Best tips for dealing with the Heat

[viviensmama]

We are officially booked for a trip this summer! Unfortunately, to accommodate my sister's college schedule, we will be going in August! My daughter will be 13 months and I am a little worried about the heat.

Are those little clip-on stroller fans worth it? Should we just put her little swimsuit on under her clothes and let her play in the water fountains?

Any mamas have good advice for dealing with the heat?

 

[Safari Queen]

Get there early, make everyone wear a good hat, and make sure everyone always has something cold to drink. We freeze water bottles and drink them as they melt. Take advantage of every opportunity to get wet -- fountains, rides, play areas, misters, and restroom sinks, if necessary. Duck into a store or a mostly-inside attraction when the baby or the adults start to droop. Attractions in theaters like Hall of the Presidents give you a good 20 minute break. Leaving mid-day to relax and play in the pool is also a great idea. Return in the evening when it cools off a bit.

 

[brymolmom]

Lots of breaks with long drinks of cool water (sometimes 13 mo olds aren't 'into' water - I would make sure to introduce it early enough that she is used to it by then - maybe with a splash of gatorade in it) inside air conditioned places.

For the water 'splash' areas...in August I wouldn't worry about a bathing suit - clothes will dry quick enough. I always brought a back up set of clothes in case we wanted to change after (and if you need to change a diaper, you might want to change the clothes) - but IMO changing an outfit and a diaper in shorts instead of bathing suit is much easier - AND no worries about changing into lil swimmers first - saves a lot of time. AK and DHS, unfortunately, are difficult to find water play areas (I think EVERY park should have a couple) and AK is HOT, so maybe just plan for 1/2 days there - first thing in the morning when it's coolest.

In MK one of my favorite 'cool down with a snack and drink' places is in the theater on main st - right at the entrance at the same door as Tony's restaurant - always cool and quiet.

I also love making a reservation at Sci Fi at DHS in the summer months - can't beat that dark and quiet place to have ameal and get out of the heat.

When my kids were little, the heat WIPED THEM OUT though, so maybe be prepared for that. At home they were usually the happiest and would play the best in the 8 - 10am timeframe but at WDW at those ages, they were at times tired and cranky even then. I think after an hour or two in the heat they were just wiped. So plan lots of breaks and air conditioning time.

 

[stacy6552]

The misty fans are better that the clip on ones, if you're only going to buy one.

Remember the parks are open really long hours in the summer, so if it gets too hot in the afternoon, head back to the resort for a break and go back in the evening.

Freeze your waterbottles overnight. They will melt over the course of the morning and give you a nice supply of cold water.

Got long hair? Put it up wet in the morning. Dont dry it. The damp hairs helps you stay cool.

Hat and shoes for the baby.

Spray deoderant. spray your feet before you put your shoes on. It helps alot. Change shoes mid day if you can.

Pack one pice rompers for the baby. no layers or appliques.

 

[dizzie1]

Sunscreen of course. I also find a spray bottle even better than those misting fans. At one point, I took to just dumping some water from a bottle straight onto my kids' heads! Whatever it takes - the heat can make them pretty miserable.

 

[anabelle]

It sounds obvious, but I have found the best way to combat heat in the summer is stay out of it as much as possible. There are many air conditioned shows, shops, and resturants. Go early, before it gets to hot. Leave before the afternoon sun hits. With a 13 month old, that is a perfect time for a nap at the hotel. Then go back and enjoy the shows after the sun goes down.

 

[jagafen]

We are officially booked for a trip this summer! Unfortunately, to accommodate my sister's college schedule, we will be going in August! My daughter will be 13 months and I am a little worried about the heat.

Are those little clip-on stroller fans worth it? Should we just put her little swimsuit on under her clothes and let her play in the water fountains?

Any mamas have good advice for dealing with the heat?

I wouldn't put her swimsuit on UNDER her clothes...Change her into it when there's an opportunity for a splash and play, or just bring an extra change of clothes and let her regular clothes get wet (easier IMO..that's what we do with DS). The hat and sunglasses are a good idea too...the sun is as bright as it is hot.

YES!! Get a stroller fan if you're able to....DS loved his on our last trip, and knowck on wood, nothing happened to it while we were there. If you can get an extra large sunshade for her stroller, that's a big helper too. Remember to keep her hydrated...she drinks when you all drink....if you really think it'll hslp, they do make neck coolers that you could use as well...

 

[2binak]

If your stroller had a closed canopy, be sure to keep the back part opened a bit to allow air to flow through. You'd be amazed how some of those canopies can trap the hot air!

If your stroller does not have a large canopy, the RayShade is amazing!!!!

If baby has a hat, don't make her wear it while in the stroller, under the canopy. You want the head to be able to sweat to expell the heat. Hats can trap heat and make you hotter.

Don't put her in layers or leave her in a swimsuit all day long. Put her in lightweight cotton clothes which will allow her skin to breathe. Carters makes some great one piece tank-style rompers. If her clothes get wet, just change her and put the wet clothes on top of the stroller canopy - they'll be dry in no time!

Make sure to put sunscreen on baby's feet and reapply throughout the day- I lost count of the number of little ones I saw in strollers with sunburned feet.

Take it slow and duck into every possible place that has a/c. ie: instead of strolling down Main Street, stroll through the stores on either side. Same with Hollywood Studios. Try to keep in the shade as much as possible too.

Use the Baby Care Centers too. They provide a great place to rest, relax and cool off.

 

[pktbMouse]

A friend of mine recommended Pedialite to drink..its normally give to babies if they get sick but its great to refresh them if they have been sweating all day. If you cant get it, I think another person mentioned half gatorade/half water works just as well.

 

[TinaLala]

We love to go in August!!

I recommend bringing an insulated cooler backpack - you can pick it up at Target for $28 - be sure to bring two ice packs or freezer bags so you can pack ice. Best way to keep your water cool!

Mist fan - buy it at Walmart for $2 instead of paying $15 at Disney. Make sure you pack extra batteries!

Baby wipes - great refresher! put them in the frig over night so they are nice and cool.

Usually the lines aren't too bad in August and Disney has great misters throughout the parks. Just make sure you take time in air conditioned places in each park. Utilize the pools at night to cool off before bed.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

I have an unusual recommendation--avoid the cute Disney clothes, especially those on sale at Disney. Dress your dd in something extremely light weight--it will help keep her cool. Also--don't be afraid to allow the close to get wet. Sometimes my kids just like to play with water--and it helps keep them cool.

I second the uv cover for the stroller--forget what it is called, but it blocks UV rays and attaches to the top of strollers. At that age, we were still using our "cadillac" stroller instead of the umbrella--and the uv cover increased the amount of shade for the little one.

Sunscreen is a must, reapply frequently. Make sure it is a baby safe one--I know that even as a grown up, I cannot use sunscreen on my face unless it is a sunscreen expressly for the face. I use the physical blocks (zinc oxide) that are clear for that. Chemical sunscreens sting my face something fierce.

Be careful with milk. Please don't walk around all day with the same milk bottle. Let the little one drink her milk and then once that milk has warmed, she's out cold asleep--or whatever, rinse the bottle or sippy out.

Frozen juice boxes are also good ice packs. Then your cooler gets lighter throughout the day.

My son actually loved playing with the disney mister fans. Sure he'd get all wet--but that helps keep him cool. The fan has foam tips, so while I don't want to declare that an injury is impossible to obtain--i felt comfortable letting him play with it. I did buy the mickey fan to attach to his stroller. But as he got older, that became a toy. And though the fan is caged--I was a bit concerned about it's continued use.

Make exceptional use of your fast passes--avoid queing as much as possible.

Rides like Dumbo and magic carpet and the equivilent cousin at AK shoudl be done earlier in the day--it gets might toasty waiting in line AND sitting on the ride.

Lastly--don't commando tour this trip. Keep on top of your child's hydration--but don't overdue it. If baby doesn't want to drink the water and you have been keeping up with fluids, trust their instinct. As long as my little ones weren't flushed, I'd let them deny a drink if they had been keeping up.


I've taken infants at a variety of ages and have had much luck in keeping them safe in the Florida heat. But we also live in it.

I have found that if a child in the 12-24 months of age gets irritable and it may not be naptime, that it is likely that they are too hot. At 13 months, she won't be able to tell you--and while you don't have to fuss over her, you just need to monitor regularly as it can get very easy to forget that they may be more uncomfortable than you are.

 

[viviensmama]

Great tips y'all! I would never have thought of some of this stuff. Glad to hear some people love August too. Makes me feel like I'm not crazy for going out in the blazing sun.

 

[Ariel8676]

We go in August every year...
Go to the parks at rope drop spend a few hours and head back to your resort around noon..swim, nap relax in the a/c, and go back to the parks around dinnertime.

Put a big white towel over the back and seat of the stroller..doesn't get hot and sweaty.
Clip on fan for stroller
Misty fan is great..get an inexpensive one from walmart
take ziploc bags and put some ice and a washcloth...great for cooling down..just take out and wipe head, neck, face etc.
water, water, water..ship cases to your resort, or buy some if you have a car.
Sunscreen..make sure to cover ears, feet and thighs..i feel so bad for the kids in the stroller when they have bright red feet and thighs.
nice big hat and comfy cool clothes..leave the princess outfits home! LOL

Have fun we will be there 8/22-29

 

[JUJU814]

Our family went to Disney for a week each of the last two years in August. Hot hot hot!

Here's what worked for us:

1) we bought cases of water from Garden Grocer and had them delivered to our resort. Much cheaper than buying it in the parks.
2) Dh and I each carried a backpack and made sure to bring plenty of water each day.
3) PLENTY of sunscreen
4) loose cotton clothing
5) misty spray fan thingy
6) imperative to get to the parks early. you get to comfortably see sooooo much more in the first two hours than if you get there at 10 or 11. I've done it both ways. It's true
7) my children just couldn't handle it past noon. We'd get there at 9 and do so much and be OUT of there by noon when the mobs came in and the heat was dreadful.
8) back to the resort and have the time of our life in the pool. This was my children's favorite part of the day
9) Then we'd go to our room for a rest after pool time and ice cream
10) freshen up and get ready for dinner.
11) after dinner it's starting to get cooler and we might stay at a park we're at, or do downtown disney. Usually we're done with the parks for the day though.

This is just our way of dealing with it and it has worked well for us.

If you have a little girl that wants to dress like a princess in those blazing hot outfits, put her in it and bring a change of clothese to the parks so after your cinderella breakfast or meeting the toontown princesses or ariel, she can change.

Also, last summer, thanks to DisBoutiquers, I learned to make adorable calico like princess sundresses that she could wear and be dressed like a princess but not sweltering. There are also stores on etsy where you can buy them.

Don't have much advice on the boys since my boy is so easy to dress. 7 shirts and 7 shorts from target. bam.

Hope this helps

We went the last week of August both years and crowds were quite manageable!

 

[BiancaBernard&Penny]

I saw the suggestion for Pedialyte and wanted to add to it- Try the pedialyte freezer pops (not frozen, of course) You can cut one open and add it to ice water. It easier to carry a couple of those than a couple jugs of regular pedialyte.
I would definitely use the pedialyte, gatorade, whatever. Like a PP said, you don't want to overdo the hydration if the baby doesn't want it and even if they do they may take in too much water and the lack of electrolytes makes them sick.
For those freezing your water bottles and juice boxes? Where? Do you all stay offsite? Deluxes? We always stay in a mod and I don't think there is a freezer compartment in the mini fridge?

 

[PiperPizzaz]

Are those little clip-on stroller fans worth it? Should we just put her little swimsuit on under her clothes and let her play in the water fountains?

We liked ours. Didn't LOVE it. I mean it is just blowing hot air really but, we had one of those pump and spray misters (not a fan) from Walmart and I would spray him down and turn on the fan.

Remember the parks are open really long hours in the summer, so if it gets too hot in the afternoon, head back to the resort for a break and go back in the evening.

Got long hair? Put it up wet in the morning. Dont dry it. The damp hairs helps you stay cool.

Hat and shoes for the baby.

Pack one pice rompers for the baby. no layers or appliques.

I totally agree with all this. We did little one piece rompers that were like a tank top on top and those seemed to work the best. We had a very wide brimmed spf 50+ hat for our little guy and me. It may not be the most fashionable but, it is nice always having your own shade to stand in.
The tip about the hair is what I do when it is really hot.
We like to get out of the parks for break at least 1-1:30 and then head back around 5:30ish. It is still really hot then but, since you have had a break it doesn't seem so bad.

A friend of mine recommended Pedialite to drink..its normally give to babies if they get sick but its great to refresh them if they have been sweating all day.

That is a great idea!



We also have those cooling neck ties. I had little ones for my DS.

 

[monorailsilver]

I have gone in July/August quite a bit.

I am probably repeating other posters but what we do is get to the parks for opening or early opening. Get in as many rides as we can, have lunch & leave the parks for either a nap or swim in the pool.

As a teen we would swim but with little kids we napped.

Then we headed back at dinner time until closing.

I also dressed my kids in tank tops every day. They wore hats. I sunscreened them as they were getting dressed. I carried cold water for them.

One year my ds was 22 months & he sat in the stroller & played with ice cubes & we kept giving him more. It was so hot but that kept him cool. I didn't care if his clothes got wet.

My oldest was 15 mo when we took her in 2002. It was hot but we kept her shielded as much as we could with the stroller.

When we went in 2008, all 3 of my kids were soaked from Donalds Boat area. We grabbed a bite to eat right after at Cosmic Ray's & my oldest was freezing because her clothes were wet & we were inside with the a/c. We ate quickly & headed back to our room & their clothes were dry by the time we got to the Poly.