July in Walt Disney World

In July the Flower and Garden Festival ends and the ever popular Food and Wine Festival kicks off. While the weather remains hot there are plenty of ways to beat the heat

Between the summer crowds and the summer heat, not to mention the summer storm season, July is a hard month to recommend going. If you have no other alternative, planning, patience, and flexibility will be your best friends.

Due to the crowd levels the park operating hours are long, allowing for people to maximize park time in the morning and evening when the heat is not so bad. We particularly recommend the strategy of getting to the parks for rope drop to get in early morning rides when lines are a little shorter, taking a break from the heat in the middle of the day to take a nap or enjoy your resort’s pool, and then return in the evening to get dinner and ride some rides until park close. It’s important to remember that a trip to Walt Disney World is not generally a relaxing one, and this is especially true at the height of the summer. But it’s equally important to remember that it’s better to be in Walt Disney World during a hot, rainy, and crowded day, than to be anywhere else (and if you don’t think that’s true, probably don’t go in July or August).

Unsurprisingly, the Fourth of July is this month, which brings even larger crowds along with some excellent themed fireworks and fun food and activities.

Additionally, July sees the end of the International Flower and Garden at Epcot and the start of the International Food and Wine Festival.

Pros:

• With the higher crowd levels, the park operating hours are longer.

• It is rare for popular rides to be closed for refurbishment during July.

• If you are looking for outstanding fireworks for the 4th of July, look no further than Walt Disney World, which has some incredible special night shows in addition to some fun themed food and photopass opportunities.

• Epcot’s International Flower and Garden Festival wraps up.

• Epcot’s International Food and Wine Festival kicks off.

• Every Disney resort has multiple pools, one main one and additional smaller quiet pools, that are a great way to cool off during the heat of the day.

• Disney has two great water parks, these are a ticket add on, that have great theming and plenty of great attractions to fill a day with. The operational hours for these water parks are typically the longest in July.

Cons:

• Summer crowds are still prevalent.

• The weather can be rather unpleasant with lows in the 70s and highs in the 90s along with high levels of humidity.

• Expect afternoon thunderstorms ranging from a quick 20 minutes to all afternoon and evening. Pack ponchos/umbrellas and an extra pair of shoes in case one pair gets wet.

• Crowd levels around the 4th of July skyrocket.

• This is hurricane season, so stay up to date on the weather and be okay with the possibility of the parks closing for a day if a tropical storm or hurricane hits the area.