Florida in August?
Florida in August?
I was thinking about having a holiday in Orlando during the middle of August but someone has told me this is during the hurricane period and that it rains/thunders every day for about an hour.
I'm wondering if all the attractions stay open etc?
Anyone been in August before? Would you go again given the choice for that time of year?
Answers:
It's true that it's in the middle of hurricane season. Hurricane season is from June-October basically, but for Florida it's really usually only important in August and September. There were, I think, 3 hurricanes last summer during August (lost track, sorry!) so that is something to be aware of as it can delay/cancel your flights.
There are normally thunderstorms in the afternoon for about an hour, but it doesn't usually include lightning, at least in my experience on the Gulf Coast, in St. Pete, which is about 1.5 hours away.
The attractions at Disney and such normally only close if they are worried about lightning strikes, but I've been to the parks a few times when there was lightning and have never seen a ride closed. This doesn't mean they can't/won't close it however it's normally a ride or two that they will close, not the entire park. :)
I lived there for the past few years and am making periodic trips back, so I wouldn't have any problems going in August, but you do need to be aware that it will be extremely humid, so if you're uncomfortable with that you may wish to take that into account. The rain isn't really a problem unless you get a flash flood situation (isn't actually that bad) which is just something you have to wait out. :)
I'm sure more will be along with helpful answers, but hope this is a bit of a help. :)
Answers:
Thanks for your reply Dolphin for the good advice. I'm not all that great with humidity so might have to rethink.
Is there anywhere else you could recommend in the states for me to visit that will feel like I'm on holiday (ie, relaxing, theme parks etc)? I am in Boston with work for a week and then I plan to fly somewhere within America (Florida was at the top of my list), but would like a few options now.
I haven't done New York but I don't think this will be very relaxing. I guess the Caribbean is out of the question too for the same reason as Florida.
Any suggestions on alternative holiday destinations appreciated (and preferrably not that far from Boston).
Cheers.
Answers:
Don't let me put you off Florida completely! :) There's loads of air conditioning in the buildings, as well as having air conditioning inside some of the exhibits, stores and rides at Disney and Universal. Orlando's also only about an hour or two from Gulf Coast beaches in Tampa and St. Petersburg, so easy enough to just grab a place on the sand and fall asleep to the sound of the very mini waves. :)
New York's a good place to visit, though it depends on what you're going for. You can visit museums, Statue of Liberty, catch a Broadway show, loads of shopping of course. :) Can't think of any nearby theme parks though.
Philadelphia's good for visiting the historic sites and shopping as well, since there's no sales tax on clothes or shoes. There's a Six Flags complex with Zoo, Waterpark, and theme park in Jackson, New Jersey nearby. It may be easier to get to this from NYC but I went from the Philly side. :) Was a great day out though. :)
Washington D.C. is also just a short train ride/plane ride away with historic monuments a plenty, good night life as well. There's a Six Flags America in Maryland, which is about 20 miles from D.C., which is a pretty good theme park as well.
California isn't actually that long of a flight, about the same length as the one it's gonna take you to get to Boston, so destinations there might be something you want to consider as well.
Caribbean also has a slight humidity problem this time of year, as well as being more prone to hurricanes than Florida. It's usually vulnerable for most of June thru October unfortunately. Not that you should rule it out completely, just something to keep in mind. :)
What exactly are you looking to do for the week? Did you just want to lay on a beach, or go sightseeing? Shopping? Theme parks? What are the main things you'd like to do? :)
One thing you should keep in mind is that most of the east coast will be humid, as that's just the way it is in the summer here. The temps where I'm at in Pennsylvania have been around 30C or above for a little while, as well as having the humidity to deal with. Fortunately most places in the US invest in air conditioning. :)
Answers:
Ah, sorry I haven't replied earlier to thank you for your great advice Dolphin - I've been busy at work! :lol:
Will hopefully decide at the weekend what we are going to do. Thanks again for replying.
Emu x
I was thinking about having a holiday in Orlando during the middle of August but someone has told me this is during the hurricane period and that it rains/thunders every day for about an hour.
I'm wondering if all the attractions stay open etc?
Anyone been in August before? Would you go again given the choice for that time of year?
Answers:
It's true that it's in the middle of hurricane season. Hurricane season is from June-October basically, but for Florida it's really usually only important in August and September. There were, I think, 3 hurricanes last summer during August (lost track, sorry!) so that is something to be aware of as it can delay/cancel your flights.
There are normally thunderstorms in the afternoon for about an hour, but it doesn't usually include lightning, at least in my experience on the Gulf Coast, in St. Pete, which is about 1.5 hours away.
The attractions at Disney and such normally only close if they are worried about lightning strikes, but I've been to the parks a few times when there was lightning and have never seen a ride closed. This doesn't mean they can't/won't close it however it's normally a ride or two that they will close, not the entire park. :)
I lived there for the past few years and am making periodic trips back, so I wouldn't have any problems going in August, but you do need to be aware that it will be extremely humid, so if you're uncomfortable with that you may wish to take that into account. The rain isn't really a problem unless you get a flash flood situation (isn't actually that bad) which is just something you have to wait out. :)
I'm sure more will be along with helpful answers, but hope this is a bit of a help. :)
Answers:
Thanks for your reply Dolphin for the good advice. I'm not all that great with humidity so might have to rethink.
Is there anywhere else you could recommend in the states for me to visit that will feel like I'm on holiday (ie, relaxing, theme parks etc)? I am in Boston with work for a week and then I plan to fly somewhere within America (Florida was at the top of my list), but would like a few options now.
I haven't done New York but I don't think this will be very relaxing. I guess the Caribbean is out of the question too for the same reason as Florida.
Any suggestions on alternative holiday destinations appreciated (and preferrably not that far from Boston).
Cheers.
Answers:
Don't let me put you off Florida completely! :) There's loads of air conditioning in the buildings, as well as having air conditioning inside some of the exhibits, stores and rides at Disney and Universal. Orlando's also only about an hour or two from Gulf Coast beaches in Tampa and St. Petersburg, so easy enough to just grab a place on the sand and fall asleep to the sound of the very mini waves. :)
New York's a good place to visit, though it depends on what you're going for. You can visit museums, Statue of Liberty, catch a Broadway show, loads of shopping of course. :) Can't think of any nearby theme parks though.
Philadelphia's good for visiting the historic sites and shopping as well, since there's no sales tax on clothes or shoes. There's a Six Flags complex with Zoo, Waterpark, and theme park in Jackson, New Jersey nearby. It may be easier to get to this from NYC but I went from the Philly side. :) Was a great day out though. :)
Washington D.C. is also just a short train ride/plane ride away with historic monuments a plenty, good night life as well. There's a Six Flags America in Maryland, which is about 20 miles from D.C., which is a pretty good theme park as well.
California isn't actually that long of a flight, about the same length as the one it's gonna take you to get to Boston, so destinations there might be something you want to consider as well.
Caribbean also has a slight humidity problem this time of year, as well as being more prone to hurricanes than Florida. It's usually vulnerable for most of June thru October unfortunately. Not that you should rule it out completely, just something to keep in mind. :)
What exactly are you looking to do for the week? Did you just want to lay on a beach, or go sightseeing? Shopping? Theme parks? What are the main things you'd like to do? :)
One thing you should keep in mind is that most of the east coast will be humid, as that's just the way it is in the summer here. The temps where I'm at in Pennsylvania have been around 30C or above for a little while, as well as having the humidity to deal with. Fortunately most places in the US invest in air conditioning. :)
Answers:
Ah, sorry I haven't replied earlier to thank you for your great advice Dolphin - I've been busy at work! :lol:
Will hopefully decide at the weekend what we are going to do. Thanks again for replying.
Emu x