Extreme Heat Sensitivity

[Shelly F - Ohio]

Buy a Frog Togg towel. You will be in heaven. Its a towel that you wet and it stays cold for up to 4 hours and all you have to do is rewet it and it becomes cold again. I carry mine in a gallon size zip lock bag.

you can get them at Walmar in the camping section or at Bed Bath Beyond.

http://www.froggtoggs.com/store/cooling-products/the-chilly-pad.html

At night hang it up to dry otherwise it will get musty. It will dry hard a board but just wet it and it will soften up.

 

[dsneprincess]

I will second the vote for the Frogg Togg. Awesome, WalMart on Vineland was selling when we were just there. Long air conditioned rides are your friend, like Ellen.

 

[T. Baker]

My husband had a severe reaction to the heat when we went in July one year. Unknown to him, a new medication he was taking did not react well when exposed to heat and it was 102 while we were there.

Disney did an awesome job taking care of him. He went down to the ground at Lights, Motors, Action in DHS. EMS arrived quickly and took him to first aid. At first aid, he rested, had cold water, etc. After about an hour, he was able to leave the park. Someone was sent to the back of First Aid building to pick us up in a van and drive us to our car. That day, we left for the rest of the day he was so bad.

Well - the next day we thought we were prepared. Had neck coolers, lots of ice water, etc. We were in Epcot at the American Pavilion when he once again felt faint. A CM took him immediately into a private room inside the American Pavilion that had a sofa and was air conditioned. He stayed there about an hour. EMS came and did an assessment. They felt he just needed to cool down. We were not staying on property that year, but they made arrangements for him to to go the Swan where they gave us a room for him to have a shower to cool down and to rest until he felt better.

The rest of the family stayed in Epcot. This happened about 2:30pm and we were able to return to the park about 6pm. Met the family for dinner in the UK. We sat there and ate and watched the fireworks.

Everyone at Disney was very helpful and went out of their way to assist us.

We called his Dr. the next morning and found out the new medicine could be the cause. He stopped taking it and while we were very hot, we finished the vacation without another incident. Of course, we went to the parks early and left after lunch to be sure he would be ok.

We truly felt cared for and then some!!

Please be careful. All the black asphalt and the heat make the summer a brutal time. You need to schedule lots of breaks.

 

[Sunnywho]

Besides keeping hydrated and afternoon breaks what else can I do to keep cool and energetic without it being obvious that I am struggling?

Exercise and eat healthy between now and June.
Plan specific times that are just for you and your boyfriend, at your pace.
Just be honest that you are sensitive to the heat and have to go slower.
Get ice waters at every opportunity. Or ice cream.
Just say no to the hot outdoor shows or save them for the evening.
Take extra caution at Animal Kingdom because it is the hottest of all the parks.
Never be the fast pass runner.
Avoid all outdoor character meets.
Book table service lunches for the heat of the day, and never dinners, so you can take advantage of the cooler evening.
Avoid sitting in the hot sun for a parade.
Take shopping breaks in the air-conditioning.
Plan for a water park day.

 

[Iforgetmypassword]

Why would you go in June, then?

I also suffer greatly in the heat. I would not dream of going to Florida between May and October.

 

[PrincessSarah314]

Why would you go in June, then?

I also suffer greatly in the heat. I would not dream of going to Florida between May and October.

My BF is a school teacher and we have to travel during the summer

 

[Iforgetmypassword]

My BF is a school teacher and we have to travel during the summer

Then I wouldn't go to Florida.

 

[piglet too]

My only suggestion to you would be to increase your potassium intake. When I suffered a bout of heat exhaustion last summer, that is what my doctor told me to do.

 

[ttintagel]

If I lived in Chicago, I'd be tempted to go to Disneyland instead. I've been to both DL and WDW in June, and DL was so much more pleasant, climate-wise. There's some heat, but no humidity. We wore capris and 3/4 sleeve shirts and were perfectly comfortable all day. There's less walking to do. And the new DCA should really be something to see.

 

[ChristineNic]

Try to plan for a mid-day break. Hit a park for RD until 10 or 11. Go back to your hotel for lunch, nap and swim; then return to the park in the evening. You will miss the hottest part of the day.

 

[ChrisRuns]

The best thing you can do is go talk to your doctor and put together a plan since you know this is an issue - there are certain things that my doctor has advised me to do in the heat. Some are obvious, like plenty of fluids, frequent snacks, stay in the shade, etc. Others are customized because I have medical issues that I didn't even know about that the heat triggers.

Being honest with your friends is best. You don't have to go into it, just say something like "Hey, I don't do well in the heat so I may have to take it a little slower than most people."

 

[ireland_nicole]

Honestly you may have to rethink some aspects of your trip. The idea that you will be able to tour at a "normal" pace with no accomodations for the heat isn't really reasonable. It seems to me that you are going to have to make some tough decisions: Either explain your situation to the group so that everyone can modify their touring, plan to separate so that you can tour at your own pace, or get sick. It is possible to tour even in June with sensitivity that you describe- although I certainly wouldn't advise it, choosing multiple other school break times- but not successfully without some changes.

DD has seizures if she gets too hot and she and I also take meds that increase sensitivity. She uses a w/c with a sunshade, I carry a parasol or wear a large hat, we use spf 50+ clothing over a wicking layer, we have the frog toggs cloths that help a lot, tour from rope drop to lunch, then sit down lunch, then back to hotel until evening- or sometimes the next day; we have a very good touring plan that among other things alternates outdoor and indoor experiences and rides, we are very careful to hydrate, I use an ECV unless I'm alone with her (which I would never do in high summer). Even with all of these preparations in place we need to keep a high level of awareness.

 

[PrincessSarah314]

I've been giving it a lot of thought and have decided that I will have to tell my friends about my condition. We're actually meeting for dinner tonight to discuss touring plans, itinerary, etc.

I'm trying to limit the amount of information that I give them but was thinking that I would basically say something along the lines of "I have to take it very easy in the parks because I get very sick from the heat and sun. Please don't think you will offend us if you want to tour separately and just meet up for meals and non-park activities."

 

[I Love Pluto]

The best thing you can do is go talk to your doctor and put together a plan since you know this is an issue - there are certain things that my doctor has advised me to do in the heat. Some are obvious, like plenty of fluids, frequent snacks, stay in the shade, etc. Others are customized because I have medical issues that I didn't even know about that the heat triggers.

Being honest with your friends is best. You don't have to go into it, just say something like "Hey, I don't do well in the heat so I may have to take it a little slower than most people."

This is perfect advice - put out in the most honest way possible. Good Job, ChirsRuns!

An ECV - if you need it - may help. It does not create drama - using the ECV avoids issues!

Relax. Have a great time! YOU make the decisions. "It's all about you" in this case. Don't worry!

 

[Sunnywho]

Great choice to tell them. Friends are usually very nice about making accommodations when medical issues are involved. You don't have to push them away either, you could start out together on any given day and go until you start feeling you're close to your limits. The biggest burden is on you to be aware of how you're doing and to not overdo! Good luck!