Planning a July visit to Disney World

[allenwaz]

Okay, I visited Disneyland in July with my parents in the 70's. I was 8 and we stayed in a KOA campground. It was hot and crowded (yes) but it was also most memorable. That is what it is about. The memories that stay with you forever. We have 3 girls - 9, 6 and 3. My wife is concerned that going in July will be insane - crowds and such; also, she thinks it is terrible to drag our 3 year old. We also live in Moscow, Russia, so a trip to the States is best if over a 2 to 3 week period (to combat jetlag). Some questions:

1. If everyone thinks July is packed, does that mean it actually might be quite normal? Does Disney releases attendance statistics by month / by day of week?

2. Is it managable to take small children (3 years old)? Can we split the activities within the various theme parks between the older (6 and 9) and younger child? Do you have any links to information that I can pass to my wife to ease her mind?

3. What is the experience of others in the forum of booking at one of the resorts on the site (http://disneyworld.disney.go.com)? Comfort and convenience are more important than saving money - especially if it means we need to separately book airport transport, tickets to theme parks, find restaurants, shopping, etc.

4. Finally, I was thinking 4 full days in the parks should be sufficient for the girls (2 travel days on either end). Most of the day spent in the parks; remainder of day in the pool at the hotel. Any thoughts from forum members on that?

Cheers,

Allen

[spondishy]

Hi Allen.

There is no doubt that July is a busy month, with the kids on school holidays it isn't going to be any other way. Can you visit any other time (excluding Christmas / Easter)? The key to a visit in a busy period is to plan ahead, I think the crowds and humidity can make it unbearable if you let it get to you and you're not prepared.

I'd suggest that you make sure you're at the parks in advance of official opening time (say 30 minutes before) as sometimes they open the gates earlier. Keep in mind which attractions you want to visit the most and definitely make use of fastpass when it's available at an attraction.

Booking on a Disney Resort is a really good idea if you can afford it. You get perks such as the Walt Disney World Resort - Extra Magic Hours. You can also use the Disney transportation system to get around as well.

This link may be of use to you. It's a busy day guide, but currently only goes up to May. Just keep in mind, that they are saying that in past history these are the parks that are "less" busy. Busy Day Guide

As far as attendance goes, Disney hold stats like that pretty close to their chests, but you can be assured that July is right up there on attendance figures.

Am I right in thinking your only spending 4 days in the US?

[daveyfv]

Originally Posted by allenwaz

Okay, I visited Disneyland in July with my parents in the 70's. I was 8 and we stayed in a KOA campground. It was hot and crowded (yes) but it was also most memorable. That is what it is about. The memories that stay with you forever. We have 3 girls - 9, 6 and 3. My wife is concerned that going in July will be insane - crowds and such; also, she thinks it is terrible to drag our 3 year old. We also live in Moscow, Russia, so a trip to the States is best if over a 2 to 3 week period (to combat jetlag). Some questions:

1. If everyone thinks July is packed, does that mean it actually might be quite normal? Does Disney releases attendance statistics by month / by day of week?

2. Is it managable to take small children (3 years old)? Can we split the activities within the various theme parks between the older (6 and 9) and younger child? Do you have any links to information that I can pass to my wife to ease her mind?

3. What is the experience of others in the forum of booking at one of the resorts on the site (http://disneyworld.disney.go.com)? Comfort and convenience are more important than saving money - especially if it means we need to separately book airport transport, tickets to theme parks, find restaurants, shopping, etc.

4. Finally, I was thinking 4 full days in the parks should be sufficient for the girls (2 travel days on either end). Most of the day spent in the parks; remainder of day in the pool at the hotel. Any thoughts from forum members on that?

Cheers,

Allen

Allen: OK, here's the bad news: It will be just as bad as you think. More specifically, on

query 1: they don't post crowds, but you can read their minds by analyzing the capacity they provide, and comparing it to what they make avaialble at other times. See this page for an analysis:Estimating Future Walt Disney World Crowds

query 2: I agree with your wife, but see this page for ideas on working with vastly different ages: Taking Your Too Short/Young Kids Anyway, &*#$@!

query 3: Only a travel agent can do everything you list. You still will have a lot of decisions to make. See this on where to stay and why: d. Where to Stay

query 4: 6 days. See this for why, but follow the links on it if you have to do a shorter trip: b. How Long to Stay


Hope this helps!! Dave