Money & Time Saving Tips
Summer Travel Tips for Visiting Walt Disney World
1) Temperatures rise quickly into the mid-90s May through October. Plan on visiting the theme parks in the morning and again in the evening. Take a swim break or relaxation break back at the hotel during the middle of the day. This will make your vacation to Walt Disney World a much more enjoyable experience.
2) Many of Disney’s stage shows, such as Tarzan, Legend of the Lion King, Hunchback of Notre Dame, Indiana Jones, Beauty and the Beast, Flights of Wonder, etc, are performed in semi-enclosed amphitheaters that are not air-conditioned. Disney has installed some large fans to circulate the air, but the temperature and humidity rise quickly in the afternoon, almost to the point that they are unbearable. We suggest you visit these shows early in the day or in the evening to beat the heat. Also, Disney allows drinks and food inside most of these amphitheaters, so take a cool drink in with you.
3) Disney’s water parks become very crowded from May through August. When attendance is too high, Disney will sometimes have to close the park and not allow any more visitors to enter. If this would happen, it usually does so between 11am and 1pm. Therefore, plan on arriving before 11am. However, Walt Disney World resort guests are always granted admittance as long as they arrive via Walt Disney World bus transportation.
4) Afternoon thunderstorms are quite common at Walt Disney World from May through October. These storms will not, however, ruin your day. Most last only about 1-2 hours. Bring a poncho with you from home or buy one at the parks. Most cast members are trained to place them on the counters of most gift shops when the rain begins to fall.
5) When the heat starts to get to you, visit Ice Station Cool next to the Innoventions West pavilion at Epcot. We guarantee the walk through the “ice cave” will cool you off. In addition, Coke has various free soft drinks from around the world available for guests to sample. It’s a great place to pick-up a quick thirst-quencher for free.
6) Many guests don’t even realize the Electrical Water Pageant still exists. A couple of the best places to catch the parade are on the beaches at the Grand Floridian or the Polynesian. Here is the current viewing schedule for the Pageant: Polynesian 9pm; Grand Floridian 9:15pm; Wilderness Lodge 9:30pm; Fort Wilderness 9:45pm; Contemporary 10:05pm; and the Magic Kingdom 10:20pm when is open until 11pm.
7) Epcot is still operating on reduced hours. The park does not open until 10am. Future World is open from 10am to 7pm and World Showcase is open from 12pm and 9pm. However, certain Future World attractions are open until 9pm including Honey, I Shrunk the Audience, Innoventions East and West, Spaceship Earth and Test Track. This is probably the best time to experience these attractions. Most guests abandon Future World at 7pm because they think everything closes.
8) Anytime is a good time to see the animals on safari at Animal Kingdom. The biggest attraction by far is Kilimanjaro Safaris. Many guests are told the best time to see the animals on safari in first thing in the morning because the temperature is cool. This is not true. This fictitious information creates lines 1-2 hours long until about 10:00AM. In the dozen or so times we went on safari, we have seen the most animals during the mid-afternoon. In fact, we rode the safari several times in a row and saw different animals each time. The best advice is to ride the safari often and at several different times during the day.
These tips are brought to you by:
Mouse Tips – The Unofficial Newsletter of Walt Disney World