Cooling neck towels - I don't get it

[Justrose]

Our next cooling solution to try is Biore cooling wipes. DH brought some back at my request from a business trip in Japan, but you can also find them on eBay. Super popular in Japan for the humid summers, so I bet they'd be great for Disney.

I use witch hazel wipes to wipe sweat off my face and cool it down - they work great!

 

[Memorymakerfor4]

We like the cooling towels with a fan for that cooler evaporative air but if I have to pick one, it's the fan. I've also started carrying a few dry wash cloths in a ziplock if we're there in the summer. A quick face wipe down really helps me feel human again and less like a frying egg. We're usually in a villa with a w/d, so I just throw them in to wash when we get back. Also handy if you get sprayed on a water ride.

If you do get a cooling towel, be sure to let them dry thoroughly before storing. The first ones we bought mildewed and had to be tossed because they weren't as dry as I thought. The Frogs Toggs come in a plastic tube so now I hang them to dry until just slightly damp after cleaning, then roll them loosely and put them in the tube because they get stiff when dry, but I'll leave the lid off until they are completely dry.

 

[kwdw]

I was a skeptic until I tried a cooling towel last August. I bought one from Mission, It stayed damp way longer than expected and you just needed to re-snap them occasionally. It definitely helped. I didn't love the cooling hat as much as I thought I would, though. Made a mess of my hair and it was actually TOO cold of a band around my head part of the time. But the towel, awesome!

I did LOVE my UV umbrella. Way more useful than I thought it would be. Crowds weren't bad both trips I used it so I could navigate without hitting folks pretty easily. It was hard to find a super small one, but mine folds up small and will fit in a pair of cargo shorts pocket or my fanny pack.so it was easy to put away, though I did primarily used my string backpack both trips because I was also carrying things like a hat, cooling towel, extra water bottle. Being able to walk through EP or HS without that full sun beating down on your head is just a game changer for me.

 

[scrappinginontario]

PSA: It may just be me but, please do not use drinking fountains to wet cooling towels. There are many places to freshen them but a place where people put their mouth to drink is not a place to rinse/wet a towel that has been used to remove sweat from your body. This grosses me out every single time I see people doing it!!

 

[DizneyFamof4]

I have did a couple of "cold towels" here in Florida when I cut the lawn and it is so nice for 5-10 minutes, but after that I have this warm damp towel around my neck making me hotter. Good as long as you keep re-wetting it with cold water. Not a fan of any type of umbrellas at the parks, to many close calls on being hit with them.

 

[godfather927]

I'll never go to a theme park in the summer again without them. For those who say they don't work, my only guess is that they are using a different brand or type than the ones we've been using.

 

[MinnieMSue]

I'll never go to a theme park in the summer again without them. For those who say they don't work, my only guess is that they are using a different brand or type than the ones we've been using.

I agree. If mine starts to get warm I just hold it out and give it a snap and it feels cold again when I put it back on. Only need to re-wet it at a couple of times a day at the bathroom faucet when I wash my hands.

 

[leebee]

We didn't like them. I bought them at Amazon and they got 5 star ratings, but they just weren't for us. I just felt slimy all day long.
I have a friend who swears by these:

She says her hands are free, her head isn't covered by a hat so there's airflow to her scalp, and it's not heavy to carry around. Maybe I'll try it out next time, if I can find one on Amazon!

 

[katyjeka]

PSA: It may just be me but, please do not use drinking fountains to wet cooling towels. There are many places to freshen them but a place where people put their mouth to drink is not a place to rinse/wet a towel that has been used to remove sweat from your body. This grosses me out every single time I see people doing it!!

I agree! We've seen this happen a dozen times and it takes everything I have to keep walking. Gross!!

 

[maxiesmom]

Let me know how you like the UV umbrella. I wear hats when walking at home but they do get hot.

I have both a uv umbrella and hat (I think from Mission) that both blocks uv rays and cools when wet. Both work really well.

I do have a slight advantage with the umbrella in that I use a scooter to get around the parks. So I already have a little bit of a buffer zone when I'm around others. But still you do have to pay attention and not use it in tight spaces where you could hurt someone.

 

[mbizup]

We used cooling towels last august for a short visit and the kids liked them but I think more as a novelty than anything. We are going back this august and going to try them again but also got a neck fan and a handheld fan so are going to try a combination of things to see what works best

 

[iheartglaciers]

We use both frozen water bottles and cooling towels. We also wear wide brim hats. This year I am bringing a UV umbrella to see if that has any benefit.

We are going Aug 21-28. I'm not sure when you are going, but I'd love to get your feedback on the umbrellas once you try them.

Let me know how you like the UV umbrella. I wear hats when walking at home but they do get hot.

I've used a UV umbrella for a few summer visits now and find it's significantly cooler under the umbrella when it's sunny. I bought a small one from Amazon and it even fits in a fanny pack (make sure you pick a small one, Amazon sells big ones too). The umbrella plus a small handheld fan is my go-to now when it's hot out.

 

[ST1TCH]

Wife and I swear by the cooling towels they sell in the park. I'm sure there are better ones available online, but we always seem to forget stuff like that and pick it up at WDW and I feel their towels work great. Wouldn't do summer/fall heat at Disney without them. As others have already said, just wet them every now and then in a sink if it's not cooling any longer. Also as a post pointed out on page 1, it's thermodynamics and the neck is a vital spot to cool your body.

The neck fans I really don't care for. If you're walking around in hot/humid air, that's all they're going to blow is hot/humid air. Do not cool me off at all.

 

[cobright]

We are going Aug 21-28. I'm not sure when you are going, but I'd love to get your feedback on the umbrellas once you try them.

Since you asked...
Everyone using an umbrella in a crowded theme park is a sociopath. On a very finite sidewalk, you decide that you deserve 2-3x your normal footprint? That water falling out of the sky belongs on the people around you? An extra 3 or 4 seconds waiting for you to close the thing when you come to an abrupt halt at every door is NBD for the people backing up in the rain behind you?

If you'll only use it when there is no one closer than arms reach anyway... sure, go for it. In the end, your legs and shoes will still get soaked and walking with it will probably slow you down to the point where they get even wetter.

Choose fast dry clothes, get rained on, 15 minutes later you're dry again.

 

[elvispursley]

Since you asked...
Everyone using an umbrella in a crowded theme park is a sociopath. On a very finite sidewalk, you decide that you deserve 2-3x your normal footprint? That water falling out of the sky belongs on the people around you? An extra 3 or 4 seconds waiting for you to close the thing when you come to an abrupt halt at every door is NBD for the people backing up in the rain behind you?

If you'll only use it when there is no one closer than arms reach anyway... sure, go for it. In the end, your legs and shoes will still get soaked and walking with it will probably slow you down to the point where they get even wetter.

Choose fast dry clothes, get rained on, 15 minutes later you're dry again.

Personally, no needs to be that close to me in the first place! Not sure how someone stopping to close an umbrella is any different than someone coming to an abrupt halt to look at something on there phone. And I’m pretty sure the discussion is re. umbrellas for shade. Who knew the topic of UV umbrellas was that divisive!

 

[Justrose]

I've used a UV umbrella for a few summer visits now and find it's significantly cooler under the umbrella when it's sunny. I bought a small one from Amazon and it even fits in a fanny pack (make sure you pick a small one, Amazon sells big ones too). The umbrella plus a small handheld fan is my go-to now when it's hot out.

I really want to buy the one you recommend - can you please try to link it again? Thank you, @iheartglaciers !

 

[iheartglaciers]

I really want to buy the one you recommend - can you please try to link it again? Thank you, @iheartglaciers !

I actually didn’t link it in my original post, it must have auto linked Amazon! This is the one I bought:

https://a.co/d/5KS25ox

I’ve also used a regular Totes micro umbrella, which is a tad smaller, but the UV umbrella is definitely more effective!

 

[Justrose]

I actually didn’t link it in my original post, it must have auto linked Amazon! This is the one I bought:

https://a.co/d/5KS25ox

I’ve also used a regular Totes micro umbrella, which is a tad smaller, but the UV umbrella is definitely more effective!

Added to cart! Thank you so much!

 

[StAugustine]

In our party of 6 people, 4 liked the cooling towels and 2 did not on 90+ degree days. To each their own

 

[kadwj]

I used a UV umbrella when we went to Japan and it was a lifesaver--it's extremely common and lots of people walk around with them in the summer/early fall. I used it at Disney and got LOTS of stares from people I felt it made a difference though.

I use a UV umbrella/parasol here in Texas at every festival or other outdoor event. I took it all over Europe. People always comment on how smart that is. I plan on taking it to WDW in September too. It's small...cell phone size and weighs about the same. I sunscreen up but after having spots removed by the dr., I'm not taking any chances with going through cancer again! People can stare away at me in my personal shade!