7. Cons – Hurricane season

I include this one mostly to be thorough, but it is worth mentioning: summer through September remains peak season for Gulf and Atlantic hurricanes.

I mention hurricanes with a major asterisk—they usually do not affect Walt Disney World directly. Orlando remains one of the safest locations in the state for steering clear of hurricanes, and in recent years, only Hurricane Irma did significant enough damage to the property to merit a park shutdown.

The larger problem with hurricanes and tropical storms is travel disruptions. Hurricanes are unpredictable, and small shifts in course can affect your trip in myriad ways. Considering the shaky state of the airline industry this past year, flight cancellations due to wacky weather can happen even for those who aren’t in the direct path of a storm. If a hurricane or tropical storm is predicted in the weeks approaching your vacation, it’s not necessarily a reason to panic, but the possibility does exist that it could affect your travel plans.

My best advice regarding hurricanes is just stay informed. I would not avoid all of hurricane season, but I would stay cognizant of relevant weather reports leading up to my trip and perhaps get travel insurance just in case.

On the upside, if you happen to already be at Walt Disney World when a storm is nearing, the days before a hurricane hits remain one of the best times to enjoy a nearly empty park! This remains a favorite secret of Florida locals.

8. Pro – New attractions

We mentioned this one briefly, but it is worth revisiting as a final upside: Disney has a historic habit of opening new, major attractions on Memorial Day weekend.

Nothing is guaranteed when it comes to attraction openings, but if Disney is nearing the final stages of attraction testing close to the beginning of summer, there is a good chance you will get to enjoy that new attraction during a summer visit. It’s a trend we’ve seen frequently, and it is something worth considering if you’re really hoping to enjoy the latest new ride.

The trade-off is the season after an attraction opens may involve virtual queues, limiting how many people can ride—a good system, but one that means access is not guaranteed. Still, if you want to increase your odds of being one of the first people on a new ride, summer is a good time to visit.

In conclusion, it is really your decision whether to visit Disney in the summer. I think for those who have the option to take kids out of school, there are other times of year where crowds are more predictably light and the weather is more temperate. The trade-off is you might not have access to quite as much stuff due to ride and park refurbishments. Particularly for those visiting for a once-in-a-decade vacation, I would aim for other times of year besides summer due to the crowd difference alone.

For those who don’t mind crowds or who can only visit when kids are out of school, a carefully planned summer Disney trip can still prove an incredible time. With the continued shift in crowd trends, as long as you avoid holiday weeks, your chances of catching some moderate days in the summer months are still possible.

What are your thoughts on visiting Disney parks in the summertime? Let us know in the comments or on Facebook! Thanks for reading!