Any tips for going when it's HOT?

[mommy2paisley]

We have not done Disney when it was hot (except our honeymoon 10 years ago this July, without kids). We are going to Disney this July for our 10-year anniversary with DD7 and DS who will be 2 in August. What tips do you have for going this time of year? I realize we'll have to take more breaks than we're used to (last November we pretty much did the parks open to close for 2 weeks) and we're doing a shorter trip, just six days. Any advice/tips on dealing with the heat would be appreciated!!!!!

 

[jennylyn_b]

If possible, get up early and hit the parks then do lunch and head back to the hotel for pool and-/or rest in ac time. Plenty of water, fresh fruit like cold watermelon works to hydrate and cool down, cool light colored clothing. Make use of the cooler darker rides later in the morning like haunted mansion, Nemo, etc

 

[brymolmom]

When my kids were little like your 2 year old - i know the heat really took EVERYTHING out of them. So even though I thought we would have a 1/2 day of not-cranky before nap time, honestly within 2 hours of being in the park they would be down and out. We still had fun I only mention it to plan accordingly - like a few rides and then a nice air-conditioned show to cool down for a bit.

Second - WATER, WATER, WATER - if you are planning to bring a stroller - I suggest a large sports water jug and fill it with 90% ice and some water before leaving your resort. Then just throw it under the stroller and drink whenever you can - especially keep the toddler well hydrated.

For clothes - I buy the MOST THIN material t-shirts I can find - they type that looks like it will fall apart with 2 washings. Also - no dark colors - only white/light t-shirts. Also - I like to wear denim shorts - but ABSOLUTELY no denim for summer months - WAY too hot.

When we go in the summer - we very rarely do 12 hour days - it just gets too sticky and gross and exhausting. So we'll go until we're hot and tired and then take pool breaks.

When rain is called for - we don't bother with ponchos - the rain feels GOOD in the summer.

 

[Gracie09]

If you have access to a freezer freeze several water bottles to take with you to the park. They will stay cold for several hours

 

[scrappinginontario]

The biggest tip I have is to take advantage of the cold water available for free at every location that sells soda.

 

[chris31997]

Watch hydration, no peeing=

Make sure everyone is drinking water even at meals, eating fruit that has lots of water(watermelon, grapes).

Think small frequent meals, try to keep dairy/ice cream to a min. Might make feel sick, heavy on tummies. Shaved ice, cup of ice over fruit juice would be good.

Another good thing if you have access to a freezer, would be to freeze grapes. Cut or not the grapes and freeze, add them to water. Flavor the water and keep water cold. Eat the grapes.

Limit caffine, it well dehydrate you.

 

[Aliceacc]

As teachers, we only go in August. Yes, it's hot and humid. But the parks are open for EVER, and the pools are a delight!!!

Our approach is always the same: we're at the parks for rope drop, then head back to the resort at lunchtime. By then the crowds and humidity are at their worst. We spend the afternoon in the water, then head back to the parks for dinner, through fireworks.

Also, invest in some Misty Mate personal misters; you can get them at amazon. They're lifesavers.

And order lots and lots of water; we get 2 cases with our gardengrocer order.

 

[Sgt Mickey]

We went last July and plan on going again this July. We tried to go to the park really early and come back to the pool around lunch and go back to the park at dinner time.

 

[StitchesGr8Fan]

Get mister fans, and put water AND ice in the reservoir.

 

[4HppyCamprs]

Agree with the misters with ice in the reservoir. Also make sure to wear extra sunscreen since water washes some away. I like the spray sunscreens because they tend to spray cold hats or bandanas. Our first trip was in August and our little guy was 6 months. Overall we all had a great time but hats/bandana (little guy wore a bandana on his head) and remember to add extra sunscreen because of washing it off with mist at every chance were the things we forgot.

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[wrighter]

In addition to the great suggestions by pps, I would offer this simple thought: Try not to care about how you look! Lol!

We went this past August, and I did my best to prepare for the heat. We followed all the rules posted above. It sounds so vain, but I really had to check my ego at the door. I realized pretty quickly that it did little good to get up in the morning, shower, primp, blow dry my hair, put on make-up etc. (I like to look at least presentable in the photos!) Lol! Hair gets flat or frizzy and make-up runs. You end up a fairly sweaty mess pretty quickly, even in lightweight clothing.

So for the rest of the trip I slept in, pulled my hair up, put on a cute hat, and wore big sunglasses. Voila! Nobody could see my hair or face now! Lol! It was actually very liberating.

Whenever anyone asks me about "how hot" it really is at WDW in August, all I can think about is how I tried to look my best while having fun. Fun definitely trumps looking good.

 

[Svhadden]

We go the week of Labor Day every year, so it's quite hot. It's relative to what you're used to, as well. We're in S Louisiana, so 1,000 degrees and 500% humidity is normal for us .

We're park commandos, and my kids are old enough to to need naps any more, so were in the parks from rope drop till lights out. We dress lightly, cotton shirts, comfy sandals or flip flops (DH and I switch back and forth with athletic shoes during the week), hair up in pony tails, tank tops etc. Also, we take a Camelbak to help stay hydrated. We bring the big one, with water for the four of us. We keep bottled water in our resort fridge, fill up the Camelbak before heading out, and refill it around 2:00ish in the park. You can get ice anywhere . That way, I'm making SURE we all have access to enough water. Yes, the Camelbak is heavy at first, but I really love having the cold backpack on, haha! As we drink, obviously, it gets lighter.

We always try to have lunch inside, if possible. Usually Cosmic Rays in MK, ABC Commissary in DHS, Sunshine Seasons in Epcot. We love Flame Tree so much that we don't care that its not air conditioned, but its still quite cool and shaded.

And of course, there's an air conditioned gift shop or dark ride just around the corner from wherever you are. We try to do attractions and rides with no A/C either early or late (safari, etc).

For little ones in strollers, I'd recommend a stroller fan and a collapsible umbrella. My son is very fair skinned so even when he was in a big convertible stroller, I attached a clamp-on umbrella to keep him covered all the time. I later clamped it onto his umbrella stroller when we switched to that. Keeping him shielded from the sun helped a lot, and he could turn on his stroller fan as well. You can get those little battery operated fans on a lanyard for your kids before you go (cheaper than the Mickey ones lol). My daughter, the oldest, loves filling her mister fan (we caved and got her a Mickey fan a few years ago) with ice cold water to mist herself with.

Again, we're used to crazy heat/humidity, so it's no big deal, but if you're not used to it or have little ones, a little preparation and flexibility in the parks should make your trip wonderful .

 

[NotUrsula]

What's been said already, plus a few items:

1. Body Glide. Buy it and love it. Put it on your feet, between your toes, and anywhere on your body where skin might rub together to cause heat rash. This is especially good if you like to just get wet to cool off -- it feels great, but walking WDW distances in wet clothing in hot weather is likely to cause some nasty chafing. (Note that the Monistat Anti-Chafing cream is nice, but not realy suitable for situations where your skin is likely to get wet, because unlike Body Glide, it rinses off easily.)

2. Sunglasses. They help you avoid headaches from eyestrain. Once a headache starts to come on, heat will make it bad very quickly. (Always carry some ibuprofen if you are prone to headaches.)

3. Wide-brimmed light colored hat. This may be an investment, but it's worthwhile. I normally really hate hats, but I'll wear them in a central Florida summer, and so will my kids.

4. An important one that most people don't think about: make it a point to walk on the shady side of the street!!! Don't be in direct sunlight if you don't have to be.

One of the things that I ALWAYS carry with us in the parks in hot weather is a couple of flat cloth diapers (the kind that are just a plain piece of white cloth). They are better than almost anything else for cooling off, because they are white, and so thin and so absorbent, and the size is large enough to tie around things. They are also great for cleaning up sticky spills that happen when treats melt in the heat. I'm very prone to heat exhaustion, so one of the things that I do if it gets bad is to tie up some ice inside the diaper cloth and drape it on the back of my neck to let it melt down my back.

I also ALWAYS wear active outdoor sandals that will tolerate being immersed, and if I get hot, one of the things I do is drench my lower legs and stand in one of the play fountains. Cooling of my head and my feet seems to be key to warding off getting sick from heat.

 

[donalduck]

Just stay in the hotel where the ac is.

 

[AladdinToMy4YO]

I'm big on shirts and socks that have good wicking capabilities. Something as simple as C9 tshirts from Target or something else for runners. Also, nice socks that wick the sweat away. That way you can avoid a lot of the sweat drenching you. Maybe TMI but as a guy also like my runner's underwear that also has wicking capabilities... Also agree with some that say, it's great your planning ahead - drinking lots, staying in shade, back to hotel for afternoon swim, etc. but when you are there don't think too much about it. Just keep hydrated and be happy!

 

[motherof2boys]

I work in the Public School System so we can only go in the Summer. We alternate July & August so we get two trips out of our Annual Passes. This is what works for us.
We go for 10-12 days so we start the trip doing rope drop. (My Boys are 10 & 13) We're usually excited to be there so it's not terrible to be up early. We leave the park after lunch around 2ish & go back to the room. We swim or sometimes just hang out, watch tv, nap, what ever. We go back to the park for a dinner reservation & stay at the park until we're tired. As the trip goes on we start taking advantage of late Magic Hours (the 10 year old is so worn out he starts sleeping in) so we don't go to the parks until somewhere between 4 & 6.
We're all about comfort. I slick my hair back into a wet ponytail, but on a sundress & flip flops & off I go. Minimal make up except for the one morning we do our Annual ears picture in front of the castle.
We've done this 5 Summers now so we know when one of us gets cranky it's prob b/c of the heat. At that point it's time for an air conditioned ride/show, a stroll thru a gift shop,or an ice cream or water break.
It will be hot but try not to focus on it & Have fun!!

 

[Kari Tiggerific]

Pretty good plan! That's basically what we do yoo

 

[garjanjones]

As a teacher, my only option is to go in the summer. Here is a list of my best advice.

Most important - #1 - Be there at rope drop. you can be done with everything before it gets hot. (Yes, even during the busy summer)
#2 - Sit down and have an air-condidtioned lunch.
#3 - Allow your kids to have one of those little fans and put them in a stroller - until they are physically over the weight limit. I am a supporter of big kids in strollers - especially in the heat of the summer.
#4 - Have a plan. We were out of all of the parks except MK by 2:00 using plans from touring plans. MK did take all day, but most rides were inside and air-condidioned, so no big deal.
#5 - Spread out the shows, especially at HS and AK. This will give you an air-condidioned break every couple of hours through the day.

Personally, I don't think the summer is that bad, but they again...I have never had the opportunity to experiece it otherwise.

 

[garjanjones]

I work in the Public School System so we can only go in the Summer. We alternate July & August so we get two trips out of our Annual Passes. This is what works for us.
We go for 10-12 days so we start the trip doing rope drop. (My Boys are 10 & 13) We're usually excited to be there so it's not terrible to be up early. We leave the park after lunch around 2ish & go back to the room. We swim or sometimes just hang out, watch tv, nap, what ever. We go back to the park for a dinner reservation & stay at the park until we're tired. As the trip goes on we start taking advantage of late Magic Hours (the 10 year old is so worn out he starts sleeping in) so we don't go to the parks until somewhere between 4 & 6.
We're all about comfort. I slick my hair back into a wet ponytail, but on a sundress & flip flops & off I go. Minimal make up except for the one morning we do our Annual ears picture in front of the castle.
We've done this 5 Summers now so we know when one of us gets cranky it's prob b/c of the heat. At that point it's time for an air conditioned ride/show, a stroll thru a gift shop,or an ice cream or water break.
It will be hot but try not to focus on it & Have fun!!

Love the alternating. We thought of that too late last year and this year...but are planning to start our next trip (possibly next year) this way. What great planning!

 

[amomma23]

We've learned to pay close attention to our kiddos. They don't always do a good job of saying "I'm hot/tired/thirsty..." We've learned that if they start to get a little chippy with each other or show a little too much attitude, it's a good time to find a drink or a popsicle and take a break.