Depending on where you are considering to travel next summer, you may have to plan months in advance. If Walt Disney World is on your summer vacation short list, I totally get it — and summer can be a great season to visit.
As you weigh the pros and cons of visiting Disney World this summer, there are numerous factors to keep in mind. Don’t simply write off Disney World in the summer for being too hot — if you can manage the heat, summer might actually be one of the best times of the year to take the vacation!
Pros and cons of visiting Disney World in the summer
Pro: Potentially lower crowds.
Summer was once considered one of the worst times to visit Walt Disney World if you wanted to avoid crowds. I remember plenty of summer trips growing up where it was just about as busy as it gets! With kids out of school and families more capable of taking time off from work, it was no wonder that the parks got busier this time of year. In recent years, however, that trend has changed.
Whether it’s due to families approaching time off from school differently or they simply want to avoid the worst of the summer weather (more on that in a second), summer at Disney World is increasingly becoming a less busy time of the year. I still wouldn’t consider summer an official “low season,” so don’t go into a summer vacation at Disney World thinking you won’t see any crowds.
Because the summer season is more spread out (summer vacations start in May for some schools and can last through early September for others), crowds are more spread out versus more condensed seasons like spring break or Christmas where most travelers have the same one or two weeks to visit. So, if you want lower wait times on rides, summer is actually a great time to visit Disney World.
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Con: It’s hot. Like, really hot.
My personal biggest drawback to visiting Disney World in the summer is the relentless heat and humidity. Summer in Central Florida is something else. If you aren’t familiar with the climate, you may be in for a rude awakening.
According to Weather Spark, the average high temperature from May through September ranges from 87 to 90 degrees. If that wasn’t bad enough, there’s the humidity: June through September has on average 27 to 30 days per month — essentially every day — of what Weather Spark considers “muggy days.” At best, you’ll feel the humidity, but at its worst, it will feel downright oppressive most of the time.
Families obviously still visit Disney World this time of year, so people have figured out how to work around the heat. The sun and heat can zap you of your energy quicker than you realize, so if you aren’t staying hydrated or taking enough air conditioned breaks, the weather can put a huge damper on your trip. With that in mind, you may want to consider visiting Disney World when the weather is more comfortable, like in the winter or spring.
READ MORE: HOW TO SURVIVE SUMMER WEATHER IN DISNEY WORLD
Pro: It’s usually more affordable.
Similar to the lower crowds, recent years have trended towards summer being more of a “shoulder season,” meaning it lands somewhere between peak and off-peak for Disney World. With a supposed decline in attendance, whether it’s due to the weather or another factor, Disney has upped the amount of discounts and promotions available to guests and lowered the base rates for this time of year.
Summer has quickly become a time of year when great savings pop up. Specifically, August and September are two months worth looking into if you want to score some of the lowest ticket and hotel rates of the year. If your ultimate goal is to visit Disney World for as little money as possible, summer might be the best time to consider visiting.
READ MORE: HOW TO SAVE MONEY ON YOUR WALT DISNEY WORLD VACATION
Con: Fewer seasonal and limited-time events.
There’s always something going on at Walt Disney World, but the parks hit a bit of a lull during the summer. With no major holidays or festivals to speak of, your Disney World summer vacation will lack those extra offerings. That could be a drawback since you’re essentially getting less for what you’re paying (many of Disney’s seasonal events are included with park admission, or at the very least you’re able to access hard-ticket offerings when visiting at various times of year).
Summer’s big holiday is the Fourth of July, and Disney World does put on a couple of great fireworks shows at Magic Kingdom and EPCOT, usually on July 3 and 4. Outside of those couple of dates, however, you won’t find a ton of special happenings.
Even the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival has returned to its “diet” schedule. For a few years it was starting in mid-July and running through November, now it starts around Labor Day. As of this writing, summer has become the one time of year where EPCOT does not have a festival going on.
The one exception to all of this discourse is late summer with the kick-off of Halloween. Yes, Disney World starts celebrating Halloween in August, with Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party starting around the second week of the month.
So if you’re thinking of a late summer vacation and you’re ready to switch gears and celebrate fall (the weather certainly won’t feel autumnal), there are some added incentives towards the end of the season. That could get tangled up with the start of the school year, however, depending on where you live.
READ MORE: WHAT TIME OF YEAR SHOULD YOU VISIT DISNEY WORLD?
Pro: Potentially more flexible travel dates for the family.
As I hinted at earlier, one of the benefits of traveling in the summer is the simple ease and flexibility of travel. For many, summer is synonymous with time off. Kids are out of school and many adults can more easily take time off from work. Depending on your family’s calendar, summer could be the best — and for many, sometimes the only — time to take a vacation.
This flexibility can also help when it comes to saving money on a Disney World vacation. Since you aren’t restricted to a single week or holiday like Christmas or spring break, you aren’t beholden to traveling on weekends or on other popular travel dates. This allows you to shop around for the best deals when it comes to airfare, hotels, etc.
Con: It will rain. A lot. Probably daily.
Remember when I mentioned how the heat and humidity makes summer one of the more challenging times of the year to visit Disney World? Well, I have bad news: we have to talk about the rain as well.
There’s always the chance of rain no matter when you visit Florida, but summer brings with it near-daily downpours and thunderstorms. The good news here is the storms typically don’t last all day, but when it rains, it really does pour. Packing rain gear is a necessity this time of year.
And I’m so sorry to say this, but we have to keep adding to the list of weather grievances: hurricane season. The Atlantic hurricane season officially starts June 1 and lasts through November 30. If you travel to Florida in the summer months, there is a chance that a hurricane or tropical storm may impact your trip.
If a hurricane or tropical storm is on the way to Disney World, the best case scenario is the parks get a glancing blow and it will just be a prolonged day of heavier rain. The worst case scenario is the parks fully shut down for a day or two and your flights could get canceled. If you’re traveling this time of year, make sure you study Disney’s hurricane policy as well as cancelation policies for your airline of choice.
READ MORE: ESSENTIAL RAIN GEAR TO PACK FOR DISNEY WORLD
What to pack for summer at Disney World
You definitely want to make sure you have all of the essentials packed for a summer vacation to Disney World. Beyond your basics like clothing, there are added considerations this time of year to maximize comfort:
Sun protection
I always start Disney World packing suggestions with the most important items you need to bring no matter the season: sun protection. Not only should you bring plenty of sunscreen, but you’ll also want to bring after-sun care, like aloe, along too. Apply and re-apply sunscreen liberally throughout the day.
Comfortable shoes
Comfortable shoes are the most important clothing item you can bring to Disney World. If you get nothing else right with your outfit, make sure your shoes are broken in and can withstand tens of thousands of steps each day. This isn’t the time to buy brand-new shoes to coordinate with your outfit! You know your feet best, but I recommend comfortable, reliable sneakers.
Lightweight, breathable clothes
Obviously a summer vacation to Disney World means packing for summer weather, but you really need to take it to a whole new level. Jean shorts and a t-shirt won’t cut it. For maximum comfort, athleisure is the name of the game: think bike shorts, sports bras, tank tops, etc.
A small park bag
I have a lot of thoughts on park bags as someone who was at Disneyland multiple times a week for years when I lived in California. When it gets hot you want to travel as light as possible, and that includes what you bring with you to the parks. Trust me here — the smaller the park bag, the better. Stick to belt bags or crossbody bags that allows your backside to breathe and keeps you hands-free.
READ MORE: WHAT TO PACK IN YOUR PARK BAG
Hydration and other forms of summer comfort accessories
There are other important items specifically for the hot summer months you’ll want to bring with you that perhaps are not as crucial the rest of the year. You always want to stay hydrated, so consider a collapsable and/or refillable bottle — don’t forget you can find free cups of ice water at most Quick Service dining locations.
Rain gear
As I mentioned above, it will rain during your summer vacation to Disney World. Be prepared with ponchos that you can easily fit in a small park bag. I personally don’t recommend umbrellas, as they take up more room and won’t do you much good in a torrential downpour, but if you want to bring one, opt for an umbrella that is easily collapsible and portable.
READ MORE: UNIQUE ITEMS YOU MAY BE FORGETTING TO INCLUDE IN YOUR DISNEY WORLD PACKING LIST!
Is Summer A Good Time To Visit Disney World? was originally published on The World of Spark.
