Tell me about WDW in JULY??

[bwvBound]

I can't believe we are actually contemplating a trip to WDW in July ... but ... it seems we might actually try one! Seeking words of wisdom and advice from your experiences?

About our plans:

• Just the two of us (no kids, no friends/family)
• Saratoga 1BR for a full week
• Either over the week of July 4th or a later week coinciding with DVC Moonlight Magic at AK
• Have Platinum APs expiring in early Oct. (Trying to maximize the APs! We've already put 4 trips on them with one more coming soon.)
• Will likely focus on pools, water parks and early evening activities
• Generally very active adults ... 7+ miles of walking daily in normal life, lots of outdoor work and exercise
• Wimps with regard to heat and humidity! ;-)
• Typically visit WDW in Oct - Jan. Practically melted the last time we visited in May (2015?) ... but we figure we put too much focus on being in Epcot (single day/park ticket vs AP) and didn't have sufficient downtime, rest or pool time.
• Trip would be booked via RCI exchange. We have RCI TPU that are expiring at the end of the summer. We will likely pay to extend our time on the TPU ... but it would be nice to burn down the balance a bit.

Thoughts? Thx!

 

[Memorymakerfor4]

We've been twice in July. It's brutal, no other way to say it. However, I feel like you sort of get used to it after an hour or so. Don't bother trying to look nice, everyone is melting and looks the same way. Evenings were really nice, and we also liked the rainy days. Just wore our ponchos and got on with it.

My husband loved his sweat wicking clothes and I'm a fan of the Sketchers Go Walks. They have good support and dry quickly if they get soaked in the rain or on a ride. The BEST thing to take is a Frogg Toggs Chilly pad. Soak it with free cold water every hour or so from a fountain or a QS location, rest it on your shoulders, and it really does help beat the heat.

 

[disneynutz]

Hot

Bill

 

[Aishaahm]

Yes hot, but crowds were super manageable last July when we went. Take portable misting fans, cooling towels, hats, sunglasses and lots of sunscreen. I will say when we think back, we can only remember how much fun we had and how great the crowds were in contrast to what we were anticipating !

 

[Micca]

Wimps with regard to heat and humidity! ;-)

Well that's a concern. The strategy of RD/resort pool midday/more park time at night gets a lot of mentions around here, but I don't think it really cools down much even at night in the summer. I'd only go in summer if that's the only time I could go or if there was a specific event scheduled at that time. You could plan a heavy dose of resort/pool time but that's not why you bought those Platinum APs is it?

 

[Aishaahm]

I have thought about going and doing just after hours if that is offered. It was a wonderful experience last summer at MK. If you could rest and swim during the day, then head over when you can get in early evening, enjoy a nighttime show or dinner, then do your rides during the after hours event when it’s dark and warm instead of firey-hot that could work too!

 

[heynowirv]

HOT HOT HOT!! But you're talking to someone who's done a few August trips as well.Grin and bear it ,and like folks said stay poolside or water during the day.

 

[gillep]

I took four trips to WDW last year Jan, April, July, Sept, and neither of us could really tell the difference in heat from the mid-July trip to the late September trip (both were brutally hot) and both had very low crowds. I would say July was the lowest crowds of all our trips. I was pretty shocked, as I had always heard how crowded the summer is, but apparently the Dis was right and the past couple summers have been pretty light crowd wise. Pack lots of sunscreen.

 

[drusba]

If you are a "wimp with regard to heat and humidity," then be prepared for the wimpiest time. It is significantly worse than May. Temperatures in the 90's. Some from the north before going in July think, "Well, we gat 90's sometimes, and it does not seem completely overwhelming." However, in the north you do not hit the 90's on a real hot day until about noon and by 6 temps are back down to the lower 80's. At WDW in July, it will reach the 90's about 9 a.m. and stay that way until 9 p.m. That is coupled with high humidity, and the nights do not bring relief as temps even then can be in the 80's. You can sweat standing still outside at midnight. Usually sunny much of the day, but there is also quite a bit of rain, although usually in the form of a couple of 30 to 40 minute heavy thunderstorms in the afternoon, one overnight, and then, unfortunately, an occasional one in the evening when park closing events like Fantasmic, Illuminations, etc. are supposed to take place and they get cancelled. Those rains are usually heavy downpours, so you need to get inside, but another characteristic of summer in WDW is that about an hour after the storm passes in an afternoon, everything looks dry again.

Nevertheless it is doable in a park because there is always a nearby store to escape to for some air-conditioning or from the rain, and many of the rides and attractions are indoors. Water is an imperative, either brought with or purchased often while in a park. Fair skin is at a high risk of bad sunburn so stock up on protective lotion.Hottest Park in the day time is often AK because it is so heavily wooded with rather narrow walkways, causing an oven effect with no breeze relief. Crowds are typically very heavy, and they will be extremely heavy if you choose that July 4 time, so Fastpass+ needs to be gotten 60 days before for the popular rides if you want decent times. Early mornings often give some hope of hitting one or two rides with reasonable stand-by lines before the huge crowds hit by about 10:30 or 11. During parades, from 4-6, and close to closing time are other times when some things are open with reasonable lines. Water parks can get very crowded and have some risk of even closing to new guests for a couple hours in the afternoon, and the main pools at the resorts also get quite crowded.

I do not know about availability through RCI exchanging into DVC, but be aware that the first week of July will be a time when many things are filled earlier than others but July 7 to July 31 is actually the second lowest DVC demand time of the year, but you are only 4 to 5 months away, and thus even if you want an SSR 1BR, you should still move promptly particularly if you want July 4 time or any time that includes a Midnight Magic night (which event may already be sold out) because even rooms that are usually available at 4 months out during July have a risk of filling much earlier for that one night.

 

[keishashadow]

I can't believe we are actually contemplating a trip to WDW in July ... but ... it seems we might actually try one! Seeking words of wisdom and advice from your experiences?

About our plans:

• Just the two of us (no kids, no friends/family)
• Saratoga 1BR for a full week
• Either over the week of July 4th or a later week coinciding with DVC Moonlight Magic at AK
• Have Platinum APs expiring in early Oct. (Trying to maximize the APs! We've already put 4 trips on them with one more coming soon.)
• Will likely focus on pools, water parks and early evening activities
• Generally very active adults ... 7+ miles of walking daily in normal life, lots of outdoor work and exercise
• Wimps with regard to heat and humidity! ;-)
• Typically visit WDW in Oct - Jan. Practically melted the last time we visited in May (2015?) ... but we figure we put too much focus on being in Epcot (single day/park ticket vs AP) and didn't have sufficient downtime, rest or pool time.
• Trip would be booked via RCI exchange. We have RCI TPU that are expiring at the end of the summer. We will likely pay to extend our time on the TPU ... but it would be nice to burn down the balance a bit.

Thoughts? Thx!

It’s not the heat, it’s the heat & the humidity. That said, July can’t hold a candle to mid August as to it being a challenge to stay comfortable

We’ve taken GD now 8, the last 2 years and again this one. I went against my better judgement the first year and was pleasantly surprised how well the trip turned out overall. We moved a bit slower and made sure to seek out shade/wear sun hats.

We all have APs and fortunate enough to visit often enough that we can enjoy the vibe vs commando’ing in the parks. Naturally, we need to work in character dining with child along and Hoop de Doo is usually on GDs wishlist. Works well to escape into the AC for a meal when it’s at it’s hottest.

We like to do MK on 7/3 & Ep on 7/4 (their FW are amazing for the holiday). DVC has a very popular ‘paid’ event @ CR that sells out in hours. It’s mostly geared to kids, GD still says it’s one of her fav things to do @ WDW lol. You do get a nice view of the MK fireworks and nice array of desserts/snacks are offered.

Kiddo along or not, we don’t do rope drop any longer. Pool or one of the water parks, late lunch/main meal of day, then into the parks to close them down.

As for MM, AK is the only one we haven’t experienced. Not sure I’d specifically schedule a trip around one and competition has grown so fierce, it’d be disappointing to not be able to attend if the focus of trip IMO.

 

[bwvBound]

We've been twice in July. It's brutal, no other way to say it. However, I feel like you sort of get used to it after an hour or so. Don't bother trying to look nice, everyone is melting and looks the same way. Evenings were really nice, and we also liked the rainy days. Just wore our ponchos and got on with it.

My husband loved his sweat wicking clothes and I'm a fan of the Sketchers Go Walks. They have good support and dry quickly if they get soaked in the rain or on a ride. The BEST thing to take is a Frogg Toggs Chilly pad. Soak it with free cold water every hour or so from a fountain or a QS location, rest it on your shoulders, and it really does help beat the heat.

Ha, ha ... loved the comment on appearances. But I'm so programmed to find and pose for the Disney camera folks! Oh, my.

Love the idea of the Chilly pad; I have a couple (knock-offs) I could pack! Thx!

Hot

Heh, heh. Yep, setting appropriate expectations!

Yes hot, but crowds were super manageable last July when we went. Take portable misting fans, cooling towels, hats, sunglasses and lots of sunscreen. I will say when we think back, we can only remember how much fun we had and how great the crowds were in contrast to what we were anticipating!

Awww, that is quite encouraging. Thx! I use a home-made sunscreen ... it does very well here at home and did mostly well last summer in Colorado at horse camp. I hope it keeps up with the FL combo of sun, heat and humidity. Yes, I always have a hat! Thanks for these reminders!

Well that's a concern. The strategy of RD/resort pool midday/more park time at night gets a lot of mentions around here, but I don't think it really cools down much even at night in the summer. I'd only go in summer if that's the only time I could go or if there was a specific event scheduled at that time. You could plan a heavy dose of resort/pool time but that's not why you bought those Platinum APs is it?

Actually the water parks would be a good fit for the Plat APs, right? The primary driver for that ticket choice was our trip with family over New Years (talk about crowds!!) which required going premium to avoid block out dates. We've likely broken even at this point ... the rest is gravy. We won't dream of Rope Drop for the July trip. Not a chance!

I have thought about going and doing just after hours if that is offered. It was a wonderful experience last summer at MK. If you could rest and swim during the day, then head over when you can get in early evening, enjoy a nighttime show or dinner, then do your rides during the after hours event when it’s dark and warm instead of firey-hot that could work too!

Sounds like a good plan, to me!

HOT HOT HOT!! But you're talking to someone who's done a few August trips as well.Grin and bear it ,and like folks said stay poolside or water during the day.

Wow, I'm quite impressed with your multiple August trips! Well done!

I took four trips to WDW last year Jan, April, July, Sept, and neither of us could really tell the difference in heat from the mid-July trip to the late September trip (both were brutally hot) and both had very low crowds. I would say July was the lowest crowds of all our trips. I was pretty shocked, as I had always heard how crowded the summer is, but apparently the Dis was right and the past couple summers have been pretty light crowd wise. Pack lots of sunscreen.

Glad to hear of the lower crowds. Yes on the sunscreen (home made, as mentioned above). Thx!

 

[bwvBound]

If you are a "wimp with regard to heat and humidity," then be prepared for the wimpiest time. It is significantly worse than May. Temperatures in the 90's. Some from the north before going in July think, "Well, we gat 90's sometimes, and it does not seem completely overwhelming." However, in the north you do not hit the 90's on a real hot day until about noon and by 6 temps are back down to the lower 80's. At WDW in July, it will reach the 90's about 9 a.m. and stay that way until 9 p.m. That is coupled with high humidity, and the nights do not bring relief as temps even then can be in the 80's. You can sweat standing still outside at midnight. Usually sunny much of the day, but there is also quite a bit of rain, although usually in the form of a couple of 30 to 40 minute heavy thunderstorms in the afternoon, one overnight, and then, unfortunately, an occasional one in the evening when park closing events like Fantasmic, Illuminations, etc. are supposed to take place and they get cancelled. Those rains are usually heavy downpours, so you need to get inside, but another characteristic of summer in WDW is that about an hour after the storm passes in an afternoon, everything looks dry again.

Yeah ... we go to 120 here (SoCal High Desert) but it is a dry heat! I'm just not used to the heat+humidity combo. Nor the heat after sundown. I'll expect both to be draining. I'll plan to move like a sloth rather than my typical 10 miles of daily walking at WDW.

Nevertheless it is doable in a park because there is always a nearby store to escape to for some air-conditioning or from the rain, and many of the rides and attractions are indoors. Water is an imperative, either brought with or purchased often while in a park. Fair skin is at a high risk of bad sunburn so stock up on protective lotion.Hottest Park in the day time is often AK because it is so heavily wooded with rather narrow walkways, causing an oven effect with no breeze relief. Crowds are typically very heavy, and they will be extremely heavy if you choose that July 4 time, so Fastpass+ needs to be gotten 60 days before for the popular rides if you want decent times. Early mornings often give some hope of hitting one or two rides with reasonable stand-by lines before the huge crowds hit by about 10:30 or 11. During parades, from 4-6, and close to closing time are other times when some things are open with reasonable lines. Water parks can get very crowded and have some risk of even closing to new guests for a couple hours in the afternoon, and the main pools at the resorts also get quite crowded.

Thanks for these warnings about traffic flow!

I do not know about availability through RCI exchanging into DVC, but be aware that the first week of July will be a time when many things are filled earlier than others but July 7 to July 31 is actually the second lowest DVC demand time of the year, but you are only 4 to 5 months away, and thus even if you want an SSR 1BR, you should still move promptly particularly if you want July 4 time or any time that includes a Midnight Magic night (which event may already be sold out) because even rooms that are usually available at 4 months out during July have a risk of filling much earlier for that one night.

FWIW, I already had both weeks "on curtesy hold" with RCI. Looking at airfare, we are likely to skip the week of July 4th as it is considerably more expensive. We'll hope to snag tickets for the MM at AK ... but even if we don't, we'll have the APs, water parks and pools to enjoy. It will have to be a slower trip than normal ... but hopefully that allows us to return home rested rather than run to exhaustion??

Of course, I'm already reaching the point of embarrassment when people ask, "So, Orlando again????" It is easier to defend the choice when things are cold here. So wait, why am I thinking to go when weather favors home vs Orlando? Hmm. Oh, yeah ... a DVC event, those APs and the need to spend some banked TPUs with RCI. LOL. Timeshare = forced vacation. Sorta.

 

[bwvBound]

It’s not the heat, it’s the heat & the humidity. That said, July can’t hold a candle to mid August as to it being a challenge to stay comfortable

We’ve taken GD now 8, the last 2 years and again this one. I went against my better judgement the first year and was pleasantly surprised how well the trip turned out overall. We moved a bit slower and made sure to seek out shade/wear sun hats.

We all have APs and fortunate enough to visit often enough that we can enjoy the vibe vs commando’ing in the parks. Naturally, we need to work in character dining with child along and Hoop de Doo is usually on GDs wishlist. Works well to escape into the AC for a meal when it’s at it’s hottest.

We like to do MK on 7/3 & Ep on 7/4 (their FW are amazing for the holiday). DVC has a very popular ‘paid’ event @ CR that sells out in hours. It’s mostly geared to kids, GD still says it’s one of her fav things to do @ WDW lol. You do get a nice view of the MK fireworks and nice array of desserts/snacks are offered.

Kiddo along or not, we don’t do rope drop any longer. Pool or one of the water parks, late lunch/main meal of day, then into the parks to close them down.

As for MM, AK is the only one we haven’t experienced. Not sure I’d specifically schedule a trip around one and competition has grown so fierce, it’d be disappointing to not be able to attend if the focus of trip IMO.

Thanks for the intel on special fireworks for the 7/4 holiday. These were my first thought when I spotted the 7/4 week being available. But the airfare? Ugh, not so pretty. I think we might just have to forego the holiday period. Maybe another time?

As for MM, we've done 4 at DLR but only 1 at WDW. We feel the need to "at least try"?? ;-)

 

[miamimama]

Ap’s and DVC here. Went once in July. Never again for me. The humidity and the heat just make it unbearable for me even at late night at the parks. We go every other year – get an AP and go Dec/Mar/Nov or something like that. But some can tolerate the summers.

 

[luvmychaos]

I have nothing to offer about the weather but I am very intrigued with the homemade sunscreen? Would you mind sharing the recipe(?), not sure if that’s what you’d call it We live in SoCal as well, at the beach, too. Always looking for less harsh, good sunscreen. Despite living by the beach, we are a family of vampires

 

[bwvBound]

I have nothing to offer about the weather but I am very intrigued with the homemade sunscreen? Would you mind sharing the recipe(?), not sure if that’s what you’d call it We live in SoCal as well, at the beach, too. Always looking for less harsh, good sunscreen. Despite living by the beach, we are a family of vampires

I use a variation of Dr. Josh Axe's DIY Sunscreen recipe. My current formula adds Titanium Dioxide powder (non-nano particle) as it was in an earlier version of Dr. Axe's recipe. He has dropped it out over some controversy but as I already owned a bag ... I'm still using it, in smaller measure.

 

[bwvBound]

Ap’s and DVC here. Went once in July. Never again for me. The humidity and the heat just make it unbearable for me even at late night at the parks. We go every other year – get an AP and go Dec/Mar/Nov or something like that. But some can tolerate the summers.

I hear you. We might, quite likely, say the same

Our current decision: Drop the July 4th week. Keep the later week and try for MM at AK. We'll go slower than normal, seek pools and shade. I've never ridden Kali River Rapids for fear of getting wet ... might just have to do that this trip!!

 

[smjj]

Hot , hot and really hot. Crowds are terrible. We told ourselfs the last time never again and have stuck to it....
.smjjºoº

 

[bwvBound]

Well ... I booked the week (through RCI) and booked our airfare. Done deal.
We'll see how this goes ... we'll start with lowered expectations ... and wary of heat.

 

[CraigInPA]

It's not the heat, it's the humidity that has sworn this Pennsylvania family from every going back to WDW between June and September. We found we were going to the parks early morning, then leaving at lunch time, going to the pool, having dinner, and then returning to the park after sundown. Effectively, we got between 4 and 6 hours of park time per day.