Tell me about August

[jtopp]

Do you like it hot? Humid, oppressive, sweaty smelly body hot? You"ll love august in Disney. Remember that not everyone has the same body hygiene that you do, and when you are next to them in line for an hour or so, the odor starts to get...bad. And there's no escape, except to leave, and come back after a cool shower. Preferably, after the sun sets.

 

[Imamom2]

We have done several August trips and will be at BW the last week in 2022. All these tips from everyone are great. I would say bring several (4-5) pairs of sneakers/sandals/flops. Wet shoes do not dry quickly in rooms with air conditioning or on balconies in humid climates. It may take 2 days for sneakers to dry. Put flops in your park bag and put them on asap if you feel any rain. This will keep your sneakers and socks dry. You can order lite rain ponchos to keep in your bag, too. Parks are usually open a bit later do that midday break won’t feel like you are missing much. I love August trips - enjoy

 

[thegash35]

It's hot, but mid to end of month not very crowded. Almost all of our trips are in August.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

Late August is not crowded. However, heat, rain, and possible hurricanes might keep the tourists away and result in the general uncrowdedness.

 

[HeiHei2018]

We went in Aug 2019. I highly recommend a daily dose of Gatorade or other electrolyte drink. (After all, it was invented for Florida sports teams.) We brought full water bottles every morning, got cups of ice water anytime we were near a QS restaurant with no line, and still bought more water bottles to get thorough the day.

 

[butterscotchcollins]

A word of caution on flip-flops: be VERY careful walking in them in the rain! Things can get slippery, especially stairs. I took a scary, nasty fall back in Nov going down stairs in flops and I have a permanent dent in my behind, the bruise took over a month to disappear

 

[jockey]

Thanks guys, if anything the heat will make us take this trip at a slower pace and we will get plenty of time in the water parks. A lot of our trips have been in Feb when the weather doesn't always allow for the water parks as it has been cold!

 

[ChrisParker]

If you are not too tied to exactly what you want to do in what order, you can make good use of indoor rides and attractions. I often go in August. It is very hot as everyone has said. I drink 3 - 4 litres of water on a park day. You can fill up your bottle various places. Stay hydrated. The afternoon thundershowers are great because most people beeline it out of the parks and you can head in with your ponchos and get great pictures and ride with low wait times. I will never forget the moment my husband and I were in Ohana a couple of years ago and it started storming. He said, Well I guess that's it for today. I was like, are you nuts? We bought ponchos in the Poly (expensive yes but at that point, who cares?) and we headed in and had a blast in the rain. We have some pictures in Adventure land with no one in the background and the biggest goofy grins on our faces. Have fun!

 

[DisneyOma]

We are regular visitors to WDW and travelling from Ireland. This year due to schooling and exams we have booked the first two weeks in August. People are telling me it's so bad with crowds and heat, just hoping we wont melt! We have been in September and May and never in summer. Can you guys share your experiences and any tips for us please.

If you've been in September, then you've experienced the heat, downpours, and humidity that you'll get in August as well. We've even had it in May. You'll have more crowds, though.

 

[Sarahslay]

I keep saying I won't go back in August ("That's it, never going back in August EVER AGAIN!"......*books another trip in August*). I've been during all times of August, beginning to end, and the end is my favorite if I have to pick a time to sweat to death. Overall though it's not horrible, in fact this past August was amazing when I went. Super low crowds, only rained once the entire week, I just rope dropped every day, took a midday break, and then went back in the late afternoon once it started to cool down a bit. I also did all my ADRs for lunch so I could get in the a/c and have a planned break in the park (or resort). I just make sure to drink a ton of water, I also take electrolyte powder to add to one bottle a day (I like liquid i.v packets), and have a fan.

 

[kathy884]

Summer (mid June) was a one and done for me for Orlando. Do note, though, that I am a heat/humidity weenie. I'd rather go out west if it's June, July, August, or September. On the week and a half long June trip, I just did one theme park day and switched exclusively to pool, waterparks, and a beach day trip. The water felt wonderful. Fortunately back then I had one of those non-expiring multiday Disney tickets you could use from one trip to the next, so it was available for future visits. All in our party had those, meaning the switch to water based activities meant we weren't out any dollars.

Although all the waterparks are fun, I go to Orlando for the theme rather than water parks, but don't like to do theme parks in oppressive heat and humidity. For my one park day, I brought one of those spray mist fans and that did help me a lot, but not enough for we to want to do another theme park.

My favorite time weather wise in Central Florida is March (but unfortunately it's a popular busy time). I'm doing a 2022 March trip.

This is just me. Many visit in the summer, but I'm not one of them. As for me and my family, see you in the mountains that time of year escaping heat and humidity.

 

[Princess Disney Mom]

I’ve done August for years. Drink water. Make a dining reservation during the hottest part of the day. Bring ponchos. Enjoy.

 

[pigletgirl]

We've gone multiple times in early Sept (really no different from August), and it is HOT. Be prepared to have some down time in the afternoon (esp going for 2 weeks)... The heat is incredibly exhausting. Even when you don't feel thirsty, continue to drink fluids (soda doesn't count either)... This is a lower crowd time though! Enjoy!

 

[MarkS2112]

It’s hot hot hot and very humid. It can be in the 90s in early morning and feel like a sauna when you walk out in it. It’s not fun plus it rains daily almost everyday in the afternoon which can spoil afternoon pool time as the close pools with thunderstorm. We always had To go in summer due to school but never again as it’s unbearabl.

 

[shewentwhoa]

hot, hot, hot, and humid. Oh did I mention hot?! Remember to stay hydrated, it's easy to get over heated. A lot of the restaurants have big glass jugs full of water that you can use to stay hydrated.

 

[leebee]

DD and I were in WDW one August for 10 days. It was so hot and humid, heat index was into the hundreds every day. We are not morning people, so rope drop wasn't going to be fun for us. We tried to head OUT of our hotel between 10:30am and noon every day. One of the first things we'd do in the park is have lunch. It's amazing how many people leave after lunch time. Sure, it put us there in the heat of the day, but wait times were short. Take as much advantage of attractions with a/c as you can! We tried to do a lot of the "inside" things, too, alternating them with attractions that involved waiting in line outdoors. IF you feel the need for a break, sit indoors and have a cold drink (yes, it can be done even in the time of online ordering- just put away your phones and tell them you can't order online- which I can't, no phone- and they let you in). DD and I would get something small to share (fries) and then each get a big, cold drink and sit in the a/c until refreshed. We also found that we needed a dinner break around 7:30pm, someplace where we could sit down in the a/c, relax, and refresh for the evenings in the parks- because it's not that much cooler at night, there is just no sun! We found that we were there enough days to take our park days at a much slower pace, but we did everything we always do!

Heat tip: Every morning I'd spray my feet with antiperspirant. They didn't sweat as much, and dry feet are feet that are less likely to blister. I also used stick antiperspirant on anyplace that might tend to rub or chafe- or collect sweat (a swipe down my spine and under my bra-line, for example) with a dusting of baby powder after. Some people use something called BodyGlide (I think). Anything to cut down on sweating.
We also used frozen washcloths. Fold washcloths in quarters, wet, and put in individual sandwich bags in the freezer at bedtime. I had an insulated lunch bag (big enough for a couple of sandwiches) that I'd put the frozen cloths in to take into the parks and they'd stay cold/cool for quite a few hours. It also helped just to have the cloths to wet in a sink and then wipe over our forearms, necks, etc. Reasonably cooling.
I am not a sunglasses/hat girl, but both are helpful with the glare from the summer sun. Also bring sunscreen and use it regularly. That stuff will sweat off- and you are gonna sweat!

 

[jockey]

Thank you everyone , really appreciate the responses. So many great tips here it's given me more confidence that it's doable for us! We are early risers so I am sure we will be at park for opening. Love all these tips, have them noted in my planning book!

 

[Shellyred8]

We've done a few trips to WDW in mid-august. Here are some of my must-haves for those trips:
- Thermos to keep ice water in. I have a 20 ounce one that I carry with me in the parks. Everyone always says "keep hydrated". For me, having the cold ice water is a critical part of that. It cools me down on the inside.
- small umbrella. I just started using this recently and WOW! what a difference it made. If you are standing in an outside queue, having an umbrella will be a life saver.
- lip balm with sunscreen.
- rain jacket. I prefer a rain jacket over the ponchos, as the ponchos seem to fly around in the wind and just get everything wet and messy. The rain jacket fits me better and I can easily shake off the water once the rain has stopped. It also has a hood that stays in place, as opposed to the ponchos that just flop around.
- A cooling towel and/or neck fan.
- A white hat (I use one of the moisture wicking/breathable baseball hats). I have dark brown hair and this helps keep my head from getting over-heated by reflecting some of the heat off of my head.
- Clothing that is light colored and made of moisture wicking material (like athletic wear).
- Teva sandals. I have the kind that have straps around the ankles to keep them on your feet so they don't accidentally fall off your feet while you are walking. I usually switch back and forth between these and my tennis shoes. And if my tennis shoes get wet in the rain, then I have these to wear until the tennis shoes dry out.

 

[ssyl6119]

We are regular visitors to WDW and travelling from Ireland. This year due to schooling and exams we have booked the first two weeks in August. People are telling me it's so bad with crowds and heat, just hoping we wont melt! We have been in September and May and never in summer. Can you guys share your experiences and any tips for us please.

We went first week of august this year, it was hot but it honestly wasnt AWFUL. Were from Buffalo, and we survived. We brought ponchos bc it did rain a little through the day, hair gets a little frizzy, but otherwise it really wasnt as awful as i had read it would be. It was pretty crowded too, but we didnt wait over an hour for anything which was nice!

 

[jockey]

Brill guys that you so much for the tips. Yes I prefer a rain jacket over ponchos too!