Category — 1. Summer at Walt Disney World

OVERVIEW: JULY 2013 AT DISNEY WORLD

This page reviews July 2013 Walt Disney World crowds, prices, deals and discounts, weather, operating hours, adds a few other notes, and ends with week by week summaries.

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OVERVIEW: JUNE 2013 AT DISNEY WORLD

This page reviews June 2013 Walt Disney World crowds, prices, deals and discounts, weather, operating hours, adds a few other notes, and ends with week by week summaries.

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SINGING THROUGH THE RAIN AT WALT DISNEY WORLD

Rain–sometimes afternoon showers, sometimes multi-day storms–can happen anytime, but is a fact of life in the summer at Walt Disney World.

When the forecast is for heavy continuing rain, you’ll see some advising taking the day off at the hotel, others suggesting a trip to Downtown Disney for a movie, DisneyQuest, and shopping, and still others advising going to the parks.

But if it’s a warm day, and your kids are pre-teens, there’s really no question about what to do: on a rainy but warm summer day at Walt Disney World, go to the Magic Kingdom! [Read more →]

DISNEY WORLD AND TROPICAL STORM ISAAC

We’ve entered the peak of the hurricane season, and Tropical Storm Isaac is currently expected to turn into a (mild) hurricane over the next day or so, but is no longer expected to much threaten Central Florida or Orlando. [Read more →]

DISNEY WORLD 2013 SUMMER CROWDS: THE PRINCIPLES

Walt Disney World summer crowds are governed by two factors:

• Public school summer break calendars, which have start and end dates more varied than you’d think
• The beginning of the peak of the hurricane season, in mid-August

Pretty much all kids are off all of July. As a result, July is the busiest summer month, and during it, the week that includes the 4th of July the busiest week.

Varied dates for when summer breaks begin means June can start well (but see below), and then build to high crowd levels.

August has the opposite pattern, beginning with high crowds, but, through the combination of a trickle turning to a flood of back-to-school dates, and savvy travelers avoiding the peak of the hurricane season, it ends quite un-crowded.

Families that can only visit in the summer (for example, school teachers) should go as early in June or as late in August as their schedules permit. [Read more →]

SPECIAL FOURTH OF JULY CELEBRATIONS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD

Walt Disney World will be holding 4th of July celebrations this year at 3 parks:

• At Epcot, a special 4th of July version of Illuminations will show at 10p
• At Disney’s Hollywood Studios, there will be a “Special July 4th Fireworks Presentation” at 9.45p
• At the Magic Kingdom, “Celebrate America! — A Fourth of July Concert in the Sky” will show at 9p

The same Magic Kingdom show will also be on July 3 at the same time. There are no special events at the Animal Kingdom, but it does have morning Extra Magic Hours.

As I write this, on July 4 2012 Epcot is scheduled to be open from 9a to 10p, the Magic Kingdom from 8a-1a, and the Studios from 9a-10p, although I’d expect to see later closes added as the 4th of July comes closer.

Those following this site’s Summer Itinerary will find themselves at the Animal Kingdom the 4th of July, and honestly I think that’s the right answer, as the other parks will be packed.

If you must see 4th of July fireworks at Disney World, the next best choice is the Magic Kingdom on the 3rd, and after that Epcot on the 4th.