Summer 2024 at Walt Disney World (Tips and Opening Dates)

Walt Disney World in the summer can be a fantastic place to visit…if you are prepared.

And this year, you’ll find lots of limited time celebrations happening plus the opening of one highly anticipated new attraction and the completion of a major overhaul at Epcot, so planning ahead will be essential if you want to see it all.

To help, we’ve gathered the latest news on what to expect and when, plus we have our best Disney World summer travel tips to help you maximize your vacation (while also staying prepared!).

Let’s get into it…

What is coming Summer 2024 to Walt Disney World

Here’s what you can expect for Summer 2024. Traveling later in the year? We have a complete list of all the major known Disney projects, too.

Tiana’s Bayou Adventure (Magic Kingdom)

• Opening Date TBD

Probably the most anticipated new thing to come in 2024 is the opening of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. Unfortunately, it is also the ONLY thing we don’t have an exact date for (yet).

We know it will be “Summer 2024” but not an exact date. For those who are unfamiliar, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is a new attraction that is part of the reimagining of an old attraction – Splash Mountain.

Here’s how Disney describes it:

“At the end of the film, Princess Tiana realizes her lifelong dream when she opens her restaurant, Tiana’s Palace. We pick up the story during Carnival season, when Tiana is hosting a party for the people of New Orleans. She discovers her celebration is missing a key ingredient and needs our help to find it. On Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, we’ll join Tiana and Louis on a trip to the bayou, where they meet all sorts of unexpected new friends who have a special role to play at the party.”

Epcot Construction Wrapping Up

• Beginning June 10

Beginning June 10, the walls are finally coming down! Epcot has been under construction for so long, we don’t even know if we remember what it’s like to be able to walk through the park anymore. But, we are OVER THE MOON excited to re-learn!

When the construction wraps up, we’ll finally get access to the new CommuniCore Hall, CommuniCore Plaza, and the new character greeting location, Mickey & Friends.

Disney has also teased that there might be more to come, saying:

And that’s not even mentioning the more food and beverages and more entertainment to come … but we’ll have more details for you soon. 

What do you think it will be?

Joy meet and greet moving (Hollywood Studios)

• Starting June 10

Joy has been greeting guests over at Epcot for several years now, but coming June 10th she’s moving over to Hollywood Studios just in time for the premier of Inside Out 2.

Look for her hanging out in Pixar Plaza along with a few other Pixar stars.

Limited-Time Celebrations

In addition to the construction wrapping up in Epcot and Tiana’s finally having her opening day, there are also several limited-time celebrations taking place across all of Walt Disney World:

Disney Dreams That Soar (Drone Show)

• May 24–September 2

Disney Springs will be getting their very own nighttime show – created with drones!

We’ve seen Disney do some astonishing things with drones recently (looking at you Disneyland Paris), so we’re excited to see what this show at Disney Springs will be like.

While we don’t know much, Disney has said that the show will showcase Disney stories celebrating the joy of flight and that it will include both music and memorable movie quotes.

¡Celebración Encanto! (Epcot)

• June 10–September 6

When CommuniCore Plaza opens, you’ll find a brand-new stage show and sing-along featuring the beloved stories, songs, and characters from Encanto!

Adding to the magic, characters Mirabel and Bruno are slated to make special appearances, too.

Exact showtimes haven’t been released, but look for ¡Celebración Encanto! to take place several times throughout the day.

Lion King 30th Anniversary (Animal Kingdom)

• June 10–September 6

And we can’t forget Animal Kingdom!

Can you believe it is already the 30th anniversary of The Lion King? Animal Kingdom will rightfully lead that celebration with special snacks and merchandise.

But even better than cupcakes and t-shirts is the news that both Rafiki and Timon will be heading to Rifiki’s Planet Watch!

They haven’t been there for a long time but they’ll be back – at least for this summer.

Tips for Traveling to Disney World in the Summer

Ok, now that you know what all new is coming, let’s go over some tips to help you get the most out of your visit!

Consider an After Hours event

Disney After Hours are special events that take place after 3 of the 4 theme parks officially close – which means you’ll be in the parks for hours and hours after the heat of the day.

Note: Animal Kingdom used to offer After Hours, too, but they haven’t hosted one there since 2020.

During that time, you’ll have access to select attractions, character meet-and-greets, and free snacks with very little wait time, as the crowds are much smaller than during regular park hours.

So, if you find an After Hours event overlapping your trip dates, it might be worth it to snag a ticket for one so you can spend some serious time in the parks without the sun glaring down on you.

If you do decide to attend one evening, we’d definitely recommend you take a long break during the middle of the day so you’re rested for the late evening!

Be prepared for rain

Summer in the Orlando area means 2 things: high temps and high humidity.

And, unfortunately, with the high temperatures comes increased chances for rain and thunderstorms.

During the Orlando summer, it will most likely rain and/or storm at least once a day. Sometimes the bad weather will last for a while, whereas other times it passes quickly.

And just because your weather app says rain isn’t in the forecast, that doesn’t mean a storm won’t sneak in. You should always be prepared! There is nothing worse than being stuck in the parks without an umbrella or poncho to protect you.

Make sure you have at least an umbrella and a poncho with you to be safe. Oh, and don’t forget the sunscreen. You can still get a wicked burn on cloudy days!

Have a game plan for staying cool

The weather at Disney World in the summer is H-O-T. The temperatures and humidity are no joke, and we guarantee that you’ll start sweating as soon as you step outside your hotel room.

But, even though it is hot, there are some easy things you can do to stay cool.

Here are some of our favorites:

Swimming

Most obviously, swimming at Disney World is a great way to cool off on a hot summer day, and all the onsite Disney World resorts have multiple pools to choose from.

Pools are the least busy in the mornings. The crowds at the pools start to pick up midday, and they will be quite busy towards the end of the day as people start returning from the parks.

There’s also a good chance park crowds won’t be as busy later in the day compared to in the mornings. Temperatures will also be cooler later on.

Attractions

A great way to battle the heat is by going on an attraction or watching a show. Looking to cool off fast? Choose a ride or show that’s inside and doesn’t have an outdoor queue.

There are lots of popular attractions that are primarily inside (hello, air conditioning!), like Space Mountain, “it’s a small world”, Soarin’ Around the World, and Flight of Passage, to name a few.

But, if you want to cool down quickly, you also have to consider wait times.

There are plenty of Disney World attractions with low wait times that are not only fun, but can help you cool off when you need it the most.

These are just a few of our favorites by park:

• Magic Kingdom: Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room, Mickey’s PhilharMagic
• Epcot: Living with the Land, Disney & Pixar Short Film Festival, The Seas Pavilion
• Hollywood Studios: Mickey Shorts Theater, Walt Disney Presents
• Animal Kingdom: Animation Experience at Conservation Station, It’s Tough to be a Bug!

Mid-day breaks

Taking a break in the middle of the day, aka when temperatures are the hottest, is a great option.

Whether you choose to take a nap, hang by the pool, or just chill, taking a midday break is sometimes the way to go. You don’t want to push yourself too much, especially on a hot day.

Water parks

Similar to swimming, you may want to dedicate an entire day to a water park. During the summer, Typhoon Lagoon is open and just waiting for you to dive in.

During hotter days, water parks can get busy, so you should definitely plan in advance. And if you’re worried about the sun, Typhoon Lagoon also hosts an After Hours event called H20 Glow, which takes place after the water park officially closes and is just lots and lots of fun.

Planners will have an advantage

Summer Disney World visitors are often different from those traveling at other times of year – they tend to be more laid back, spontaneous travelers as opposed to planners.

That means people who do choose to plan will have an advantage and can use the info to navigate the summer crowds.

Make Dining Reservations

During the busy summer months, Advanced Dining Reservations can be tricky to snag.

Most kids are out of school during those months, and that’s the only time when many families can go on vacation.

You can only book dining reservations up to 60 days in advance. Now more than ever it seems difficult to snag a Table Service reservation, so you definitely want to be on top of your game when it comes to booking meals.

We have a guide on how to get difficult reservations at Disney World, which will hopefully help!

Try to avoid being in the parks during the middle of the day

The middle of the day during summer will always be the hottest — and busiest. What does this mean? You should prioritize spending early mornings and late evenings in the parks.

This way, you’ll have cooler temperatures and hopefully less sun. There are also usually fewer crowds during these times of days, which can mean lower wait times for attractions.

As difficult as it might be getting ready to go early in the morning, it usually pays off. The goal is to get to the parks before opening.

Not only can those extra 30 minutes help cut down on wait times, but the earlier you can arrive during the summer means, the better because it will be less hot.

Also, did you know that you can stay after official park closing?

To be clear, you must be in line for an attraction before the park officially closes to be able to ride.

But, you can also hang out in the main park area, like Main Street, U.S.A., to take photos and shop. Speaking of the latter, some stores stay open at least an hour after park closing.

Plus, guests staying at a Disney Deluxe or Disney Deluxe Villas Resort (plus a couple other select hotels) have access to Extended Evening Theme Park Hours.

These extended nighttime hours allow eligible guests to stay in Magic Kingdom or Epcot for 2 hours past official park closing. Not only does this mean lower wait times, but cooler temperatures!

Pack for the season

What to pack for any vacation can be difficult, but when it comes to packing for a summer visit to Disney World, you don’t want to forget the following:

• Multiple pairs of shoes in case they get wet thanks to rain and to help if you get blisters. Speaking of the latter, don’t forget band-aids!
• Lots of sunscreen! Make sure you buy sunscreen before your trip, because it is expensive at the parks and hotels.
• An umbrella for both rain and sun. You may want to use one to help block the sun on hot days.
• Something you might not think of — patience. If you’re not used to visiting Disney World, crowds, temperatures, schedules, and more can be overwhelming. So, you’ll definitely need a lot of patience at times.

Stay up-to-date on changes

Disney World is constantly tweaking things like Park Hours and Genie+.

And, if you did the majority of your planning months ago, there is a strong likelihood that there are some big changes between what you saw back then vs. how it looks and works now.

Genie+ changes can happen at any time

Although Genie+ has been around for a while now, you never know when changes will occur.

That’s why it is very important that you double-check the latest news and updates before you head out on your trip.

Any little change can impact how you plan to tour a particular park.

We have lots of Genie+ and Individual Lightning Lane resources – and we update them (including all graphics) whenever Disney makes any changes. If you did most of your research on Genie+ months ago, make sure you revisit everything ahead of your trip.

Park hours can change at any time

Park hours are constantly changing. And during the summer, park hours are often extended.

So, you’ll definitely want to track park hours to help plan your days.

Your best bet is to always make sure you double-check the park hours for the next day, before you go to sleep.

There’s a lot to remember when it comes to planning a trip to the most magical place on earth during the summer, but hopefully our best Disney World summer travel tips help guide you in the right direction!

VIDEO: Summer Travel Tips