Disney in August?

[DisneyKidsMom]

We are planning a trip for the end of August for next year. Is this a good time to go? Weather? Crowds? Any info for that time of the year would be appreciated.

[disney obsessed]

I've been in August several times. It will still be HOT but the crowds will be ok as most of the US goes back to school in mid august.

[Unlimitedfun]

We were at Disney in August last year....crowds were very managable....rained everyday...but just enough to cool off a bit. It was HOT...but I don't mind the heat!...Don't think there is a bad time to visit!!!!

[kakn7294]

We generally go in July or August each year. August is always hot and humid and can be rainy depending on whether or not there are active hurricanes / tropical storms about. It can also be very crowded but crowds thin a bit each week as kids start back to school so the last week should be pretty good as far as crowds go.

[Disney4us2]

We were there the middle of August this year. It was hot and humid. Weather for the most part was dry during the day, but rainy on some nights. We did a lot of afternoon breaks and waterparks to keep cool. I didn't find the crowds too bad.

I would not hesitate to go in August or July. We had a great time.

[faline]

August is quite hot and humid. The later in the month you go, the better the crowds will be.

[ibelieveindisneymagic]

We've been in August a couple of times, and would go back again!

The crowds (especially late in the month) are good, but the weather is horribly hot and humid. You do have to be smart at staying cool, but once we sorted that out (such as lots of water, using air-conditioned attractions when needed, etc) all was good.

We did run into a small "problem" though - we planned a mid-afternoon swimming break each day, but most of the time we were cut short by the "daily Florida thunderstorm". It WILL rain most every day, but most storms are quick-passing.

[c&d]

As everyone has said Hot. We took advantage of the EMH night and morning hours when we were there. We would head back to the hotel by 11:00 to hang by the pool. Spent a couple of days at the water parks and then headed to the parks at night. The crowds were not bad at all.

[barnaby]

We went the 3rd week of August last year and are booked for the same week next year.
The crowds are good, with the southern schools back in session. We caught a break last year with the weather. It rained everyday but it wasn't bad heat-wise. It was actually hotter and stickier in NJ then the week we were in WDW.
Also, the 3rd week is usually the beginning of Value season II for the hotel pricing.

[Disney Doll]

Think about southern humidity before you consider August. I am from Oklahoma where we set a record for days in the triple digits this summer. I can be comfortable in Oklahoma heat, but I hate Florida summers. I am completely unwilling to do a Disney World trip June-Sept. It's not just hot, it's miserable. You start sweating the minute you step outside and you stay sweaty the entire day. People in general seem more grumpy when they are uncomfortable and it seems like everyone is on edge. For me at least it really impacted the enjoyment I got out of the trip.

[BWayGrl]

I went in August of 2008, which was right when Tropical Storm Fay hit! We still managed to have a good time, but it was rainy every day. Luckily, Disney has a lot of things you can do despite the rain. The only things we really missed out on were Test Track and IllumiNations.

[darthmacho]

Been in August in 2003 and 2010, and will likely book August 2012 soon as well. The things said here already are very true, especially about the heat and rain. It's VERY HOT and the rain nearly washed out our day at DHS last year. As far as crowds go, they can be tough mid day, but I've decided to go the last two weeks instead of the first or middle two weeks because of the drop off in crowds. I think getting out before the Labor Day crowds hit would be wise. We go in August because it is practical for our schedule, though I'd rather choose a different time for the weather and the holiday events, but it just isn't in the cards for us.

Anyway, hope you have a great trip next year!

[Dsnygirl]

We just did August this year for the first time, and we had a really great trip, heat & humidity & all that goes with the August weather notwithstanding!!

It was hot... temps at night never got below 72 (which was LOVELY) and temps during the day ranged from 88 - 93. It was the 90% - 95% humidity that got you... made it feel much hotter. We had daily thunderstorms except one day, and out of the 10 days we were there, the storms were definitely of a more "major t'storm" nature than the "brief afternoon rains" you hear about. They were major dark clouds, lightening & thunder, downpours that lasted almost an hour at times, sometimes more. But -- they also REALLY cleared out the heat and humidity -- you'd be at 92 beforehand, and by the time the storm cleared, it was 77 and lovely, and the sun would return. The one day we didn't have rain was actually what we felt was the one & only day we REALLY felt the heat... and it was also the one day we didn't go back and use the pool mid-day!! We took the boat from DHS to Ep, and got off at the BC to walk into Ep rather than stay on the non-airconditioned boat. By the time we got to England, we were ready for a break, and had to step into one of the shops just to cool off.... .... but then we were fine.

As far as crowds, we found them actually to be quite high, at least at the beginning of our trip! We arrived as free dining was beginning, and were fully prepared for the wknd to have higher crowd levels, as the FL kids, and other southern states, were heading back to school the following week, and we figured the wknd that free dining began would be quite busy as they go their last kick at the can.

What we weren't prepared for was the beginning of the following week to seem CRAZY busy... we had record crowds at MK on Monday, so bad that we couldn't get down Main St after Wishes (honestly, wall-to-wall people, not moving) and had to go through the stores to leave. We were staying at CBR, and when we got to our bus stop, there were more people waiting than I have ever seen in all of our stays... hundreds were ahead of us!! We waited for about 10-15 minutes, and when the line didn't move, we ended up walking to the Contemporary, catching a bus to DTD and a bus to CBR from there. We heard horror stories the next day from people who had waited... and every bus stop was the same. Just nuts.

By Wednesday, the crowds seemed to have thinned... but it was by NO means the "light crowds" people have talked about in the past. I don't know if it was b/c of free dining, or just a huge influx of northerners getting THEIR last kick at the can before school started after Labor Day (which was the category we fell into ) but just be prepared... it was actually a busier time for us than we've seen in October or December.

All that being said -- because of the discounts/free dining and generally lower prices b/c it is considered to be "value season" down there -- and the fact that we don't have to pull our girls out of school & can take the time to drive down & thus have our car -- we will do it again next year, and just adjust our expectations as far as crowd levels, and what parks we hit on what days.

I still think August is a GREAT time to go -- whatever you decide on, have a great trip!!

[CanadaLovesDisney]

End of august is a great time! It's hot so make time for a water park!

[gaffz70]

Dh is a teacher so we have to go in the summer. We were told by other teachers to go in the end of August as the southern states are already back to school mid-late August. We were there for half of the 3rd week and half of the 4th week and could see the crowds drop a lot that 4th week. It was also hot at home when we left so the weather didn't effect us much. Not so sure that would be the same in ontario

[adam123]

If you are travelling with kids this will be best time!