Summer crowds

[TiNkErBeLL87]

My family is going to Disney World at the end of July/beginning of August. We normally go during spring break so we are used to crowds but are the summer crowds worse? How unbearable is the heat for someone who has never been to Florida in the summer?

[mini-V]

Depending on where you live, FL heat could affect you. My relatives in WI and MN find even the spring weather to be uncomfortable. Just keep hydrated, wear a hat, and use your head. Sunblock is NOT for sissys, unless you enjoy spending day 2 and after suffering with a nasty sunburn. I've only been to the parks over July 4th and in the spring. The differences in those dates is considerable, but then we're talking a major holiday and April/May. I'm sure someone else with more experience in a variety of attendance dates will be more helpful.

[Cinderella2]

Well, as far as heat goes, it depends on where you are from.
The Texans are used to it, but I am from the Midwest and I do not go to WDW in the summer, it is just too hot. It is so unbelievably hot it is ridiculous. You just need to be prepared and keep drinking water. Water, water, water, water, water.
My biggest tip is to open the park when it is still only mildly hot and then around mid-day return to your hotel for a swim and a rest and go back in the evening, taking advantage of Extra Magic Hours if possible.

[kentgurgie]

Wow We are going there the first week of Aug!!!! Im from Northern IN. and weve been many times in the summer.They are right about the heat, but it usually averages around mid 90s here tooand its humid. But my personal feeling are that the crowds are managed much better in the summer than the off season,plus they add more vehicles and more restaurant times.I think they really are prepared for larger crowds.

[Flanagan]

I'm going to agree with everyone here. I went last August and the heat was unbearable for me , and I'm from NJ and used to hot, humid summers. What I did was buy a few hot-weather accessories ahead of time at a golf store to carry around with us (I'll link to them here):

1. Frogg Toggs Chilly Pad Sports Towel - We wet this in the sink in the morning, and it lasted about 4 hours when we kept it in the container. It really works as advertised, and feels like you kept it in the freezer overnight.
2. Amazon.com: Misty Mate 16 Oz. Personal Portable Air Cooler: Sports & Outdoors - I cannot recommend this enough. You know those misters they have around the parks that spray jets of cool water? This is a personal one. You just keep refilling it throughout the day with water and ice (available free if you ask nicely!), and it works amazingly. People around us kept asking for a spritz!
3. Amazon.com: HeatMax EverCool Cooling Bandanas. Pack of 4 Bandanas - Reusable: Sports & Outdoors - We wet these the night before and kept them in the fridge overnight. They didn't work as well as the combination of the other two since they heated up a lot faster, but it's something you can wear at all times, unlike the others which we used sparingly.

Again, I HIGHLY recommend the Misty Mate. It was an absolute boon in the 95°F+100% humidity weather, especially in outdoor queues without fans. I didn't see anyone else with one, which kind of surprised me because it works so well.

[tizzo]

I'll reiterate that it really depends on where you're from. For example, I moved here 10 years ago from NJ. That first summer we lived here, it was hotter back home than it was in FL. The same thing happened earlier this month, they had a heat wave back home and the weather was much warmer than it is here.

The one thing about FL is that the heat is unrelenting. In NJ, at least after a storm it will cool off, sometimes considerably, and it usually cools down at least a little during the night. That happens occasionally here too, but more often I've noticed that you could be standing outside right in the thick of a violent thunderstorm and the air doesn't seem any cooler or less humid than it did before the storm arrived. And even if it does cool down a little during the storm, once it passes the sun will come out, all the water will evaporate, and it will be exactly like it was before the storm within about 15 minutes.

So, again reiterating, I suggest you stay hydrated, and listen to your body. Study the maps before you get to the park and have a good idea of where some of the places are that you can go inside for a while, both to get out of the heat and to duck out of any inclement weather that you *will* experience if you're here for any length of time in August.

[TiNkErBeLL87]

Thanks so much everyone for your advice. I live in Canada so I am fully prepared to feel like I'm living in a sauna for 10 days but it is Disney World after all so my family and I are willing to deal with it as best we can because it is the only time of year we can go. We will most likely not be at the parks in the middle of the day and swim/relax at the hotel instead. I was more concerned about the crowds than the heat but apparently I had that wrong haha but thanks again to everyone

[Cinderella2]

Oh, it's crowded. But when your shoes are stuck to the pavement because they have melted, you don't notice the 5000 people trying to run you over as much.

[Flanagan]

Oh, it's crowded. But when your shoes are stuck to the pavement because they have melted, you don't notice the 5000 people trying to run you over as much.

[Spodie]

I'm so glad I live in Georgia! We always go in the summer (normally in June) and I've never felt that the heat was unbearable. I actually thought when we went a couple of weeks ago that it was really nice. However, I've never been in August and we're planning a trip then, so I'm really curious as to how I will feel. I guess the good news is that I will be spending the 3 weeks building up to that trip standing on a blacktop for 12 hours a day, so I think I will be OK.

[Mickey's#1Fan]

i was in the exact same situation my family and i use to go to WDW during april vaca week but with school sports we had to switch our trip to the summer months we are going in Aug this year and i must say it is incredibly hot and being from New England where if i dont like the weather all i have to do is wait a minute it was hard getting use to for the first time... now it is no problem we stay hydrated with plenty of water and it rains almost everyday which is a great cool down and since most of the time you are waiting in airconditioned lines it isnt as bad as you think as far as crowds go i found it to be less crowded in the summer for the reason that many families go during spring break because it will be too hott for kids