Goodness. Can I ask what you did for your boss to be so generous? And if I can come work there?
The heat and humidity can be real killers. Here are my best tips:
1) Check your travel dates for Extra Magic Hours either late at night or early in the morning. Plan your "target" parks and FP+ selections based on those. Weather is cooler in the mornings and evenings (naturally), so you'll enjoy your strolls around the parks more. Additionally, Animal Kingdom is best enjoyed early in the morning as the most animals tend to be out before the sun gets too hot.
2) WATER. Bring bottles of water and refill them when you can. You'll sweat A LOT and you need to replenish it somehow. Aim for one bottle per person, even the kids, and make sure they stay hydrated. A good idea is to freeze the water bottles at night if you can manage it. They'll stay cool longer. Also, most Quick Service places will gave you a small cup of water with ice for free, although you'll still end up in a line as like as not.
3) Shade. Especially with children and a pregnant wife, make sure you take lots of breaks in the shade when things warm up. This goes double if you're more used to cold weather. If you feel comfortable with it, bring a parasol.
4) Breaks. Take them in the afternoon when it's the stickiest out. I can't stand heat so I run as soon as it hits about 11 AM, but that's just me. If you family likes the weather you don't have to go back. Just be careful about possible dehydration or heat exhaustion.
5) Dress appropriately. Thin clothes, shorts, flip flops or sandals, visors or hats, sunglasses. It gets wicked hot in Florida. Even if it's raining, it's likely to be warm rain and it'll just feel good. I was there in May in the outfit I just described and stood in an outdoor line and felt that the temperature was perfect for the first time that day. Surprisingly when at the water park, a thin cover-up for the kids might help. It aids in blocking out the sun while they're in the water, and if they're good enough swimmers it shouldn't interfere very much.
6) SUNBLOCK. Please, for the love of Mickey, wear sunblock. Remember to keep redoing it about every 2-3 hours (more at the water park). Don't forget your ears, the back of your neck, face, and the part in your hair if you have one. Florida sun scorches and burns FAST, and nothing makes a vacation seem less fun than blistering sunburn. You can help keep this down by using a parasol, as mentioned above.
7) At night, have some kind of mosquito repellant. The high humidity and proximity to water makes Florida in general a breeding ground for mosquitoes. Disney does pretty well with avoiding pools of stagnant water, but it's still Florida and most kids hate being itchy.
8) Portable cooling devices. People swear by Frog Toggs fast-evaporating towels. Basically, you get the towel wet, wring it out, and place it across the back of your neck. As the water evaporates, it should help cool you off. Just rinse and repeat (literally) throughout the day. You can even do this at a water fountain. I also love small battery-powered misting fans. I hate the large ones that you see in the theme parks. Instead, I bought a tiny one on
Amazon. It cost more than I thought it should, but it's so small and convenient, and the battery almost never runs out. It's not heavy and the blades are foam, so even if I hit myself with it (happens a lot when you're me), it doesn't hurt. It does have to be kind of close to whatever you want to cool off, though, due to size. Either way, if you think you'll want one, big or small, buy before you leave home. They're way expensive at Disney (or any amusement/theme park in summer).
And tips for avoiding heat exhaustion or overheating:
- If someone starts to overheat, try running their wrists under cold or lukewarm running water. Another good place is the inside of the elbow. You can hold chilly towels or napkins (don't use ice unless they like a shock) on either side of the throat just under the jaw, on the back of the neck, or behind the earlobes. Most of the places I've listed (minus the back of neck) are pulse points. This means a lot of blood flows through, so the cooling will work more efficiently to lower body temperature. I pass out if I get too hot and I've done this successfully at room-temp water fountains for only 15 seconds per wrist.
- Remember to eat something every few hours. All the water you drink needs to be supplemented by electrolytes since you're sweating it out. However, drinking straight Gatorade or another sports drink typically provides too much salt and sugar, which makes you more thirsty and causes your body to use up more water. I find it easier to just keep salty and sweet snacks around and munch every few hours, or about every bottle of water, whichever comes first.
- Especially for the kids, watch their eating habits. Heat puts some people off food, but if they don't eat enough then the extra calories they're losing from running around and sweating won't be replaced. I used to do this when I was younger and it never ended well. I'd get really sick and it turns out all I needed were four cheese crackers and half a bottle of water, whether or not I really wanted to eat.
- Early symptoms of sunstroke can include whining or ringing in the ears, spots in the vision, grey vision, headaches, and breathlessness. If anyone starts feeling these things, do your best to cool them off, get them into the shade, and then brace them to go back to the room. Have them take a body-temp shower or bath (someone who isn't suffering should gauge it) to cool off, and lie down for a bit.
Hope I didn't inundate or scare you off with my wall of text. I hate being hot, so I do a lot to avoid it.
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