When Should We Go?

kelleykevin

kelleykevin

New Member
Hello All,

Kelley and I are trying to decide which week we should go next year. It will be either the last week in June or the third week in August. So, the question is, which one should we choose?

Any help you can give us on crowd levels and any other intangibles would be greatly appreciated. We have been in mid July and early August, but, never late June or late August.

Thanks for the input,

Kevin
 
Sort by date Sort by votes
E

earlred

New Member
When To Go

If you are most concerned about crowds, don't go anytime during any of the following time periods:

Mid March through April; June, July or August; anytime during Christmas/New Year's holidays.

Not only is it most crowded on these dates, but it is also the most expensive. As one who grew up in Florida and has done DW 20 plus times since 1974, I've gone in each of the months listed above and found that it is well worth the effort to go off peak. My family has a trip booked for Sept. 30-Oct.4 and we got an excellent rate of $60/ night at Pop Century as well as a great deal on airfare--all because this time period is off peak. We're pulling our kids out of school for a couple of days to make this work, but we know it will be worth it. Lines will be far shorter because the parks will be less crowded. When you spend a lot of money to do a Disney vacation, to me it makes sense to go at a time when it is most enjoyable!

Oh, and don't forget, heat index values can top 100 degrees from June through mid Sept--another reason not to go during the summer, especially if you're not accustomed to Florida summer heat and humidity. Finally, there is an increased risk of hurricanes and tropical storms in the summer as we saw last year.

If I had to pick one the weeks you're considering, I'd go with late June--not quite as hot and virtually no chance of hurricanes/tropical storms.

Just one man's opinion--good luck with your trip!
 
Upvote 0
crazydaveh

crazydaveh

Active Member
Lets start with the weather,

June is warm, and not as humid. It's also pretty crowded.
August is hotter and the humidity is really up there. So far this month, the heat index has been around 105 each day, that it before it rains in the afternoon.

I have not been out to the parks recently because it's usually crowded... But most of the parks start closing early this time of year because of school kicking back in and so on.

You may have better luck with lighter crowds in late August.

Good luck with the planning!
 
Upvote 0
kelleykevin

kelleykevin

New Member
Original Poster
I appreciate the input so far, please keep it coming. And, just to let you know, my wife is a teacher, so, going when it is not crowded is, unfortunately, not an option.

In our younger days, we were able to go in October, or, when I ran the marathon, January, so, we know the temperature and crowd difference. But, now we only get to go when everyone else on the planet goes.
 
Upvote 0
Cliffordsmon

Cliffordsmon

New Member
I just got back from WDW (July 30-Aug. 6) and found the weather much more pleasant than June. The heat didn't bother us as much because we have had all summer to acclimate to the heat and humidity.

We opened the parks, left when it really started getting hot and crowded and plannned some other activity during the heat of the day. When the afternoon monsoons were through we would go back to the parks and closed them out.
 
Upvote 0
nibblesandbits

nibblesandbits

Well-Known Member
Well, both times are going to be busy...but I'm going to suggest going in August. I have heard that late August is a better time to go b/c a lot of kids are starting back to school. If you go during the last week of June, you might be competing with all the people who are out of school AND the people who are traveling to Disney for Fourth of July.
 
Upvote 0
lawyergirl77

lawyergirl77

Active Member
Yup, I would suggest mid-to-late August too. Clifford's mom is right - I am much more used to the heat by August (Yes, it gets over 100 degrees with the humidity in Montreal), and the parks are still open relatively late. Plus, they still have Wishes every night and Spectromagic most nights too.

If you're smart about your touring schedule and start early in the morning, go back to your resort for the afternoon and then head back to the parks at night for dinner, it's amazing how the crowds don't seem as oppressive (and neither does the heat! :) ) My mom was a teacher too, so I totally understand having to go during the peak season... We always found late August to be the best time of year for our schedules.
 
Upvote 0
lawyergirl77

lawyergirl77

Active Member
Connor002 said:
never go in a peak season!

thats my imput, and i'm stickin' to it
Click to expand...
Honey, not everyone gets the chance to go during non-peak. If you read the OP's second post - kind of not an option for them!!:wave:

Besides, as I said before, peak times aren't so bad, if you plan accordingly. Everyone on here seems to come down hard on us poor saps who have to go during the popular times!!! There's something to be said for the electric atmosphere that is around the MK on nights when they run SpectroMagic twice! I have gone during peak and non-peak times, and there are pros and cons to each.
 
Upvote 0
bhickman

bhickman

New Member
You've heard it from the rest already heat and crowds will be a problem either way.. to bad the flexibilty isn't there. Not sure there will be a much of a differenct between you Juny or August dates... my visits saw comparable crowds and heat (90+) in both June and August however the heat index in June tended to be a little more gentle.

I would suggest this isn't a question of which is better then the other rather a discussion of how to beat the heat and enjoy the Florida sun!!! Disney Style!!!

You'll want to carry lots of water and money... for more water!!!!

You will probably enjoy the 10-15 minute pre-shows (air conditioning) but no worries the WDW experience will surely help you overlook the heat. A trip to the Blizzard Beach or Typoon Lagoon and a cocktail poolside at your hotel may be helpful as well.

Seriously though I enjoy going anytime, enjoy your long summer trip this time and plan a four day (long weekend/school holiday) next time in the fall. The park hours are a little shorter but with Wine and Food feastival, Mickey's not so scary and Mickey's Very Mery Merry are great experiences to be had.

Hope you enjoyyour June/August trip and hope you'll want to come back sometime soon.....

Have a great trip which ever you choose.
 
Upvote 0
kelleykevin

kelleykevin

New Member
Original Poster
Thank you very much to all those who have provided their input.

We made our decision, and it is.......................................................................................................................We are going in August. The 17th - 25th to be exact, staying at the Contemporary.

We have gone in the heat before and we always get to the parks at opening and head back in the afternoon for a nap in some sweet air conditioning. Luckily, the heat does not bother me that much by late August. I do a lot of umpiring, and, wearing all that equipment on 90 degree days, gets you used to sweating.

Also, we are pros at handling Disney Heat. Remember, waiting 20 minutes for POTC is nice because you are in AC. While, waiting for Big Thunder 20 minutes, is a sweat box. Choose your waits wisely.

Thanks again to everybody.
 
Upvote 0

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

Back
Top Bottom