Disney World in August 2026 (Weather, Crowd Expectations, and Details)

August has always been an interesting month at Disney World. It’s the month that feels like everyone else will be busy getting ready for back-to-school, so you can just sneak the family down to the parks for a last summer hurrah! Once you arrive, you realize you’re not the only one who had the same idea. August. It’s gonna be a hot one and likely busier than you would expect.

This month kicks off the Fall and Halloween season at Walt Disney World. Yes, it’s early, but it also allows guests a larger window of time to experience it. Halloween decorations go up at Magic Kingdom fairly early in the month.

This guide has been updated for 2026 pending news and announcements. We’ll provide those updates as they are announced. Halloween details are generally released about halfway to Halloween. We anticipate knowing more after Easter and before mid-May.

The Weather In August

As far as the weather is concerned, the heat will be intense. Both August and September are the worst months of the year to visit Disney World in terms of high temperatures. I say it often in our newsletter and here on the site, but I’ve seen numerous guests pass out within a few steps of me due to heat exhaustion and dehydration. The heat affects everyone to some extent. So remember:

• Hydrate ahead of time and continue to stay hydrated during your trip. (This is so important.)
• Take breaks as needed. Check in with everyone in your party often. Some might need more breaks than others.

Hurricanes are also possible in August, so you’ll want to remain weather-aware. If you’re investing a decent amount of money in your trip (regardless of when you visit), you might want to consider purchasing trip insurance. To be fully transparent, as regular visitors, this is not something we do often for Disney World. But it is something that adds an extra layer of protection when we cruise or plan once-in-a-lifetime trips to other destinations. An authorized Disney travel planner can help you better discern should you have any questions.

Crowds in August

As mentioned above, we find the crowds to be moderate, especially in the first half of the month. Then, Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party season brings a whole new wave of guests. If you’re visiting during this time, you need to be aware of party nights. There are advantages and disadvantages of visiting the Magic Kingdom on a party date. As far as negatives, the park closes early. So if this is your only day at Magic Kingdom, we recommend choosing a non-party date. It would be a shame not to see the fireworks or explore the park after sunset.

That said, if you have more than one day to spend at Magic Kingdom or have the park-hopper ticket, you might prefer to take advantage of lower crowds on a party date. While there are no guarantees, the party dates tend to be significantly slower at Magic Kingdom because not everyone is willing to burn their ticket on a day when the park closes to the general public at 6:00 p.m. This same fact will make non-party dates busier through the end of the year, during both the Halloween and Christmas party season.

Other Reminders

Extended Evening Hours are offered twice weekly for deluxe and deluxe villa resort guests. If you would like to learn more about this benefit, see our guide to Extended Evening Hours at Disney World.

Ride Closures:

Magic Kingdom Temporary Ride Closures: TBD

Epcot Ride Closures: TBD

Hollywood Studios: TBD

Disney’s Animal Kingdom: TBD

Significant park construction continues throughout 2026 at Magic Kingdom (Villains Land and new Cars area), Hollywood Studios (Monsters, Inc.-themed land), and Disney’s Animal Kingdom (Tropical Americas-themed land).

Final Thoughts

We will update this calendar as more announcements are made. As always, we hope that these timelines will serve not only as a current reference but also as a future one. For a complete overview of what to expect throughout the year, see our guide: The Best and Worst Times to Visit Disney World. Check back with us soon at ResortsGal.com for more Disney World news, resort updates, and reviews!

For big-picture planning, see our 2026 Disney World Planning Guide and How Much a Disney World Vacation Costs. Once you’ve explored these guides, consider taking our free planning course to tie it all together.

In the Comments

Did you find this August planning guide helpful? Will you be visiting in 2026? Let us know in the comments below.