Mid-July heat

[100AcreWood]

How does June compare to the first half of September? I found Sept hot but bearable. I enjoyed the afternoon rain

I've gone in June and mid-September. I actually thought it was less humid in early June.

 

[Obi-J Kenobi]

I've gone in June and mid-September. I actually thought it was less humid in early June.

I've had similar experiences. I have found early June to be more tolerable with heat and humidity. Maybe I was just lucky though?

 

[brockash]

We agree that June and really even the first part of July feels less hot/humid/drenching lol than Aug and early Sept. I do feel it's generally sunnier in June/July, but to us the humidity is worse in Aug and Sept.

 

[Goldilocks07]

I think you mentioned the magic word: humidity. I probably wouldn't be too happy, to say the least. If it were the only time I could go, that'd be different. But it isn't.
And thanks for the quick reply!

Add in the afternoon showers....
I'd be more worried about those. They can legit feel like a tsunami. In 10 seconds you are SOAKED.
I agree with the rest, the heat is horrible, but since moving to Florida we've gotten used to it and have methods to combat it (in and out of AC/attractions, bringing in frozen water bottles and hydrating all day, neck fans, we wear sporty stuff like sports bras, loose shirts, and biker shorts).
But I also agree, the humidity combined with heat and rain, can be brutal.

We went to WDW last August (and going again this August). Honestly, it wasn't that bad and we had one of the best times ever. However, like I mentioned, we are now Florida residents and used to this lava-esque heat.

 

[tinkerhon]

We agree that June and really even the first part of July feels less hot/humid/drenching lol than Aug and early Sept. I do feel it's generally sunnier in June/July, but to us the humidity is worse in Aug and Sept.

Totally agree with this--- due to my kid's school schedules, we started going mid July a few years ago--- coming from NYC, we honestly find that the humidity is no worse in Disney--- August-- totally different story- We found August to be unbearable in Disney

 

[keishashadow]

We make a 4th of July trip annually.

It is absolutely unbelievably hot & humid.

The holiday crowds make it much worse than other weeks we’ve done in the summer thru mid August. Less people at least gives some air flow

Thus far, the Real feel temps ( that’s the one you look at there) 4th of july week are projected to average 109 F.

Due to FW & PM EMH, we again are doing pools in am to the early afternoon, then heading into parks around 3 pm

 

[Anthony1971]

It all depends... May is very hot in the afternoon as it is the start of the summer and the sun is closer making it feel far hotter then the actual summer months in the afternoon. June every time I went the humidity was bad I recall a day with 9?% humidity and 9? temps that was the last time for us. July well I have been there when it was in the 70's most of the week and once when it did not rain for 4 days with 90's making the heat from sidewalks alone make your ankles feel like they were in an oven. August from Humid and 90s to low mid 80s and nice. September similar to August. Other months...l but since we are taking hotter months.... My thoughts any of these months 85-88 are ok 89-90 you will be hot 91 and over you will be miserable in the afternoon to early evening. There is something about hitting that 90 mark that makes it feel multiple times hotter then even 89 for us.

 

[DLgal]

It all depends... May is very hot in the afternoon as it is the start of the summer and the sun is closer making it feel far hotter then the actual summer months in the afternoon. June every time I went the humidity was bad I recall a day with 9?% humidity and 9? temps that was the last time for us. July well I have been there when it was in the 70's most of the week and once when it did not rain for 4 days with 90's making the heat from sidewalks alone make your ankles feel like they were in an oven. August from Humid and 90s to low mid 80s and nice. September similar to August. Other months...l but since we are taking hotter months.... My thoughts any of these months 85-88 are ok 89-90 you will be hot 91 and over you will be miserable in the afternoon to early evening. There is something about hitting that 90 mark that makes it feel multiple times hotter then even 89 for us.

One of our best trips ever was first week of August, 2016. It was overcast, cool, breezy, and NOT humid. It was glorious. We only had one afternoon thunderstorm in 5 days.

 

[Miffy]

umenice UPF 50+ UV Protection Travel Umbrella Ultra Light Weight https://a.co/d/a9iR88e

That is exactly the umbrella I have in my cart!!!

 

[DisneyFive]

In our experience, afternoon breaks are the key to enjoying summers are WDW. We typically take a break from roughly 1pm to 4pm. We have no problems, but it does get HOT. We also pack small expanding umbrellas so we can have instant shade when we want it.

We've done 4 summer trips (July or early August). I would plan on 90-98 degrees with high humidity.

The benefit of afternoon breaks are:

1. You miss the peak heat. As those temps are getting really getting tough, you get to be enjoying air conditioning or pool at your resort.
2. You get to rest up for the evening, when the temps drop. I absolutely love WDW at night in the summer. It's a wonderful time to be there.
3. You don't get stuck in the typical afternoon rain showers.

 

[ILovePixieDust]

For those popping back to your resorts to beat the heat for nap or pool time, are you taking Disney transportation (buses etc) or are you driving?

 

[MinnieMSue]

For those popping back to your resorts to beat the heat for nap or pool time, are you taking Disney transportation (buses etc) or are you driving?

We use Disney transportation and usually stay at Pop

 

[saraheliz]

For those popping back to your resorts to beat the heat for nap or pool time, are you taking Disney transportation (buses etc) or are you driving?

We used Disney transportation last summer back to Kidani. Honestly we really lucked out and never had to wait more than a few minutes for a bus.

 

[wabbott]

I'm sure someone has mentioned this upthread, but it bears repeating. DO NOT neglect sunscreen lotion and lots of it. It doesn't take very long in the Florida sunshine to get overexposed. And a painful sunburn will wreck a vacation as surely as a broken leg.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

So . . . yeah . . . the lure of WDW is too much to resist. We are indeed going. We decided to stay at AKL, so if we end up at the resort/in the room most of the day, it'll be fantastic.

Many many MANY thanks to everyone who posted!

We have many summer trips under our belt. Every year this forum has threads like this. To me, WDW in summer feels like summer. There have been a few trips where the humidity/temps were especially high, but overall we find WDW tolerable. The biggest downside is the afternoon storms are common.

One tip is to acclimate yourself before you go to 80 or higher. Get outdoors. Limit use of air conditioning. Try to get used to 75 or 80 as an indoor temp, then 90won't feel so different. People have lived in warm climates for thousands of years without AC. Acclimation helps.

We do tend to take afternoon hotel breaks in summer, but a big part of that is to dodge some of the storms. If you are only going to parks starting at 4pm, then storms might = missing out. Many attractions close during lightning, and all the boats and pools close.

I advise good rain gear and water-tolerant walking shoes. Avoid too much denim and sneakers on days it is supposed to rain. (or swap to sandals for the PM.) Do watch the weather.

We also love what are called packable rain jackets. They fold down to the size of a pocket. Otherwise, we don't really go out of our way to buy special clothing, except footwear. Mister fans = clammy, IMO.

On days it is likely to rain, we bring the jackets. On days it is not likely to rain, we carry plastic ponchos. But this we do all times of year at WDW. Often summer rain is intense, but short lived, so waiting it out makes sense.

For summer trips, we get an early start. We eat lunch about 1:30-2pm. After lunch = a bit sleepy, so that's part of afternoon breaks as well. Siesta, swimming, re-hydrating. Then we return about 6pm.

Do drink plenty of water, but also make sure you are getting enough electrolytes. Eat plenty of fresh fruit! Drink apple juice, lemonade, other fruit juices. Though the WDW lemonade is often the kind with fake sweetener, so it is really smart if you have your own supply of good beverages! Limit soda, coffee, fake sweeteners, sugar-bombs, and alcohol! Do splurge on the expensive Voss water they sell in Epcot's Norway! Try to avoid/limit drink packets, unless they are the electrolyte hydration kind w/ no fake sugar. Pineapple juice is also great, where you can find it at WDW.

Along the same lines, I think it really pays to limit junk food. that's a tall order at WDW, but produce = hydration. Summer = lots of great summer produce. We try to eat lots of fresh fruit and veggies all summer, including WDW, and I think that probably helps.

Last, it pays to take photos early in the day, before faces look a bit sweaty, and/or you maybe look a bit ragged after getting caught in the rain. A change of clothes can be helpful if you plan nicer TS dinners.

 

[WLWildlife]

For those popping back to your resorts to beat the heat for nap or pool time, are you taking Disney transportation (buses etc) or are you driving?

We usually take Disney transportation.

 

[DLgal]

We have many summer trips under our belt. Every year this forum has threads like this. To me, WDW in summer feels like summer. There have been a few trips where the humidity/temps were especially high, but overall we find WDW tolerable. The biggest downside is the afternoon storms are common.

One tip is to acclimate yourself before you go to 80 or higher. Get outdoors. Limit use of air conditioning. Try to get used to 75 or 80 as an indoor temp, then 90won't feel so different. People have lived in warm climates for thousands of years without AC. Acclimation helps.

We do tend to take afternoon hotel breaks in summer, but a big part of that is to dodge some of the storms. If you are only going to parks starting at 4pm, then storms might = missing out. Many attractions close during lightning, and all the boats and pools close.

I advise good rain gear and water-tolerant walking shoes. Avoid too much denim and sneakers on days it is supposed to rain. (or swap to sandals for the PM.) Do watch the weather.

We also love what are called packable rain jackets. They fold down to the size of a pocket. Otherwise, we don't really go out of our way to buy special clothing, except footwear. Mister fans = clammy, IMO.

On days it is likely to rain, we bring the jackets. On days it is not likely to rain, we carry plastic ponchos. But this we do all times of year at WDW. Often summer rain is intense, but short lived, so waiting it out makes sense.

For summer trips, we get an early start. We eat lunch about 1:30-2pm. After lunch = a bit sleepy, so that's part of afternoon breaks as well. Siesta, swimming, re-hydrating. Then we return about 6pm.

Do drink plenty of water, but also make sure you are getting enough electrolytes. Eat plenty of fresh fruit! Drink apple juice, lemonade, other fruit juices. Though the WDW lemonade is often the kind with fake sweetener, so it is really smart if you have your own supply of good beverages! Limit soda, coffee, fake sweeteners, sugar-bombs, and alcohol! Do splurge on the expensive Voss water they sell in Epcot's Norway! Try to avoid/limit drink packets, unless they are the electrolyte hydration kind w/ no fake sugar. Pineapple juice is also great, where you can find it at WDW.

Along the same lines, I think it really pays to limit junk food. that's a tall order at WDW, but produce = hydration. Summer = lots of great summer produce. We try to eat lots of fresh fruit and veggies all summer, including WDW, and I think that probably helps.

Last, it pays to take photos early in the day, before faces look a bit sweaty, and/or you maybe look a bit ragged after getting caught in the rain. A change of clothes can be helpful if you plan nicer TS dinners.

Super honest question. Not being snarky at all.

Where do you find fresh fruits and veggies at WDW?

Honestly this has been a pet peeve of mine forever. It is SO hard to find a GOOD salad and actual fresh fruit that isn't either complete mush (looking at you, red seedless grapes in baggies), dried out beyond recognition (carrot sticks) or completely unripe (bananas and melon). There is NO variety of fruits and veggies at WDW, especially fresh ones, unless you are going to the signature dining restaurants. I struggle so much to find it easily that this next trip is going to include a grocery store run to buy some and stock up our room fridge. We like stuff like broccoli, strawberries, grapes, pineapple, cucumbers, snap peas, melon, grapes. Seems like every WDW location sells exactly 5 items: whole apples, whole bananas, whole oranges, carrot sticks, grapes. Where is the good fresh produce?

 

[WLWildlife]

We have many summer trips under our belt. Every year this forum has threads like this. To me, WDW in summer feels like summer. There have been a few trips where the humidity/temps were especially high, but overall we find WDW tolerable. The biggest downside is the afternoon storms are common.

One tip is to acclimate yourself before you go to 80 or higher. Get outdoors. Limit use of air conditioning. Try to get used to 75 or 80 as an indoor temp, then 90won't feel so different. People have lived in warm climates for thousands of years without AC. Acclimation helps.

We do tend to take afternoon hotel breaks in summer, but a big part of that is to dodge some of the storms. If you are only going to parks starting at 4pm, then storms might = missing out. Many attractions close during lightning, and all the boats and pools close.

I advise good rain gear and water-tolerant walking shoes. Avoid too much denim and sneakers on days it is supposed to rain. (or swap to sandals for the PM.) Do watch the weather.

We also love what are called packable rain jackets. They fold down to the size of a pocket. Otherwise, we don't really go out of our way to buy special clothing, except footwear. Mister fans = clammy, IMO.

On days it is likely to rain, we bring the jackets. On days it is not likely to rain, we carry plastic ponchos. But this we do all times of year at WDW. Often summer rain is intense, but short lived, so waiting it out makes sense.

For summer trips, we get an early start. We eat lunch about 1:30-2pm. After lunch = a bit sleepy, so that's part of afternoon breaks as well. Siesta, swimming, re-hydrating. Then we return about 6pm.

Do drink plenty of water, but also make sure you are getting enough electrolytes. Eat plenty of fresh fruit! Drink apple juice, lemonade, other fruit juices. Though the WDW lemonade is often the kind with fake sweetener, so it is really smart if you have your own supply of good beverages! Limit soda, coffee, fake sweeteners, sugar-bombs, and alcohol! Do splurge on the expensive Voss water they sell in Epcot's Norway! Try to avoid/limit drink packets, unless they are the electrolyte hydration kind w/ no fake sugar. Pineapple juice is also great, where you can find it at WDW.

Along the same lines, I think it really pays to limit junk food. that's a tall order at WDW, but produce = hydration. Summer = lots of great summer produce. We try to eat lots of fresh fruit and veggies all summer, including WDW, and I think that probably helps.

Last, it pays to take photos early in the day, before faces look a bit sweaty, and/or you maybe look a bit ragged after getting caught in the rain. A change of clothes can be helpful if you plan nicer TS dinners.

Lots of great tips! We do most of these. Acclimate before going, make sure you are hydrated before you get to WDW. We always nap in the afternoon, the heat saps your energy. A quick shower, fresh clothes, and a nap are very rejuvenating. We don't usually swim. I find being in the pool baking under the hot sun to be very draining. Lots of fresh produce and water, not much refined food. Always have some kind of poncho to stay dry and watch the weather. The last family trip we were stuck in a boat, PACKED full of people, windows and doors all closed tied to the dock. Nobody was allowed off. The windows fogged over it was so hot. Children were crying. And the smell! Save yourself some frustration and watch the weather!

 

[mickeyluv'r]

Super honest question. Not being snarky at all.

Where do you find fresh fruits and veggies at WDW?

Honestly this has been a pet peeve of mine forever. It is SO hard to find a GOOD salad and actual fresh fruit that isn't either complete mush (looking at you, red seedless grapes in baggies), dried out beyond recognition (carrot sticks) or completely unripe (bananas and melon). There is NO variety of fruits and veggies at WDW, especially fresh ones, unless you are going to the signature dining restaurants. I struggle so much to find it easily that this next trip is going to include a grocery store run to buy some and stock up our room fridge. We like stuff like broccoli, strawberries, grapes, pineapple, cucumbers, snap peas, melon, grapes. Seems like every WDW location sells exactly 5 items: whole apples, whole bananas, whole oranges, carrot sticks, grapes. Where is the good fresh produce?

It is often hard to find at WDW. This is a big reason why we often do a grocery store run ourselves.

Some WDW places I have had luck: WDW now stocks Cuties tangerines in a fair number of locations: the in-park fruit stands, as a side with some QS meals. Another place we find fruit is the breakfast buffet when we stay club level.

Sad to say, but this is one reason why we sometimes choose club level. By that I mean every food court ought to offer it, but since it is hard to find, part of why we choose to stay club level is that we can readily get fresh produce every day. In the morning the lounges have fresh fruit, and during appetizers many CL's put out cold vegetables like grape tomatoes, broccoli, small carrots (sometimes the gross WDW packaged ones now, but often better quality carrots too), sometimes cucumber sticks, etc. I've even sometimes seen asparagus! The CL's also usually put out a basket of whole fruit all day, that is just okay. It varies from stay to stay. Recently they have had Cuties, but often it is just bleh apples, maybe underripe pears, Sunkist meh oranges. During breakfast hours (7am-10am), the CL's have better fruit. It varies from CL to CL and visit to visit, but they often have melon, good red grapes, sometimes: pineapple, strawberries, other berries.

Other places to find fruit: the QS in the Land (Epcot) usually has something like grapes or a melon cup. (not the gross baggies, but a better cup of grapes). Some table service buffets. One place that has a great salad is Docking Bay 7! it has grapes, tomato, cucumber, and really great dressing. The kefta appetizer is also really good. The grab and go places at the Swan/Dolphin/Swan Reserve.

It is possible to find some decent produce at Universal. Some that come to mind: The Harry Potter Hogsmeade has a fruit cart. Leaky Cauldron has bangers and mash - sausage- but it some with excellent sides. The minted peas are delicious. You have to ask, but they allow you to order the peas stand alone. the whole platter is very good though. The apple beet salad is also good (comes with a different platter). Portofino QS Sal's has prepared salads including caprese, some fruit. The club level lounges at Royal Pacific and Portofino Universal both serve great fruit in the AM and decent veggies during appetizer hours. thunder Falls Terrace is decent. the roasted corn on cob is not great, but the other sides are good, like plantains. Aventura food court has some good options, as does the Qs at Sapphire Falls. The QS at SF has fruit smoothies (or did the last time I was there.) Morning grab and go in the lobby at Royal Pacific, but I don't recall what they had- only available in the morning.

In season, there are some offsite places to get fresh oranges. there's a fun (but so-so) fruit stand on Route 192, and (I've not been) a better orange grove/fruit place I think about 20min from WDW. If you ever drive to the Everglades, you can get AMAZING exotic tropical fruit at a fruit stand called Robert is Here, and other smaller fruit stands. RiH will cut up the fruit for you, including amazing mangoes. They also make smoothies with I think any fruit they sell. You can try some really exotic fruits there like soursop.

Just off Universal is a Whole Foods. It is an excellent Whole Foods with a LARGE buffet of prepared foods, or did last time I was there. It is on Sand Lake Road. They recently remodeled, so I can't say exactly what they offer now, but I am sure they still have a very large offering of all kinds of healthy options of prepared foods, plus like a full bakery, etc. pricey, but a large selection for fresh produce. There are plenty of other good grocery stores, too, but that WF was a cut above, if a bit $$.

 

[SleeplessInTO]

Just want to add that Regal Eagle at Epcot has fantastic watermelon, and it’s a great location to take an air conditioned rest in that park.

Primo Piatto (Riviera QS) also has great, non-mushy fruit salad. I actually love this QS in general. Almost everything I’ve tried there has been delicious.