OMG!! I am going to DISNEYWORLD. Help Me...

disney4life2008

disney4life2008

Well-Known Member
My bday is coming up on July 4th (the big 28). I have been kinda down the past couple of weeks for different reasons and then I start looking at YouTube videos of Disneyworld. I have a Annual Pass so I decided to check the prices for August and it was surprising cheap with the discount. I booked myself a bday present (much needed).

I am going to the MUSIC Resort Aug 7th to Aug 14th. I am so excited to see Summer Nightastic. The disney charm will lift my spirits!! My trip is paid in full and my pass will get me to the parks with no worry!!

I know it will HOT as HADES, CROWDED & Humid. But I am going to Disneyworld!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now, I have never been to Disneyworld in August. What shall I expect?? Any and all advice will be appreciated.
 
Sort by date Sort by votes
W

wizards8507

Active Member
On the bright side, you're not going during July or Christmas.

Touring is much different in the summer months compared to, say, October for example. I think the biggest benefit of touring in the summer is the longer park hours. I HIGHLY recommend getting the Park Hopper for summer touring. My recommendation (for Magic Kingdom especially) is to get there before the park opens, tour until about noon, then get out of the heat for a nap or some time at the hotel pool. Because the parks are open late, there will be plenty of time to return to the park in the evening when it's cooler and less crowded to finish touring and enjoy night time entertainment.

Another tip is something I say to everyone planning a WDW trip, regardless of time of year. Avoid the Magic Kingdom on Mondays, and only go to EMH parks if you plan on USING the EMH. To the first point, most people travel on Sundays and everyone seems to want to see the Magic Kingdom first, so their crowds are abnormally heavy on Mondays. If you're one of the people who enjoy walking down Main Street as your first park experience for the week, I would suggest trying to get a reservation at the Crystal Palace (NW corner of Main Street) for breakfast on your first day, spending a little while on Main Street, then Park Hop over to Epcot to tour World Showcase, which doesn't open until 11:00 anyways.
 
Upvote 0
W

wizards8507

Active Member
disney4life2008 said:
Thank you for the suggestions. I forgot to add I am going SOLO (this will be my 3rd solo trip). I was just there in January so I do not need to do all of the rides. I will enjoy the entertainment and FOOD!

Any suggestions for the nighttime parade and fantasmic?
Click to expand...

I don't have any experience with the new parade, but there's a "Preferred Seating" package for Fantasmic you might want to consider. I'm not sure of the cost but it includes dinner in the Studios and then a reserved section in the theatre to view the show. The seats AREN'T technically the best ones (front section, but far right hand side), but getting seats much better than that usually require getting there extremely early (i.e. at LEAST an hour before the show).
 
Upvote 0
tizzo

tizzo

Member
disney4life2008 said:
Thank you for the suggestions. I forgot to add I am going SOLO (this will be my 3rd solo trip). I was just there in January so I do not need to do all of the rides. I will enjoy the entertainment and FOOD!

Any suggestions for the nighttime parade and fantasmic?
Click to expand...

At least for now, the parade is running at 9 and 11 every night. It starts in the front of the park and ends behind Frontier Land.

The 11PM showing is much less crowded than the 9PM, and the crowds are less towards the end of the route than the beginning for either show. So my advice would be to try to see the 11PM parade from somewhere back in Frontierland. That's what we did, and there was room for anyone who wanted to to walk right up and get a great view at any time right up through the parade.

As for the fireworks, we watched them from the bridge between Tomorrowland and the hub. There's a spot there from which we always watch Wishes - the castle is obscured by a tree and people tend to avoid it until they realize that from that angle the fireworks are not behind, but to the right of the castle. However, I have since learned that the castle itself plays a much larger role in this show than it does in Wishes, and that I apparently missed quite a bit by standing where I did.

In the past, I've also watched Wishes from outside Crystal Palace. There's a good view of the castle from there, and crowds seem not to be too bad (better than on Main Street anyway). The one thing I found a little annoying is that they don't turn the lights off over there. For Wishes, I still prefer my normal spot, but given the supposed importance of being able to see the castle, I'll probably be watching from outside CP for the rest of the summer.

Other than that I concur with other advice you've already received. Be ready for heat, take the hottest part of the day off, and also be ready daily thunderstorms which are typical that time of year. Also monitor the Atlantic hurricane season in the weeks leading up to your trip. You'll be there right as the season is starting to ramp up. Late August and early September is typically the peak.
 
Upvote 0
slappy magoo

slappy magoo

Well-Known Member
disney4life2008 said:
Thank you for the suggestions. I forgot to add I am going SOLO (this will be my 3rd solo trip). I was just there in January so I do not need to do all of the rides. I will enjoy the entertainment and FOOD!

Any suggestions for the nighttime parade and fantasmic?
Click to expand...

My suggestion, at the risk of sounding snooty :) is to see about switching to a moderate or deluxe resort. It sounds like you're not planning to go all "park commando" so you may wind up enjoying some more downtime at your resort. If you do that, it may be nicer to be at a resort where there's more to do WITH that downtime. Especially since the first half of August tends to be busier than the second half, when many schools have started up. That 2nd week in August is the "last hurrah" for many vacationers. A resort with more than one pool, in case that main one is packed with people. I'd shoot for Wilderness Lodge or Boardwalk. One gives you boat access to the MK, Fort Wilderness AND the Contemporary, and all the amenities they provide. The other puts you on the Boardwalk, close to Yacht & beach Club, Swan and Dolphin, with all THEY have to offer, AND two of the four theme parks.
 
Upvote 0
Pseudonym

Pseudonym

Member
I am also going to be in WDW August 7th -14th. What makes you think it will be CROWDED? I traveled to WDW the last week of August in 2006 and it was absolutely perfect. All the kids were back in school so the longest line I saw was probably a 30 minute wait for Soarin'. That's what drove me to travel to WDW again in August. I blamed the low attendance on the heat, was it purely because the kids just went back to school? Will the first week of August really be that CROWDED? I have also been to WDW during Christmas, and February. I obviously know that Christmas time in WDW is the busiest time of the year. How does February attendance compare with August attendance?

After reading some of the comments above, going to the parks early in the morning, then heading back to the hotel for a swim in the pool and a nice nap is 100% the way to go. That's exactly what my friends and I did in 2006.
 
Upvote 0
Samadamz

Samadamz

New Member
Pseudonym said:
I am also going to be in WDW August 7th -14th. What makes you think it will be CROWDED? I traveled to WDW the last week of August in 2006 and it was absolutely perfect. All the kids were back in school so the longest line I saw was probably a 30 minute wait for Soarin'. That's what drove me to travel to WDW again in August. I blamed the low attendance on the heat, was it purely because the kids just went back to school? Will the first week of August really be that CROWDED? I have also been to WDW during Christmas, and February. I obviously know that Christmas time in WDW is the busiest time of the year. How does February attendance compare with August attendance?

After reading some of the comments above, going to the parks early in the morning, then heading back to the hotel for a swim in the pool and a nice nap is 100% the way to go. That's exactly what my friends and I did in 2006.
Click to expand...

Don't generalize August as being the end of summer. August 7 to 14 won't be any different than July 7 to 14. There is a significant difference between the beginning and the end of August. ALL schools EVERYWHERE are still on summer break in the beginning of August; it is still summer vacation for everyone in the states. There is a reason Disney begins to offer free dining later in August.
 
Upvote 0

Register on WDWMAGIC. This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.

Back
Top Bottom