WDW in summer, will I regret it?

[Meriwether's Twin]

Due to the fact that I am undergoing extreme Disney withdrawals, I am considering going for a short trip this summer. With all the talk of heat & rain, though, I'm wondering if I will just be spending a bunch of money on a trip I will regret?

Kids will be fine, but neither DH nor myself really enjoy the hot weather (despite the fact that we have been living in Texas the last 3 yrs).

I was thinking that if we hit the parks as early as possible, which we have never done, and then leave in the middle of the day & come back at night, it might be workable.

Kids are all teens except 1 9 yr old.

Any advice?

 

[Mr.BsMom]

It does get hot, and it does rain quite a bit... But that hasn't stopped us from enjoying ourselves! I think if you are aware of these things going in, you can better prepare yourselves! (Take water and ponchos!)

Last August, we were there for 8 days. It was HOT! We did EE 4 or 5 of those days to get a jump on things.... totally worth it! We would then go back to the hotel for a little break after lunch-time to swim, nap or just rest. We had a UPH, so after our break we would hit a different park or DTD (DisneyQuest) for the late afternoon and evening. I think it worked out great and we did not regret any of it for a second.

You have to remember to drink plenty of water and take breaks when you feel you need them....... and have a great time!

 

[Meriwether's Twin]

Thanks Mr BsMom!

I am dying to go so I am glad to hear it is doable. My DS (14) is struggling in school, I can't justify pulling him out, he is just turning a corner in the right direction.

Since you are from the same general area as me, how would you compare 6 Flags in July to WDW in July? We went to 6 Flags the first year we were here, and walking around in 90 heat with limited shade made me feel like the proverbial egg frying on the sidewalk after a few hours!

That charming memory is what has made me hesitate.

However, we are more used to the heat here now (80 is a nice day), we are originally from Oregon so we had to acclimate.

Also obviously 6 Flags is no comparison to WDW in terms of park design & line waiting experience.

 

[Schmeck]

We've been spoiled, taking trips in May and October, but I can't take any time from work (I work at a school!) and can't take my kids out at this point either, so I'm thinking of an August trip as well.

It's good to hear that using EE, and taking afternoon breaks, makes it workable. I'm thinking of getting AP's, and doing a long stay, 10 days or so. That way, we don't have to go crazy, and can have a rainday or two as well. Although I love to go to the parks in the rain!

With all the air conditioning, and then back out into the heat, don't people tend to get chilled/sick though?

 

[llp479]

We've done WDW in late August for the last two years for 9 and 10 day stays. Yes, it's hot, and last year the rain was unbelievable. If you pace yourself, drink lots of water, and take breaks when needed, it's quite "doable." You can almost always find an air conditioned attraction, or return to the resort for a swim, then back to the parks in the evening when it's cooler.

 

[fabwallsmom]

I've only been to WDW in the summer!!! It's a great time to go! I like hot weather, though. We did get stuck in a few downpours, but they don't last long. They're actually quite refreshing sometimes. I remember the last one. It absolutely poured for about 10 minutes and we were stuck! It was fun! We laughed and got soaked! What else can you do in that situation?

 

[Meriwether's Twin]

Fabwallsmom, does it tend to rain all day? Or does it rain hard then stop?

 

[goofy4tink]

We were there last August and are going back this August. Yes, it's hot/humid. We planned for rain each day. But, we were not prepared for the above average torrential rains that happened last August!!! The skies opened around 3ish and it poured until late night. But, it's warm rain!! We put on ponchos and had a ball. But, like I said...it was above average. It usually doesn't rain like that. Take your ponchos with you every day. There are plenty of attractions you can cool off in. Lots of shady areas around also. Drink lots of water and hit the pools. We aren't taking my dd out of school for then forseeable future either, so we'll be visiting mid-August from now on.

 

[tcfdick]

My family and I have always gone in the summer. We've went in late June, July, and August. We love going during this time because we like to swim at the water parks and the pools. The water is wonderful at this time of the year, although we usally aren't bothered by the heat anyway because we live in Kentucky and it gets very hot and humid here. I agree with taking water, that's really important. I find that I don't feel as hot if I drink lots of water. We also bring a mister fan that we put ice and water in to keep it cold.
We also go to the parks early in the morning and leave about midday for a rest back at the resort, then back to a park sometime midafternoon until evening (we like to park hop too). This helps cool us down and gives our feet time to stop hurting. We use fastpass and because the parks are open later at this time of year, we find we can do everything we want to in the time we are there. I do like to go for an extended period though (last year it was 15 days), but I have gone for just a week and still gotten everything done I wanted to do. Just realize there are crowds and you will have to stand in some lines. My son doesn't want to stand in a line longer than 20 minutes now that we are spoiled by fastpass, so we walk past anything that shows longer than that and go on something with a short wait time until our fastpass is available.
Sherry

 

[Selket]

We went last year the 3rd week of August and it was indeed hot and rainy. It was extra rainy I think cause you might remember that the whole east coast got more rain than usual last summer. We had a storm every afternoon. We sat in the rain waiting for Fantasia to start (yes...with a 5 yr old and 20 mo old). Anyway it isn't that bad if you just bring some shoes that go in the rain (like Tevas) and get your poncho on and go. I'd go back again in August - I never felt like I was going to melt. The AK was the only park that seemed really hot to me. Have fun!

 

[Mr.BsMom]

Meriwether's twin - Isn't it funny how 80 can now be a "nice" day??

I would say it's quite a bit different to be at WDW in July than here (DFW area) at 6 Flags in July... It seems to me that there are a ton more "inside" attractions (SM, RnR come to mind) to cool off in at WDW, plus the fact that there are 4 parks to choose from. (Even more than that if you count BB, TL, & DQ!) I didn't even think to mention earlier about the fastpass. That is such a great thing to utilize! That minimizes any wait time (possibly out in the heat), so you can do more!

Selket... What is it about AK?? I felt the same way about it being the hottest park last year! That may have something to do with why I disliked it so much...?

 

[Armadillo4]

I'm resigned to the fact that I'll only be able to visit WDW when it's crowded. However, just remind yourself that you're in WDW and shouldn't regret anything! When I'm in the world, I'm always in a better mood, regardless of the crowds or weather. It must be that pixie dust in the air.

 

[bizwiz24]

Hi,

I have always gone to Walt Disney World in late July since I was 6 years old. Now I am 19, and from what I remember, it was extremely hot and humid, but not too much rain. It rained at times, I guess we just got lucky.

Now, I am traveling on my first Disney trip, July 23 - 30, without my parents. I am going with first-timers: my girlfriend, her mother, and her two siblings (ages 3 & 10). I must say, I am rather uneasy about my company being uneasy. I guess I just want the trip to be sunny and perfect. We will see! I hope the best for my trip as well as everyone elses.

 

[ironwood58]

We have always went in the summer.It does get very hot, but being from Georgia we are used to the heat. You will get afternoon rain which you will be glad to see. We usually have a blast when it rains. We have found that standing in lines are the worst. But you can buy a water bottle with a fan and spray mist to cool you off a little the kids love it. Drink lots of water and wear sunscreen

 

[disney4us2002]

We went the 2nd week of June in 2002 and it was some sort of monsoon season because it rained for hours daily. We have never regretted a trip to WDW and made the most of it but we stayed wet and yucky feeling much of the week. We're crazy enough to try WDW at Christmastime next! I'm not sure if heat and rain will be any worse than huge crowds and possibly cold weather but we'll wait and see. I had athletic shoes that didn't dry out the whole week. I really dislike rain, being wet, and squishy shoes. I think you have to decide how much you can stand before deciding to try the summer months. I still had fun, got great pics of the kids with tons of characters and stayed at the Contemporary for a fraction of normal cost (thru SoG) so I can't say I regret going but we won't plan summertime again for a while (til we forget how much rain there was, lol).

 

[palmtreegirl]

We went for 2 weeks this past August and had a great time!

It was hot but no hotter then it had been at home in NJ. It rained almost everyday for an hour or two, except for a couple days where we had no rain at all. We found that investing in a few umbrellas was much more pleasent then the ponchos and easier to carry around.

Some of the reasons I liked the summer-

-Longer park hours.
- Warm at night so no need to carry a jacket or go back and change clothes.
-I love swimming when it's hot out because it's so refreshing, we even swam in the rain.

Towards the trip of the day the daily rain started to bug me but that was the only downside to the trip, we had a blast!

 

[Chicago526]

My mother and I went in mid-July of 2000. It was HOT!

What we did was hit the park first thing (and I mean first thing, if we weren' t at the rope drop, it was only because we missed it by only 10 minutes or so). We did our thing until a late lunch around 1pm. Then headed back to the hotel for naps/swims (and we are talking about a 50-something mom and a 24 year old! We were not traveling w/kids!). Then we went back to the parks for dinner around 5 or 6, and stayed until close. This still gave us over 8 hours in the parks each day, without dying from the mid-day heat.

Invest in a mister-fan, rain ponchos for everyone, hats and SUN SCREEN! Take AC breaks in shops or indoor rides/shows. Pace yourselves, try not to over-do it.

My mom and I had a great time! You will too!

 

[Eeyore2003]

Definitely do-able.

I always go to EE, I always take a 2 to 3 hour break mid-day, and we've always had a wonderful time!!!

With that age kids, you also might want to consider a day of sleeping in and doing DisneyQuest. We did that when the kids were teens.

Also, with our kids that age, we spend most of our time at EPCOT and MGM. I have only been to Animal Kingdom once. Can't believe it, but hubby and I figured it out in December, (when we decided to sleep in Animal Kingdom day AGAIN!!!) And at that age the list for Magic Kingdom wasn't as long as it was when they were little. So both AK and MK were pretty easy.

 

[SuBeat]

We have been twice in mid to late June and will be there again June 14-22 this year. To me there is no comparison between a summer day at WDW and one at 6 Flags here. Disney has lots of indoor attractions, shady queue areas, air conditioned restaurants, etc. Six Flags in the summer is like that egg frying on the pavement.

You can usually expect an afternoon shower. We were also there for the monsoon of June 2002 when it poured 6 out of 7 days, but we just kept going (except at AK, which IMO doesn't handle downpours well). I love all the poncho pictures from that trip. Last year was more typical, just the usual afternoon shower. We actually kind of missed the rain..it cools things down and clears parks out. Bring a couple of pairs of good walking shoes so you'll have a spare set if the other gets wet and don't forget your poncho each day.

As for the heat, I hate heat. But it's hot here at home too, so I might as well be hot at the happiest place on earth, right? Bring water, sunscreen, and a mister fan and you will be fine. Schedule a PS at a nice, cool restaurant for when it starts to heat up, then head back to the resort for a swim and return to the park in the evening.

We've always had a wonderful time in the summer, with a little planning you will too!

 

[Meriwether's Twin]

I'm booking this trip. Thanks SO much for all the hot weather tips. It sounds like with the right planning and gear we can have just as much Magic as in off-season. Plus I really like the idea of the longer park days.

DS17, DS14, & DD9 all love to swim, so if I stay onsite, especially with a good pool, it should work out great to come back midday for a swim break. I only have to figure out how to drag the little slugs out of bed, lol! I think I'll put DD9 in charge of that, she can be relentless. Shades of Commando Nikki.

I had forgotten about Fastpass, that will really help with the lines.

Eeyore 2003, I think I will definitely plan in at least one "down" day to sleep in. We kind of like to enjoy the resort amenities as well as the parks, not to mention all the other Disney stuff.

Subeat, you are right, there can be no comparison between 6 flags & WDW! What was I thinking! I was remembering those misters in some of the queues, I think Kali River Rapids in particular, they work pretty well.

Anyway if we have to take breaks etc I will definitely need more days there, hmmm, big sacrifice.

I'm SO EXCITED!! OK, have to take care of the minor detail of booking a ressie, I'm off....