Is Summer the Best Time to Take a Disney Vacation? Well…

By Amanda of Mouze Kateerz.com.

The 4th of July is tomorrow, and if you are not at Disney right now, you may have done a bit of wishing you were in Orlando for the holiday. But the Magic Kingdom is expected to reach capacity on the 4th, and all the theme parks will be filled to the brim with vacationers all ready to stand in lines ahead of you. Should you take the family to Disney in the middle of the summer? Well…

You should because…

1. School is out, so your kids won’t miss any class work.
2. It’s often easier to plan a vacation in the summer when schedules can be a little more free and flexible than fall through spring.
3. The parks often stay open later than other times of year.

Sadly, here is one experience you may not be able to enjoy this summer.

Is Characters in Flight at Downtown Disney Closing for Good?!

You should not because…

1. The parks open later than other times of year, but why? Because the whole world is on summer break. The only way you’ll get to ride the majority of rides is if the parks stay open late.
2. Lines are insane. They’re not as bad as Christmas, but stand-by waits can be 90 to 120 minutes long, and sometimes you are waiting in the heat. Fastpasses are often completely distributed by mid to late afternoon.
3. Oh, Lordy, is it hot! Temps. will easily range in the upper 90s, and with the Florida humidity, it will probably feel over 100 degrees in the sweltering afternoons.
4. Rain storms seem to crop up more frequently than other times a year. Disney ponchos are $8.50 each including tax, so plan ahead and bring one for home at a fraction of the cost.

Is Christmas a better time to go? (Cue laughter!) That really depends on who you talk to and just how much you want to go to Disney. Better times to go? This can help with your planning.

When is the Best Time to Go To Walt Disney World?

A Summer Time Game Plan…

Most books written about vacationing at Disney suggest you get an early start, nap or swim in the afternoons, and go back in the parks for the cooler evenings.

I really do take a nap every day on vacation, and we go with a variation on the traditional plan. We stay up LATE, just as late as we can make it. We sleep in until nearly noon, and then we goof around in the afternoons at Downtown Disney and the resorts on the monorail route.  We go back to the Magic Kingdom around 5ish. This will require a flexible schedule, park hopper tickets, and the ability to wake up and stay up late.

Now this wake-late/stay-late plan works for our family, but it may not work so well for small children on a strict schedule. I hardly break much of a sweat, and I love the cooler summer evenings. I wouldn’t suggest this route if you don’t get to Disney very often, because you will not get as much time in the parks. This is where the “I’ll sleep when I get home” motto may apply. Rope drop to park closing is tough, and it’s not impossible, it’s just certainly not relaxing.

So summer at Disney will mean long lines, sun and sweat, and maybe some rain, but the major advantage is that your kids don’t miss any school or after school practices.

This can keep you cool in the summer, but you need to know the rules.

• Walt Disney World: How to Pool Hop and Not Get Arrested

Good luck with your summer Disney vacation plans, keep clipping those coupons, and keep dreaming Disney.

Visit Amanda at  Mouze Kateerz on Facebook and Mouze Kateerz on Pinterest.

You will also find her articles on Meet the Magic.com.