Many people avoid visiting the Walt Disney World® Resort in the warmer summer months because it can get pretty warm in Florida in the middle of the summer. But with a little preparation and a lot of excitement, it can be one of the best times of year to go!

1 - You don't have to take the kids out of school (and if you work for the school system, you don't have to worry about taking vacation days!). Especially if your children are older and it is very important for them not to miss those college-prep classes, going in the months of June, July and August allows you to take the kids and stay as long as you want without having to work-around the school schedule.

2 - The parks are open longer into the evenings, allowing you to take breaks mid-day to rest, relax and cool off in your resort pool while returning at night to sometimes lower crowds and cooler temperatures. Typically Magic Kingdom® Park is open until 10 p.m. or later, with other parks open until 9 or 9:30 p.m. (and sometimes later). Plus, right now with the opening of Pandora: The World of Avatar, through the first part of July Disney's Animal Kingdom® Theme Park is open for resort guests until 1 a.m. each night!

Above: The Walt Disney World® Resort is even more beautiful at night than it is during the day. Enjoy the night even more with longer hours during the summer season.

3 - Typically all attractions are up and running. As we all know, refurbishments of popular attractions are necessary from time to time to keep them updated and running smoothly. But during the summer months, typically all attractions (and especially the most popular ones) are open and ready for you! Major refurbishments of popular attractions are typically done during the slower winter months.

4 - Summer discounts on resort stays are still available! Get up to 25% off your resort stay when you book for a summer trip (vacationing through August 31st) by July 14th, 2017.

5 - There is still a lot of availability in popular restaurants and resorts in August! Typically in August kids start to need to be back for band camps, sports practices and other before-school-starts activities. If your child can miss these or is not participating in these activities just yet, there is actually still a lot of availability in great resorts and at popular restaurants in August!

6 - It's prime time to enjoy Disney's two outstanding Water Parks or your resort's pool. Disney's Blizzard Beach Water Park (better for older kids) and Disney's Typhoon Lagoon Water Park (better for younger kids) are excellent ways to cool off on your summer Disney vacation! And with hours from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. each day, it's fun to enjoy a water park on a "down day" and sleep in a little, then head back to your resort for a delicious evening meal before turning in for the night to enjoy more Disney Theme Park fun the next day! And did I mention that each of these parks has a bar for you adults? Just take your Magic Band (which is waterproof after all!), and swipe away with the phrase, "Yes, I WILL take a Margarita, thank you very much!"

And did I mention resort pools? Some of them can be mini-water parks themselves! A perfect example is the pool at Disney's Beach Club Resort and Disney's Yacht Club Resort. With a life-size shipwreck, sand-bottom pools, lagoons, water slides and even a lazy river, you could spend an entire day just enjoying this resort's amazing water playground!

Above: Just a very small portion of Stormalong Bay at Disney's Yacht Club and Disney's Beach Club Resorts. You can see the mast of the pirate ship looming in the background. If you stay at this resort I highly recommend taking a "down day" just to enjoy this amazing water recreation area!

7 - The Cirque du Soliel™ show La Nouba®, which has been playing at Disney Springs™ since 1998, is closing on December 31st, 2017. And let me tell you - it is a sight to behold. No words can describe this amazing performance that is part acrobatic amazement, part theatre, part circus, part music concert and ALL spectacular. Even the soundtrack is performed live during each show! You should see it this summer rather than this fall or winter because I'm sure as we get closer to its closing date the faster shows are going to sell out. Check out this clip below:

8 - There are tons of new offerings for the summer months! Be one of the first to experience Pandora: The World of Avatar at Disney's Animal Kingdom® Theme Park. Avatar Flight of Passage is very quickly becoming a resounding "favorite attraction" among ALL the attractions at the Walt Disney World® Resort.

Above: Pandora: The World of Avatar is absolutely breathtaking and features 2 new highly-anticipated attractions: Na'vi River Journey and Avatar Flight of Passage.

Over at Disney's Hollywood Studios®, see The Music of Pixar Live! - where the touching and beautiful music from your favorite films is played by a live orchestra along with clips from the films and your favorite characters making appearances on the stage.

Above: The Music of Pixar Live! features a live orchestra, clips from the film and your favorite characters!

If you haven't heard the buzz over the new nighttime fireworks and projection spectacular over at the Magic Kingdom® Park called Disney Happily Ever After... I can assure you it is AMAZING! Check out the video below for just a few glimpses into the most amazing fireworks show yet to come out of Disney Parks!

Over at Disney Springs™, check out new restaurants such as The Polite Pig (a modern barbecue outpost featuring Florida-inspired cuisine and an array of libations on top), Paddlefish (board an iconic paddleboat and feast on fresh seafood and savory steaks), and Planet Hollywood Observatory. There's even a new second story bar that has opened over at Splitsville™ Dining Room!

Above: The Polite Pig is one of the newest - and yummiest! - additions to the restaurant offering over at Disney Springs™.

Did I mention the Water Parks? Don't miss the newest addition to Disney's Typhoon Lagoon Water Park, Miss Adventure Falls, a family raft ride! And back for a second year are the Frozen Games at Disney's Blizzard Beach Water Park! Join in the fun on Team Kristoff or Team Olaf and take part in tons of family friendly activities. Check out the video below for highlights from last year's games!

Been to the Walt Disney World® Resort before in the summer? I'd love to hear YOUR favorite things about visiting during this time of year! Comment below!

Want tips and tricks on how to make the most out of your summer vacation to the happiest place on earth? Be sure to reach out to me by clicking HERE. I would love to help you plan your trip!