Our intention was/is to do picture stories following each household journey we make to Walt Disney World, much like our ‘guardian fails’ from Child Bricker’s first WDW journey – half 1 and half 2. We additionally shared ‘what went proper’ throughout our household journey – half 1 and half 2. These posts had been well-received by readers, each as recaps of our journey and teachable moments for different new dad and mom.
This publish is a reasonably dramatic departure from these, and positively doesn’t rise to being a fully-fledged journey report. Though we did a wide range of issues on this journey, a lot of that was overshadowed by this (completely predictable) drawback. Mainly, this publish is singularly targeted on being a cautionary story as a substitute of a recap of the highs and lows of our journey…
The #1 lesson we discovered from this journey was that we can not go to Walt Disney World in the summertime. The excessive warmth and stifling humidity are simply not conducive to journeys between June and August for our household. After our current journey, I can not fathom all three of us returning to WDW throughout these months (till we neglect how disagreeable they’re…once more).
That is fairly the about-face, particularly since I not too long ago shared an replace to Is It Nonetheless Value Visiting Throughout ‘Fall’ Off-Season at Walt Disney World? In that, I wrote that we had been already planning a return go to as a household so Child Bricker (Megatron) may expertise Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Occasion and extra. Since her first journey to Walt Disney World went so properly (for probably the most half), we received excited and emboldened to do one other.
In my protection, I additionally added a slightly giant asterisk that Sarah didn’t expertise final 12 months’s brutal climate that prompted that publish within the first place, and speculated that possibly she was underestimating simply how dangerous it was. A “time heals all wounds” kinda state of affairs.
You would possibly say that this fast summer time getaway to Walt Disney World was basically reopening outdated wounds.
Throughout our journey, the day by day excessive temperature exceeded 95° each single day. With loads of humidity on prime of temperatures within the mid-to-high 90s, the “looks like” studying exceeded 100° each single day, too. Climate so scorching it may make even a seasoned WDW customer cry. (Sweat mixing with sunscreen and operating into your eyes has a method of doing that!)
This is able to be dangerous sufficient if it had been simply the 2 of us. We’re, admittedly, wimps with regards to excessive warmth and humidity. I do know some Floridians declare you get used to it, however we by no means did throughout our years spent dwelling in Florida, and climate was the driving issue that led to us leaving. (Even the lizards and alligators–mainly prehistoric beasts–don’t get used to the climate; I don’t consider folks truly do.)
Regardless, we’ve additionally carried out many summer time days and full journeys to Walt Disney World. Heck, I did a number of solo ones simply final 12 months, and I can’t recall a single day once I logged beneath 20,000 steps. My shirt was sweat-soaked by like 9 am every day, however I trudged on and nonetheless had pleasant sufficient experiences, conducting loads. It actually wasn’t my perfect time to go to, however because the outdated adage goes, even a scorching day at Walt Disney World beats a standard day at residence!
It’s a completely totally different ball recreation with a child. As lined elsewhere, we’re avid babywearers. However when the temperature eclipses 90 levels, babywearing turns into impractical (delicate understatement). Quite a lot of advocates declare that, truly, babywearing is nice in excessive warmth as a result of being near your physique helps the newborn regulate their very own physique’s temperature, serving to them forestall overheating.
This is perhaps true; I’m not a scientist or pediatrician, so I don’t know. It’s additionally loopy. Issues will be each loopy and true. (Maybe babywearing throughout summer time at Walt Disney World belongs in “Ripley’s Consider It or Not!”) The operative query just isn’t whether or not it’s secure for the newborn, which presumably it’s since infants exist in all climates. That’s a extremely low bar. (“Is it secure?” just isn’t the usual I wish to use for issues I do on trip.)
The true query is whether or not it’s moderately comfy. Which is type of silly, because it’s most likely patently apparent even to non-parents that it very a lot just isn’t comfy. Simply being outdoors at Walt Disney World throughout triple digit “looks like” temperatures is already pretty disagreeable. Now connect what’s mainly a 20-pound heater to your chest. It makes that feeling worse, actually not higher.
Fortunately, we additionally introduced our stroller with to Walt Disney World. We hadn’t been utilizing it a complete lot previous to this summer time, however that has modified in a giant method. The stroller appeared extra comfy for all events concerned, however even that has shortcomings. (All the time conserving Megatron within the shade because the solar shifted round being the massive one.)
The top consequence was that Sarah and Megatron spent most of their time within the resort or in any other case indoors. The entire level of the journey was to take a look at Tiana’s Bayou Journey, CommuniCore Corridor, and the opposite new-for-Summer time 2024 stuff, so I used to be out and about a lot of the day doing that.
Fortunately, we had a tough concept of what we had been getting ourselves into, and this was meant as much less of a household trip and extra Sarah and Megatron becoming a member of me on a ‘analysis’ journey. Expectations had been set accordingly, a minimum of for probably the most half.
What we didn’t anticipate was that taking Megatron out throughout the bulk of the daytime hours could be a nonstarter. Regardless of whether or not it was secure, it simply wasn’t value it from a consolation and high quality of go to perspective. As a result of oppressive climate, we had only some “good” hours per day in us, and it was higher to allocate these to the evenings.
We’re in a really lucky place the place we are able to do that–opting to spend extra time on the resort and fewer within the parks–since we’ve been to Walt Disney World many occasions earlier than and shall be again once more. The stakes for us are method decrease than the common visitor. There’s nothing we should do, and we discovered way back that it’s much better to float than power it.
Clearly, that wouldn’t be our outlook if we had been first-timers or rare guests. If this had been our solely go to to Walt Disney World for the foreseeable future, we might’ve felt strain to do as a lot as doable. And something various hours within the parks throughout the coronary heart of the day would’ve been an excessive amount of. A technique or one other, we might’ve ended up being actually dissatisfied–both as a result of we did an excessive amount of or too little.
We’ve remarked on this earlier than, nevertheless it’s really easy to see why grownup meltdowns are so widespread throughout summer time. There’s a stress between the strain to perform quite a bit, and the warmth and humidity beating you down and stopping that from taking place. The climate is exhausting, making it exceedingly troublesome to do a full day within the parks with no noon break or taking time to decompress. This alone can undermine any effectivity good points from the decrease crowds of the slower summers.
Exacerbating that is park hours. The most recent any park was open throughout our journey was Magic Kingdom which closed at 11 pm on one night time. On all different dates, it closed at 10 pm. No different park closed later than 9 pm.
The issue with that is that sundown in Orlando throughout the summer time is round 8:30 pm. As a sensible matter, this meant as little as an hour within the park (we by no means left proper at 9 pm) as much as as a lot as 2.5 hours post-sunset every day. These had been about the one hours that had been nice throughout our time within the parks, and even the phrase “nice” is perhaps a stretch. Temperatures didn’t lower that a lot.
Don’t get me fallacious, the solar dipping under the horizon is a welcome reduction, nevertheless it’s nonetheless fairly scorching–simply minus the scorching solar–up till park closing. There wasn’t a single day when the ‘looks like’ temperature dropped under 90 levels earlier than we left the park within the night.
I can perceive why Walt Disney World has set comparatively restricted park hours given the dearth of summer time crowds, nevertheless it’s nonetheless wild to me that–with out paying further–there are so few dates when any park is open after 10 pm. In actual fact, there are no dates after the Independence Day vacation when Magic Kingdom is open till 11 pm. It’s all 10 pm closings for the remainder of the summer time.
This doesn’t strike me as sustainable. I’ve remarked prior to now that I’d favor visiting the parks from 9 pm till 2 am throughout the summer time over the whole day up till that time (often in justifying a splurge on After Hours occasions). And I do know I’m not the one one, primarily based on the elevated reputation of Prolonged Night Hours throughout the summer time months and the way properly After Hours events proceed to promote.
It’s considerably baffling to me that Walt Disney World hasn’t acknowledged this and adjusted hours accordingly. To make sure, I’m not suggesting that Magic Kingdom stays open till 2 am nightly, as attendance doesn’t justify it. However having one of many parks provide common working hours after midnight would possibly make sense.
In any other case, the decreases in summer time attendance and park hours are going to grow to be a vicious cycle. Fewer folks will plan journeys this time of 12 months since there are few (non-upcharge) reprieves from the warmth. As a result of fewer folks attending, park hours shall be slashed additional. But another excuse we’re hoping 2025 marks a return of Summer time Nightastic! (or one thing comparable) and later park closings.
Again in my day*, Magic Kingdom was open till midnight for everybody on Fridays in the summertime, and supplied night Further Magic Hours to all on-site visitors till 3 am. (*My day was Summer time 2010. These are precise hours from then!)
The aim of this publish isn’t to throw a pity celebration for ourselves. Once more, we’ve been across the block with summer time in Central Florida. We knew there was the potential for this. Neither of us anticipated it to be this scorching and humid, nor did we anticipate the challenges of navigating such climate with a child. However the silver lining is that this was tacked-on to a analysis journey. Higher this than planning an elaborate household trip for the beginning of the Halloween season.
Relatively, we at all times like to supply actionable recommendation; so with that in thoughts, what are you able to do to keep away from the same end result? The plain reply is to not go to Walt Disney World between the months of Might and September, and significantly June via August.
On common, October via April have significantly better climate. Inside that vary, November via February are usually the most effective bets from a climate perspective. For one factor, these months have cooler temperatures. However that’s not all–and even the most important factor. These months get an help from the triumphant return of ordinary time–and that plus shorter days means extra park hours after darkish.
I’ve at all times been a Daylight Saving Time hater, and this Walt Disney World journey additional bolstered why. There’s an excessive amount of daylight. No must “save” it. Little bit of a tangent, however I can not consider politicians from Florida are main the cost to make Daylight Saving Time everlasting. There’s no must “defend” sunshine in Florida. There’s an overabundance of it. However I digress.
For a lot of households, this might not be sensible. There’s a motive why summer time is historically vacationer season–many households have college aged kids, dad and mom who work as lecturers, or any variety of different the explanation why it’s college breaks or bust with regards to holidays. And though summer time is something however cheap, it’s truly among the many least dear college breaks for visiting Walt Disney World. As such, a easy “don’t go to in the summertime” is perhaps seen as glib and unhelpful.
In that occasion, my different recommendation is perhaps equally unhelpful, however right here it’s: go to Disneyland.
Severely. Though common Anaheim temperatures in the summertime might not seem that a lot decrease, the “looks like” numbers are. You’ll probably have daytime “looks like” temperatures which can be about 10 levels decrease, which isn’t insignificant this time of 12 months!
Equally as necessary, if no more so, is hours. Disneyland is usually open from 8 am to midnight with Disney California Journey being open from 8 am to 10 pm. Disneyland Resort’s second gate has longer hours than Magic Kingdom for the remainder of the summer time!
Not solely that, however sundown happens earlier in Anaheim and the temperatures often fall sharply in late afternoon and drop off a cliff after sundown. Even when highs are within the higher 80s, evenings will be within the low 70s with “looks like” temperatures within the higher 60s. (You learn that appropriately–decrease “looks like” numbers than the precise temperature.)
Even throughout the summer time, it may be chilly at Disneyland within the evenings–that’s a stark distinction to Walt Disney World! We’ve already been again to Disneyland a couple of occasions since getting back from Walt Disney World, and our experiences had been dramatically totally different. To make sure, there have been scorching days in Southern California–however nothing like Central Florida.
I do know doing Disneyland as a substitute of Walt Disney World additionally isn’t sensible recommendation for everybody. I’m simply providing this as one other different, particularly since I believe numerous planners don’t understand there’s an enormous distinction in climate between the 2.
To make sure, there are different methods to beat the warmth at Walt Disney World. You should use issues just like the Frogg Toggs Chilly Pad or Bladeless Private Neck Fan, and different cooling gadgets of the type. It’s additionally most likely the case that, along with this journey being decrease stakes for us, it was additionally our first publicity to excessive warmth as dad and mom. Taking our child outdoors in such excessive warmth made us anxious, and it’s most likely honest to say we erred on the facet of warning a bit extra because of this. In order that’s additionally distinctive to us.
However conducting much less, feeling fatigued, and having little reprieve from the solar resulting from shorter park hours is hardly distinctive to us. Over the previous couple of years, we’ve been listening to from an increasing number of readers who’ve began to rule out summer season journeys to Walt Disney World–even followers who had been earlier than. No less than anecdotally, it looks as if there’s a rising contingent of followers hitting the wall with summer time at WDW, which a minimum of partially explains the decrease crowds.
It’s additionally value mentioning that there have been loads of positives, too! Though this publish revolves across the climate and is framed as a cautionary story, this journey nonetheless had its moments. Amongst different issues, we had some nice meals, received to fulfill extra characters (however nonetheless no Figment), had been wowed by “Disney Desires That Soar,” received to get pleasure from a wall-free Weight loss program EPCOT for the primary time in 5 years, and logged a number of rides on Tiana’s Bayou Journey. All of that was enjoyable!
The spotlight of the journey, although, was watching the Electrical Water Pageant as a household. I don’t understand how we missed this on Child Bricker’s first journey–it completely slipped our minds–however what a large oversight on our half. Megatron is enamored with shiny lights, so this was an enormous hit.
It makes me actually, actually hope {that a} night time parade truly is within the playing cards for the way Walt Disney World will “compete” with Epic Universe in 2025. We didn’t suppose something may dwell as much as the nostalgia and sentimentality now we have for SpectroMagic, however no matter night time parade our daughter grows up on most likely will. (She completely adored Dreamlights and Dusk Glow, the night time parades at Tokyo Disneyland.)
Talking of which, and to conclude on an unequivocally optimistic observe, our household journey to Japan went nearly flawlessly. (The above picture is from opening day of Fantasy Springs and is one among my favourite photographs and recollections from the whole journey. Child Bricker thought the Misplaced Children hats had been hilarious for some motive.)
We expressed an amazing quantity of trepidation previous to that journey to Tokyo Disney Resort, however actually none of our fears got here to fruition. I’m very glad we did Walt Disney World first, because it was a terrific studying expertise for flights, resort stays, and touring generally–we made a number of main changes on account of that Florida journey.
Nonetheless, we had our worries. Touring to Japan is totally different from every week at Walt Disney World for apparent causes. About the one errors we made had been overpacking (as soon as once more–however not by as a lot) and one tough night time. I doubt I’ll do a full publish about that as I believe it affords restricted worth–not a lot of you might be most likely planning on taking infants to Tokyo Disney Resort–however I’d nonetheless extremely suggest it. We’re so glad we did!
For that matter, we’re glad we did this summer time journey to Walt Disney World. Positive, it didn’t go practically as easily or properly as anticipated, nevertheless it was additionally a studying expertise. That’s a giant a part of life, and a few of our favourite recollections aren’t the most effective moments–however the ones the place issues didn’t go in keeping with plan. I’m certain we’ll look again at a few occasions from this journey that weren’t enjoyable within the second–however they’ll put smiles on our faces and make us snicker for years to come back.
Planning a Walt Disney World journey? Find out about resorts on our Walt Disney World Resorts Critiques web page. For the place to eat, learn our Walt Disney World Restaurant Critiques. To save cash on tickets or decide which sort to purchase, learn our Suggestions for Saving Cash on Walt Disney World Tickets publish. Our What to Pack for Disney Journeys publish takes a singular take a look at intelligent objects to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Journey Guides will assist. For complete recommendation, the most effective place to start out is our Walt Disney World Journey Planning Information for every thing you must know!
YOUR THOUGHTS
What do you concentrate on visiting Walt Disney World in the summertime? Is it value doing for households you probably have no different possibility however college breaks? Does the excessive warmth and humidity negatively influence your visits? Or, would you are taking the upper crowd ranges however subjectively superior total expertise throughout Fall Break, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New 12 months’s Eve, Mid-Winter Break, and many others? Do you agree or disagree with our evaluation? Any questions we might help you reply? Listening to your suggestions—even once you disagree with us—is each attention-grabbing to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas under within the feedback!
