May weather and crowds?

[frannn]

We're used to trips in Aug and March. This year we go in mid May hoping for less humidity but pleasantly warm temps. Will it be mostly shorts and tshirt weather or should we pack some jeans and sweatshirts? Also, I know crowds have been crazy and Epcot will be bad due to the GofG previews, but should it be getting better or worse?

 

[nw6675]

Others sometimes say otherwise, but in all my May trips we have always been hot. No jeans or sweatshirts needed.

 

[Smugpugmug]

I usually go in mid May (I even have a trip planned this year from May 7-15) and it is VERY humid and VERY hot. I often do a mid day pool break because the parks in the afternoon are absolutely unbearable heat wise. Crowds are typical lower than spring break but don't expect anything to be a walk on.

I would expect it to be busier than average due to people making up for canceled trips (which is what I'm doing as my trip was originally supposed to happen same time in 2020), international travel opening up, vaccines being more readily available/children are able to be vaccinated and overall demand for Disney parks.

 

[nw6675]

I usually go in mid May (I even have a trip planned this year from May 7-15) and it is VERY humid and VERY hot. I often do a mid day pool break because the parks in the afternoon are absolutely unbearable heat wise. Crowds are typical lower than spring break but don't expect anything to be a walk on.

I would expect it to be busier than average due to people making up for canceled trips (which is what I'm doing as my trip was originally supposed to happen same time in 2020), international travel opening up, vaccines being more readily available/children are able to be vaccinated and overall demand for Disney parks.

I feel like everyone and their brother and cousin will be there this May!!

 

[krybandt]

We went in early May and only wore summer clothes. I don’t remember oppressive heat and humidity like from July (never again). I do remember love bug swarms here and there, and only because one of my daughters is afraid of bugs. We’re going in mid May too and expecting it to feel crowded because it always seems to feel that way. Wondering how the previews will affect EPCOT but guessing it will at least be better than after it opens to everyone.

 

[MomOfDisneyPrincess]

All of our trips have been in May and I consider it warm to hot. I'm from the midwest and Florida humidity was high every trip. As I recall, overnight may have been 75 degrees while daytime highs were low to mid 90's. I felt like it never really cooled off overnight, like I'm used to. I never packed jeans or sweatshirts and never needed them. The only exception might be if you need some kind of wrap if you are sensitive to the air conditioning inside restaurants. Sometimes you are sweaty or wet from rain and you can get chilled in a restaurant. I did not mind it enough to carry something, but when my daughter was younger, she did freeze in the restaurants, so she put a hoodie in the backpack one trip. I hope that helps.

 

[CanucksRock]

Early April was shorts & t-shirts and very humid, so I’m expecting May to be the same or worse.

 

[Smugpugmug]

I feel like everyone and their brother and cousin will be there this May!!

Agreed, I see a lot of people planning May trips. I usually love mid May because most kids are still in school. I also deliberately planned to avoid the opening weekend for Guardians/Memorial day weekend but I do fully expect it to be packed regardless

 

[Upatnoon]

May is hot but less muggy and less of a chance of afternoon thunderstorms. It isn't hurricane season.

Crowds are generally lower than the spring peak, but I wouldn't count on it being "slow."

One thing that should help are more activities, such as meet and greets returning.

 

[_19disnA]

We went in May a couple of years ago and it was warm most days along with a few hot days (also had a few rain showers as I recall). It partly depends what temperature is comfortable for you and what you like to wear. We tended to find the TS restaurants to be way too cold and they seemed to have the AC running full blast. So even on days when it was hot outside, we needed sweaters or somewhat warmer clothes when eating indoors to be comfortable.

Mid-week there were some parks that were wall to wall people on certain days. Disney tends to always be busy, so you just never know how crowded it might be on any given day. No 3rd party is any better at predicting this either, so assume it will be crowded and plan accordingly.

 

[klmall]

Our trip a few years back in late April through early May was the hottest of any of our trips taken October through June; even hotter than my solo trip in mid June. We were really surprised and actually had to go back to our room each day to cool off. We've now gone back to November through February trips for this reason.

 

[Stratman50th]

May is usually really nice. It can be warm with the occasional hot. The rainy season is just starting to show up and you can occasionally have those afternoon showers you see in the summer months. (Sorry if I jinx you all but it was extremely dry last year and we're way low on water. Hoping for a wetter summer). You probably won't need any cold weather clothes. Hurricane season won't start for another month, but regardless of the calendar and what people say mother nature can have other plans so don't be completely shocked. The up side is hurricanes in central Florida are usually just windy with lots of water.
Somebody else already said it, and it wasn't mentioned by the OP but I'll throw it in here anyway. May and September are Love Bug season. It wasn't bad last year. Maybe because it was so dry but who knows. They're annoying but harmless.
As far as park attendance goes, I couldn't tell you. We don't go any longer and we will probably be in the Keys, LOL.
So I realize this is a month out, but notice the humidity, 33%.

 

[boxer]

Been going in early/mid-May for the past couple years, after switching from late-October. Comparing the two, I personally think May is MUCH slower crowd-wise than Oct/Nov. As for weather, May is (to me) the perfect time to go. Hot enough to swim, but not oppressively hot.

 

[mistysue]

The catch is they still get heat waves... we went last May and it was mid-90's and didn't feel far off from our old August trips... it was humid but not that bad morning humid where the air feels thick, it was only a mildly irritating humid.

 

[wdw_dine_junkie]

Early April was shorts & t-shirts and very humid, so I’m expecting May to be the same or worse.

Nah, it's not been humid here yet. Not like July-Sept very humid. Pleasantly "non-dry" is what I'd call it (but I'm a Floridian). May will be warmer, but still not time for hibernation for the summer weather.

 

[Maggie The Cat]

Nah, it's not been humid here yet. Not like July-Sept very humid. Pleasantly "non-dry" is what I'd call it (but I'm a Floridian). May will be warmer, but still not time for hibernation for the summer weather.

May I ask if late April is usually decent weather wise (last 2 weeks)? First time going in Spring. We've been in June and October. Thank you.

 

[wdw_dine_junkie]

May I ask if late April is usually decent weather wise (last 2 weeks)? First time going in Spring. We've been in June and October. Thank you.

I think it is nice even late April into May, but I guess it's all relative. I'm just west of Disney, it's 84 degrees today and 54% humidity, which is not bad. And it's not raining yet every afternoon, in fact we could use some rain, it's been very dry. But 84 and sunny could be very hot to people!

But we have had a few low in the 90s days, but when it happens it's only a few days at a time. Not like July when it's every day for months.

 

[ML_LovesDisney]

We're used to trips in Aug and March. This year we go in mid May hoping for less humidity but pleasantly warm temps. Will it be mostly shorts and tshirt weather or should we pack some jeans and sweatshirts? Also, I know crowds have been crazy and Epcot will be bad due to the GofG previews, but should it be getting better or worse?

We were there twice in May. It was extremely hot and humid both times. It's definitely warming up in Florida March-April and then May feels very summer-ish. I bring sweatshirts sometimes though for restaurants and rides with cold AC.

 

[AnnabelleTheTalkingTree]

Our last trip was in May and it was summer weather. We had a few nights that dropped cool enough where I threw on a light sweatshirt (with shorts though, so still warm) but we swam and definitely sweated our butts off in the parks.

 

[TheSouthernBelle]

We're used to trips in Aug and March. This year we go in mid May hoping for less humidity but pleasantly warm temps. Will it be mostly shorts and tshirt weather or should we pack some jeans and sweatshirts? Also, I know crowds have been crazy and Epcot will be bad due to the GofG previews, but should it be getting better or worse?

By May the days of not as warm are pretty much over, unless you're from the equator or run cold a lot indoors, you won't really need jeans or sweatshirts. That sort of weather is more common in April and mostly early April. By end of April/early May, it's in the 80's most days. I always, even in summer, carry a light jacket because I do get chilly at night and it feels cold indoors. Just double check the weather before your trip but it's highly unlikely it's chilly.