Initially, me and my two cousins were planning on going hands free. Would be nice but....really thinking about how hot it's going to be this month I thought better of it and declared to my cousins that I'm bringing a backpack. Here's what I'm putting in it. An umbrella. A small battery operated fan. Two cooling towels and sun screen. Rain jacket. After reading this thread, I'm going to put my bladder back in my back pack, so I can stay hydrated. I HATE the heat. The only reason I'm going at this time of year is because my cousins have a time share and it is going to be the cheapest Disney trip I've ever taken. So to save $ I am braving the heat. I am planning on a leisurely pace, and doing a fair amount of sitting and letting them go on the thrill rides I won't go on. And...getting some cold drinks and snacks along the way. Oh, and using the express bus to hop from park to park. Any other suggestions I haven't thought of?
The thing is, the more you carry, the more it weighs you down. We've survived quite a few summer trips to Orlando. We don't bring most of what you list.
1. If chance of rain is 25-50%, we rely on cheap plastic ponchos. Not because they are super, but because they fit in a back pocket. MOST often, the BEST approach to summer downpours is just to wait them out. Plastic ponchos are one and done-
so we try not to use them at all. We only use if we absolutely have to make an ADR.
If rain is over 50%, then we bring fold up jackets. Ours are the kind that fold into a pocket, so they are light and easy to carry.
Oh, though this seems obvious, we always see people sweating away under ponchos and jackets LONG after the rain has ended! That's when they get miserable.
Also, wet sneakers are bad. If it looks like 40% rain or better, we try to wear water tolerant sandals. (Teva? Keen?)
2. We ALWAYS carry water! Your best bet is to drink as much as possible early in the day, but always have some on you. As soon as we wake up, we drink water. At ever meal we drink water (plus anything else). Water is heavy, so we tend to drink a bunch about an hour into our day. Limit coffee and alcohol in summer.
3. We don't bother carrying almost anything else. No fan, no umbrella, no cooling towels. I DO carry sunscreen, but it is the smallest tube I can find. It is chapstick style. Bigger than normal chapstick tubes, but still tiny. DO avoid long sun exposure. If we must, we even skip some shows.
4. We ABSOLUTELY start early in the AM, AND get out of the parks between 1:30/2pm and about 5pm. 5-7pm is affectionately known as "storm o'clock."
5. If you have emergency meds, or near emergency meds, those are important to bring. Also (near) essentials like ID and phone. Otherwise, if I really feel something would be handy, like blister bandages- then I try to bring a four-hour supply (one) instead of a whole box. If I use it, I replenish at the room.
6. If we feel we have to carry a bag, w carry the smallest, lightest one possible. One compartment is better than many when it comes to getting through security quickly. I DO own an insulated backback/cooler. Mostly we use it when we transfer between hotels, but if we know we plan to transport food or chocolate, then we sometimes carry it.
7. Try to avoid wearing anything that is dark/black. At WDW, certain colors are best. I'm not into color coding our family, but, I have noticed that when DH wears certain colors, it is easier to spot him all day. Good colors include red, green, orange, bright/light blue or blue-greenish. Bright is good. Bad colors are dark blue, grey, brown, white, and anything very neutral. Pockets aren't as good as they used to be, but still handy.
8. Ziploc bags are often very handy when traveling. I bring all sizes- snack up to 2 gallon. At Universal, backpack style bags are especially a pain on many rides, because they have to go in a locker. At a few rides you have to completely empty EVERYTHING out of your pockets, more or less. In that case, a Ziploc bag can be useful.
9. IMO, mister fans are especially bad. Also, well, accept that summer photos at WDW might not be ideal. By 11am, your face will look glossy, unless you are freshly showered. At WDw, hair never looks great after Test Track, but summer is a great time for braids and simple up-twists. (think 'the messy pony tail" bun?).
10. Oh, and last in summer, spare a tree. When exiting the restroom, skip the paper towel. You REALLY don't need it to dry your hands. They'll air dry in a few seconds!
1. In summer, it sometimes pays to slow down. Take the shuttle boat over walking, take a detour through Innoventions, sit indoors for a moment, walk in the shade, etc. Look for little ways to slow down just a bit.
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- ETA - that emoji should probably be laughing/crying tears or jealousy or something, a girl's gotta focus on the positive!
