I’ll never forget the day we got in line for Pirates of the Caribbean and seriously considered bailing—not because of the wait time, but because of the heat.
It was mid-August. We were optimistic. Armed with water bottles, cooling towels, and a strategic game plan, we thought we had it all figured out. The moment we walked into Magic Kingdom, though, that optimism started to melt faster than a Mickey bar on Main Street.
The humidity felt like walking into soup. Sweat dripped down our backs before we even made it to the first attraction. And forget finding a shady spot—every tree, umbrella, and overhang was already packed with other guests trying to do the same thing. Even quick-service restaurants were bursting at the seams with overheated families hoping for a break.
By the time we hit noon, we were drenched, sunburned, and exhausted. We ducked into Carousel of Progress—not for the show, but just for the air conditioning. That became the strategy: find the coldest, longest indoor attractions and hope to cool down. The magic? It was there… but buried under a layer of sunscreen and sweat.
Then came the rain. Like clockwork, a storm rolled in and dumped water on everything. We were prepared with ponchos, but that didn’t stop our shoes from getting soaked or our plans from unraveling. Tiana Bayou Adventure? Down. Seven Dwarfs Mine Train? Closed. Everyone headed for cover, which meant every shop and indoor attraction got packed in seconds.
We made it through the day, but we ended up cutting our trip short and spending more time at the hotel pool than we planned—just to escape the weather.
The worst part? It didn’t have to be that way. We could’ve picked October or November and had a totally different experience. Now when people ask me if Disney is “doable” in August, I say sure—but why suffer through it when better months are right around the corner?
Once was enough. No more August trips for us.
