Tips for end of August

[deedeew80]

Hi all! Our family of 4 is thinking of going to Disney next year August 21-28. It will be me, hubby, daughter 8 & son 6. Growing up we always went at the end of August. Last time I was there in August was 2007 and I don't know if it was more unbelievably hot & humid than usual or just me being older, but I hated the heat!! We took our kids for the first time end of April/beginning of May and it was hot but bearable. The only way we can get to Disney now is if we go in the summer. I attend college and cannot miss classes!! So now I have to convince hubby we can deal with the heat at the end of August. We live in NJ and have lots of hot humid days in the summer so we do have some exposure, thought not nearly as bad as FL! I also remember the end of August having lower crowds because most kids are back in school. Not sure if this still holds true! I feel like there isn't really a slow time anymore with all the new changes taking place! So what are some good tips for going the end of August? Crowd level expectations? Weather? I know HOT! Lol! I believe they usually offer free dining at this time as well? Thanks for any info you all can pass on!!

 

[Dale Compton]

As a Floridian I can give several tips for beating the heat. Take as many breaks as possible inside a place with AC. Drink lots of water, then drink more, I also drink pickle juice to help (weird but trust me) grapes (any fruit really) in a ziplock back of icecubes. I also wear clothing in the summer made for fishing that have SPF50 in the fabric (West Marine or outdoor sporting stores sell them), wear a hat and at times put a wet cloth on top of your head. Above all stay hydrated and eat cooling foods. Apparently Disney has no slow times any more, Epcot will be the most crowded for food and wine fest end of August but manageable mon-fri. Hmm I tell you all this and it just came to mind that I will ignore most of this and drink around the world at epcot labor day weekend with the wife. Then again if not at Disney I would be out fishing on my boat in the heat for 3 days

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

Yes you will have high heat and humidity. Also the likely hood of hurricanes occuring. So take out trip insurance if you plan to go in Aug. I heard a report from the Disboard podcast a few weeks ago that said they are hearing that people are not visiting WDW this year because they want to go in 2018 when the new stuff opens up. So the crowd levels next year could be higher than normal.

 

[Dale Compton]

Never really thought of hurricane travel insurance since I am only 2 hours away from Orlando. That said I also keep an eye on what is brewing in the Caribbean and may hit Florida. If I am not mistaken Disney has only closed once for a hurricane and that was last Oct. Not to say the airports won't shutdown. That would suck

 

[Barbydoll8]

You are from NJ. I'm originally from SE PA but have been here for 21 years (80 miles of WDW). I wish I could tell you that it won't be "as hot" as you experienced but um...no. August is usually brutal. Think mass heat wave in July that normally hits the northeast for a few days every year. Crowds are a bit lighter towards the end of the month due to schools starting or getting ready to start but it will still be hot.
And yes, it's Atlantic hurricane season. It never hurts to have travel insurance during this time as you just don't know what will happen.
Apply sunscreen at least 3 times per day. Drink and drink again. Ice water at the counter service locations is free so take advantage of it.
Bring cool towels and rewet them in the bathrooms often. You can bring a soft sided cooler if you are so inclined. Use fast pass as much as possible to minimize waiting in line in the heat. If you are on property, plan pool time in the afternoons. Plan on rope drop, break in the afternoon and then head back to the parks after 6-7 pm.
Remember to eat. Lots of people don't cause it's hot and they end up getting sicker. Plan meals at the hottest times of the day. Maybe do big breakfast, snack at lunchtime and then 3-4 dinner or early breakfast and then lunch around 1-3 and snack for dinner. This gets you out of the heat at it's worst.
Listen to your body and your family's moods. Don't cram too much just because you are on a time crunch.

 

[deedeew80]

Thanks for all the great advice! I have been in August numerous times and I know it is hotter than NJ! It looks like the best plan is to take our time, take lots of breaks, go back to the resort or go in the pool, and of course to drink lots of water!! We will be driving and I plan on bringing water with us and bringing it to the parks. I'm also thinking about extending our stay by a day or two so we don't have to cram it all in and are able to take our time!

 

[Dale Compton]

You can fill water bottles all around the park and as mentioned by barbydoll, ice water is available for free. I drink at least 1 bottle of water and hour during the summer, but counter with a beer, water is in beer right?

 

[prprincess]

We went during the last week of August last year, and while it was hot and humid, it wasn't that much worse than summers here in South Jersey. So that aspect wasn't as horrible as I expected. The crowd levels were great, but we dealt with the remnants of a hurricane, which made the weather very unpredictable...besides your usual mid-day FL summer storms. So my main tip would be to be flexible and go with the flow. We missed out on a few things that we wanted to do due to rain (fireworks shows), but we didn't let it ruin our trip. With that being said, I'd still choose that week to go again. Have a great time!

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

Never really thought of hurricane travel insurance since I am only 2 hours away from Orlando. That said I also keep an eye on what is brewing in the Caribbean and may hit Florida. If I am not mistaken Disney has only closed once for a hurricane and that was last Oct. Not to say the airports won't shutdown. That would suck

The other thing to factor in is and a lot of people don't realize this, the plane you fly on and the flight crew to fly your plane 90% of the time are coming from two different cities. So when weather is a factor such as a hurricane the plane you are suppose to fly on could get diverted to another city and your flight crew could be stuck in a totally different city. Even if the weather is nice at your airport doesn't mean that the weather in our Country won't impact you. Just last week a guy I work with was glad he spent $90 for the insurance. The weather the day before his flight caused a rip effect on the airline and his flight out the next morning was canceled because there was not aircraft to available. The next available flight with two open seats was not till the following morning so he lost a day of his vacation. The insurance he bought reimbursed him for the first night of his hotel stay that he paid for but did not stay at. So its better to error on the side of caution and get the insurance.

 

[TheSouthernBelle]

Don't plan around crowds, I feel like there are so many new things on the horizon for WDW that it will always be crowded it's just whether or not it's nutty crowded or normal crowded. We were there this past weekend and beginning of the week, touring plans said it would be 9/10 crowd level at AK, MK and Epcot. It was not at all that crowded. Get to the parks early, plan accordingly and allow for changes as you go, and you will all be fine. Be patient with the kiddos too. As for hurricanes, it takes a major threat to close WDW down completely and the last major storm to affect the Orlando area was 2004-2005. Bring your own refillable water bottles and refill at fountains. Bring water flavoring packets since some of the water out of the fountains is not very good. Also, plan your ADR around lunch or midday to get out of the sun too. Maybe do midday breaks and head back to the resort for rest/pool time

 

[Emtgirljen]

Don't plan around crowds, I feel like there are so many new things on the horizon for WDW that it will always be crowded it's just whether or not it's nutty crowded or normal crowded. We were there this past weekend and beginning of the week, touring plans said it would be 9/10 crowd level at AK, MK and Epcot. It was not at all that crowded. Get to the parks early, plan accordingly and allow for changes as you go, and you will all be fine. Be patient with the kiddos too. As for hurricanes, it takes a major threat to close WDW down completely and the last major storm to affect the Orlando area was 2004-2005. Bring your own refillable water bottles and refill at fountains. Bring water flavoring packets since some of the water out of the fountains is not very good. Also, plan your ADR around lunch or midday to get out of the sun too. Maybe do midday breaks and head back to the resort for rest/pool time

They actually closed last October as well, I was there waiting to leave for a Disney cruise which got pushed back a day because of damage at the Port. They closed all the parks and instituted curfews at the resorts.