Late August crowds

[Y13]

Hi there, first post here but I used to lurk here all the time when I went to Disney more frequently.

Haven't gone to Disney in about 7-8 years, have been doing Universal for all those years, but I will finally be going back this summer. Just wondering what I can expect with the crowds 2nd to last week in August. I've gone to Universal in August the last 7 or so years, so while it is normally crowded, it's only 2 parks compared to 4 (and I have express pass so waiting in line isn't an issue) Last time I went to Disney in August it was well over 10 years ago so I can't remember. So let's say I want to ride one of the big rides like Space Mountain or Splash Mountain in the middle of the day, what can I expect wait times to be.

Also, Magic Kingdom will be open til 12, do crowds usually die down at night for the Extra Magic Hours or does it stay packed well into the night? From my experience, nighttime was always the best time to do things because it wasn't that crowded.

Looking forward to going back so I'm just trying to get a feel for what I can expect!

 

[yaksplat]

I've gone to WDW the last 3 years in the second last week in August. MK is always hit or miss with the crowds. But it seemed like Sundays and Fridays were the least crowded days. We'd get to the parks at rope drop, leave after lunch and go back to the hotel for a swim and then head back to MK after dinner.

The park empties after the fireworks finish.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

I've gone to WDW the last 3 years in the second last week in August. MK is always hit or miss with the crowds. But it seemed like Sundays and Fridays were the least crowded days. We'd get to the parks at rope drop, leave after lunch and go back to the hotel for a swim and then head back to MK after dinner.

The park empties after the fireworks finish.

^ this.

Early morning: Standby attractions
Late morning: Fastpass attractions
Early afternoon: Lunch in park
Late afternoon / early evening: Rest up at hotel
Late evening: Return to park for standby attractions and extra Fastpasses if available

The plan doesn't work as well in the winter when the parks aren't open as late or if you have kids that need to be in bed at a certain time, but this is absolutely the way I'd plan my days in the summer. It avoids peak temperatures and peak crowds.

 

[Seabasealpha1]

Hi there, first post here but I used to lurk here all the time when I went to Disney more frequently.

Haven't gone to Disney in about 7-8 years, have been doing Universal for all those years, but I will finally be going back this summer. Just wondering what I can expect with the crowds 2nd to last week in August. I've gone to Universal in August the last 7 or so years, so while it is normally crowded, it's only 2 parks compared to 4 (and I have express pass so waiting in line isn't an issue) Last time I went to Disney in August it was well over 10 years ago so I can't remember. So let's say I want to ride one of the big rides like Space Mountain or Splash Mountain in the middle of the day, what can I expect wait times to be.

Also, Magic Kingdom will be open til 12, do crowds usually die down at night for the Extra Magic Hours or does it stay packed well into the night? From my experience, nighttime was always the best time to do things because it wasn't that crowded.

Looking forward to going back so I'm just trying to get a feel for what I can expect!

Sweaty. You can expect them to be sweaty.

August is so freaking humid!

 

[Zipadeelady]

Sweaty. You can expect them to be sweaty.

August is so freaking humid!

 

[Disnee4Me]

We used to go the last two weeks of August when DSs were in school, as the summer camps ended, yet we had two weeks before school started. The last week of August was definitely quieter than the third. We were diehards who did early entry and stayed late at night. Back in those days you did not have to make reservations 6 months out to secure a sit down dinner reservation, but what we would always do is make lunch reservations at a sit down restaurant at about 2 p.m. when the sun was the hottest. When we finished, by 3:30, we'd go window shopping, browsing until 5. That was when everyone else started going to dinner, so we'd hop on the rides with lighter crowds. We usually grab something QS after 7 p.m., so again the crowds were light. We'd do this for 2-3 days at most, then take a break, or hit a water park, getting there at 10 a.m., so sleeping in until 8 a.m. was a luxury.