WDW Vet going in summer for first time

[DopeyDame]

We've been to WDW dozens of times, but only during off season - typically October, January, or February. DH has a conference in Orlando in late June, so we're going to join him.
Crowd calendars have all the parks at 7s and 8s for the times we are there.
What do I need to know?
What will be different (other than the crowds, obviously!)
Any advice for someone who's been spoiled by crowds in the past?

We have a 6 year old and 3 year old and definitely aren't gung-ho on seeing everything - we'll be back within a year or two for sure.

Thanks!

 

[JanaDee]

It will be HOT. And crowded. And HUMID. Did I mention HOT and HUMID? Tempers will be much shorter everywhere, so brace yourself. It will probably rain or thunderstorm every afternoon. Sometimes they last 30 mins, sometimes the rest of the day is a washout.

 

[scrappinginontario]

Exaclty what @JanaDee said. It doesn't have to ruin your trip but you need to be prepared for the heat, humidity and storms. I like to describe it as melt-your-face-off hot!

That being said, we've travelled to Disney 3 times in August and had a great trip every time! I would recommend purchasing Frogg Toggs to help with the heat. Just buy 2 and cut them lengthwise. Keep well hydrated. Any Disney location that serves fountain drinks will give you free ice water if you ask.

You will probably want to go at a slower pace and possibly consider going back to your resort for a rest in the afternoon. That being said, we've never been good at that but choose quieter, cooler rides in the afternoon that allow for a rest: Carousel of Progress, it's a small world, Hall of Presidents, Ellen's Universe of Energy, etc.

You can still have an amazing time, you just need to prepare a little differently.

We took my 15yo niece a couple of years ago and she said before we even left that she didn't handle the heat well. She was miserable...and so were we. We all had the best time when she went back to the resort to swim and hang out in the room and we enjoyed the parks without her sulking.

 

[DrivenByDisney]

Can't say anymore than what the posts above here have already said.

I will pile on the Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate wagon, while you are here and even before you arrive. Hydrating prior to your arrival is always a huge plus to help fend off the effects of heat & humidity. We even use NUUN tablets when go in the very hot months.

Drinking 6-8 glasses of water per day the week prior to arriving will help your body be properly hydrated before you arrive. And of course drink plenty of water while you are there. We have a Camel Back water bottle that you can refill all day and it has a built in filter. We found this to be one of the best purchases for theme parks in general. You even save $3.50 every time you fill it up instead of buying bottled water all day.

Enjoy!!

 

[DopeyDame]

Thanks everyone! I'm definitely going to have to remember to make sure the kids are drinking enough - great tip.

 

[wookiebeck]

We were off-season commando-style. When we did the last two trips in the summer, we chilled out by taking mid-afternoon breaks for the first time. Now we love touring that way. Rope drop is the coolest temps you will see (and even then sometimes it is in the 90's). The midday break also helps cool the possible temper issues.

 

[Disneylvr]

I am following this because we are going in early September and know it will be HOT and HUMID then too.

 

[kaybird]

We go often in the summer. Our best tips beyond the others are to make TS reservations in the afternoon. Gives a great air-conditioned break in either the heat or storms. We also hit the Water parks for just a couple of hours. relaxing in the lazy river is a great way to cool off. Take advantage of EMH! Both the early hours and late hours are much cooler than the afternoon, when it is much hotter and more crowded.

 

[darkwing818]

We've found if we can go early, then we take the afternoon off (say 1 to 4) head back to the resort hit the pools for a bit & cool down. After that we put on a new set of non-sweaty clothes & head back to the park. Seems to work very well for us especially if we are staying at B&YC or The Boardwalk.

 

[SpecialK]

We took most of our trips in June because of my DH's work schedule. When our children were that young and still early risers, we went to morning EMH or got to the park at rope drop. On those days we'd make a TS lunch reservation and leave the park for a swim and/or nap after lunch. Plan on a day that's just a pool or water park day.

None of us wear hats in our regular lives, but at WDW in the summer, a baseball cap can make a world of difference.
We always have a case of water and a case of Gatorade delivered to the resort along with snacks. Carry a wet washcloth in a Baggie - just being able to wet it with some cold water and cool down your face or neck helps immensely.

Cut through building when you can to take advantage of the AC. Take advantage of the AC in shows (it's the only reason I got my kids into Country Bears) in between rides.

You'll go through a couple of outfits a day so pack for it or plan on doing laundry. And take extra socks for anyone who wears gym shoes.

We've had great weather - in the upper 80s and no rain- to not so great weather - 90s and monsoons - in June. Our biggest problem last trip was daily unrelenting rain. Trudging through a downpour to make a dinner reservation to avoid paying the penalty for being a no show was not much fun, but we still had fun once we got there. Attitude is everything in June!

 

[ArwenMarie]

Yeah, just be ready for the heat. I find expecting the worse helps once I am actually there.
Rope drop, rope drop, rope drop!
We like to have an early lunch ADR in the parks. We find that sitting and relaxing really helps us keep going for another bit after that.
Get your must-dos done in the morning. With the storms (which include lightning) almost every day, the schedule can fall apart a bit after 2 pm or so.
If your kids really want to swim, you might want to block out a morning for that. We've had weeks where the pools were closed every afternoon we were there due to the lightning.

 

[scrappinginontario]

One more thing....cover your stroller with a good stroller cover every single time you leave it! The skies can be clear and sunny without a hint of rain or cloud and then quickly a storm can roll in and drench your stroller. Each year we take guesses on how many days we will be into our trip when I forget to do this and the stroller gets a soaking! LOL - the good thing is that every trip we go home with a cleaner stroller than we left with as it gets drenched - at least once. Also, invest in a good stroller cover. Don't try to use a poncho as the downpour of rain will make it's way in through the holes.

On a similar note, rain ponchos for all are a necessity each day. It may not rain for long but when it does - oh boy!!

 

[PeasandCarrots]

I was in your exact scenario about 3 years ago. We are a couple w/o kids so we always go off season. But we took our nephews and they had to go it the summer, so we went in June. It wasn't nearly as bad as I expected - maybe because I was expecting it to be horribly hot and crowded. I think it's all about mind-set. The heat wasn't as bad as many of our September trips were because the humidity wasn't quite as soupy in June. The crowds were there for sure, but we found EMH to be pretty light and rope drop as well, so we would get a ton done in the morning, take a lunch break, the do a few rides in the afternoon, then head back and spend the rest of the day at the pool (kids love pools almost as much as the parks lol). It worked out great! Enjoy your trip!