August 2024 at Disney World (Crowd Calendar, Weather, What to Wear) (2024)

Planning a trip to Walt Disney World in August? It starts out hot and moderately busy and ends still hot but lots less busy.

Here’s what you need to know:

Is August a good time to visit Walt Disney World in August?

August is a hot month. If you want to avoid the heat and humidity, August is not for you. But, it’s not an overall bad month, especially thanks to several special events happening like Halloween. Yes, you read that correctly. The spooky season begins in August at Disney World.

There are all kinds of reasons to love Disney World during August. Here are some of our favorites:

Why we love August at Disney World

• TheEpcot International Food and Wine Festival is still ongoing and usually runs through the fall. The festival has lots of booths serving a variety of foods. Plus, the Eat to the Beat Concert Series has some very good headliners.
• August is the perfect time to visit the water parks and enjoy your hotel pool. Sometimes guests don’t spend enough time at their hotel and this is a great time to do just that.
• Visiting Disney World in August is a good time to enjoy more moderate crowds compared to earlier summer months.
• August is the last chance to experience summer-themed events before the parks fully embrace fall festivities.
• Halloween kicks off in August, with Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party beginning its run at Magic Kingdom.

But while there is lots to enjoy about August at Disney World, there are a few other things you should know:

• August can still see some summer crowds here and there. Plus, with Halloween starting, guests begin arriving for Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party. Whatever the case, you need tomake sure you have a planso that you aren’t spending all your time in line.
• Theweather in August at Disney Worldis hot and humid. Those temperature can be overbearing at times, especially during the middle of the day. This also means it will rain/storm at least once a day. We highly recommend you planmidday breaks from the sun and rainduring your trip.

Is Disney World busy in August?

Yes and no. You will see more moderate crowds in August compared to earlier summer months.

But, with August being the end of summer, the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival happening, and Halloween starting, you may see the parks pick up here and there. Overall, August can be a good month to visit for lower to moderate crowds.

During busier times of the year, like summer, Disney does try to improve guest experiences by doing a few things to help keep the lines down. Although they never officially announce anything, these are the things that we’ve noticed that do help:

• Expanded capacity at attractions.Some attractions (like Space Mountain or Toy Story Mania, for example) have multiple “sides”, and during busier times of the year, Disney will operate both sides, which can help keep those wait times down.
• Staffing.When the crowds are heavier, Disney increases their staffing levels across the entire resort. That means more staff at restaurants, at Guest Services, working security and transportation, etc.
• Fewer refurbishments.Whenever anything is closed (either for a refurbishment or even if an attraction simply goes down), all those people who may have been in line are now out in the park or waiting in line for a different attraction. Disney aims to complete as many major, scheduled refurbishment projects as possible before summer. Yes, some things may still be refurbished during this time – but if at all possible, August doesn’t typically see many refurbishments, if any at all.

Although Disney can make adjustments to keep the lines manageable, they can’t control just how busy the parks look and feel. During busier times of the year, walkways and paths in the parks may be full, Quick Service locations remain busy for longer, and the crowds for nighttime shows will be heavier.

We don’t tell you that to scare you, but to prepare you. August, just like anytime you visit, isn’t the time to to not plan. Spending even just a few minutes on aplan for your Disney World tripwill make all the difference.

Here are the dates we are predicting will be the busiest in August:

• August 1-13– moderate crowds that get lighter as the month goes on
• August 19-20– moderate weekend crowds
• August 21-31– some of the lightest crowds of the year, with Saturdays, Sundays, and Mondays being a bit heavier than the other days of the week

Planning for Disney World in August

PARK HOURS||SPECIAL EVENTS|WEATHER|WHAT TO WEAR||WHAT’S NEW|TIPS | AUGUST TRIP REPORTS

August Disney World Park Hours

Disney publishes its park hours about 75 days in advance, but those hours can (and very often do) change.

Note: This used to be about 180 days in advance, but since the reopening, they have transitioned to a roughly 75-day window.

As the dates get closer, it isn’t unusual for Disney to tweak either the opening or closing times. And during especially busy times of the year, they may change both.

That means to avoid having your plans sidetracked, you’ll definitely want to keep checking the park hours – including while on your trip.

When it comes to park hours – in general – the heavier the crowds, the longer the parks will be open during the day. Of course, that also means that the parks will be open fewer hours of the day during less busy times of the years.

Since August is typically a busier time of the year (at least for the first couple of weeks), the parks often open earlier and stay open later than they do during less busy times of the year.

Read More:

• Guide to Magic Kingdom Park Hours
• Guide to Epcot Park Hours
• Guide to Hollywood Studios Park Hours
• Guide to Animal Kingdom Park Hours

Prices and Discounts for August in Disney World

Even though August is at the end of the busy summer season, there are still discounts to be had.

But remember: Disney doesn’t offer discounts to be nice, they do it to fill hotel rooms. For the best chances of snagging a good deal, keep your travel dates and preferred resort flexible.

Special Events in August at Disney World

Epcot International Food And Wine Festival

Probably the most famous of all the Epcot festivals is the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival.

Held every year in the fall, if you are a fan of good food and fun drinks, you’ll definitely want to plan to spend some time at Epcot during your trip.

Halloween

Halloween has always been an extremely popular time to visit Walt Disney World, with specially ticketed events at Magic Kingdom a highlight for many guests.

Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party

See Also

Best Times to Go to Disney World for Fewer Crowds and Beautiful Weather

One of the hottest parties around, Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party is a specially ticketed event (translation: it costs extra) at Magic Kingdom. During the party you’ll find special character meet and greet opportunities, dance parties, the popular Boo to You parade, fireworks, and of course, trick-or-treating.

Weather in August at Disney World​

August at Disney World is nothing short of hot. And steamy. And did we mention it was hot?

During August, thetemperatures will range from lows in the mid-70s to highs in the 90s.

And with all that heat and humidity comes lots and lots of chances for rain.

In fact, August sees an average of nearly 8 inches of rain each year with most of that rain falling during storms that pop up in the afternoon.

We recommend that you come prepared with ponchos, multiple pairs of shoes (in case one pair gets wet), and umbrellas just in case.

Can you swim in August?

The pools are a popular place to be in August as people search for ways to cool off after a busy day in the parks.

In addition to the pools at the resorts,Disney’s 2 water parkswill also remain popular.

If swimming is a must-do and you are worried about the crowds, consider starting your day at the pool and head to the parks later in the day. Most people reverse that plan which means the pools can get quite busy by the end of the day.

What to wear in August at Disney World

You’ll definitely want to prepare for the hot weather and pack accordingly.

Shorts, capri pants, and moisture wicking socks are all good options.

One place where you might get cold, however, is inside some restaurants and attractions.

And in fact, even during the hottest months we keep a light jacket in our park bag because coming out of the sun into an air-conditioned space is sometimes too cold for our liking.

If you’re the kind of person that finds sitting under the A/C to be too much, you might want to consider tossing in a light jacket, too.

Refurbishments and closures

While routine refurbishments aren’t typically scheduled in August, you’ll likely still run into a few attractions that are closed.

What’s new at Disney World in August?

At this time, no major new attraction, restaurant, or show is scheduled to open in August.

Tips for Disney World in August

• The sun can be quite intense, and it can be easy to burn. Make sure you pack (and use) sunscreen.
• Keep checking for discounts. Even if you’ve already bookeddiscounts can still be applied.
• The pools can get quite busy. For the lowest crowds consider visiting in the morning.
• If you plan to visit the Food & Wine Festival, consider going on a weekday when the crowds are lower.

August trip reports

What order should you visit the parks?

Depending on the length of your trip, here’s how many days we recommend for each park:

When it comes time to decide which days are best for each park, here are some general things to keep in mind:

• Hollywood Studioswas once easy to do in a half day, but now a full day is typically recommended, especially if you want to ride all the headliners and catch some of the shows.
• Magic Kingdomis the most popular park overall. It is also the park most first-time visitors think of when they think “Disney World”. Saturdays and Mondays are the busiest, with mid-week typically the least busy.
• Epcothostsnearly year-round festivals, and those festivals are popular with both out-of-state visitors and with locals. And, since a lot of what the festivals are famous for are alcohol and food, the areas around the Festival Booths can be a lot busier (and a bit rowdier) than what you’d find during the daytime hours on the weekdays. If that isn’t the vibe you are looking for, you may want to skip Epcot during the nighttime on Friday and Saturdays.
• Animal Kingdomremains one of the “easiest” parks to fit into a trip. You should be able to plug it in wherever it makes the most sense for you.

How our August Crowd Calendar Works

1. For each day of the month,we tell you on a scale of 1-10 how busy the entire Walt Disney World Resort iswhen compared to other days of the year.

2. Then, for each park you’ll see thepark hours and any special eventsthat are planned.

3. We alsotrack refurbishments and closings(which you can toggle on and off).

4. We have a handy feature that allows you toautomatically add your Advanced Dining Reservation date to your calendar.

5. And, one of the most useful features is the ability to be able toprint the calendarso that you can have a paper copy for planning (or to just use as a backup).

August Crowd Calendar