The highs and lows of going in June.

[magic kingdom park]

We usually visit the end of Sept. and different weeks in Oct. we have experienced the crowds of food and wine and the Halloween parties.
We are wanting to go in June 12 -18 this year. I was wondering how are the heat and crowds going to be different from Sept/Oct. Is transportation around the world (buses/boats/monorail) jammed pack . Was thinking of trying to stay near Magic Kingdom so that it was easier to get to and from the park. I would appreciate any feedback. We are from NC so it does get hot and humid but everyone says Florida is miserable.

 

[dbenlee]

The heat can be rough, especially if you aren't used to it. All the concrete absorbs the heat during the day and begin radiating it back in the evening. Plan to take breaks in the shade and try to plan rides and shows during the hottest part of the day that have air conditioning. Drink plenty of water. I can't stress that enough, drink plenty of water. I have seen a number of heat injuries while at the World that could have been prevented.

The crowds are bigger than you find during F&W, but with planning they are doable. I think transportation is more crowded during this time of year, especially in the evening and night when returning to the resorts.

 

[RealBlast3]

The heat affects everyone differently. I have gone the first 2 weeks in June as well as mid-late August. I mean, I survived LOL but I did hate the weather. I mean, I dealt with it and had a great time regardless. I won't do it again, though! I just really hate 85-95 weather. And in Florida, it definitely feel hotter at that temp than if you are from someplace more North - the sun is just way more intense.

Again, as I always say to people or feel when I read things on this site, though, if you have the opportunity for a dream trip to Disney and you don't know when you can go again, don't pass it up for reasons like crowds or weather or really anything! Take advantage when you can, unless you know you can plan for a more desirable time in the future. I wouldn't trade my 2 Disney vacations in the hot weather months for anything! But if you'd ask me if I was more comfortable when I went in April, I would answer yes!

 

[dprincessmom]

I have lived in Florida for over 35 years and the heat is what is it. You may change your park touring plans - for us we rope drop, leave around lunch, pool, nap and shower and then back out to the parks for a late night. Clearly you have to juggle some the later in your trip you get as late nights and early mornings might start to get hairy.

We take a case of water with us and found the Fred brand water (bottle looks like a flask) to be the easiest for carrying. We just empty the bottle from whatever brand we have into the Fred water bottles and off we go. They have a larger opening, so refilling during the day from the counter service waters is super easy.

The time you are discussing in June will also see some Northern Schools still in session, so while it is summer vacation for some, it might not be as crazy as what you would think.

We typically go during late May to late July and wouldn't trade any of those trips. Have fun and go for it.

 

[MikeOhio]

The heat and crowds are significantly higher. June will be incredibly hot and crowded.

The only benefit of June compared to Sept/Oct is longer park hours.

 

[brinkley07]

The heat and humidity in June I feel is worse than in Sept/Oct. We have been in all times and I now avoid June/July/August down there. The crowds are also heavier, but at least in early to mid June there are some areas in the country that will still be finishing the school year. Either way it's still Disney and how bad can it be when you're in Disney!

 

[Jess30]

We usually go in the fall (late September/early October), but this last trip we went from 5/25-6/6.

I was expecting the weather and crowds to be horrible and it honestly wasn't that bad.

It was busy, yeah. But we toured early and definitely took breaks mid day. The days we though we could last all day....we didn't. We all crashed about 4.

The evenings really cooled down and were nice. In fact, we had a hard time swimming in the evenings because we were too cool!

We definitely got hit with more severe weather in the early summer. We missed illuminations both our Epcot days due to severe t-storms. And had to leave universal early due to severe t-storms.

 

[bondo33]

We have always gone to Disney during the "off season"-Sept/Oct and swore we would never go during the summer. Last year we ended up winning a trip and went during the beginning of June. I went in with the assumption that we wouldn't be able to accomplish much due to the crowds. We ended up having one of our best trips!

We were up and at the parks and at rope drop, rode/experienced what we could. (which was usually a lot!) Once the lines grew longer, we would do less popular attractions such as Tom Sawyer Island, Swiss Family Treehouse, railroad, etc. These are things that we had always overlooked on our previous trips. If we didn't get to ride something, we knew we would be back again sometime so no pressure. We would then go back and enjoy the heck out of our resort pool. My kids had the best time experiencing all the little things at Disney rather than trying to do everything at the parks.

As for the heat-not really an issue for us and we are from OHIO

 

[redsbe]

We have went in early/mid June and never experienced major crowds (certainly nothing like one would experience during holidays), by no means a quiet period at WDW - very few days/weeks today meet that standard, but managable. As to heat and humid conditions, yes more likely then during winter/early spring, but also variable and may be fine, never had it bad on our trips in June. Have seen mid/high 80F temps in fall, even into December on occasion, so WDW weather is pretty unpredictable and variable.

 

[autismmom1]

The first year we went as a family was in early June - I said never again...but I'm a park nazi, so we go full force. I was soaking wet from sweating so much (think about the sun beating down on you while watching parades and performances) and we spent entirely too much money on drinks (this was before I knew you could get free ice water from some places). The few times it didn't feel as if we were walking on the surface of the sun, it would thunderstorm and I would be soaking wet from trying to find shelter! Every year thereafter, we have been on my son's fall break, which is usually the first week of October - great weather. Now, if June was the ONLY time I could schedule a trip, I would, but it would be at a completely difference pace. You are the one who knows you and your family's limitations, so just plan accordingly...it's Disney World, you're going to have fun regardless!

 

[Happy_Haunt999]

We usually visit the end of Sept. and different weeks in Oct. we have experienced the crowds of food and wine and the Halloween parties.
We are wanting to go in June 12 -18 this year. I was wondering how are the heat and crowds going to be different from Sept/Oct. Is transportation around the world (buses/boats/monorail) jammed pack . Was thinking of trying to stay near Magic Kingdom so that it was easier to get to and from the park. I would appreciate any feedback. We are from NC so it does get hot and humid but everyone says Florida is miserable.

I've gone many times year round over 2 decades. I went this past June because family offered to take me and it was pretty much all expenses paid and I will never pass up a chance to visit my Happy Place lol. But I knew what was coming, the heat and the crowds. I remembered them from when I was a kid and we could only go in the summers but blah it was worse than I ever remembered. I went the exact same week you are planning on going and it was 115 with the heat index most days. It was crowded and the S. American tour groups were out in full force.

 

[princessanj]

We have traveled in February, March, October, and June. By far our favorite time to visit is June. Besides that it is hotter than other times, I would say compared to spring break the crowds are way more manageable. We went October 2014 and the crowds felt the same at June 2015. The weather was not as hot in Oct, so we couldn't even swim after our park days because it was too chilly at night. If you are prepared for the heat, doing RD and making sure you stay hydrated, you will have a great time. I sweat a lot, like constantly in any heat, and I still enjoyed every minute. I would pick June over any other time to go.

 

[preemiemama]

Also from NC, and we always go in the summer (mid-June through mid-July). As a PP stated, while our schools are out, many Northern schools are not. That will help with the crowds. It will be far busier the week around July 4th. That is not to say that it will not be crowded, but you should still be able to get some things done.

As for the heat, yes it is hot. I think the humidity in the middle of the day wears me out- we do get high humidity here in NC, but I still get worn out! Guess I am used to the A/C in the summer- not walking around in it all day! Water/hydration is VERY important. Bring water bottles, or ask at a counter service place for a cup of free water. You will get dehydrated more quickly than you think.

Since the park hours (especially for MK) tend to be later in the summer, I would take advantage of the mid-day breaks as a PP said. For us, the key is using a parkhopper. We start at rope drop in one park (regular, not EMH rope drop, unless you are early risers). We stay there until lunchtime (1-2 pm at the latest). Sometimes we eat at the park, other times we eat back at the resort. DH and DS swim- I relax and enjoy the A/C in the room. We shower and typically take a nap to recharge. (Some people cannot sleep, and that’s OK- the shower and relaxing/cooling down are more the point for us!) Then we head out to dinner and more park time around 5. Since MK closes around 11-12 we have plenty of time, and either the afternoon rainshowers or the heat and commando hours have driven people away from the parks by that time.

 

[sunsetbeachgal]

Also from NC, but the heat and humidity in Orlando is to me a lot worse, much more oppressive. Also it thundered, lightning and rained almost every afternoon. We always did rope drop then left in the afternoon when the crowds became thick to go back to the resort for pool time (assuming it wasn't storming or threatening storms as the pools are immediately closed when it is), or down time then dinner at the resort then back. We found that if it rained hard in the late afternoon, it cleared some of the crowds out for the evening.

Have a good touring plan too...do attractions close to each other and do not walk back and forth across the parks if it can be avoided as the crowds are big and it is hot. Do the "ride" type of attractions first when you arrive and it is less crowded, and save the sit down show type of attractions for later when you need a break and some air conditioning!