Contrary to popular belief there are actually some advantages in vacationing at Walt Disney World in the summer. Yes, it’s hot, humid, and crowded, but don’t let that define your vacation. You’ve probably heard too many times by vacation planning books and Disney vacation planning websites that coming in the summer is a horrible decision, but here are the four reasons why it isn’t a horrible choice:
4) The Pools and the Water Parks
You may not believe it, but there are actually times of the year in Florida that being in a pool is less than delightful. In January it doesn’t really matter how nice of a pool there is at your Walt Disney World resort because you probably aren’t going to want to get into it. Missing out on such a fun part of your resort can be disappointing. Yet, in the summer you’ll want to live in the pool. When the heat and humidity seem overbearing taking a day to lounge in the pool feels like paradise. The water parks are another huge missed opportunity for those who come on vacation in the colder months. Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon can both be made into a full day experience on the hottest days of the year.
3) Kids Won’t Miss School
There were times as a kid that I missed a week of school to go on a Walt Disney World vacation, but it was never fun to have to make up all the work I missed. Having to do homework on the airplane, or write an essay the night I got home was never fun. That’s why scheduling a family vacation during the summer works out best for families with kids. Not only do you not have to take your children out of school, but also extracurricular activities like sports and clubs aren’t typically happening into the summer months. This means less things on the calendar you have to schedule your Walt Disney World vacations around.
2) Long Park Hours
Once the slower periods hit in September the Walt Disney World parks close a lot earlier. Even the Magic Kingdom starts to close at 9pm once the summer is over. That’s why coming in the summer is so great! The Magic Kingdom is often open until 1 or 2am (especially when you include Extra Magic Hours). This is a huge advantage in coming to Walt Disney World in the summer. If you can stay up late enough you’ll be able to experience a park with many walk on attractions. Personally, I love napping. Long park hours afford me the time to go to the park early in the morning, take an afternoon nap, and be back with plenty of time to enjoy the parks at night. The summer is consistently a time to come to Walt Disney World when you know there will be long park hours.
1) The Rain
You may be surprised to see that I rank the rain as the best part of coming to Walt Disney World in the summer. In the summer months it usually rains for at least 30 minutes a day in Orlando, and I’ll tell you why this is a good thing. A large percentage of the guests leave once it starts raining. When walking around after a huge thunderstorm you’ll notice that the wait times drop dramatically. So I say embrace the rain! Pack a poncho because waiting out the storm will mean you’ll wait less for some of the iconic Disney attractions like Space Mountain and Peter Pan! Understandably, walking around in wet clothes isn’t fun, so if a poncho isn’t your style, pack a bag with extra clothes and leave it in a small locker for $8 dollars for the entire day. That extra $8 dollars will pay off when you have shorter wait times the entire second half of the day.
