Summer: The new low season?

The parties are actually held at the World Showplace at Epcot. The LDPs, aka, Latin Dance Parties are routine. They are facilitated by Park Event Ops, aka PEO. The girls and some boys have a great time. They are treated like royalty all night long. They are for the most part well behaved, but they are still kids and we cut them a little slack. Having done my share of these parties over the years, I have never had any issues with them. They know full well that misbehavior will not be tolerated.
Yup, mostly correct. There is a very large dance floor, a DJ, dinner buffet and the fab four plus a few other characters usually show up for photos. At midnight, a large birthday cake is rolled out on stage to symbolize their 15 birthday and huge amounts of confetti are shot out. It ends at about 1:30AM.

The Party I referred to was definitely in O-Town.:)

We asked The 15s did they mean World ShowPlace and they said no-they were going to Orlando to party.

We were on a non-Disney bus later in the trip that Disney was using as a "fill-in bus" and the Driver told us he takes The 15s to parties in "warehouses" in Orlando all of the time and they
invite him to the Party!lol:)

He said it was amazing how nice these parties are!:)
 
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But it seems certain cultures were even more accepting of him than we are here.
DEFINITELY!:)

On the last day of our Holiday we bought some of the little,small Stitches and gave then to some 15s that we kept running into around the Resort and when we said "Happy Birthday from the United States" and handed them the Stitches I think ALL of WDW could hear them scream!lol:)

You would have thought we gave them a million dollars!

I know a lot of Americans love Stitch,but The 15s REALLY,REALLY love Stitch!lol:)
 
What's funny is that Stitch is so incredibly popular in merchandise at WDW...probably only behind Mickey and Oswald, but they can't even keep a single ride open for him. DD10 absolutely loves Stitch, and his twin sister loves Angel (she's very hard to find). Yes, I know the Stitch ride wasn't the best...though unlike most here, I do like it...but I'd love to see another Stitch attraction.

As for the 15s, I agree with others here. I do find them annoying and aggravating as a group, no question. The chanting is nails on a chalkboard to me, and I get really mad when they try to push/shove through as they're walking. At the same time, I have seen some of the girls individually do some very kind and sweet things with other guests, including my own kids.
I would love a different stitch ride!!
 


We have decided on August as our favorite. It's hot, but no hotter than home. Kids are back in school in a lot of places, the thunderstorms are epic (and make for great naps mid-day), and my kids don't miss school, sports, etc.

We went in October one year and it was HOTTER and more crowded than any August I have been in.
 
We have decided on August as our favorite. It's hot, but no hotter than home. Kids are back in school in a lot of places, the thunderstorms are epic (and make for great naps mid-day), and my kids don't miss school, sports, etc.

We went in October one year and it was HOTTER and more crowded than any August I have been in.

Just had to reply to a fellow Minnesotan! I always laugh when people tell how HOT August is in WDW. They haven't spent a hot humid summer in Minnesota apparently! Although .... we are leaving in about 2 weeks and aren't prepared for the heat this year since it's been a pretty mild summer in the Cities this year so far.
 
Just had to reply to a fellow Minnesotan! I always laugh when people tell how HOT August is in WDW. They haven't spent a hot humid summer in Minnesota apparently! Although .... we are leaving in about 2 weeks and aren't prepared for the heat this year since it's been a pretty mild summer in the Cities this year so far.

Exactly! I went to WDW in August for the first time about 6 years ago or so? I was all prepared with Frogg Toggs, water bottles like crazy, etc. And then I was like "Wait, what?". It was just like home, but at home I have to sit outside for 12 hour days for baseball, soccer, etc. No air conditioned buildings or rides to pop in to.

This summer here has been pretty nice...cooler, even. I love hot humid weather, however. I cannot wait - 4 days till I am in my glory :)

Enjoy your trip, too!
 


I am here now, and the past four days have been the hottest I have ever experienced! It's been in the upper 90s. I have so many blisters and a heat rash on the back of my legs! Last year I came in mid August, and the temperature and the crowd level was much better! No more July for me!
 
I am here now, and the past four days have been the hottest I have ever experienced! It's been in the upper 90s. I have so many blisters and a heat rash on the back of my legs! Last year I came in mid August, and the temperature and the crowd level was much better! No more July for me!

Agreed! We were there last week and Tues-Thurs were insanely hot!
But I will say crowds were not bad!
 
Okay, so there is no real "low" season. But! As everyone has been finding out, the fall & winter are looking SLAMMED for this year. No hotels available, no discounts, and everyone is wondering why everyone else is going when they are. Even the new crowd calendars are putting October as high season now. Historically I avoid the summer because it's hot as helllll and (normally) very crowded. However, poking around online I'm seeing lower hotel rates and reports that the parks are less crowded than previous years. So I'm planning a return to summertime next year! I'm actually kind of excited, if only because the parks are open so much longer in the summer.

If you go regularly in the summer, what is your favorite part? Do you hit the water parks or just stick to your hotel pool? Is it just too hot and I'm making a terrible mistake?!
Summer is indeed the new lower season. During our trip late last July, crowds were lower than we'd seen them since January 2009.

Water parks are the one thing that will see annoying crowds, though. Hit those mid-week at rope drop. The nice thing is that they're open until 8pm in summer. Disney's water parks are great and not to be missed, and we always make sure to stay at a resort that has a great pool (you'll notice that the resorts are cheaper in summer, too.)

Heat and rain will be issues daily, so be prepared. The people who have a really bad time in summer are people who don't realize that summer touring has to be prepared for. You wouldn't go hiking in January in Colorado without preparing for the weather. Likewise, you shouldn't spend hours outdoors in Florida in midsummer without being prepared.
  • Avoid wearing denim, which shrinks and clings when wet, and takes forever to dry.
  • Avoid wearing shoes that will be uncomfortable when wet. I wear a sturdy pair of waterproof sandals (Tevas), that both support my feet and allow me to keep going without a hitch even if my feet get soaked.
  • Wear a hat with a good brim or carry a small UV umbrella to block the sun's rays (the latter works wonders).
  • Bring lightweight ponchos that you'll be able to throw on when rain starts. Bring a plastic grocery bag to stuff them into after the rain stops.
  • Do not lug a heavy bag full of items around with you at the parks. Pack your day bag very lightly, and don't pack water. You can get a free cup of water at most quick service restaurants, or just buy a disposable bottle at the park. Carrying water bottles all day is heavy, & lugging a heavy bag just makes you feel hotter.
  • Plan outdoor rides for the morning, when it is least likely to rain.
  • Plan a table service restaurant meal for early afternoon, so you'll have a scheduled break from the heat and crowds when both are at their peak.
There are a lot of people on these boards who refuse to visit in summer and are very down on the idea. That's fine with me, as it's made our very fun summer trips less crowded.
 
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they buy ANYTHING that is not nailed down

We often visit the Outlet Mall near WDW to shop at the Disney Character Outlet. The mall is teeming with South American tourists who are buying up huge volumes of items to take home. My understanding is that prices for certain items in the U.S. are considerably lower than they are at home for these folks. I happen to think that many of the occupants in Disney Springs setup shop there to reap the benefits of the foreign tourists coming to WDW to empty out their wallets. Unfortunately for those proprietors they opened about the same time the Brazilian economy tanked.
 

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