were very careful around 4:00 when the sun seemed to be the hottest.

Be prepared for afternoon rains. Take ponchos every day whether you think you need them or not. The storms come up very fast but usually don't last long. It will cools things off for about fifteen minutes and then it'll go right back to hot and humid.

We found the nights to be great for doing things. We are night owls so shutting down a park wasn't a problem for us. We park hopped often when one park would get crowded. Epcot is a great usually uncrowded place to get away from things.

Take a water bottle every day and fill up from the water fountains. I put a washcloth in a Ziploc bag and use that throughout the day to wash down my face, arms and legs in the restrooms. Really makes a difference. One Fourth of July, I had a woman offer me $10 for the washcloth!!

Next family trip (that son is now married with a family of his own) will be June 2008.

 

[DVC Jen]

It really all depends on your expectations and frame of mind. (not blasting anyone here - we are all different in what we enjoy and can tolerate as far as crowds and heat).

Living in Texas makes it pretty easy for us to handle the heat. And since we always go in early to mid-June we have learned how to handle the crowds. We make good use of EMH (and leave when it gets too crowded -usually around 11am-12pm). We always take a mid afternoon break. We know it is going to more than likely rain and rain HARD every afternoon so we plan around that.

On the plus side - the parks are open later - the pools feel awesome and you are in Disney - the most magical place in the world.

 

[disney junky]

We were there over Father's Day last June...around the time you are mentioning. As people who usually go in the summer, I must say it wasn't as bad as I thought it might be. We were also there in July and it was much worse. Our weather in June was quite mild, the crowds were tolerable, but again, we are always summer goers so that's what I am comparing it to. Hey....it's WDW. Better than anywhere else.

 

[MyZoeJane]

Take a water bottle every day and fill up from the water fountains. I put a washcloth in a Ziploc bag and use that throughout the day to wash down my face, arms and legs in the restrooms. Really makes a difference. One Fourth of July, I had a woman offer me $10 for the washcloth!!

OMG! Too funny! Yes, having a small child, I always have a wet washcloth on hand (diaper wipes are worthless with a REAL mess! ) and I also bring neck wraps that I soak in cold water and wear around my neck to keep cool. I make them out of cute Disney prints and don't feel QUITE so dorky wearing them.

It's good to hear the crowds aren't always unbearable at that time, too!

eta: I just bought a plastic stroller cover for when it rains... and I've always brought my ponchos to the World thanks to you HELPFUL DISers! Fortunately, I've never had to use them but I guess it'llbe inevitable in June! Hopefully, with the ponchos and the stroller cover we'll be able to keep on trekking through the rain. I'd imagine most people leave ortry to find shelter? Do they keep the rides open? Sounds likerain could be a great way to shorten waits!

 

[GSLand]

We went second week of June a few years ago and had a great trip.
Yes - it can get warm, but you dress for it and carry the water and little portable fan. And take off afternoons for swimming, naps. Parks are open late so you can go back after a rest.
Crowds were not too bad.
One of my favorite parts - the flower festival thing at Epcot had just ended and there were many beautiful plant and flower displays were still up. We stayed at Beach Club and had the pleasure of walking by these many times.

 

[The Mick]

In my experience, July is worse than June. Considerably so. More crowded and hotter.

Now, June is plenty hot, and the crowds are beginning to build. But IMO it's not the horror show that July or early-mid August are.

 

[bytheblood]

Visit: June 2 - 11, 2005

It was hot and humid.

Crowds were not bad the 2nd - 6th, but the 7th, 8th and 9th were crazy and I was looking forward to going home.

 

[bord1niowa]

We were there for 10 days in june 2006, same time frame as you're going this year. In fact after the first couple of days we used the unofficial guide to decide which park to be in which day and that made all the difference in the world! One thing to keep in mind in June, no matter what the weather looks like in the morning, take a poncho, it will rain...lol. The heat didn't really bother us after the first day, especially since we were cooled off by the rain pretty much daily. If it was so terrible last year we wouldn't have reserved for 13 days this coming June 2007 at the same time too! Most rides were a very short wait if any, especially using fast passes. The unofficial guide does not show the best dates in the book for the 2007 year BUT you can get them online at their website and print them off. We're having Disney withdrawel here in Iowa. Watching the Disney Christmas Day Parade on TV now. Enjoy and maybe we'll see you there, we'll be the ones with the big smiles!!

 

[pony2wild]

Went May 31-June 8, 2006 and it was very hot! Parks were more crowded than I anticipated. Even the 16 year old was tired at the end of the day!

We tried to do the parks on the extra magic hours and found they were very crowded, even late at night, so next time will try a different strategy, and will definitely go in October/November.

 

[dznyacct]

We have been to WDW in June 4 times and will be returning in 2007 (6/17 - 6/27) for a 15 member reunion with DH's family (ages 1 - 65). Sure it's hot, but it is usually hotter here in Indiana and I'M AT DISNEY WORLD!!!! We have been to WDW between Christmas and New Years 3 times and the summer crowds are no where near the holiday crowds. As long as you don't go with a commando mentality and take breaks (especially with little ones), it is very manageable. We are late night owls so we do every evening EMH and DS and his friend usually close down DQ. We love PI (especially The Comedy Warehouse and The Adventurers Club) and spend many evenings there. We definitely experience the daily rain showers, but like others have said, throw on a poncho or duck into a store and wait it out. The funniest thing happened once when DS and I were at TL. It started to rain (no thunder or lightening) and people ran out of the pool looking for shelter. Duh, you're at a water park and already WET!?!?!?!? It was soooo funny to see. DS is a straight A student (Junior) in a private Catholic High School and HATES to miss school (I had to really twist his arm to miss two days for our Spring Break trip ~ airfare was just too good to pass up, less than half than if we left on Saturday), so summer is our only choice for a big vacation. Have fun planning your trip. I'm sure you'll have a GREAT time!

 

[MidgeD79]

I visited WDW in early Dec this year for the first time. We usually go in June after school is out. I would much rather go in June. You know exactly what the weather is going to be like (HOT) and can prepare for it.

 

[rlduvall]

I visited WDW in early Dec this year for the first time. We usually go in June after school is out. I would much rather go in June. You know exactly what the weather is going to be like (HOT) and can prepare for it.

I know exactly what you mean. I have been a couple of times the first week of December, and while I love the Christmas decorations, the "cold" versus "warm" weather can be so hit and miss. In other words, never promise your 6 year old that you will swim with them when you go. Disney means hot weather to me.

 

[CarKey]

Our last two trips were in June. Both times we arrived the day after school got out, around the ninth. I noticed the same thing both years...during the first two or three days the lines were managable, maybe 30 minutes on average for standby. By the twelfth of June things are really crowded and by the fifteenth I, a die-hard Dis lover, was too beat to go on. Magic Kingdom was just too crowded and HOT to go on. If you can get in and out of Disney by the twelfth of June it's a pretty nice time to go.

 

[Stick_to_Disney]

We went in june 2006 and the crowds were way better the Christmas crowds!!

 

[MyZoeJane]

Thanks guys! It's good to hear about all the different experiences. It just goes to show that Disney really is what you make of it. There's so many factors and unknowns that you can never be too sure *exactly* what to expect.

My hats off to those of you who can brave the EMH days. They're the busiest of them all! I'll be avoiding those like the plague and planning my days arounf TGM's Least Crowded Parks charts. Between that, FASTPASS, and afternoon breaks, I don't think anything could be too bad!

My one concern is my 17 year old brother (14 years younger than me). This trip is really for him. My mom wanted to take him before he graduated high school and while he is "still her little boy." The rest of us all got to go a few times before he was born but he's never been. Fortunately, our mom is a trooper. I have a feeling, though, that my DD3 and I will be making the afternoon trip back to the hotel for a break by ourselves....

I've already made one thing PERFECTLY CLEAR to him, though. THERE WILL BE NO WHINING WHEN I DRAG HIS BUTT OUT OF BED AT 7:30am TO SHOWER AND BE AT THE BUS STOP BY 8:15am!!!

I'm really pumped for this trip! Any suggestions on what "must see" I should schedule for a 17 year old boy?

 

[dznyacct]

Ali ~ My DS is 17, so I hope I can pass on some of his favorites for you to suggest to your brother. DS is a big video game junkie and LOVES Disney Quest. "Free" video games (thanks to the Premium Annual Pass that his wonderful mom bought!) in his eyes is AWESOME! EE at AK is one of his new favorites since riding it in March, At MGM RNR coaster and Tower of Terror are good, along with LMAXSS. The mountains at MK (Space, Big Thunder and Splash ~ I'm too big of a chicken for that last drop on Splash) are a must. Mission Space and Test Track are favorites at Epcot. DS LOVES Science, so Epcot is one of his favorite parks. I on the other hand, LOVE Off Kilter in the Canadian pavillion, so Epcot is my favorite park. If he is late nighter, the evening EMHs are incredible. A few Spring Breaks ago, DS and I met friends from home for the evening EMH at MK (11 pm - 2 am). In those three hours we did every ride that was open (~14) and some even twice. My friend was in utter awe at all we accomplished in those 3 hours. The rest of the trip she fondly called me "Tour Guide Barbie"! I was quite honored. If he likes music, there is a great selection of music from around the world in World Showcase. DS just suggested the Virgin Records store at DD Westside. It is a place that we usually spend a few hours wandering around. I like to buy a CD there, so I can think of my favorite place (WDW) when I listen to it. Please let me know if I can help with anything else.

 

[MEK]

Any chance you could take your trip in August instead of June? The weather is the same, except there is more of a threat of hurricanes. The crowds are much lower in August. My first trip was in June (around the 5th to the 12th). It was crowded everyday. With fast passes I was able to do each big ride maybe once.

Since then, I have visited 3 times in late August, right before school starts. It is SOOOOOOOOOOO much better. The crowds continue to drop the later you go.

I know a lot of people start school in August and many people don't like a trip right before school. But I am just the opposite. It's less crowded and the rates drop to value rates. Every year the value rates start earlier in the month. If you are really lucky, you might score free dining. Here's hoping!

Going later in the summer also gives you a chance to adjust to the heat. I can go into 90 degrees much easier in August than I can in June, especially if its been a cool spring.

No matter when you go, take breaks, drink lots of water, plan your day, and have a great time!