Visiting Walt Disney World in July 2023

If you are considering a visit to Walt Disney World in July, there are definitely a few things to keep in mind. First of all, there’s the heat. Summer heat in Orlando, Florida can be a bit much. But there are numerous ways to work around this, however, from taking midday hotel breaks to spending some time at the pool or waterparks. Other considerations include the summer crowds. Now, there are definitely busier times to visit Disney World. (Spring break season and Christmas come to mind!) But the Fourth of July can be quite busy as well, so definitely keep that in mind when selecting your vacation dates!

Overall, however, visiting Disney World in July 2023 could be a great idea for your family… especially with a little bit of strategy and pre-planning!

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**The reopening of Walt Disney World is an ongoing process that is constantly changing. Be sure to visit our guide to visiting Disney World during the phased reopening for updated information to guide your vacation planning!

In This Post

July At-a-Glance

July Events

July Refurbishments & Closures

July Weather

July Disney World Crowd Calendar

Ready To Start Planning Your Visit To Walt Disney World In July?

July At-a-Glance

Don’t forget to pack your sunscreen and to drink lots of water! Temperatures in July are definitely heating up! The summer sun in Florida can also be a bit intense. And while Disney offers many ways to cool off, you will definitely want to be prepared with sunscreen and water.
Be prepared for rain. As July can be very hot and humid, rain happens. Ponchos are a great thing to keep handy for afternoon showers!
Mornings are a great time to visit the pools. Due to the hotter temperatures, the pools can get quite busy during the heat of the day as well as in the evenings when guests return from a day in the parks. Consider visiting in the mornings when they will be less busy.
Major refurbishments are not typically common in July. Disney tends to schedule their refurbishments during less busy months (such as January or February), but that doesn’t mean closures can’t or won’t happen in July.
The Fourth of July will be busy. So if you plan on celebrating in the parks, be prepared for crowds.

July Events

Perhaps the most notable event is the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival. This event will take place from March 2 to July 4, and features beautifully designed interactive gardens as well as a variety of living sculptures shaped like your favorite Disney characters. You will also find plenty of unique food options and family-friendly exhibits. Epcot festivals tend to bring more local crowds on evenings and weekends, so plan on visiting Epcot during the week if crowds are a concern.

It was just announced that Epcot’s International Food & Wine Festival will be returning from July 14 to November 19 in 2022. Undoubtedly one of the most popular festivals, this event typically features over 30 food and beverage booths (compared to under 20 for the other festivals). As we stated earlier, be prepared for local crowds as many come to “eat and drink their way around the world.” Evenings and weekends will be busier so plan on visiting Epcot during the week if crowds are a concern.

ESPN Wide World of Sports typically hosts several athletic events each month. These events don’t usually have a major impact on crowds in the parks, but they can affect resort availability and crowds at Disney’s value resorts. Here are the events scheduled so far as well as events that are typically held in July:

IdeaSport Summer Camps – June thru July 2022
Challenge Sports 3v3 National Championships – July 28-31, 2022

The Fourth of July is typically a very busy time for Walt Disney World. And as it actually falls on a Tuesday this year, be prepared for some significant crowds from July 1 – July 5. Other than that, however, the month is fairly steady in terms of crowds.

July Refurbishments & Closures

As things return to normal at the theme parks, nighttime spectaculars and fireworks are returning as well! Two new shows premiered on October 1, 2021, for the 50th Anniversary Celebration. “Disney Enchantment” kicked off the 50th-anniversary festivities at Magic Kingdom Park, and “Harmonious” also debuted at Epcot. Fantasmic! will also be returning to Hollywood Studios at some point in 2022!

*We’ve included all current refurbishments here on this list… even ones that may be open in time for July 2023. (Please note that this list could change at a moment’s notice.)

Magic Kingdom

Walt Disney World Railroad is closed indefinitely due to construction on the new Tron roller coaster.
Enchanted Tales with Belle is also temporarily closed with no reopening date yet announced.
Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique is reopening August 25, 2022
Tron Lightcycle Power Run is still under construction (We are hopeful for a 2023 opening date!)
Splash Mountain will close at some point for retheming to become Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. No dates have been announced yet, however.
Character meet-and-greets at both Pete’s Silly Side Show (Donald Duck, Goofy, Daisy, and Pluto) and The Thotful Spot (Pooh and Tigger) are returning soon!

EPCOT

Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind is now open!
Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana is expected to open in 2022
Canada Far & Wide in CircleVision 360 is closed through November 2022 (most likely for the Food & Wine Festival)

Hollywood Studios

Star Wars: A Galaxy Far, Far Away (stage show) has permanently ended
Fantasmic! is returning in 2022
Frozen Sing-Along Celebration will close on August 22, 2022, for refurbishment and is scheduled to reopen on September 9, 2022.
Voyage of the Little Mermaid is temporarily closed with no reopening date yet.
Jedi Training Academy: Trials of the Temple is also temporarily closed.

Animal Kingdom

Primeval Whirl is permanently closed
Rivers of Light has permanently ended
Finding Nemo: The Big Blue… and Beyond! debuted on June 13, 2022
Festival of the Lion King returned with a FULL version of the show on July 15, 2022

Other

Disney’s Blizzard Beach water park is closed for refurbishment. The opening date is TBA.

July Weather

Overall, the weather in Orlando is quite hot in July. Seriously… it’s hot. The average high is 92 degrees and the low is typically around 75 degrees. It is technically Orlando’s rainy season as well. That being said, most rain in July will come in short “spurts” rather than be an all-day thing. Brief afternoon downpours are very typical! (In other words, prepare for rain. Ponchos may be a good thing to pack!)

July Disney World Crowd Calendar

Crowd calendars are very popular, but they can also be a bit unpredictable. That being said, the pandemic has made predicting crowds even more difficult than normal.

While crowd calendars can be a big help in planning your trip, keep in mind, they are predictions at best. When designing our calendars, we take a look at events, school calendars, ticket prices, park hours, holidays, and typical monthly patterns. But unfortunately, our crowd calendars cannot predict other things such as weather, travel advisories, pandemics, or last-minute openings or closings of shows and attractions.

July is usually less busy than June, but it does heat up a bit when it comes to temperatures. There are steady summer crowds for most of the month except for the Fourth of July weekend.

Another thing that might change the crowds a bit in July is for more things to be reopened or reintroduced. Disney’s phased reopening will definitely play a role in crowds this year, and there could be a surge when the time comes for more things to return to “normal.” Time will tell, however, if this will affect July crowds or not.

**For a free printable PDF version of this crowd calendar, be sure to visit our resource page to become an email subscriber! You will also gain access to other printable resources to help you plan your next Disney vacation!