Best Ways to Stay Cool in July?

[Truelovernr1122]

My family and I are heading back to Disney. EVERY year we go in the summer and it is BRUTAL! I don't take the heat well and end up with migraines if I don't take excedrin before we leave our resort. Does anyone have any ways to stay cool? Dodging from one air-conditioned attraction to another while splashing bottled water on my head hasn't worked for me all these years. Any cool contraptions or interesting tips you all used?

TIA!

 

[jacksmom]

Hi! We are going in July also! I have bought those "cooling scarves"! I hope they really work! Also bought some misty fans from Walmart! I am now looking for some water bottle holders! I am thinking we could freeze the water bottles at our resort to take into the parks and they would be nice and cold for awhile!

 

[Chedstro]

I just moved here a year ago (20 min from the WDW parks) Trying to keep as cool as I can! I got a small "MistyMate" from Walmart. It works well so far; but I tend to go from airconditioned attraction to another.

Tip - in the Magic Kingdom you can get down Main Street by walking through the shops - all with air

 

[lizzyb]

We are also going in July and got some misty mates and arctic ties. We also got a fan that clips on to the stroller. We plan on staying out of the fun during peak times and try to stay in the air conditioner as much as possible.

 

[michelle1]

We carry 1 small bag for the whole family and take turns..large backpacks will make you extra hot. We also hate carrying misty fans etc so I've found a ziplock bag with a wet face cloth works great because it can be rinsed anywhere with cold water and is refreshing to cool off your face, neck etc. The clothing you wear makes a huge difference also...light colours with cool fabric and if I can get away with tanks that have a built in bra then I'm happy.

 

[ntsammy5]

Wear shirts that wick moisture away. Running shirts -- that helps. My solution is not to go in the summer, but I don't have any school age kids anymore. Heat doesn't really bother me but with DW it's a different matter.

 

[mamita]

for us it`s air conditioned rides we find nice cool rides like pirates that had no lines and went on it twice!! it was refreshing and we were ready to go after that

 

[beccasmom]

I find that staying hyrdrated is the most important thing. I am not wild about the hot weather either, but I always seem to survive it one way or another. We just had a 4-day heat wave here in the Philly area and it was awful. Reminded me of what we are heading into! Dress as cooly as you can in light colors and lightweight fabrics. Be flexible with regards to planning and change your plans if needed - health comes first. The Florida sun is really tough on your skin - SPF is so crucial! I bring a spray can of Neutrogena to use during the day. Take a mid-afternoon break; in the summer the parks are opener later so you can afford to take a couple of hours "off" to jump in the pool or take a snooze. Eat lightly - salads, yogurt, fruit. Avoid a lot of caffeine and alcohol. Take an ice cream/Dole Whip break (no calories on vacation, remember? ) and sit in the shade. Take a misting fan or a plastic spray bottle with water to spritz yourself and your kids. Take as many breaks as you need and don't push yourself.

 

[THUNDERMOUNTAINMOMMA]

ITA with beccasmom, and take a mid afternoon break. A dip in the pool and a little nap is just what we usually need to get through the day. Also, drink plenty of H2O, and wear a hat.

 

[OKW Lover]

Lots of good suggestions here.

In hot weather, we go to a park early in the morning and leave before noon. We spend most of the afternoon at the pool or even just in the air conditioned room. In the late afternoon we head back to the parks - typically Epcot.

While in the parks, we often take "shortcuts" through the air conditioned shops. Also plan on taking in some of the longer attractions such as Hall of Presidents, Ellen's Energy Adventure, American Adventure, etc.

 

[ohiojoy]

Not that this helps with the heat exactly but one thing that can take away headaches and all that is staying hydrated. When it's that hot out you sweat but don't realize it because it evaporates so the important thing to is drink plenty of waters. When you've thought you've drank enough water, drink more! lol

 

[sueh]

We will be there in July also!

I plan to dress in light clothing and take afternoon breaks with the girls.
We too just had a 4 day heatwave and I usually don't do well in the heat but for reason it wasn't so bad. I guess it's a dress rehersal for what's to come. LOL

 

[Samantha/NC]

We went at the end of July in 2007-we took in frozen water bottles. We actually did not mind the heat--except for our photo ops, when you can tell that I am covered in a fine layer of SWEAT!! The most embarrassing one is the 9:05 am picture of me and dd on Dumbo--oh yeah, I sweat!

They are plenty of air conditioned attractions and most of the lines have you out of the sun--just be prepared--it will be hot!

 

[Castle crazy]

We freeze bottles of water in the freezer in our room and take 2 frozen and 2 cold into the park with us. The frozen bottles we wrap in layers of paper towels. We use the paper towels to put on our head and neck then throw away. At the end of the day we usually still have very cold water if we got some ice water at the food places along the way. I buy those blue paper towels that are really thick,soft, and very strong. They are kind of like Viva. They work very well during the day and you just throw away when you are done.

 

[LSU]

we just went to WDW from 5/23-6/6. The first week was fine - but when June hit - there was a HEAT WAVE. Anyway - we brought in frozen water bottles and drank it all day as it melted. Strange...but I got so hot at times that I used the frozen bottle to place on my pulse points and talk about cool ya down!!! It really worked. The cooling scarves work too. (buy them in the camping section at wmart.

What about sea water or florida water? I know it's used for sports, etc...can't that be taken into the parks to dip a cloth in?

 

[Truelovernr1122]

I think I'll try freezing the water this time. Do the neck coolers REALLY work? I hear different opinions, some say it does, some say it doesn't - what company have you had luck with?

 

[MapleGirl]

We're going in September this year. Usually we go in January, so it will be a new experience.

I love the idea of bringing washcloths into the parks. But I think we'll go with a PP's idea and bring a roll of shop paper towels (the really thick blue ones from hardware stores). We can fold up and bring a few with us into the parks, then wet them with ice water, wipe down our faces, then throw out the towel. love it!

 

[adamalexa]

Just came back from Disney 6/7 and it was in the 90's and humid every day.

We brought with us Black Ice Personal Coolers, which you wrap around your neck and it does help cool down your body. It worked well, but carrying ice/water in a plastic ziploc to recharge the wrap was heavy and a (drippy) hassle. We switched to the mister fans, which we filled with ice & water, which was a great way to cool down too with less mess.

We always wore sunscreen (I went through 4 bottles of spray sunscreen), hats & sunglasses (even the kids). We often stopped at a water fountain, filled our hats with water, and dumped them on our heads. It was refreshing!

Definitely stay hydrated!

We went with my parents (in their early 70's), and my mother's back was bothering her, in addition to the heat, so at Epcot she actually rented a motorized scooter. It worked out well. When my 6 year old was tired, she would hop on for a lift.

Have a great trip!

 

[kte28]

I'm going to have to just reiterate what many people have already said. Growing up we went to Disney yearly, and EVERY year we went in July. We're heading back this coming July 3-13. We've found if we get to the park at opening, we manage to get on all the rides we want to...usually BEFORE noon. After that, we head back to the resort and relax by the pool. Some of us stay at the pool longer than others, the rest go up for a nap in our nice air conditioned rooms. We stay at the Dolphin, so we'll usually catch a quick bite to eat there or somewhere on the Boardwalk and head back to the parks after dinner. By then, we've already seen all the rides so we'll just wander onto the lesser crowded ones or since we've seen everything, we don't mind waiting in a bit of a line for others. We also used to bring the mini fans and squirt bottles to keep cool. Honestly, as long as you miss out on those hours around noontime, take advantage of the shops and rides that are inside, you should be fine.

 

[sherabby]

We are going in July too! 14th to the 19th. Wish it could be longer too! We get up early and are at rope drop. Take afternoon breaks at Tyhoon Lagoon or the hotel pool then go back for our 5pm dinner reservations and finish riding in the evenings.