Trifter

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July is a month of hot and sticky weather, due to the fact that it lies on the season of summer. This month proclaims the time when virtually all of America’s children and teens are out of school, excited for their summer vacations (or staycations, in the case of the current economic pickle). When that month of relaxation and, yes, beating the heat falls on the region of Central Florida, the said children and their kinsfolk gather in its world-class theme parks.

With all the families influxing out-of-state with their off-school kids, July is the ideal month for high crowds.

Luckily, my Seasonal Pass designated the whole month as invalid dates to revel in the delights (in addition to some pain and heat, for the matter of the peak season) of a half-day’s sojourn at the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Having the benefits of this admission ticket kept me from making the same mistakes made when my family went to the resort (We stayed offsite at a Best Western near I-4, since we also went to Universal Studios on that vacation.) in that month in 1995. That was a trying, yet halcyon time for us, and I was one of the kids out of school who travel there on that hot, muggy month! Our trip occurred around Independence Day, and having experienced a theme park (i.e, Epcot, where I first watched Illuminations for the very first time) on the actual day was burdensome! I had to face not only rain, but large numbers of families and other out-of-towners in one spot! Fortunately, the situation in Epcot 96 contrasted crowdwise with the Magic Kingdom’s, in which the latter park usually experiences capacity which can initiate even a Phase 4, when crowds are uber-high that park officials barricade all incoming guests from riding Splash Mountain or meeting Aladdin in Adventureland. This year’s Independence Day would be even worse for me this year, should I go to any of the four parks on the actual day – it falls on a Saturday, one of the days of the week that entices throngs of crowds.

Oh, and July crowds at any park (not only Walt Disney World’s) go beyond travelers out-of-state, kids out of school, and locals. The month falls on winter in sub-equatorial South America, and that commences another season, besides summer in the area (winter in the US), of travel specialists corralling high schoolers and/or college students in swarms, donning them into uniform T-shirts, and flying with them to the MCO, creating and blossoming the appearances of tour groups in the parks. Due to the fact that it’s the largest and most populous continent in South America, Brazil has a lion’s share of the number and notoriety (to American visitors and employees of the parks) of the said groups. The month is a perfect time for one of the largest ones, Lagetur, to gather a huge swarm of college students in yellow to explore the magic of Orlando. Since the few years after Walt Disney World opened its gates, July has proved to be the perfect storm of heat, humidity, and Brazilian tour groups.

So, what’s a visitor got to do when grappling with crowds that month? Well, I suggest going at the crack of dawn eat a moderate breakkie, and head to the park (Translation: head to the parks early, preferably ahead of the time when the floodgates of the human herds with screaming children from the Midwest open at the entrance.) As a Disneyphile who live an hour from Walt Disney World and the other theme parks, I am a huge fan and suggester to all tourists of the former’s Fastpass, which is a decade old this year, as well as other ride reservation passes, but I recommend that visitors traveling in July to get them early, because too often, guides of tour groups often expire each distribution center to accommodate their members. I agree with travel experts that one cannot do all the activities and attraction in one full day at, say, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, so I’d encourage them to return to their lodging sites for a nap or swim to refresh and recharge themselves. If they are solely staying at Walt Disney World, they should take advantage of lodging at a Disney resort, since the free transportation can easily transport you from a madhouse to a haven such as Fort Wilderness. Of course, I’d advise them to avoid the entire month altogether – after all, it’s a peak season.

I will be going to Sea World with relatives at the time when Walt Disney World’s theme parks are inaccessible per block-out dates on my Seasonal Pass. I’m taking the day-trip with a grain of salt that day, for I’ll be swarmed by not only a swine flu risk, but by several kids from New Jersey and elsewhere in the USA and high school and/or college students from Brazil.