Beating the Heat Strategies

jacknsally19

DIS Veteran
Joined
Jun 12, 2013
I am going to WDW in mid August with my 6 year old daughter. We never go during the summer (and we are from Buffalo, NY) so I'm a little concerned with how best to tour.

Initially, I was thinking of going to the parks just in the AM, having lunch, and then heading back to the resort for swimming to close out the day. Maybe doing dinner at Epcot (we are staying at the Boardwalk) - then calling it a day.

The problem is my daughter is not some one that enjoys getting up and going. She is a slow mover in the AM. We never do rope drop.... so I'm thinking that maybe we should just do late afternoons and evenings in the parks. Honestly, we don't really care about doing all the rides. My daughter has picked just one ride per park and loves doing the shows that have much more capacity. So its more about what is the most enjoyable from dealing with the heat perspective.

Any advice would be much appreciated!
 
Honestly, the best "beat the heat" advice is common strategy. Many say that you should take a break mid-day and only do parks morning or evening. Nothing wrong with that if it's what you want to do, but definitely not necessary.

Most of the rides in WDW are in the a/c, and many of the queues are too. We're not rope drop people ourselves, we think it's a waste of time. We get to the parks between 9:30am and 11:00am, depending. If it's a super hot and sunny day, we'll do things that are largely indoors. Philharmagic, CoP, Laugh Floor, Dinosaur, Spaceship Earth, Pixar Films, Nemo (always freezing cold in there), Star Tours, etc... Those are all inside and nice and cool. So our only real exposure is walking between rides, which is no big deal at all. Avoid rides like Tomorrowland Speedway, Safari, TeaCups, walking trails in AK, etc...during the hottest part of the day, do those in the morning or evening. Pretty simple.

If you're into them, water rides are great. On a super hot day, nothing like getting splashed on Kali or Splash Mountain.

Take advantage of the free ice water they give at any QS. We do it all the time.

Light colored clothes. Sunscreen. Some use cooling towels, I personally find them nasty after about 3 minutes.

It's definitely hot in the summer, no doubt about it. But if you just take advantage of the tons of a/c rides WDW has, there's no reason not to be in the parks anytime you want.
 
I'm interested in the responses you get. We're travelling in August, and while we're morning people, we're coming from the West Coast and I fear we'll be affected by the time difference. I did buy some cooling towels and some misting fans. I also will have hats for everyone.

I know how much more enjoyable the parks are at 9am versus 11am - not just weather wise, but crowd wise too, that we'll definitely aim for rope drop.
 
I'm interested in the responses you get. We're travelling in August, and while we're morning people, we're coming from the West Coast and I fear we'll be affected by the time difference. I did buy some cooling towels and some misting fans. I also will have hats for everyone.

I know how much more enjoyable the parks are at 9am versus 11am - not just weather wise, but crowd wise too, that we'll definitely aim for rope drop.
 
I am going to WDW in mid August with my 6 year old daughter. We never go during the summer (and we are from Buffalo, NY) so I'm a little concerned with how best to tour.

Initially, I was thinking of going to the parks just in the AM, having lunch, and then heading back to the resort for swimming to close out the day. Maybe doing dinner at Epcot (we are staying at the Boardwalk) - then calling it a day.

The problem is my daughter is not some one that enjoys getting up and going. She is a slow mover in the AM. We never do rope drop.... so I'm thinking that maybe we should just do late afternoons and evenings in the parks. Honestly, we don't really care about doing all the rides. My daughter has picked just one ride per park and loves doing the shows that have much more capacity. So its more about what is the most enjoyable from dealing with the heat perspective.

Any advice would be much appreciated!
If early AM is not an option, then choose your FP+ for the late morning to minimize waiting outside in the heat. Get a slow start at the hotel and enjoy the morning. Maybe even have lunch before your head out. Eat light. Wear loose, light clothing and a hat with a good size brim. No black or navy blue. Take a cool wrap like Frog Toggs or Chill It. Stay hydrated. Buy some icy drinks to cool down. Skip the outdoor entertainment where you will be shoulder to shoulder with sweaty bodies. Go back to the hotel by 3 PM when the heat is at its worst. Swim, take a nap, do something indoors and out of the heat. Do dinner around 6 PM and then visit your evening park of choice.

We did a lot of July & August trips when my kids were young and this always worked for us (except the FP+ part, it didn't exist when they were small).
 
I go during the summer almost every year. Yes, the morning is cooler, but by no means "cool". I found the best way to "beat" the heat is to just accept it. Pack a bottle of water per person per hour, some frozen. Pack one set of clothes for each park visit, because you will want to change out of them when you get back to the hotel. Other than that, yes, alternate indoor and outdoor rides.
The only time I find the heat to be especially brutal is when going around the international section of Epcot, so perhaps see if you can skip that for this trip.
 
I am going to WDW in mid August with my 6 year old daughter. We never go during the summer (and we are from Buffalo, NY) so I'm a little concerned with how best to tour.

Initially, I was thinking of going to the parks just in the AM, having lunch, and then heading back to the resort for swimming to close out the day. Maybe doing dinner at Epcot (we are staying at the Boardwalk) - then calling it a day.

The problem is my daughter is not some one that enjoys getting up and going. She is a slow mover in the AM. We never do rope drop.... so I'm thinking that maybe we should just do late afternoons and evenings in the parks. Honestly, we don't really care about doing all the rides. My daughter has picked just one ride per park and loves doing the shows that have much more capacity. So its more about what is the most enjoyable from dealing with the heat perspective.

Any advice would be much appreciated!
Since your DD's preferred schedule is late morning wake up (weekends?) yet I'm guessing she also has a school schedule, compromise and combine the 2 just as you do at home. No idea how many days you are going for but I'd guess you'll find the right mixture once you get there. The fact that she currently only wants one ride per park makes a less regimented visit easier.

I'm interested in the responses you get. We're travelling in August, and while we're morning people, we're coming from the West Coast and I fear we'll be affected by the time difference. I did buy some cooling towels and some misting fans. I also will have hats for everyone.

I know how much more enjoyable the parks are at 9am versus 11am - not just weather wise, but crowd wise too, that we'll definitely aim for rope drop.
Think you have a good "how to keep cool" strategy what w/ the cooling towels and misting fans. As for jet lag concerns this article's suggestions might help:

https://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/19/travel/a-battle-plan-for-jet-lag.html

I go for the low tech method of gradually changing my sleeping habits before the trip's start but you may find another method works better for you.

HTH
 


We go in the summer because it is the only time that we really plan with all of our schedules. Not our favorite time to go. Also now that are kids are older they do not like to get up early. We usually start our FPs at around 11am - do a few and then stop for an air conditioned late lunch. Then go back out. We do love the late nights - as it is less hot once the sun goes down - it is still hot but not as bad. We also love when it rains - we put on our ponchos and keep going. We get a lot done in the rain.

Also we make sure to get water often - we don't carry as much anymore we just stop at the CS and get free water. We do carry a few mister fans. We hang them around our necks and share. They are great.

I agree about the countries of EPCOT - that walk can be brutal in the heat of the day. Also AK - is a park that we do early - or late. It was great last year when it started staying open later. There is not much AC in the shops so you don't get much of a break.
 
We go early, out the door by 7. I told my kids on our studio day we are leaving before 6 for the 7 am opening! We also eat breakfast in our room to save time while dh and I take turns showering.

We have lunch in the park and then return for a nap. We are all tired! Then we shower and return around 5 til close.

All the rides (almost all) have a/c. I find when we leave there are tons and tons of people walking in, much more then when we arrived.

We bring our water bottles to sip on. I let my kids get soaked if they want in rides or the misters/sprayers all over....they are only allowed to wear shoes that they can get wet!
 
Don't expect to be cooled off by the pools in August, except after the sun goes down. The pool water is nasty-warm, which we use a term here at home to describe that is not DIS appropriate, LOL! Also, the pool deck is hot, hot, hot. Not a cooling experience at all. We most often go in August, and our heat strategy is to go back to the room to cool off in the AC, take a shower, change clothes, etc.
 
Don't expect to be cooled off by the pools in August, except after the sun goes down. The pool water is nasty-warm, which we use a term here at home to describe that is not DIS appropriate, LOL! Also, the pool deck is hot, hot, hot. Not a cooling experience at all. We most often go in August, and our heat strategy is to go back to the room to cool off in the AC, take a shower, change clothes, etc.

YUCK!! It’s like a hot tub in the summertimeo_O
 
I have to say that I highly suggest rope drop. An above poster is correct - the morning will not be cool. It really will not be cool during any part of the day. You'll be sweating the moment you leave your room, whether it's at 8 am or at 10 pm. The weather is NOT pleasant during summer. However, there are far fewer people there and fewer lines to stand in if you are willing to brave the morning. Get in as much as you can, but don't fight it if your body is saying that the heat is too much. When that happens, get back to your resort, take a nap, go to the pool, etc. The nap should help a lot if you do rope drop and wake up earlier than you like.

Other tips (some I saw above and want to second):
1. Bring two sets of clothes for each day, unless you plan to do laundry (laundry is actually not too bad because it's usually located next to a pool).
2. Frog Toggs cooling towels are great. However, you will have wet marks around your shoulders if you wear them, so you might want to just keep them on when you take photos.
3. HYDRATE. Drink more water than you ever imagined you could! We always bring Polar Bottles and fill them up throughout the day. Free water is given out at any counter service location. We oftentimes asked for tons of ice to fill our bottles with.
4. Take leisurely meals at restaurants with A/C. Don't go when restaurants are slammed, since it might not be relaxing then. Take your time and sit for a while. The A/C can do wonders to rejuvenate you.
5. For my DH and I, we typically did not get Fastpasses for rides that had a queue that was air conditioned. This meant we could take a long break in the A/C. For example, at MK, we would get Fastpasses for Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, and the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. We definitely didn't want one for Space Mountain, since that queue is long and in the A/C. We could take a break and do some reading on our phones while cooling down. Other queues that come to mind that have amazing A/C: Pirates of the Caribbean (MK), Philharmagic (MK), Dinosaur (AK), the Avatar rides - partially (AK), Living with the Land (Epcot), Soarin' (Epcot), The Seas with Nemo (Epcot), Mission: Space (Epcot), Frozen Ever After (Epcot), El Rio del Tiempo (Mexico), Star Tours (HS), Tower of Terror - partially (HS), RnRC - partially (HS), etc... I'm sure I missed some, but those came to my mind right away.
6. If you're about to take photos, head to the bathroom and wipe off your face. You'll be sweaty and gross in your photos, otherwise.

I hope that helps!
 
I have to say that I highly suggest rope drop. An above poster is correct - the morning will not be cool. It really will not be cool during any part of the day. You'll be sweating the moment you leave your room, whether it's at 8 am or at 10 pm. The weather is NOT pleasant during summer. However, there are far fewer people there and fewer lines to stand in if you are willing to brave the morning. Get in as much as you can, but don't fight it if your body is saying that the heat is too much. When that happens, get back to your resort, take a nap, go to the pool, etc. The nap should help a lot if you do rope drop and wake up earlier than you like.

Other tips (some I saw above and want to second):
1. Bring two sets of clothes for each day, unless you plan to do laundry (laundry is actually not too bad because it's usually located next to a pool).
2. Frog Toggs cooling towels are great. However, you will have wet marks around your shoulders if you wear them, so you might want to just keep them on when you take photos.
3. HYDRATE. Drink more water than you ever imagined you could! We always bring Polar Bottles and fill them up throughout the day. Free water is given out at any counter service location. We oftentimes asked for tons of ice to fill our bottles with.
4. Take leisurely meals at restaurants with A/C. Don't go when restaurants are slammed, since it might not be relaxing then. Take your time and sit for a while. The A/C can do wonders to rejuvenate you.
5. For my DH and I, we typically did not get Fastpasses for rides that had a queue that was air conditioned. This meant we could take a long break in the A/C. For example, at MK, we would get Fastpasses for Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, and the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. We definitely didn't want one for Space Mountain, since that queue is long and in the A/C. We could take a break and do some reading on our phones while cooling down. Other queues that come to mind that have amazing A/C: Pirates of the Caribbean (MK), Philharmagic (MK), Dinosaur (AK), the Avatar rides - partially (AK), Living with the Land (Epcot), Soarin' (Epcot), The Seas with Nemo (Epcot), Mission: Space (Epcot), Frozen Ever After (Epcot), El Rio del Tiempo (Mexico), Star Tours (HS), Tower of Terror - partially (HS), RnRC - partially (HS), etc... I'm sure I missed some, but those came to my mind right away.
6. If you're about to take photos, head to the bathroom and wipe off your face. You'll be sweaty and gross in your photos, otherwise.

I hope that helps!
Great point on the A/C queues and not FP them.... That is such a good idea.
 
I go during the summer almost every year. Yes, the morning is cooler, but by no means "cool". I found the best way to "beat" the heat is to just accept it. Pack a bottle of water per person per hour, some frozen. Pack one set of clothes for each park visit, because you will want to change out of them when you get back to the hotel. Other than that, yes, alternate indoor and outdoor rides.
The only time I find the heat to be especially brutal is when going around the international section of Epcot, so perhaps see if you can skip that for this trip.
Good advice. We skip the World Showcase on summer trips, save for a Via Napoli meal and Illuminations after dark.
 
YUCK!! It’s like a hot tub in the summertimeo_O
We call the pools human soup. Our favourite time to swim is first thing in the morning. Pools are freshly shocked, crystal clear and clean. We don’t swim later in the day. Yuck!
 
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OP, this September is our first summer trip. We are from south Louisiana, so we can take the humidity and heat in stride. However, we had to re-think our park bag and packing. We bought a Totes SunGuard umbrella from Costco for about $10 and a Yeti type water bottle. We also bought a lightweight waterproof backpack for the parks. We plan to rope drop and break from 2-4 or 5 then head back in the evenings if we're up for it.

We know it will be a different type of trip and we've been spoiled with December and November trips. I will say I am looking forward to NOT having to pack an extra suitcase of layers! It was so cold in January that we were miserable in the mornings. I hate the winter!!

Good luck to you!

P.S. I don't care what anyone says about the pools. We plan to use them!
 
OP, this September is our first summer trip. We are from south Louisiana, so we can take the humidity and heat in stride. However, we had to re-think our park bag and packing. We bought a Totes SunGuard umbrella from Costco for about $10 and a Yeti type water bottle. We also bought a lightweight waterproof backpack for the parks. We plan to rope drop and break from 2-4 or 5 then head back in the evenings if we're up for it.

We know it will be a different type of trip and we've been spoiled with December and November trips. I will say I am looking forward to NOT having to pack an extra suitcase of layers! It was so cold in January that we were miserable in the mornings. I hate the winter!!

Good luck to you!

P.S. I don't care what anyone says about the pools. We plan to use them!
Given that my DD wants to spend all of her time in the hot tub, she is prob going to love the heated pools.
 
Should Frog Toggs not be available nearby or you forgot to order on time, go to your local Home Depot/Lowe's, and buy cooling towels from the Construction aisle.They are often less expensive.
Also think carefully about what you need to bring to the parks. I carry a wristlet instead of a backpack or regular pocketbook probably because I travel with older children who don't need a lot of special products.
 
Don't expect to be cooled off by the pools in August, except after the sun goes down. The pool water is nasty-warm, which we use a term here at home to describe that is not DIS appropriate, LOL! Also, the pool deck is hot, hot, hot. Not a cooling experience at all. We most often go in August, and our heat strategy is to go back to the room to cool off in the AC, take a shower, change clothes, etc.

Don't know where you stay, but we haven't experienced that at all. Both water parks have water I would call "appropriate" temperature. Not ice cold, but not bath water warm. Slightly cool, I'd call it. Very, very refreshing. Same for the pool at the condos we've always stayed at. We've only experienced one on sight pool...the one at the Dolphin, and frankly it was too cold for DW and my taste...but the kids loved it.
 

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