A Complete Guide to Walt Disney World in July

If you’re not sure when to book your Walt Disney World vacation or already have booked a trip to Disney World in July, use this monthly guide to plan your stay.

In this post, I’ll go over everything you need to know about July at Disney World, including what to expect with the weather, special events, what the crowds are like, and what’s closed for updates.

All dates and information subject to change throughout the year. This post will be updated frequently, but for the most up to date information on what’s closed and what’s reopened, check out my post about Disney World closures and what’s new.

Weather in Orlando in July

As you likely guessed, the weather in Orlando in July, as well as the surrounding Walt Disney World resort area, is hot, humid, and rainy.

In short, the weather’s not that great. Thank goodness for air conditioning in all the resorts, indoor rides, and shops!

Heat-wise, the average high temperature is 92° F and average low is 76° in July (source). 

More than likely, the temps will be between 80-95° F all day, so don’t let that average low temp fool you!

Add a layer of the notorious summertime Florida humidity and you’ve got some miserable weather.

Make sure to beat the heat at Blizzard Beach or Typhoon Lagoon water park, whichever one happens to be open, to help you cool off.

Or hop on a water ride, like Kali River Rapids at Animal Kingdom, or make a bee line for an indoor ride or shop for an air conditioning break.

And of course, you can always take a dip in your resort pool!

In addition to the heat, July is within hurricane season for much of the Southern US, not just Florida. 

It’s pretty rare for hurricanes to hit the Orlando area directly, as it’s in the center of the state, but it can happen. 

Plus, even if a hurricane is forecast for the surrounding states, such as Georgia, the weather can still be impacted. Which in turn can mess up airplane schedules.

July is the 2nd wettest month with an average of 7.1 inches of rain (source).

Don’t be surprised if there’s a torrential downpour nearly every afternoon – even if the day starts off super sunny! 

Afternoon rain showers are very common in the area, especially during hurricane season, though much of the time, it’ll just be for 20 minutes or so.

Rare exceptions are made regarding refunds due to inclement weather when the parks need to close, like it did for Hurricane Irma in September 2019.

Disney World’s theme parks are still open on rainy days, so don’t expect a refund if it happens during your stay. Besides, there’s plenty of fun things to do at Disney World in the rain.

What to wear to Disney World in July

I recommend wearing light-colored loose clothing and shoes that will keep your feet comfortable in hot weather with lots of walking. 

Only you will know what’s best for your feet – some people swear by sneakers, while others will prefer sandals in the Summer.

Personally I hate wearing sneakers in hot and humid weather – so I stick to sandals with good traction to ensure I don’t slip if the ground is wet due to rain.

Don’t forget to throw in a swimsuit or 2 so you can cool off in the Summer heat at one of Disney World’s water parks.

As for extras to take into the park with you, my top 3 recommendations are sunglasses, sunscreen, and a disposable rain poncho. 

No one wants a sunburn to ruin their Disney vacation, nor do you want to get drenched in the rain, forcing you to waste time running back to your hotel room to change!

Aside from that, check out my post on what to pack for Disney World for more recommendations, plus get a free printable packing list to help you stay organized.

Holidays & events at Disney World in July

July is one of the busiest months at Disney World. Overall, expect high crowds throughout the entire month due to 4th of July and Summer vacation.

Let’s get into holidays and events to look out for.

If you’re visiting for the Fourth of July, you’ll be treated to special fireworks displays at Epcot and Magic Kingdom to celebrate US Independence Day.

At the Magic Kingdom park, the fireworks are formally called Disney’s Celebrate America, which started in 2008. Although this show has been running for over 15 years now, it has had many updates since then.

Epcot’s show is called Heartbeat of Freedom and it typically runs after its usual nighttime show.

Plus, you can catch the a cappella group singing patriotic songs in the rotunda at the America Adventure pavilion.

In past years, they’ve also performed a concert at the America Gardens theatre in the evening, too.

Lastly, you bet there will be all kinds of American treats to celebrate at all four theme parks, like strawberry shortcake, apple pie cupcakes and other red, white, and blue themed snacks and drinks.

Marvel Studios’ Deadpool 3 is set to release on July 26, having been moved from its previous May 3 release date.

This film likely won’t have any promo in the parks due to contractual agreements in place with Universal, but you might see photo ops and props from the film set at Disney Springs AMC theater!

Attraction and ride closures

There are a number of rides and attractions that are closed for updates or maintenance.

Animal Kingdom

• Colors of Mo’Ara face painting station in Pandora is temporarily closed with no reopen date set.

Epcot

• Test Track is closed for a complete makeover and reimagining of the ride. It is expected to reopen some time in 2025.

Over in the Morocco pavilion, The Brass Bazaar, Casablanca Carpets, Marketplace in the Medina, and Restaurant Marrakesh remain closed.

El Ranchito del Norte in Mexico, the Trading Post between Canada and the United Kingdom pavilions, Village Traders between China and Germany, Der Teddybar in Germany, Sportsman’s Shoppe in United Kingdom, and the Mitsukoshi Kiosk in Japan also remain closed.

Hollywood Studios

• Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster reopened July 1 after a lengthy refurbishment.
• Star Wars Launch Bay is open, but the theater is likely to still be closed in July, although the meet-and-greets, prop displays, and shops are all still expected to be available.

Magic Kingdom

• Country Bear Jamboree closed in January 2024 and will reopen on July 17, 2024!!
• Tiana’s Bayou Adventure opened on June 28, 2024 and is expected to operate using a virtual queue for the time being.
• Peter Pan’s Flight closes July 8, 2024 for refurbishment and is expected to reopen August 21, 2024.

Other locations

Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique in Disney Springs and Grand Floridian Resort is still closed as of January 10, 2024, with no opening date announced yet.

Lastly, it’s likely that Blizzard Beach will be closed, while Typhoon Lagoon will be open in July 2024. Disney has not made any announcements, so this is based on past years’ patterns and information about scheduled events.

Are you ready to visit Disney World in July?

Personally, I’m not a fan of the weather and crowds in July at Disney World. But I would love to experience the 4th of July holiday at Disney at some point!

I hope this guide helped you sort out your plans. If you have further questions, drop me a comment below.

This blog post was originally published on June 16, 2021. It was last updated July 1, 2024.