Any tips on keepin' cool in August

[blitzkrieg048]

Going down in the last week of August. Usually go in the "cooler" months. Taking advantage of free meal plan. Any tips on trying to survive in the August heat with DW, 3 DS's, and DF? Thanx!

 

[Fly me with Balloons]

We go every year in august. My tips:
avoid early entry parks. too crowded in the am
Get to a park when it opens
go right to the area you really want to see
fastpass the 1st "big" ride you want
ALWAYS have an active fastpass
By 1:00, it might get too hot. either go eat, nap, or swim.
Come back after 6:00. parks are open late, people are leaving to go eat, and parks will be less crowded.

Always works for us!

 

[bcinohio]

We always go to WDW the first week of Aug. We will be there in less than 3 weeks. My best advice to you is to get a small fan you wear around you neck. They usually take AA batteries and can be found at Walmart, Disney store, etc. They are a life saver. The ones with the water get very heavy. These you put around your neck and forget about them. They work great. Make sure you take extra batteries. They are very expensive at WDW.

We like to go to the park for the extra magic hour. You can get a lot done before the crowds get to bad or the heat. Make sure you always have a FP. Get one before you go in to lunch so when your done it will be time to use it(not a ride like Tower of Terror).

When you feel really hot go into one of the shops or sit inside and get a cold drink.

Some trips have been in the 100's and we did just fine. Drink lots of water and don't try to push yourself to fast.

Have a great trip. We can not wait. We leave in 17 days!!!

 

[karliebug]

We often go in august. We do the early entry park and usually leave when it starts to get hot and crowded (lunchtime). We then go back to the hotel and rest and swim and head off to a different park in the pm. Make sure to drink lots of water. any counter service restaurant will give you cups of ice water for free. try to use fastpass and alternate air conditioned shows/rides with those in the sun.

 

[mkygrl]

My family and I have gone to WDW in August since I was a baby. It is hot but doable!

Drink lots of water! Every time we see a fountain we drink (some don't like the taste of Disney water so they bring their own-the taste doesn't bother us.)

Take a break in afternoon to swim or get a quick nap...it helps.

Don't go through the park like you have to see and do everything (If you don't see everything you will HAVE to come back!) Pick must do's/see's and take the time to enjoy everything including grab a seat and a waffle cone/mickey bar or popcorn and people watch.

Just have fun!!!!

 

[Cinderumbrella]

I haven't been in August since our honeymoon in 1997 but here's what we did:

We always filled up our water bottle before getting in a long line.

We both brought a washcloth from the hotel and soaked in the drinking fountain and put it on the back of our neck while waiting in a long line.

If you can, get up early and leave the park in the middle of the day to go back to the hotel to swim or chill and come back before dinner and stay out late.

Good luck!!

 

[LuvOrlando]

We've never been in Aug but last June the shock of the humidity & heat in FL compared to the unusually cool temps in the North East we had gave us a real jolt.

Even though they were bulky, we all used the water spraying fans the whole time there. I found that they could easily be filled at the bathrooms when we got to the parks (lightweight on our way in) and that the folks who sell sodas in the carts scattered all over had no problem giving me tons of ice for free. What I did was fill a ziploc with ice and when it melted to a size I could fit into the opening of our Wal-mart spray fans I'd stick them in and put water on top. Nothing better than icy cold water and a fan while waiting for a show to start. At first we kept telling our kids to try and avoid spraying other folks but as time went on we found more and more people trying to get in the way of the spray.

PS, the ice trick aslo worked with keeping our bottled waters cold throughout the day. I had a foldable cooler from the dollar store which held our waters and would put the ziplock ice intended for the spray bottles on top which kept our waters icy all day too.

It was a little bulky but the one day we ran out of water from our room cost us $60 in waters. To me it was worth the effort on our part.

 

[michelle1]

We would get to the parks for the opening and some days spent the day by the pool and then to the parks in the evening. AK was the hottest park..not as much a/c as the others. Despite the heat I loved going in the summer because it was so easy to pack..no pants or long sleeves!!

 

[TinkerTracy]

I go every year in august.
My tips
*Get there EARLY not so hot and you can get a lot done and go back to the pool for an afternoon swim.
*Bring a water bottle...to either pour on yourself or drink...your choice. Something else you can do is freeze a water bottle the night before and in the morning drink it as the ice melts...instant cold water.
*Water attractions and water parks are really great for those hot days.
*Wear hats...it keeps your face in the shade
*Rest...stop and get a pretzel or something and sit in the shade for a while.
*ICE CREAM...enough said
*Wear lightweight clothing
*Do things in one area (like do all the rides in adventure land first) instead or doing Magic Carpets and then deciding to run to space mountain
*Indoor a/c attractions (tiki room=NAP)

I hope some of these have helped

 

[LuvOrlando]

I second what Michelle1 said about AK being the hottest park, it isn't laid out as openly as the others so crowds build quickly and loosen slowly adding to how long it takes to get from point A to B. Also, there really isn't anywhere to rest and cool off so the best you can do here is manage your time wisely. We usually make it a point to get the Safari fastpasses & then get into its Tough to be a Bug 1st thing in the AM (hot long outdoor line) and then clear out before the crowds & heat become unbearable...usually around lunch time.

 

[CanadianPaco]

We go every year in august. My tips:
avoid early entry parks. too crowded in the am
Get to a park when it opens
go right to the area you really want to see
fastpass the 1st "big" ride you want
ALWAYS have an active fastpass
By 1:00, it might get too hot. either go eat, nap, or swim.
Come back after 6:00. parks are open late, people are leaving to go eat, and parks will be less crowded.

Always works for us!

Could not have put it better!!Frozen water bottles, lots of hand wipes (for faces and necks). Go slow!

 

[TruBlu]

The BEST thing we took on our trip was one of the small, clip-on mini misting fans from Wal-Mart. We used them everywhere - in line, on busses, etc. They were fantastic! They are small and light - not like the big ones you hang around your neck. Make sure you take one each (plus extra batteries) - because you are not going to want to share!!!

 

[JillU-DVC]

Have each person take a bandana - when things are heating up, I wet mine in the nearest water fountain or in a restroom sink, and wrap around my neck - the coolness on the back of your neck REALLY helps cool your whole body done.

For a real shocker, use ice water to wet the bandana.

As it dries, it helps keep you cool, then re-wet it as needed.

I also use it to wipe sweat from my face as well, then rinse it out good in a bathroom sink before putting it back on again.

Yes, the back of your shirt does get kind of damp, or wet, depending on how wet the bandana is, but it does really help keep you cool!

 

[LuvOrlando]

The little fans were easy and lighter on our 2004 trip but my DS & DD couldn't seem to keep from putting their hands in the way of the plastic fan blades (on purpose...it was a game) and broke all 16 I had brought with us. Luckliy they are under $1.00 at Wal-mart so no big loss but they aren't exactly sturdy.

 

[nordkin]

We use the Cool Downz from QVC. They are wraps you soak in water, they swell up, and stay cool for hours. Just wrap them around your neck, turning them every so often, and it will help. We use ours all the time and they are wonderful.

 

[TruBlu]

The little fans were easy and lighter on our 2004 trip but my DS & DD couldn't seem to keep from putting their hands in the way of the plastic fan blades (on purpose...it was a game) and broke all 16 I had brought with us. Luckliy they are under $1.00 at Wal-mart so no big loss but they aren't exactly sturdy.

Those are not the kind we had. I think ours were around $5 each. They actually hold water to mist with as well as having the fan. Ours were very sturdy. The boys constantly dropped them and stuck their fingers in the blades but they didn't break.

 

[LuvOrlando]

Where did you get those? I've never run across them but they sound like a good addition to my collection.

 

[TruBlu]

Where did you get those? I've never run across them but they sound like a good addition to my collection.

Wal-Mart. They were in the section with the other fans. In ours that was near the automotive section. Good luck finding them. They worked great for us.

 

[travelitis]

We've lived in Fl for a little over a year, and we prefer to do Disney in the cooler mos. This year we HAVE to go in July because of dh's sea sched. Yes, he couldn't be gone for 6 mos. without a good WDW send-off. lol! All the things mentioned are good, especially splitting up the day with a break for swimming or just relaxing at the hotel so you can gear up for a late night in the parks. We used to be theme park commandos, though, and to beat the heat and try to go all day we'd have a sit-down lunch as a break. If you don't want to leave for a break, then a little planning will make a big difference in beating the heat. Plan to be in certain attractions with A.C. and seating during the heat of the day, 12-4. That's the perfect time to go to:

MK -
Hall of Presidents, Haunted Mansion, Pirates, Tiki Birds, Mickey's Philharmagic, Carousel of Progress and to shop Main Street. Yes, many rides in MK involve a.c., but we like specific ones in the heat of the day for the dark, relaxing feel. Mid day is the best time for Splash Mtn, but we rarely do that one.

Epcot -
We head to Innoventions (can spend hours in there), The Living Seas, or Spaceship Earth. If you're in WS, then American Adventure, Norway, and Mexico give you a seated break. FW is better for an afternoon break, though.

MGM-
We go to Voyage of the Little Mermaid, Millionaire, The Great Movie Ride, Muppets 3-D, Magic of Disney Animation, and the Walt Disney Story (might have butchered the name of that one). My kids can do laps at the animation class. They kept going last time trying to draw every character that was taught.

AK -
Flights of Wonder (no a.c., but shade & benches), Rafiki's Planet Watch, Dinosaur, and Kali River. There's also Festival of the Lion King, but it's crowded, and benches have no backs, so it's not restful to us.