Anxiety and HEAT... a couple of questions

[SDSorority]

As many of you know, I am an anxiety sufferer in a pretty major way. Question-

How do you keep cool in the summer months while at the world? I am more prone to panic attacks in the summer because of how HOT it is down there and I'm looking for "cool off" strategies that could help. When it's so hot out I tend to not want to eat anything, feel dizzy, etc.... which then turns into a PA.

Any help or advice on cool off tips? Things to bring into the parks, places to go or avoid, etc?

TIA!

 

[3prettyprincesses]

Bring a washcloth that you can easily soak with ice water should you become overheated. Also, drink lots of water. I think I underestimated just how much walking you do and was surprised by how thirsty it made me. The Smart Water is nice as it has electrolytes added to it.

AK is one park that offers little shade too. Maybe plan to hit it early in the morning and then leave after lunch to return to your room to swim and cool down.

Oh, they have those handheld cooling fans that mist you with water. I think they're pretty expensive at Disney so maybe buy one before you get there.

 

[Bete]

Get to the parks early like during extra magic hours and return later in the evening; skip the afternoon. How long in the morning you can last is dependent on you.

If you want to stay all day in the park then you need to get into A/C shelter through the afternoon. You can do this by going to shows/theaters and eateries and exhibits. For example, you can spend a long time in the The Land in Epcot and it's all inside and A/C. You can even go to the first aid stations and lay on the cots for a while.

Stay hydrated; stay away from caffiene products. Carry ice in a mug/cup and suck on it. Use mist fans. Wear a sun hat. Wear cooling gear. You can get headbands and vests for this purpose. Stay in the shade as much as possible.

Don't be a commando! Alternate rides with shows and eateries. Use fastpass all the time.

Save yourself and use a scooter. If you're sitting you are not going to feel the heat as much. You can also get around quicker if you need to get into A/C.

 

[SDSorority]

Great tips! Thank you!

 

[bedogged]

Great tips! Thank you!

Also, please remember that you can get free ice water at any of the counter service restaurants. I had to do this once myself and they couldn't have been nicer about it. Always carry your own water, but if you know that ice water is available if you need it, it helps with the anxiety.

 

[clanmcculloch]

I build a detailed schedule each day which includes making sure to get from the heat pretty much ever other activity if I can and also includes stopping to eat at a time that's before we're ravenously hungry. DD13 will guaranteed have a meltdown if she doesn't eat on schedule so I make sure we're walking into a restaurant (TS or CS) a bit before our normal dining times and I make sure it's somewhere indoors as well. Everybody has to eat even if not feeling hungry though they are allowed to order smaller amounts. We snack regularly as well because in the heat it is very easy to not feel the hunger but still need to eat and there are so many tasty snacks around that nobody complains about the fact that technically I'm forcing them to eat (I don't make it seem forced; I make it seem like a treat). We also carry lots of water and I force everybody to drink regularly even if they're not feeling thirsty.

We also only spend the first few hours of the day at the parks and leave generally immediately after lunch and spend the rest of the day at the resort either indoors or in the pool or a combination of both. It really does take all afternoon for the stress of being in the parks to melt from DD13 so by dinner time she's finally relaxed enough to enjoy her dinner and rest of the evening (in our case still at the resort for the most part). Because of DD13's issues, we really don't spend nearly as much time in the parks as most people and we have significantly more laid back trips than most people. What matters to us is that we're all relaxed, we all enjoy ourselves and we have lots of great memories. Isn't that the point after all?

 

[SDSorority]

I build a detailed schedule each day which includes making sure to get from the heat pretty much ever other activity if I can and also includes stopping to eat at a time that's before we're ravenously hungry. DD13 will guaranteed have a meltdown if she doesn't eat on schedule so I make sure we're walking into a restaurant (TS or CS) a bit before our normal dining times and I make sure it's somewhere indoors as well. Everybody has to eat even if not feeling hungry though they are allowed to order smaller amounts. We snack regularly as well because in the heat it is very easy to not feel the hunger but still need to eat and there are so many tasty snacks around that nobody complains about the fact that technically I'm forcing them to eat (I don't make it seem forced; I make it seem like a treat). We also carry lots of water and I force everybody to drink regularly even if they're not feeling thirsty.

We also only spend the first few hours of the day at the parks and leave generally immediately after lunch and spend the rest of the day at the resort either indoors or in the pool or a combination of both. It really does take all afternoon for the stress of being in the parks to melt from DD13 so by dinner time she's finally relaxed enough to enjoy her dinner and rest of the evening (in our case still at the resort for the most part). Because of DD13's issues, we really don't spend nearly as much time in the parks as most people and we have significantly more laid back trips than most people. What matters to us is that we're all relaxed, we all enjoy ourselves and we have lots of great memories. Isn't that the point after all?

Yeah last trip was a nightmare for us. It was just one panic attack after another for me. And, this was the first time I had ever had panic issues at WDW- normally it's my happy place and I don't really have a problem. I'm not sure what it was that caused it- poor DH... he really did a good job of helping me out. We would try to find quiet "off the beaten path" areas, and a lot of times that meant we had to leave the parks. Even though I LOVE being in the parks, it's hard to find a quiet and cool spot, you know? We had luck in the Contemporary, up on the convention floor (there wasn't a convention going on). And DH and I would walk around the resorts in the evenings. I think a big part of the anxiety of last trip was we did a split stay between SSR and Pop... so moving out of the routine of one hotel into another was difficult. AND, we STARTED at SSR and ended at POP... should have done the opposite. We also had a non-working fridge at POP and a big massive palmetto in the room. Oye.... it was just one thing after another. And the new onset of the food allergies (gluten free, nut free, soy free... sanity free...) caused a bit of a wrinkle too. One chef even said to us "you have the same food allergies?? What, did you meet at a support group or something?!" ...thank you for your concern.

Each meal was a sob fest... oh I was an absolute mess.

So, I guess I DO know what caused the anxiety last time. Luckily this next trip we'll JUST be gluten-free, and we WON'T be switching resorts. But we WILL be there when it's HOT, and that's a trigger, so hopefully these tips will help me out a bit!!!

 

[eternaldisneyfan]

I second the fan spray bottles. Also sports stores sell instant ice packs that feel fabulous in the heat.

 

[A Mickeyfan]

I use the Frogg Toggs chilly towels sometimes.. they work really well..