Timing for 2021 - August or "NJ Week"?

[staceychev]

Hi all - We had to cancel our brief stop at Magic Kingdom this past April because of Covid. The silver lining is we'll have had much more time to earn Chase Disney points, so our one-day stop on the way to my dad's house in South FL is now being re-envisioned for 2021 as Disney-specific trip - probably staying 4 or 5 days. As we've entered the phase in life where we have a child who doesn't want to take time away from her high school classes, we're thinking either August (any time in August, really) or "NJ week," which in 2021 will be the first week in November. Has anyone visited both times who can comment on pros and cons of each? We know that August will have some great deals, but will also be hot and rainy. Other than that, we're not sure what to expect!

 

[Main Street Matilda]

Being from NJ, most of our trips have been during NJ week. The crowds have gotten heavier over the years, but I've found them to be manageable, especially if you stick to the advice of the experts and get to the parks early. Keeping in mind that most NJ schools only have off on Thursday and Friday of that week, the crowds are lighter earlier in the week. Weather-wise, I've found this time of November to be ideal. With the exception of one trip when we hit a bit of a cold spell for part of our trip (but not all of the week-long visit), it's pleasantly warm during the day and cooler in the evenings. Also, Food & Wine is still going on during this time. A definite "pro". I would say that the one "con" is that you must be prompt about reservations, etc., in November. I'm not sure why, but I've had a much harder time getting the dinner reservations and fast-passes I wanted Jersey Week.

Last year, because of a conflict with my daughter's schedule, August was the only time we could go. The temperatures in August definitely required adjustments in our touring. We built in many breaks, ate indoors to cool off whenever possible, and carried water bottles everywhere we went. We also carried cooling towels. Although the comfort-level was not the same in August as in November, we still really enjoyed the trip and actually liked the extra pool time that we planned - we generally didn't spend as much time at the pool in November. The August trip simply required some extra preparation. The rain wasn't really an issue. It went through quickly and we had our ponchos ready to go. If you go in August, I found a few YouTube videos on how to handle the heat while touring and they helped us prepare.

 

[Ksquared]

the year we went for Jersey Week was the first week of November. It was quite warm but I had no complaints about the weather. We went for first time Aug 2019 and while I always said I'd never go in Summer, we really had a great trip. Only 1 day we felt the heat was oppressive and we were in Epcot so a little cranky. The rain didn't seem to bother us much, we rearranged on of our days and just went to our 2nd park later one day. We loved food and wine in Nov. timeframe. I don't think you can go wrong either way, just not sure in covid times and wearing a mask how easy it would be to navigate aug vs. nov. I'd go back either time really but would lean toward Nov if I had choice for either time

 

[evlaina]

I've gone in September and November, and we will never do September again. It's SO darn hot. Pick November for nice weather, and some Christmas decorations!

 

[gharter]

Depends how you tolerate heat.
Personally, we love the weather in October an November. Although, we have been there when its still been in the 80s during that time.
Love being there over Thanksgiving and seeing the Christmas ornaments go up.

 

[snoopboop]

I agree with other posters - though Jersey Week has, in previous years, been a bit busier than the surrounding weeks, I definitely haven’t noticed it to be busier than August, and the weather is SOOO much better in November than in August... not to mention the possibility of attending Food & Wine and also seeing some holiday decorations!

 

[holden]

August weather is brutal in Disney. I'd do November over August any day.

 

[staceychev]

Thanks, everyone!

 

[nkereina]

Next year its anyone's guess whether Jersey Week will be as busy as it typically is. In a normal year, its blacked out for discounts. But next year, Jersey Week falls right around the 50th anniversary and I think its still TBD what special events (if any) will be held so that's something to keep an eye on. If there's some sense of normalcy by then, I would expect it to be a busier time with people traveling for the anniversary and re-scheduled trips from this year.

That said, I agree with PPs that November weather is far preferable to August. The August heat is one thing, but the frequent downpours of rain wore me down after a while. It sucked being soaked, carrying around ponchos, putting them on and taking them off when rain was on and off. Shoes were soaked constantly. In November, we've had instances of cold where I had to wear hoodies and jackets with temps in the 40s and 50s in mornings/evenings, but I think I would still choose that over the rain. For us, we'd rather navigate crowds than take our chances on weather, so I would go with November.