do those "neck coolers" work?!?!?

[aubriee]

Oh, how gross, to know that there have been multiple, sweaty, icky things (and guests' hands) in the ice water that is surrounding a bottle of water I will now not buy! I was better off not knowing this! Of course, there are probably other things that would gross me out if I knew it, but I'm not listening anymore, nope, not me ->

I am normally pretty easy going, but I thought the same exact thing.

Ick, I was thinking the same thing. I've seen kids reach in and grab pieces of that ice and put it in their mouths.

 

[Hookani]

Check your local construction safety store if you have one. They should carry all kinds of cooling clothing such as the bandannas and stuff. Normally used for workers that are outside constantly.

Ho'okani

 

[emeraldmom]

I bought 4 of them today at Walmart. They were $3 and change, so basically $4 each. I had to really look for them. I thought they would be near the excersize equipment, towels and stuff. They weren't. I found them hanging up in sporting goods, with the jock straps and cups. I don't know why they were right there, but that's where to find them at my local Walmart.

 

[Pineapple Whip]

Have used mine for at least 10 years of Disney trips and love it! I put mine in the fridg at night after soaking. Also the folks at the drink carts will let you dip them in the ice water in the drink bins.

Ick, I was thinking the same thing. I've seen kids reach in and grab pieces of that ice and put it in their mouths.

I'm pretty sure this is a health code violation. However, if you're the type of person that dips your sweaty cool band in the ice water that they chill peoples drink bottles in, that is nasty and inconsiderate. It doesn't matter if the Disney staff tell you it's okay, you're in line with the person that does number 2 and doesn't wash their hands because they didn't get any poo on them. That person is also reaching into the ice...

...oh gosh I think I just threw up a little. I'm not drinking anything from iced chests ever again. I hope Disney is reading this and issuing a memo.

 

[dbriggsq]

As another 'heat sufferer' I nearly always use one of these when it gets too hot - the family all laugh at me and say I look daft.

Another things that helps is - rather than one of those large mister fans - I use a very small spray bottle to refill with water and a small hand held fan

 

[SueM in MN]

Have used mine for at least 10 years of Disney trips and love it! I put mine in the fridg at night after soaking. Also the folks at the drink carts will let you dip them in the ice water in the drink bins.

That may work for the person who wants to cool their neck thing, but it puts skin germs from the neck thing into the water and could make other people sick.
Whether the CM allows it or not, I'm sure it is against health codes ( I used to be in Public Health and did disease outbreak investigations).

i am attempting to make some in the next week. I am using 100%cotton as advised but couldn;t find the crystals at a store so i bought some from micheals. I am hoping it works lol

The cotton fabrics breath a lot better than polyester. I have seen instructions online for making them. Some include the information about using cotton fabric and some don't. Also not all the instructions say to get the dust off the beads, which is important.

The trick is to put them to soak when you go to bed. Then in the morning you can squeeze the extra water out of the tag ends and kinda "squeege" the excess water from the gell stuffed part with your fingers. Let them sit in the hotel airconditioning while you get ready. By the time you are ready to go, the fabric will be just damp and will stay damp all day by releasing water from the crystals as the fabric dries. Evaporative cooling does the rest. You can recharge it during the day by getting a free glass of ice water from a vendor to soak it in for a few minutes.

One thing to be aware of if you fly: they will need to go in checked baggage on the way home. When hydrated, it counts as a gel and it will take about a week to dry out entirely.

They work best when it is hot, but not humid because the water doesn't evaporate as well in high humidity. That might be one of the reasons for bad reviews on them.
Also, before soaking them, make sure the beads are not all on one end of the neck thing or you will get a big lump on one end and almost flat on the other. Once they are totally saturated, it's hard to move them.

That's a good point about the checked baggage. Also make sure they dry entirely before you put then away - they can get musty.