Walt Disney World in August

[Sorcerer Jody]

I have always wanted to go to Walt Disney World, but have never yet been. (I have been to Disneyland many happy times!) Also, I am not a big fan of Halloween. What is Disney World like in August, in terms of Halloween? Would it not be the best time for me to go? E.g., are the characters wearing Halloween costumes, are there lots of decorations everywhere, are the fireworks Halloween-themed, etc.? Would it be better for a first trip to be at another time of year? Thanks so much for your thoughts!!

 

[Upatnoon]

Halloween begins in August at Magic Kingdom as they start the parties that month.

Only the parties get the big theming, costumes and fireworks. There are some decorations you would see during the day and some stuff in the gift shops.

The rest of the parks don't get big Halloween theming.

The Halloween parties disrupt the crowds at MK because people want to see the regular fireworks without paying for a party.

The weather would be my biggest concern about going to Disneyworld in August. For a first trip, I would recommend a cooler month. Florida weather is nothing like Southern California, especially in the summer.

 

[happily single]

My boys and I went to Disney towards the end of August, 2022. Never, ever again. Just the walk from the room to the very close bus stop left me dripping in sweat.

 

[scrappinginontario]

Magic Kingdom is the park that will decorate for fall/Halloween first, in time for the first, ‘Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party (MNSSHP)' . Last year the first party was Aug 11, 2023 so the decorations would have started to go up a bit before that. As the title says, Disney is not much about scaring people so many of the decorations are more cute, fall themed but they do include things like pumpkins, etc.

In August, characters are only in costume at MNSSHP. Similarly, Halloween fireworks are only featured during MNSSHP.

If your preference is to avoid all Halloween decorations, theming, etc. I would recommend visiting November - July.

 

[AnnaKristoff2013]

I have always wanted to go to Walt Disney World, but have never yet been. (I have been to Disneyland many happy times!) Also, I am not a big fan of Halloween. What is Disney World like in August, in terms of Halloween? Would it not be the best time for me to go? E.g., are the characters wearing Halloween costumes, are there lots of decorations everywhere, are the fireworks Halloween-themed, etc.? Would it be better for a first trip to be at another time of year? Thanks so much for your thoughts!!

It is roughly the temperature of the surface of the sun.

 

[Disneylover99]

If you don’t mind the Halloween merchandise for sale, the decorations at the MK and the fact that the MK closes early for the Halloween parties on some nights, then late August can be a very good time to visit for lower crowds.

 

[saraheliz]

It's hot. Really freaking hot.
That being said, we went for 10 days in 2022 and it was totally manageable. There was one day I was sitting in Epcot and I was actually chilly. The heat on the other days was hot but we were fine, and the rain timed up perfectly and never really messed with our plans.
So we went back in 2023. Same timeframe.
Surface of the sun hot and those daily rain storms you usually see in August? Not one. 8 days and we didn't see any rain. Just blinding sun. We swore we'd never go in August again (we still had an awesome trip but some things, like walking around world showcase, were just brutal- Main street was basically walking only in shops to stay in ac).
And now?
We've totally forgotten and are going back in August again (it's the only time that works due to our work schedules).
As far as Halloween, decorations will be up by whenever the first party is (I would guess August 16th or maybe the 9th this year). Really the extra theming (music, costumes, special ride versions) otherwise is during the party. We did the party last year and really enjoyed it!

 

[hertamaniac]

I would qualify my answer in that if you were staying onsite for a number of days, August at WDW can be manageable. We would retreat back to our resort before mid-afternoon and either rest in the room or do the pool(s). It recharged us so we could then head back to the park(s) for the rest of the evening/night.

 

[beccasmom]

The weather can be quite miserable if you’re unprepared for it. Have realistic expectations and it’s certainly doable, but at a measured pace. If we visit at that time we try to eat lighter meals (salads, sandwiches, etc.) and make less ambitious plans (we probably will not park hop). We are from southeastern PA and we experience hot/humid weather, but it doesn’t compare to Orlando (in part because when our weather is hazy/hot/humid we tend to be inside to escape it, not spend hours outside - unless we’re in a pool! ). The parks tend to be not as crowded from mid to late August (although it’s tough to predict these days), so that is a plus.

 

[NotTheBatesMotel]

Like others explained, the heat/humidity will be far scarier than the decorations. The decorations are limited to main street and the shops and they lean more towards a fall theme and less of a Halloween theme.

I personally loved our August 2023 trip (even though there was extreme heat) because the crowds were so low. If we were on a "trying to see it all" kind of trip I absolutely wouldn't go in the summer though. Every day we had rest breaks to get out of the sun during the hottest part of the day.

 

[CarolynFH]

Let me just add that in addition to heat and humidity (going from inside to outside can be literally like walking into a sauna), August is when hurricane season gets fired up. So if you decide to visit then, be prepared to modify plans at short notice, and buy travel insurance that will cover weather-related changes and cancellations. We like the weather mid-October through late February much better.

 

[Sorcerer Jody]

Thanks so much for your thoughts - much appreciated! July and August are the only months I can travel due to work...I will take your cautions into consideration.

 

[Lesverts]

I was there last August when the rain patterns were abnormal and the daily temps were like 10 degrees above seasonal. It was miserable, especially since it stayed really hot at night. But I have been in June and September with the more traditional summer weather and it was fine.

 

[Skippyboo]

I typically go first week of August for my birthday. They will put up some pumpkins at MK for Not So Scary which starts mid August. It’s hot and humid but that’s Florida June through September. I would recommend going more towards later part of August if you can. The kids will start going back to school and the crowds will drop off versus the beginning of August

 

[TCRAIG]

It is roughly the temperature of the surface of the sun.

I heard NASA heat tests their solar landing equipment at WDW in August

 

[sueg]

This may be a silly suggestion, but really liked "cooling towels" for August. I brought them before trip (Amazon?) and probably got 6 for the price of 2 at WDW. They also helped with sunburn on back of neck, which no matter what hat, sun block, etc. I use, I am prone to. Also scope out the refillable water bottle stations

 

[lovethattink]

What is Disney World like in August, in terms of Halloween?

Disney’s Halloween is happy haunts, not scary haunts.

Look at main st photos daytime photos for Halloween decor. There are scarecrows and pumpkins. Banners. And the Main St. Buildings and lampposts are decorated with pumpkins and fall colors.

The rest of the world has limited Halloween merchandise. And other than that, you don’t see Halloween in the other parks.


Would it not be the best time for me to go? E.g., are the characters wearing Halloween costumes, are there lots of decorations everywhere, are the fireworks Halloween-themed, etc.?

Only for the Halloween party.

Would it be better for a first trip to be at another time of year?

August and September are brutal temperature-wise. It’s also peak hurricane season. Temperatures are definitely better at other times of year.

Daily thunderstorms are inevitable. But you can be in an attraction. Come out and see the pavements wet. Only to have them be dry again in minutes.

 

[DutchJoyce]

I have visited WDW several times in August and the weather can really be an experience. Extremely hot, thunderstorms and extreme rain, all in one afternoon But the crowds aren't too bad. You just have to adjust your plans to the weather and be flexible.
One of the dearest memories I have is arriving at the WDW waterpark parking lot. Kids all excited and all. And suddenly the heaviest rain you could imagine started... We all wore our bathingsuits under our regular clothes and decided to leave these in the car and enter the waterpark in our bathingsuits. My kids still talk about crossing the parkinglot in our bathing suits in the pouring rain, it was soo much fun.

 

[beccasmom]

Thanks so much for your thoughts - much appreciated! July and August are the only months I can travel due to work...I will take your cautions into consideration.

I can totally relate. We had to do the same for many years (teacher in family). But being prepared does help.

 

[Klinger13]

My kiddo & I love going the last week of August! Here in NJ our schools go back after Labor Day, but many of the southern schools are already back to school by mid August so it's less crowded than other times in the summer. It's super hot & muggy and expect a storm every afternoon. We did also hang out in our hotel room through a hurricane one year. But we just pace ourselves. We rope drop (early birds anyways), have lunch in the A/C somewhere, head back to the resort after lunch, swim until the storms hit, and then go back out to another park in the evening. And we love that we can hit a Halloween party night that time of year too. Go for it & enjoy!!