How bad are the crowds in July....

[ASweetLov]

How bad are the crowds the day after July 4th to the 11th? I heard its really busy on the 4th and sometimes to park reaches there capacity and they wont let anyone else in, does that happen on the 5th, 6th, 7th.....?

[BelleandtheBeast]

I went in July and it was not that bad, the best time is January and early Feb.

[MsMin]

I haven't been in years in July but found that btwn the heat and crowds it just didn't compare to trips during less crowded and cooler times.
Personally, I wouldn't do it if I had other options.

[lockedoutlogic]

The summer is not as crowded as one might think...I think more and more people have choosen to go at times during the school year and that has lead to a more manageable crowd in the summer....

We went in mid July last year...and I have to say that weather, crowd volume, and general atmosphere were well balanced.

IT is crowded? sure...but it seems as though people are taking much more advantage of the pools and hotels because of the weather and the park crowds are smaller in relation...in fact, over crowding of pools is a bigger problem than park overcrowding....extended hours also make it easier to do everything at a more casual pace....

Heat? Yeah...but where in the US is it NOT 90 degrees in July nowadays? Let me tell you...92 in NJ feels no better than 95 in Florida...quite the opposite.

Anytime can be nice....it really is in how you approach it.

[MOJoe]

I believe I read somewhere that if you are a resort guest, arriving by way of Disney Transportation, you will be admitted to the park, even if closes due to over-capacity. But why anyone would want to enter a "closed park" in the July heat is beyond me. Hit the pool, and come back in the evening!

[AliceinDisney]

I would imagine if you've already paid for your tickets in advance they would have to honour them. Disney would have a lot of problems if they didn't accomodate people that had already previously purchased their park tickets. I think July 4th weekend wouldn't be the best time to go, but you're probably fine mid-july.

[DizneyRox]

I believe I read somewhere that if you are a resort guest, arriving by way of Disney Transportation, you will be admitted to the park, even if closes due to over-capacity. But why anyone would want to enter a "closed park" in the July heat is beyond me. Hit the pool, and come back in the evening!

Not entirely accurate... Depending on the phase of closure, even resort guests can be denied entry.

Being in the parks in July is an experience. It's hot, humid, and crowded. We're always there and haven't had a problem. On the 4th, you want to pick a park get there early and stay there. I believe that last year there were a couple of days during the week where MK was at some state of closure.

You can almost guarantee that the water parks will hit closure status just about every day as well.

[mrsgaribaldi]

I would imagine if you've already paid for your tickets in advance they would have to honour them. Disney would have a lot of problems if they didn't accomodate people that had already previously purchased their park tickets. I think July 4th weekend wouldn't be the best time to go, but you're probably fine mid-july.

They do close at times, even if you purchased a ticket in advance

[Touchdown]

You can almost guarantee that the water parks will hit closure status just about every day as well.

About what time should I expect TL to "reopen" from the crowds. I ask because this year, like other trips we have been on we plan on doing TL in the mid to late afternoon (approx. 3:00 arrival) because all we really want to do there is the pool and the river. While we realize that their may be an afternoon thunderstorm, we stick it out because its Florida and they blow over. However, it would stink to leave AK in our car (where we will be that morning) only to find TL filled to capacity when we get there.

[JMTStone]

We went in July once. Never again...

But, this is how we managed. Parks early. Lunch then pool at resort...shower in A/C room. Parks after dark.

Don't forget to hydrate!

[King Triton]

With 4 major parks to spread the crowd, plus two water parks, plus..., I don't think its all that bad. I have heard MK can be pretty crowded on the 4th, so I might choose a different park that day. I went to Epcot once on July 4 in the pre-AK days and was surprised how uncrowded it was.

[TikiGoddess]

I'm not sure about the 5th, 6th, 7th, but we were at WDW last year on the 8th-10th (Sat-Mon) and crowds were 'normal' for July. I didn't see any impact from July 4th. We actually got lucky and the weather was overcast for most of the weekend so it was not as hot as usual!

My DH and I are teachers, so we almost always go to FL in the summer. Summertime is not as bad as everyone makes out, as long as you expect it to be hot (it's summertime...). Take advantage of the extended hours/EMH for cooler touring time. From 12:30-2am on an EMH the MK empties and you have many rides with no wait.

Feel free to PM me if you have any questions about July touring.

TikiG

[Granny Jill A]

I went in July and it was not that bad, the best time is January and early Feb.

I agree with the Jan and Feb part being the best time to go, but I think July was bad weatherwise, and for the multiple tour groups swamping the parks.

[Jasper]

The crowds and the heat are both wicked that time of year. If you can possibly go another time it would be helpful. However, there is a good reason why it is so busy that time of year, kids are off school!

[DizneyRox]

I'm not sure about the 5th, 6th, 7th, but we were at WDW last year on the 8th-10th (Sat-Mon) and crowds were 'normal' for July. I didn't see any impact from July 4th. We actually got lucky and the weather was overcast for most of the weekend so it was not as hot as usual!

Last year was unseasonably cool from what I remember. The past 5 years or so seemed to be getting hotter and hotter and we were blown away by how cool it was last year.

[LudwigVonDrake]

The last few years crowds thin out a little after the onslaught of July 4 and then start building about 7- 10 days after. Now that WDW has rebounded from post 9/11 lows, this year should be interesting to see how the crowds are