Tell me about going in August....

[LoriZH]

Please

I am going at the end of August (22-28) and have never been to the World this time of year. Usually we go at the end of Oct, beginning of Nov. How do the crowds compare and is it extremely hot??? any tips will be welcome! What do you do to stay cool, how do you work the parks, restaurants, parades, etc....

THANKS!

 

[deena]

so I am not able to compare it to the end Oct./beg. Nov. period or any other but from what I have heard from others who have gone during both of these periods is that the Oct./Nov. timeframe is a lot less crowded.

When we have gone in August it is very much hot and humid everyday with daily temperatures of 90 degrees plus. There are pretty much long wait times especially for the more popular rides in the parks so you can be prepared to probably on the average stand in line longer than the Oct./Nov. when you would usually go.

You can combat some of this by taking advantage of fastpass (we don't use that often because we have gotten used to waiting after having going down in August for some time) but fastpass is highly reccomended by most people within the summer months.

In order to stay cool last year we took the misty fans, water bottles, sunglasses, hats, and sunscreen along with swimming as often as possible; also it helps to really take advantage of being inside the airconditioning whenever possible such as any attractions/shows or sitdown meals in restaurants. Attending the water parks provide a great way to cool off too.

Another thing is to definitely be sure and pace yourself while taking breaks when touring. A lot of people mention that they take midday breaks or naps especially when they travel with small children (going back to the hotel and then returning back to the parks later on) while in summer.

We have preferred to instead take breaks within the park by just stopping to sit down/relax and grabbing a cold soda/water/juice when we are tired; then resume touring. You can schedule any breaks however you see personally fit in order to recharge your batteries and regain more energy which will get taxed by the constant heat.

Although August is a very busy time time to visit WDW in general, the dates that you have planned towards the end of the month tend to be a little less dense with people in my experience. However, you still will have to manage crowds and be expected to stand in lines while you are there.

As far as eating, if you want to dine in a particular restaurant the day you visit a park, I would get P.S. first thing to avoid as much wait as possible. Some counter service restaurants can be packed full tilt during the traditional lunchtime hours of 12-1pm also. This can be used as a great time to seek out some shorter ride lines and then grab lunch when the crowd clears out.

Parade crowds start to gather pretty early along the routes, so if seeing the parade is paramount I would find a spot really early. A large portion of night time parade goers have been known to decidedly stake out areas to view for almost 45 min-hour before scheduled parade time. So making it a point to be in whatever area along the parade route that you want to watch around about this time is important for that reason because of the crowd impact.

Hope this helps; have a great time!

 

[iman]

I have gone both times. The crowds are much bigger in August and it is VERY HOT. Try the little things like middle of day, fast pass, early entry. Also, if rain is scheduled, parks are less crowded (but everything stays open). Good luck.

 

[LoriZH]

Thanks Deena so much for your tips! Can you answer a couple more questions if you don't mind??? Do you know the best day to go to AK, MGM and Epcot? I know the MK is going to be crowded no matter what, but I was hoping there was better days to do the other parks.

As far as the parades, if it's going to be that hot, I am going to skip them, we have seen them before anyway. I don't want to be sitting out in the beating sun for an hour. Do you recommend going early in the morning leave around lunch and come back later after 3:00?

Thanks

 

[deena]

I have noticed that during this time that Epcot is less packed on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. A.K. is less crowded during weekdays as opposed to Saturdays or Sundays. I think that MGM has seemed less dense on Tuesdays and Fridays. Ususally, the park crowds are large right at opening time so you will see a sizeable crowd especially if you decide to go to a park when it is its' early entry mronings.

In all the times we have gone down during this time we have never gone back to the hotel during midday even when we traveled with family members with children. We have always made it a point to take as many breaks during the day as needed, along with finding shade, sitting down while getting something cold to drink, taking advantge of as much air conditioning as possible along with taking a really slow and laid back style of touring the parks.

We have never been the commando type of WDW visitors who have adhered to a prepatterned schedule of going straight from one ride to another ride and haven't had a regular strategy of attending all the attractions or shows. So, we don't get tired as easy because we just go with the flow in experiencing everything throughout the day along with taking small breaks here and there so for us a rising desire to go back to the hotel hasn't occurred.

Also, since the weather in August has been somewhat akind to our home, it has made the heat of WDW during this time a lot easier to bear having been accustomed to growing up with similar summer temps (think that's an additional reason why we haven't had a need to leave parks for the hotel and then return later).

So, you might want to play it by ear and see how you adjust as the day progresses. I think if you can definitely resign to taking as many breaks you or others may want for however long, as well as adopting an open approach to touring the parks by remaining unhurried, leisurely paced, and without sticking to a set in stone schedule when seeking out rides/shows, along with constantly replenishing yourself with water/juices, and enjoying as much airconditioning as you want, you may not feel a need to go back to the hotel at all like we have always found.

However, if you are traveling with kids that are used to a specified nap schedule and have gotten worn out by midday, then returning back to hotel for you will constitute a priority. So in all, I think it is totally possible to tour the parks without an afternoon hotel break if you do not rush through with breakneck speed and partake in numerous timeouts but you may want to see how well you feel in the moment once there. Also, usually as the evening arrives, I have not noticed a significant difference (decrease) between crowds during the day or at night in August.

I have been hearing that the parks are supposed to close at 7:00pm at the end of August this year but hopefully this will change because the familes that do decide to go back to the hotel will not have as much time left when returning in comparison to previous years.

Hope this helps also.

 

[LoriZH]

I am going to absolutely take your advice and take our time. I am going to get some maps and start planning so that everyone can pick what they most want to do, get that out of the way and the rest of the trip be whatever comes along. We are not commando style either. We were just there last oct/nov and decided to do a small trip at the end of august so we don't mess with the school schedule, the twins are starting pre-school this year. We are going to do two character meals (breakfast and dinner) so I am not going to hunt down characters either if it's too crowded and hot. I will use fastpass and if we decide to do any parades, it will be in the shade (I will wait if I am tired and want to sit down, lol otherwise, we'll skip em')

I am really looking forward to going back, I was just really curious about the time of year!

So thanks again! I am going to buy those fans this week too!

 

[disneydebi]

I live in SE Mass, and we fly out of providence. If you can fly out of there, I just got an email that they are offering fairs to MCO starting at $39 each way! I priced it out from Providence for our family of 4 and they were about $50/each way from Providence. Awesome deal... check it out if you can fly out of Providence instead of logan.

 

[LoriZH]

Yikes! I live about as far from Providence as I do from Boston, I'm in Plymouth, however we already got our tickets! darn! What airlines are you flying? We are going American and we paid $190 each way (a family of 6!)

Wish I waited............

 

[disneydebi]

we actually just got back from Disney - flew out of Providence on Southwest - but didn't get that great deal... we paid about 125 each way per person. If I'd have known about these rates for August, I might have waited to go then. Oh well. We had a great time.

 

[RAV]

We are taking our 10th WDW vacation in August. If you travel at the end of August, it is generally not too crowded and lines are not awful. Certain attractions are crowded no matter when you go , but do take advantage of the early openings and fast pass. If the heat gets to you, don't push on. Everyone gets crabby and nobody has any fun. Many kids are already back in school by this time, and we have always enjoyed traveling to WDW at this time of the year.

 

[CapeCod53]

LoriZH, about the airfare: noticed over the last week that many of the airlines have dropped their fares from mid-Aug thru Sept. Providence fares dropped 1st, but noticed over the weekend that some have dropped Logan fares as well. Unfortunately we are going July31 to Aug 7, so no break for us. If you can find the lower fares on your exact flights, the airline shd issue you some kind of voucher. Delta & USAir had dropped, don't remember about American. Check travelocity or the airline itself. I know how you feel, sometimes we are so out of the way to get to major places.

 

[LoriZH]

Capecod53, I have already paid $190 per ticket times six! I called because they lowered the rates and AA told me only on the internet the best they could offer me was $176 and that they would give me $14 off per ticket! DARN! If I did buy them on the web then they wouldn't give me anything lower. I will keep watching, you never know, they may lower them to keep up with the internet and give me the credit!

RAV thanks! That makes me feel better regarding the lines. I know it's going to be hot and I just bought those hand held fans at the job lot for $1.99 each and we do plan on taking a lot of breaks. I am going to take your advice and just use the fast pass and I am only going to do the things the family REALLY want to do. I have booked a Character Dinner at Crystal Palace, and a Breakfast at 1900 Park Fare. I also have a PS for Rose and Crown for Illuminations and plan on doing the Fantasmic Dinner package. This will keep us busy and out of the heat! I will also plan on doing a lot of POOL time I don't want anyone stressing and being more cranky than necessary. We are going to enjoy ourselves and I am going to make darn sure we do! lol! I am really getting excited now! Wahhoooooo!

Thanks!


inkbounc inkbounc inkbounc

 

[catwho]

Are you set to go in August? We went on Labor day one year (my dh had a business trip so we went a day early and caught Disney as a surprise for our kids.) Anyway, Labor day is considered a slower day as most people are acutally travelling that day. There are more local people there then and international people. The crowds were manageable and lines weren't too long (longest we waited was 40 minutes for the Skyway) That was pre-fast pass days though.

Living in that region I can tell you that it is HOT and HUMID and subject to sudden and heavy thunderstorms. They don't last long and can either take the mugginess out of the air or put more in. I would reccomend that you take more water than you would in the fall, wear lightweight clothes, head for anything that says, "Warning: you *may* get wet!", and eat light. Wear sunscreen at all times and seriously think about some sort of hat! I wear a hat even in January at WDW!! Consider doing a water park or back to the hotel pool if it gets too hot. Maybe plan on doing some of the shows for the afternoons. The hottest times of the day are from about noon to 3:30, although it can still be in the 90's until almost 6 or 7 o'clock!

Yes; WDW is doable in the summer, just not as pleasant as say, January!

 

[LoriZH]

You guys are the best! Not only am I getting GREAT tips for the August heat and crowd conditions, I just got a better deal from AA on my tickets!

I decided to check the AA website for ticket prices this morning early and saw my flight was at $109! So I called AA and asked if they had the same price as their internet web site (yesterday they had it at $176 on the web as well as their office) I asked the agent what they showed the flights at and she said $156, so I was thinking okay this is getting better, then i asked her to look again and they said $109! SO I GOT TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT PRICE! They are issuing vouchers for the difference all we have to do is bring the tickets in today and they will do it! THANK YOU GUYS FOR THE TIPS!!!!!!!!

This has just saved me almost $500! YIPPIE!!

 

[CapeCod53]

LoriZH, I'm so glad you got the new lower airfare. By the way, how are you getting to Logan? We have used All Star Limo out of Kingston & been very pleased with their service. Door to door, no picking up other passengers. I think its $125 for round trip for whole family. I don't like leaving my car at Logan & its cheaper & more convenient than the Logan express when you add in their parking charges.

 

[LoriZH]

We are a family of six so that would certainly make sense to do something like that. My brother usually takes us but he's in Florida now, so I don't suppose he will be making this trip, lol

I am going to start calling around tomorrow and find out what the rates will be. Is All Star usually on time, we have a 7:30 AM flight.

 

[CapeCod53]

LoriZH We had a 7am flight last time & they picked us up promptly at 5am. They'll go in via the Ted Williams tunnel & you 'll be there in less than an hour. They still recommend the 2 hrs out just to be safe. It might be earlier for you depending how far south in Plymouth you are. I've already booked for July 31st. I will call again about a week in advance & I believe they reconfirm a day or so ahead. There was a coupon in the last valuepak (those brown legal size envelope of coupons for South Shore Pumping, Iguana's, etc) $10 off airport roundtrip. 1-800-413-LIMO(5466) Sometimes its a van & sometimes a Lincoln towncar.

 

[TinkerbellRules]

Congrats Lori! inkbounc inkbounc