do you wear a hat?

[Blueberry]

I am not a hat girl normally, in fact I generally look AWFUL in hats as my head is big and they sit on top of my head like a clown hat. However...I have found that wearing a hat at WDW is by far the best thing to do. Bucket hats are great, not only protecting your head from sunburn but it is best to keep the hot sun from beating on your head all day anyway. We go in September and that sun is very intense. If you have a big head, look around there are bucket hats available in larger sizes and the baseball hats are often adjustable (I have a Disney one from the parks that fits great). As the Jungle Cruise Skippers say, "Wave good bye to the people on the dock, you will never see them again anyway." You will not know the people in the parks or see them again, so be comfortable and wear whatever hat you like, others are doing the same thing...

 

[goofydad621]

I live in New England and spend allot I mean allot of time outside, I fish & garden and have a pool etc. My Grandmother was almost full American Indian and I have her skin tone. I rarely wear a hat in the summer, I have been known to cook my melon on more then one occasion, (I have the same hair line on top as Uncle Fester) But I rarely burn, but in Florida it is very important just to help you keep cool and because of the UV levels it will do damage. When we go in the end of Sept. We make hats MANDATORY for daytime touring even for our DD who is 8.

Again just my opinion, lots of sunblock and a good hat. Try the hat shop over in Adventure land and the one in Animal Kingdom is great also, hats are one of my favorite keepsakes.

 

[Showpony]

I always wear a hat and shades when I'm outside. I'm so sunblind that I can't function with out some kind of eye protection. Usually sunscreen also.

 

[zuzu310]

No hat here...They make my head sweat and I have a small head so I look funny in them. I am also fair-skinned. I french-braid my hair into two pigtails every day that we are there and then apply sunscreen right to the part and my forehead. I can't stand to be sweating under a baseball cap.

 

[Lizzybee]

I burned my scalp about 3 weeks ago in Illinois and it was horrible. I don't have thinning hair but I have a very definite part and the part on my head burned, then it peeled and I looked like the poster child for Head and Shoulders shampoo. It looked like I had jumbo dandruff. Last year I wore a visor to WDW and I don't know what I did to my hair to keep my head from burning, it must not have parted down the middle. I do not wear or like hats, but I'm not taking any chances. I'm taking a floppy hat (is that a bucket hat, it looks kinda like a bucket). I got it for $3 at Walmart and it fits in my tiny backpack. I don't care so much about fashion as I do about my head not burning and peeling...besides mega dandruff and a bright red scalp aren't exactly attractive either. I vote HAT YES

 

[scrump]

I am a hat wearer, and also a Mexoryl devotee.

 

[ExPirateShopGirl]

I'm a big floppy hat devotee... ballcaps, too. I make sure my hats have a nice soft lining where it touches my forehead, and the ballcaps need to be cotton and adjustable. We also use a sunblock 'stick' that eliminates mess and goes in the backpack. We've saved ourselves countless painful and damaging sunburns this way.

Good luck!

 

[Wendi2000]

I don't care how dorky I look in my bucket hat and Crocs!!! At least at the end of the night my legs still work and I don't have a burned scalp (and ears/face/etc.) or skin cancer. I always wear my hat and lots of sunscreen... it also helps keep the sun out of my eyes so I don't need to wear sunglasses which sometimes give me a headache when I wear them for long periods of time.

 

[suezb]

I'm 25, and have to say, hats ARE fashionable! I will be wearing this hat: http://www.sunprecautions.com/product.asp?UID=2006062423340578&itemno=4750W06+S+STN

It's expensive, but it has SPF 30 woven right into it, so I don't have to worry about sunscreen on the places of my face where the hat covers. Any part of my face that the hat doesn't protect (lips, chin etc) I do still need sunscreen.
I like this solumbra gear, because I have sun allergies. When the sun touches my body, it leaves nice little bumps in places *sigh* I have what they call "shade sleeves" that I put on my arms when I'm outdoor, and that allows me to still wear a tank top in most places, but have an extra sleeve when I'm out in sun for more than a few minutes I've already been burned this year just from walking in and out of a Wal-Mart. When you burn within 5 minutes, you're willing to pay a little extra to have great protection
It was actually interesting to buy this stuff. I said I had an allergy, and they put my order on hold and called me about it. I ended up talking to a lady for about 20 minutes, and she told me that what I ordered would be wrong for me, and got me the right stuff. She then wrote all of it down and put it in some type of file, so when I go into the store itself, I can tell them my name and it will bring up my file. And that way, they know my problems as well as what was recommended, and I can get the perfect fit
Hrm, I feel like I've written a commercial haha. Well, it's great stuff, and as a person who burns so easy and has so many problems with rashes and such, I REALLY recommend wearing hats and anything else that will protect your skin. Sure, you won't look as "pretty" with the pale skin instead of the tan, but it's definitely worth it in the long run to not end up with skin cancer. And I'm sure the people who've posted they've survived it agree 100% with that.

 

[sassy2]

Yes wear the hat, I'll be there in 7Days and I am most certainly wearing mine.

 

[vhoffman]

IMO, wear a hat! I look horrible in most hats and have terrible memories of Easter Hats my mother insisted I wear, actually, they didn't look quite that bad, but I hated them!

However, even if you look like a total dork in a hat, no one will be looking ot you, anyways, or remember you. At Disney I'm sure there's more to look at than your hat!

If you absolutely can't bring yourself to wear a hat, they do make sunscreen for the scalp. I forget what its called, but I'll look it up and post later. I bought some for my dh on our recent trip to Hawaii (dh is about half bald!) and insisted he use it every day. Of course, you could just apply sunscreen, but this stuff isn't as sticky and doesn't sting the scalp. A sunburn on the scalp is extremely painful!

 

[richard_andmel]

Hats are mandatory for us anytime before 4PM. I too am a big fan of the bucket hat.

 

[IMGONNABE40!]

I may look silly, but I love my Tilley! I bought the hemp hat. It has sun protection woven right in.

www.tilley.com

 

[english rose 47]

I can't speak for DD but I totally agree I,m wearing a hat or putting up an umbrella when watching daytime parades. Incidently when I said DGD got a bad burn she had no problem with her head . They all have VERY thick hair, the girls do have visors for disney. Me I plan to get those RX glasses that change to handle bright sun. I,m due next year so works out great!

 

[mickeysaver]

I usually wear a ball cap or a bucket hat at WDW. I also usually wear comfortable shoes like the New Balance walkers, but have worn sandels too. I doubt that your anticipated attire will have much to do with your most likely not being asked to be part of the parades, because the odds are really not in your favor....think of it, maybe 6 people out of a park filled with 40-60,000.....not good odds.

Anyway, wear what you will be comfy in, part of being on vacation is supposed to be about being relaxed, you can't be relaxed, if you are worried about your fashion choices, so go with the flow and have some fun! Maggie

 

[Redwitch]

Always wear a hat! When DD and I pack, generaly there are three bucket hats each in various colors for each of us. I like them better than baseball style caps as they cover the ears and the back of your neck (a little.) We are both fair skinned and use sunscreen as well.

If you don't think hats work for you, look for a type that comes in sizes. Then it won't look like it stuck on top of your head or falling down in your eyes.

 

[Simba's Mom]

Yes, wear the hat-not a visor! I don't like to wear hats when it's hot, because my head sweats. So I thought a visor was the way to go on my recent vacation. Well, I sit here with a bright red line along my part, vowing to wear a hat from now on. Shampooing the day after I got sunburned was NOT fun! Whoever mentioned the sunscreen just for the head, please do post when you find out. I'd be very interested.

 

[tacomaranch]

I remember my mom always wearing this stupid pieced together Mickey hat made of cloth. She looked like such a dork, but it was her favorite hat. I think we got it in the 60's. If only I could find her another dorky hat. It really helps and my DH has a shiny head, he always wears a baseball cap. I like a very lightweight cowboy hat of straw, but it is hard to pack.

Wear the hat! Anyways, have you ever noticed that everyone looks like a dork in Disney. Where else do you find full grown adults wearing cartoon shirts? Fun!