What to expect in August

[Mazzy]

We will be visiting Disneyland for the very first time in August 2007 as part of a 3 week trip to California/Nevada and I'm not quite sure what to expect in the way of crowds. It's the only time we can go due to school.

Is it going to be really really busy? If so, do onsite hotel guest get early entry like at WDW?

How far ahead are Resort Hotels available for booking, as I would expect they will be full in peak season? We would like to stay at the Grand Californian as I see they have bunk bed rooms.

Any tips/advice on visiting Disneyland in August would be great. Oh, and what about the weather?

Also do you get mossies in California, as the ones at WDW do NOT like me!

Thanks for any help!

 

[iceskatejen]

August is pretty busy. It's also our hottest month (you can expect 90+ degree temps in the DL area, but no rain). At the moment onsite hotels do get early entry, but that could change at any time. As of right now, if you buy a 3 or more day hopper, you get one early entry regardless of where you stay, but again, that could change.

I would think you could book now, though as I've never booked a DL hotel (local) I really have no idea.

My best advice is to get to the parks early. That way you can get a jump on the crowds and the heat. The sun is intense. Use Fastpass religiously.

By mossies, I'm guessing you mean mosquitos. We have them, but I never get bit by them. Others get eaten alive. I think it has to do with body chemistry or blood type, but they never bother me.

 

[simba_one]

Hey. A fellow Brit!!

We visited in August 2004 and are visiting again this August. I've never experienced SoCal in any other month (apart from late July - which was the same as August) than August so have nothing to compare with but we had no problem visiting in August. It was heck-a-busy some days (Disneyland) but I think A LOT of that was due to the fact that two of the Mountains were down (Space for the 50th rehab and BTMRR after the accident in early summer). So queues for Splash were always at least two hours and a lot of other attractions had longer lines than usual. But as I say that was due to two of the other main rides in Dl were down.

As for the weather? Absolutely BEAUTIFUL every single day!!!!
Won't be a problem whatsoever - compared to Orlando's somewhat random weather at times.

And I don't know what they are called but there are HUGE black fly things that fly around - and into you!!! - which can be quite annoying. I was talking to another fellow Brit on here (Ella) about them. And watch out for the mice that run from either side of the sidewalks. Can be scary if you see one run from one flower bed to another right in front of you.

And I think you can book for 2007 now. You may have to do it direct though because summer 2006 hasn't even hit yet.

 

[Michelle2]

August will be a busy time, but I have friends that only go in peak season due to school, and they had a great time. I think it all has to do with expectations, and preparedness. If you were really concerned about the crowds at that time, Ridemax is a great solution, and booking through AAA can give you the enhanced fastpass.

I think onsite hotels are still getting the benefits of early entry any day that is offered. Which is every day except Sunday and Wednesday. (At least it was that way last time I went a few months ago.) Like Iceskatejen said though, that can change at any time...you never know.

Yes I would advise booking your hotel as much in advance as it becomes available to do so. The Grand seems like it is always booking up especially on weekends! We were surprised at how soon it was booked, even in September. I know conferences and it being the 50th added to the bookings. With your stay there being so far in advance, (and it not being the 50th celebration anymore) I am sure you should be ok if you booked it that far ahead. And be sure and request the bunk beds if that is what you want!

The weather should be really HOT in August, but if you are used to the Florida/WDW weather in the summer, then you will be fine there because it isn't humid like Florida. The humidity just roasts ya. There it is more of a dry sunny, hot heat. Make sure to bring/buy lots of water, and take breaks or see shows or eat to get rests during the hot parts of the day. And definitely make use of the early days!

Sorry, do not know what mossies are??
HTH

 

[Mazzy]

iceskatejen - thanks for the tips and advice. We would certainly be planning to get to the parks early, as this is what we do in WDW - we just came back from our Xmas trip and it worked really well so hopefully it will work just as well in Disneyland in the Summer. Yes, sorry I do mean mosquitoes, and sorry to hear you get them, maybe they will be friendlier towards me than those at WDW!

simba-one - hi there! Nice to hear a fellow Brit has been to Disneyland - not doubt I will be picking your brain in the next 18 months! Glad to hear you coped with the weather - we have done WDW in September and that was like walking round in a sauna, so hopefully we will find the weather Ok to cope with. Don't like the sound of the huge black things, but as long as they don't bite or sting (do they?) I can cope. Thanks for the warning re the mice, as I'm used to the lizards which wander round the pool at the Dolphin, so now I know about the mice, they won't bother me, as long as they don't run up my leg!

Michelle - sorry mossies are mosquitoes - maybe mossie is a UK term? Sorry for the confusion. Yes we have done WDW in September which was very hot and humid, so that's good preparation for Summer in California I would imagine. We have just come back from our Xmas trip to WDW too, and that taught us a lot about how to cope with crowds! Thanks for your help and advice.

 

[flipturngirl]

I am going to Disneyland this August and am excited. I have been once before in august and I can not remember much because I was younger. But it is hot I know. So bring the SPF. you should check out the websites to see how far you can book in advance. We just booked ours and are super excited. You might get better deals if you do it through a Travel agent and not disney online. We saw better deals that way. I hope that your planning is fun!

 

[Mazzy]

flipturngirl - I really hope you enjoy your visit to Disneyland, I bet a lot has changed since your last visit. Thanks for the advice re booking too.

 

[blackjackdelta]

We were there last August and it was in the mid 90's, cool in the early mornings, the park was packed. Space and splash were 120 minutes + in the afternoon times and all the FP's were gone early. With the 50th stuff ending on Sept 30th I think you will see even more people.
We had a great time!!!!!!!!!

Jack

 

[victorandbellasmom]

We're going in Aug and have already booked our stay at the GCH. We went last Oct for 4 night at GCH, around July we decided to add on a few days but it was too late, there were already booked for the additional 2 days in Oct. Book early, if rates drop you can always ask to see if they can give you the special.

 

[CalGal]

I often go to Disneyland in August and while it can get hot, it is usually quite tolerable, especially in the mornings and evenings. The hotest days don't break 90 until midday, but 80s are more common. The weather is tons better than WDW at this time of year imo.

Crowds are heaviest early in the month. Many schools in California start around the 20th-24th, so if you can wait until late in the month, do so. If GCH is in your budget, I also recommend booking through AAA if you can. Check that the Enhanced FP is available to you. I think that the brouchure states US and Canada residence only, but I've read that some folks from Britain were able to swing a AAA package as well. But even if you can't get the enhanced FPs, you'll have a great time going early and using the regular FP.

PS -- I've never had any problem with bugs of any kind around DL.

 

[Mazzy]

Jack - glad to hear you had a great time despite the crowds, thanks for telling me about your experiences.

Victoriaandbellasmum - glad to hear you loved the GCH so much you are staying there again - I hope you have a great time in August and yes, I am now realising that I need to book sooner rather than later - thanks!

CalGal - good to hear that the weather is tolerable. I'm guessing you don't get the afternoon thunderstorms that plague WDW in Summer then? Thanks for the tip re the schools - in the UK we usually go back early September so we may be able to swing it so we do our trip a bit later than originally planned. We aren't AA members, we are members of their rival company! But it may be worth looking into how much it costs for a basic membership to AA, depending on what discount it gives you at the GCH, do you have any idea how much you normally save? Glad to hear you're not bothered by bugs, good news!

 

[simba_one]

simba-one - hi there! Nice to hear a fellow Brit has been to Disneyland - not doubt I will be picking your brain in the next 18 months! Glad to hear you coped with the weather - we have done WDW in September and that was like walking round in a sauna, so hopefully we will find the weather Ok to cope with. Don't like the sound of the huge black things, but as long as they don't bite or sting (do they?) I can cope. Thanks for the warning re the mice, as I'm used to the lizards which wander round the pool at the Dolphin, so now I know about the mice, they won't bother me, as long as they don't run up my leg!

You should be OK with the mice. As for the black fly things - I don't know if they bit or sting. I never saw anyone being attacked in that way by one so I'm guessing not but best stay away from them anway.

And probably won't be an option for you as you want to stay at the GC and want to book soon but if you book with Virgin (online and on certain days - Christmas Day, New Years Day and Easter Sunday I think too?!) then you can get a discount. Christmas is 15% but the others are 10% I think - the same as Frequent Flyers.

It's annoying that they don't offer packages for the DLR hotels. Again, one rule for WDW and another for the DLR. Gets treated differently as always.

Sorry again for the long PM. I don't know what happened?

 

[Mazzy]

Simba1 - LOL!!!! Dont' worry about the long PM, it was full of lots of useful info so it was very welcome!

Yes I was looking in the Virgin Holidays brochure and was amazed to see that they don't feature the Disneyland Resort hotels, I'm sure they used to. So I will be doing my own booking, as we definitely want to say on-site to get the full experience. I booked our October trip to WDW with Virgin Holidays and get the Frequent Virgin 10%, so it was a good price. I also went mad and booked the stretch limo transfer!

As long as the mossies don't get me I will be fine!

 

[ter-moo]

It sounds like you're experienced enough to handle the August crowds. Actually, the one advantage to going in the summer is that the hours are longer, more attractions are open and there are more shows available.

We've gone twice in August and had a blast. Just get a copy of "The Unofficial Guide to Disneyland" and follow an appropriate touring plan and you'll have no trouble.

As far as the weather, it's hot, but not intolerable because it's a dry heat. It cools way down in the evenings and early mornings, so you'll do well to hit air conditioned shows and attractions in the heat of the afternoons. California Adventure is much hotter than Disneyland because it has less shade and wider walkways. If you're really hot, ride Grizzly River Run--you'll get soaked, providing you with your own personal air conditioning for a while!

There are very few mosquitoes in California--it's just too dry for them. Shouldn't be a problem at all.

Disneyland is much different than WDW as far as onsite and offsite hotels go. Many of the offsite hotels are actually closer to the parks than the onsite ones and are much cheaper and include free continental breakfasts. The only advantage to onsite is the EE, which is sporadic--sometimes they offer it, sometimes they don't. There have been many times when EE came with any hopper pass. It just depends on the current offer! The best of the onsites for convenience and luxury is the Grand Californian. It's similar to the Wilderness Lodge, and has a private entrance into both CA Adventure and Downtown Disney.

My favorite offsite is the Candy Cane Inn (www.candycaneinn.net) which is an upgraded motel within walking distance that also offers a free private shuttle back and forth to the parks every half hour. Most of the offsite lodging is motels, although there are a few large hotels, mainly near the convention center. Many hotels/motels claim they are "right across the street" or "adjacent to" the parks, but that doesn't necessarily translate to an easy walk. There are maps at the beginning of this message board that give you an aerial view. The entrance to both parks is off of Harbor Blvd., right across the street from the Best Western Park Place Inn. Those hotels around it are actually the closest ones. Two great sources for hotel reviews are www.tripadvisor.com, and www.mouseplanet.com.

I hope this helps! Have fun planning!!!!!

 

[CalGal]

But it may be worth looking into how much it costs for a basic membership to AA, depending on what discount it gives you at the GCH, do you have any idea how much you normally save?

When I booked last August, there wasn't much difference in the AAA package over the DL web site cost for a package with a standard room at the GCH, however, there was significant savings (over $50/night I think) for the park view room. It was fabulous. Also, rates may go down towards the end of the month. It is true that staying on-sight is not a necessity like it is at WDW, butI still think there' nothing like staying at the GCH if it fits your budget.

And yes, thunderstorms are extremely rare in southern California in summer. In fact, it rarely rains at all.

 

[azgal81]

It depends when you go in August. Last year we went the last week of August and it wasn't nearly as bad as the first couple of weeks of august. It is hot but being from Arizona it is actually cooler in California. The heat is dry though which is alot different then humid. When you go outside you just feel like you are in an oven when you go outside in humid you can't breathe and it is sticky!

You'll have a great time. If it is busy just get there as soon as the park opens and use fast passes you will be fine. If you see a line over an hour just get a fast pass and ride it later. Our motto is usually don't wait in any line that is longer then 20 minutes although that's pushing it even for us we hate waiting in line! When we went in August we didn't wait in any ride that was longer then 20 minutes and we were still able to ride each ride 3-4 times in our three day stay!

 

[Ella1]

Hi Mazzy,
we went for the whole of August in 2004 and didn't find the heat a problem at all, in fact its just like a hot summers day back home (remember them???...lol) but the evenings are much cooler and you will need a sweatshirt some evenings.
We didn't really have a problem with crowds and we found that we were still able to get a Fastpass for TOT in the evenings!!
Theres no humidity like in Orlando and no rain and we found WDW much busier in July than Disneyland in August.
Love Ella

 

[Mazzy]

ter-moo - thanks for the heads up on the mossies - I feel a bit better now as they can ruin a trip if they get you bad! I remember using The Official Guide to WDW for our very first trip there, so thanks for reminding me about these books, I will certainly be getting the one for Disneyland. Grizzly River Run sounds great - just the thing on a hot day! I will wait til nearer the time then to see what the offers are on the hotels and see if it's worth joing AA.

Calgal - wow that was a great rate you got on the GCH. We do want the park view if we can stretch to it, have to see what the rates are first. This may be our first and last visit to Disneyland, so we want to do it in style so staying on site would be the cherry on the cake. Being from Manchester, UK, which is known as The Rainy City, it's good to know we are visiting somewhere on this earth where the sun actually shines and the rain stays away!

azgal81 - thanks for the info on the weather, I'm sure we will cope OK. Your ride strategy is a good one, and very similar to what we've done at WDW in the past. Staying on-site should help too, as we can pop in and out of the parks throughout the day.

Hi Ella I think I can just about remember what a hot summer is like in the UK! Thanks for the tip re sweatshirts for early morning and evening, too.