Tell me the GOOD about August...

[soccerchick]

Not sure which forum is the best for this, so mods please move if another is more appropriate...

We got the 40% code and are seriously considering a mid-August trip.

I know the bad- big crowds and heat. Still, the trip in mid-August will be easy to schedule with no school/work for the kids and me. We can be flexible with dates for hotel and airfare. I've been pre-Easter week before (really high crowds) and in Sept. (free-dining, lots of walk-on attractions).

So, anyone who has been there, done that in mid-August, tell me some GOOD things about going then...

I'll start:
- 40% off code
- water parks
-flexibility in travel dates
-long park hours

Thanks!

 

[wilde_oscar]

I can sum it up with Kali River Rapids. See how many times in a row you can ride in mid august... I am guessing a lot.

 

[Robo]

I can sum it up with Kali River Rapids. See how many times in a row you can ride in mid august... I am guessing a lot.

Sometimes wildeoscar has an answer.

 

[jrsmom]

We love August, I just answered another post about August. The past two summers we have gone the last week and the crowds are at a minimum compared to other trips we have taken during the summer. The last two trips we never had to wait in a line it was awesome, so we didn't spent that much time out in the heat.

 

[JoanneNC]

I guess I am confused over why it's not so bad in August. I would imagine it would be packed with last minute before school trips??

 

[wilde_oscar]

nope, the later in august ya get, the crowds die out quick. Cause it is hot, amazon hot, melt your face hot. And Mom's and Dad's are getting kids ready to go back to school, and in the midwest the county fairs are starting up. If ya can take the heat it is a decent time to go. Get everything done in the morning, go back to the hotel pool and soak, then hit the parks in the evening.

 

[jayandstacey]

1. Lighting for your pictures is excellent
2. Dole Whips are extra refreshing
3. Fewer rehab closures (in theory)
4. Rain showers bring dinnertime evacuations

We went last August. My wife hated it, I was kind of nuetral. I suppose that a hot day in Disney is still better than a nice day anywhere else.

 

[Melissa_E]

20 years ago, my parents too my family to WDW in late August, it was the week before school started (it probably started Aug. 28 or so). I don't remember the heat anymore and we never complained about it. Then again, we did take time off during the day to go swimming and many of the lines were inside a building. We had a fantastic time!

 

[BeachClubBabe]

August is really hot! Every time I went in August the crowds were light. I agree with another poster in this post..that the later in August, the lighter the crowds become. It is REALLY hot though in August...desert hot, in my opinion!

The good things are: Less wait time in line for attractions. I've also had more time to spend with the Characters due to not many people lined up to see them.

Those are just a few from my experiences.

 

[carlyle688]

Good things about going in August:

1. You will lose five pounds from sweating so much
2. I will not be getting your way - I will be at home - sitting in the A/C

 

[JoanneNC]

Good things about going in August:

1. You will lose five pounds from sweating so much
2. I will not be getting your way - I will be at home - sitting in the A/C

 

[GovieMom]

Let's see, the Good about August. Well it's Good and HOT ... Sun-blistering, sweat-drenching, wring-your-clothes-out, oppressively, miserably ... HOT!

 

[mmorizio]

There are several good reasons to go to WDW in August besides the obvious one - it's the only time you can go:

Everything opens early, everything closes late
You want to be in the theme parks at opening, at closing, but not in the middle of the day.

It's HOT!
Everyone complains about the heat in WDW in August, but I can't tell you how many December, January, and February trip reports I've read on the internet where the writer complained that he or she was freezing. In summer, all of the pools and waterparks are open and very inviting. At many of the resorts the pools are open late, and it's common to see families splashing around and having a great time at 10:00pm.

The rain is our friend
You can use the daily afternoon rains to your advantage if you realize two things:
1. The rain cools things down
2. Lots of people leave the park when it starts raining. Of course, if you are afraid of getting soaked, you may too, but in the summer I can stand being a little wet, and I dry off quickly.

Which brings up the poncho vs. umbrella controversy. I prefer to carry a small travel umbrella. Ponchos are bulkier to carry when dry, and become a real pain to carry when wet. And wearing a wet poncho is no fun. They become heavy, hot, and sweaty. Besides, I look stupid in one.

How to enjoy WDW in August without experiencing a meltdown
Take it easy - You cannot maintain the same pace when it's 92 degrees that you can when it's 72. Walk slowly, take lots of breaks, and drink lots of water.

Get to the parks before they open - you will have an hour or so of uncrowded bliss, and be able to see more attractions in those first 90 minutes then you would see during the rest of the day. Have a very light breakfast, be there when the turnstiles start spinning, and if you want a big breakfast, look for a place in the park at around 10:00 when it starts to get crowded or go to a resort for a leisurely brunch, then go back for a little while.

Around 12:00-1:00pm, it's time to get out of the park. You could go hotel hopping, spend a few hours at the pool, or take naps, but don't bother trying to cope with the crowds and the heat in the parks. You can go back in the evening when both will start to dissipate and close the joint.

There's no bad time to go to WDW, but enjoying the place in the summer requires adjustments to your itinerary and a slightly different mindset.

 

[DisneyDad in PA]

We went last mid-August and loved it. Yes it's warm, but there are plenty of opportunitiies to duck out of the heat into A/C.

I'm from PA and it's still Hot here in August. Being in Disney makes it much more bearable.

The crowds are not that bad.

 

[RichAyers]

Good Things About August:

It is closer to Christmas than a June trip.

Never been in August and never plan to

Rich Ayers

 

[KorieDWnut]

We went last mid-August and loved it. Yes it's warm, but there are plenty of opportunitiies to duck out of the heat into A/C.

I'm from PA and it's still Hot here in August. Being in Disney makes it much more bearable.

The crowds are not that bad.

August is my new favorite time to go to WDW. Yes, it is hot. But I honestly didn't feel much a difference between Florida August HOT and the Massachusetts August Hot we have been having. AND I don't have air conditioning at home, so yeah, much better actually to be at Disney!

The heat only bothered me ONCE last year, at Animal Kingdom but that park is not my favorite anyway and I always get really frustrated there due to, imo, bad park planning.

Yes, it is Hot but it is manageable. The crowds are not that bad at all, relative to the rest of summer. And the parks stay open VERY late.

 

[PastorsWife]

Two years ago we were at Williamsburg (VA) in August when that horrible heat wave hit (at least 100 every day with 95-100% humidity). At first, I thought I (born in Alaska) was going to die - but then I got the hang of it. Wore a big hat and sunscreen, always walked with a bottle of water in my hand, didn't run, small, frequent meals, and we wore a lot of sundresses. Well, not my husband. That would be silly.

We're scheduled to be at WDW Aug 12. I just hope there's no tropical storm/hurricane to ruin our trip.

 

[Sandi]

We went in August of 2007 for our first August trip to WDW. The year before we did July. (We also go during a winter/spring month.) While it is hot, the longer hours for parks -- including the water parks -- makes it work fine. We always took a mid-day break for a swim and a nap and were refreshed for the evening. I think I would only hesitate doing an August trip with a very young child. Those little ones can have a tough time with the heat and I saw way too many people ignore very important signs of heat exhaustion, etc.

If everyone in your group is healthy, I'd certainly give August a try.

 

[Teacher03]

I was just going to ask this question! My DD and I are thinking about taking a trip before she starts college, so hopefully the second week of August. Thanks for all the info!

 

[jtm1631]

I am concerned about our first August trip as well. Our daughters will be 7, 10 and 14 at the time of the trip.

I think the key for us will be to follow Tour Guide Mike's plan, take it easy and understand that if the heat gets to be too much, take a break and go with the flow.

We went to Disney in 2005 and used Tour Guide Mike's plan for the first time. It worked great and I think the afternoon breaks will be critical during the August heat.

I think it is also important that during the afternoon breaks you stay out of the sun. That sun really sucks the energy right out of you.