1st time going in July

[tink179]

Ok, my family and I have been to Disney quite a bit, but always off peak. Please tell me the good, the bad, and the ugly about July, BUT most importantly the 1st week of July. We'll be there July 1st-July 5th.

[Dulcee]

Its hot, its crowded, there will be pop up thunder storms most days.

We only went in July for many years and often during 4th of July week. We always planned on early mornings and late evenings in the park and spent the hottest part of the afternoon at the pools.

[Zippy 1]

If you are staying on property take advantage of EMH in the am. Breaks in the afternoon. Naps/pool time. Back to parks in the evening. Drink lots of water! Sunscreen, hats and ponchos.

[Speedy1998]

The Bad: Hot!!! (Looking at your location, unless you have lived in the South, this is something you will struggle with). Drink lots of water, stay in the shade or air conditioning as much as possible, use lots of sunscreen. Also as other have said, you may want to plan on taking a break in the afternoon.
Crowded Especially the week of the 4th. The 4th used to be the most crowded week of the year at Disney. The crowds at Christmas and Thanksgiving have passed it up so now it is only the 3rd most crowded week of the year.
Rain Because of the proximity to large bodies of water (Disney is Approximately 70 miles from the Gulf of Mexico and 65 miles from the Atlantic), during the summer you can expect a thunder storm most afternoons.

The Good: Park Hours - The parks will be open much longer during this week. If you take that afternoon nap, you might find yourself enjoying MK past midnight.
Fireworks - Disney has special fireworks for the week of the 4th, in addition to most of their normal nighttime entertainment.

[#1donaldfan]

We love it that time of year ... very crowded and hot but doable if you rope drop the parks, rest in the afternoon and head back to a park in the evenings ....