Disney World in the summer?

[Anonymous]

We were hoping to go to Disney World over President's Day but it doesn't look like it's going to work out.

Since our kids' school year for 2015 doesn't begin until September, how crowded will the parks be the last week of August (Sunday the 23rd - Thursday the 28th)? Is there a better time to go in the summer? School ends mid-June and we haven't signed anyone up for camps yet.

Any recommendations for places to stay, books/websites to look at, etc? We want to stay within 10 minutes of the parks, if possible (I already have a lead on a place that's 25 minutes away, but I'd rather not with 3 kids).

We won't be eating at the parks (religious restrictions and cost), so we must have an apartment/hotel room with a kitchen.

TIA!

[Anonymous]

This topic comes up every month or so. OP, Orlando is hotter than Hades in the summer. I mean brutal heat. And parks are still crowded. This means that you won't get your money's worth from the parks because you won't likely be able to endure the entire day walking around. We decided to take a Disney cruise last year in August instead of doing the parks.

[Anonymous]

There are websites where you can check both crowd levels and temps for past years. Just google it. They do have some water parks, which would probably be fun in this heat, and Magic Kingdom now has an area where you can just get wet, as well as some indoor attractions. But for me, it would be too hot. I can't stand humidity though -- it makes me cranky.

[Anonymous]

We have gone to DW in late August and aside from the heat (which is intense!) it is a great time to go. Fewer lines and hotel deals are the best of the year (use one of the Disney-focused travel agents, we found they had better rates than Disney's own advertised). Most US kids are back in school and the foreign tour groups also seem to be gone. Lines are shorter than any other time I have gone (Xmas, Spring Break, July). Take lots of break in the heat.

[Anonymous]

We did that week in Disney in 2014. Crowds are not too bad--especially early in the day.

You should consider staying in the park, especially on the monorail line as it easier to get to the parks, you can take advantage of extra magic hours, and you can get park view rooms and watch the nightly fireworks from your room.

The biggest drawback of our trip was the heat...temps were in the 90s...we had three days at 99. Kids didn't care, but, I wanted to die in a freezer.

[Anonymous]

OP here. We understand that it will be brutally hot, but that's looking like the best time for us with the school calendar and our work schedules.

Can anyone recommend a Disney travel agent or two? Do any of the parks have rooms with a kitchen?

I'm guessing that we may be coming back to the hotel mid-day to decompress and shower, if necessary. We'll bring detergent with us just in case.

Thanks again, everyone. I appreciate all of the replies and assistance.

[Anonymous]

At least some rooms at the Bay Lake Towers have kitchens

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/resorts/bay-lake-tower-at-contemporary/rates-rooms/

You can walk to and from the Magic Kingdom from BLT, so it would be good for coming and going during the day. It's also on the monorail.

[Anonymous]

How old are your kids, OP?

I always see people say that the hotels on the monorail are most convenient "to the parks"--but really that is only true if the park you spend the most time in is Magic Kingdom. By the time my kids were in elementary school, they were more interested in going to Hollywood Studios and Epcot--therefore making the Boardwalk, Beach Club, and Yacht Club more convenient.

I would look at the 4 major parks and see which one you think you will be spending the most time in before you book your hotel.

Disney operates timeshares, called "Disney Vacation Club" that has units with full kitchens. Non members can still rent these units, subject to availability. There are vacation club units at almost all of the Deluxe hotels, including Contemporary (it's called Bay Lake Towers), Grand Floridian, Beach Club, Boardwalk, etc.

Another choice for a room, on property, with a kitchen would be the cabins at Fort Wilderness campground. It is a 1 bedroom cabin that can sleep up to 6 people and has a full kitchen.

I would strongly recommend staying onsite so you can take advantage of extra magic hours in the morning and evening, when it will be slightly cooler. Then spend mid day, when it is the most hot, back at your room napping, relaxing at the pool, etc.

[Anonymous]

I went to Disney last year at the end of June.
It was very hot, but it was doable.
We stayed at the park at the Port Orleans.
You definitely want to have magic bands and book the top things that you want to to do that are popular and have long lines.
I think the Villa's have kitchens, also, you can bring your own food in to the parks and just have a picnic there each day without having to leave the park in the middle of the day.

Ears of Experience is a service that has people who book and plan your trip.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We were hoping to go to Disney World over President's Day but it doesn't look like it's going to work out.

Since our kids' school year for 2015 doesn't begin until September, how crowded will the parks be the last week of August (Sunday the 23rd - Thursday the 28th)? Is there a better time to go in the summer? School ends mid-June and we haven't signed anyone up for camps yet.

Any recommendations for places to stay, books/websites to look at, etc? We want to stay within 10 minutes of the parks, if possible (I already have a lead on a place that's 25 minutes away, but I'd rather not with 3 kids).

We won't be eating at the parks (religious restrictions and cost), so we must have an apartment/hotel room with a kitchen.

TIA!

Not too crowded the week before Labor Day. Most families are getting ready for back to school. It's even better the week after Labor Day, if you can swing it. My kids didn't used to start until the week after Labor Day and we went to Disney during that week several times. It is usually REALLY hot and REALLY humid, though. We managed by going early in the morning and then taking a mid-afternoon break to go swimming and then went back to the parks for dinner and more rides. It can also rain in buckets in late August.

[Anonymous]

OMG - the humidity is ridiculous. I went for a work event over the summer so we were in a/c most of the day, but at night it was still crazy hot and humid. Even at 10pm+.

Pool in the afternoon sounds like a great plan.

[Anonymous]

There are rooms with kitchens or Kitchenettes on the monorail at Bay Lake Towers-Contemporary, The Villas at the Grand Floridian and soon there will be at the Polynesian. All of those are technically Disney Vacation club portions of those resorts and available to the public if they are not booked by DVC members (it is a timeshare type thing). Several other resorts have them too but they aren't on the monorail. Key West, Art of Animation, Boardwalk, etc. Call Disney directly. A travel agent may be able to help you if you have a good one but Disney has pretty good services.

[Anonymous]

Art of Animation has a microwave and fridge. There's a lot you can do with a microwave if you have to. The bus from AoA wasn't bad at all.

I have seen the condos at Wyndam Bonnett Creek mentioned on these boards frequently. They are right outside of Disney World and you can rent directly from the owners on VRBO or through the Wyndam website. I didn't stay there but did look into it and it was a great deal.

FYI -- I recently discovered that you can pay to valet park at the resorts on the Monorail ($20/day) and then leave your car all day. It's more than just parking in the Magic Kingdom parking lot ($17), but you have the option of taking the boat across the lake from Polynesian or Grand Floridian instead of doing the whole transfer thing.

[Anonymous]

We once went the last week of August. Yes, it was very hot. But it was also not crowded at all! One thing to keep in mind is that the park hours might be much shorter, so it might not be worth leaving and coming back. If you have food restrictions, you can pack a bag with food and bring it into the park. They also have kosher food in the park if that's your restriction.

If you do decided to leave the park and go back to the hotel, I would definitely stay on property. We just came back from Disney and stayed off property. It was fine, but I would not want to be making a mid-day trip each day back to the room. It would be a time killer.

[Anonymous]

The heat is bad, but it's not any worse than a typical DC summer day IMO. There's also the daily 3pm downpour, which cools things down considerably afterward.

Disney knows how to get people inside, so you can always duck into a shop or indoor attraction to cool off. Most lines are indoors and air-conditioned, so there are few instances where you'd be exposed to the elements and held captive to them for long.

The most important thing to remember about a Disney vacation is that there is not way you will be able to "do it all," and if you persist in staying in a park long after people get hot/cranky/tired, no one will have a good time. Go in with the expectation that you may get 2-3 hours in, and however many rides that includes, and then you can call it day, go back to the hotel for a rest/swim, have a meal, etc. You won't have missed the Disney experience if you don't get to ride Space Mountain or meet Elsa or walk through Epcot's entire World Showcase.

As for the food issue, all Disney restaurants can accommodate religious dietary restrictions -- just ask ahead of time. (One or two meals in the parks or nearby resorts won't break you.) Another option albeit a pricey one is staying Club Level at one of the deluxe resorts, which offers a lounge with snacks throughout the day. Again, just contact the concierge and explain your dietary requirements and they should be able to hook you up.