Handling the Florida heat

[Zoesmama03]

Here is what they look like.View attachment 171345

Too much to carry if you ask me for something you can get free all over the parks at any service counter.

We're trying September for the first time this year (we usually go in February), and this entire thread is terrifying me now. I really hope we don't end up regretting this decision!!

No worries Sept is usually pretty mild and beautiful weather. One of my favorite times to go. Early on might be warmer but its also a lot less crowded so you can get on/off rides and not worry so much about standing in heat for long lines and more time to take cool area breaks.

 

[aprincessatlast]

No worries Sept is usually pretty mild and beautiful weather. One of my favorite times to go.

 

[Coconuts]

Too much to carry if you ask me for something you can get free all over the parks at any service counter.



No worries Sept is usually pretty mild and beautiful weather. One of my favorite times to go. Early on might be warmer but its also a lot less crowded so you can get on/off rides and not worry so much about standing in heat for long lines and more time to take cool area breaks.

I'm glad that the September you went was mild and beautiful, but for all the Septembers that I went, it was insanely Africa hot. And humid and one year had an onslaught of lovebugs, but that's a topic for a whole other thread...

 

[newestkg06]

We went in mid-Sept, and it was VERY hot. We had 02 misting fans, which helped some. I think my favorite tip was to bring washcloths (I sewed a Mickey ribbon loop on them and attached them to the stroller with a caribeaner). The washcloth took away the salty sweat, then i would get a cup a ice water, dip the washcloth in ice water and put it on my neck and face. It really made a huge difference. I am very prone to heat stroke (even though i grew up in FL) and this cooled me down quickly. Also, it made me feel less gross as I could wipe away the sweat.
As far as pictures go, we took most of them in the morning or after the afternoon break when we looked our best!

 

[crusoe2]

My DH highly recommends Columbia shirts in the Bonehead style. They were designed for fishermen and are made of a very cool cotton poplin fabric. They also have a mesh panel across the upper back that allows airflow. There is a fabric panel that covers the mesh but has ample openings (vents) at each end of the panel and across the bottom of it to allow the air to move across your back. DH wears a white undershirt with them and the vents and mesh allow air to flow under the Columbia shirt and evaporate the sweat absorbed by the undershirt. DH sells building supplies and is often out at work sites in the worst of the summer heat. So these are his standard work shirt and what he always wears at Disney now. He swears by them.

 

[chigirl]

1. Wear linen...its what middle eastern peeps have done for a thousand years. Coolest fabric to wear, allows airflow
2. Have you considered Botox injections for sweat? Movie stars do it!
3.Buy Klima Antiperspirant on Amazon...its for serious sweating
4. You need to apply ice to you lymph zones...sides of neck, just under armpits, elbows, wrists
5. Misting Fan

Been to WDW twice in Sept and once in July. Its awfully moist...like juicy! I handle heat, my pooh sized dh does not. Keep the top of your head cool with an Enduracool headband. Keep the salty sweat off your face with damp washcloths. My dh handles it with a misting fan, the headband under a hat, and Klima, plus Gold Bond powder for "the boys".

 

[beccasmom]

I sympathize! We will be there in August too. All the suggestions are great, but as many times as we've been @ WDW in the summer months, the weather can still take my breath away (and the weather at home in southeastern Pennsylvania is no slouch either ). I really find I need to pace myself and not over-plan. It is challenging for sure.

So by all means go on every ride and have a blast, but plan on dinner at Be Our Guest or the Castle on a day you're already at the MK (or try a spot at a monorail hotel) and lunch at Disney Springs on a shopping day, etc. Try not to run yourselves ragged zipping around from one end of the property to another. Be strategic. You won't miss out on any of the magic and you'll conserve your energy (and sanity!). And ice cream and smoothies help a LOT. Enjoy!

 

[kandb]

I see that some people suggest going into gift shops, which is a great idea IF they are cool. The last few years (especially in Epcot), the gift shops had all the doors wide open. I guess they wanted people to know they were open. You couldn't even cool off in them. I was so annoyed.

 

[shh]

Actually, Sept can often be the hottest month of the year temp and humidity wise - hotter than July/Aug...and I speak as a Floridian for the past 35+ years. That often shocks many visitors who are already in Fall mindset back home. Don't let all the pumpkins and "end of summer" sales fool ya! We're still cooking down here.

 

[dres40]

I hate the heat but we tried a short stay last August because we had an AP. and wanted to squeeze in an extra trip.

Things that didn't work for me :
Frogg Toggs Chilly Pad, cooled me off for a few minutes but then just felt warm and gross.
Misting fan. they did work but we had to keep re-filling them and a pain to carry around.

What did work:
We stopped doing rope drops , tried 2 times. I was just miserable by 10am. I think the sun so high in the sky early in the day was just awful
So we would sleep in. Do the pool and have lunch. We would head to the park about 4 pm and stay until close. The sun seemed much more forgiving by then and there seemed to be more of a breeze.

I would always carry my umbrella to provide shade when needed. Saw others do this also.

Grab a piece of ice from drink cart and rub on my neck and arms.

 

[d-train]

Since I am already a hot wet sweaty mess, I get an ice water, drink the water, dump the ice down my back...cools me off very quickly! Since I am already soaked through, it doesn't look any different

 

[Starclassic]

Actually, Sept can often be the hottest month of the year temp and humidity wise - hotter than July/Aug...and I speak as a Floridian for the past 35+ years. That often shocks many visitors who are already in Fall mindset back home. Don't let all the pumpkins and "end of summer" sales fool ya! We're still cooking down here.

Oh geez....basically I will surely die!!! I have a feeling this will be a "never again" time of year for us, but we want to experience F&W and MNSSHP at least once. Haha

 

[shh]

Oh geez....basically I will surely die!!! I have a feeling this will be a "never again" time of year for us, but we want to experience F&W and MNSSHP at least once. Haha

Luckily both these events are late pm/evening-geared - if you can skip the hottest part of the day in the parks and have more of a laid back attitude vs going in with a long list of exhausting "must-dos", I think you'll still have a great time. You're in Disney!

We used to have annual passes and would go several times a year - always for my birthday in late July. Hot? Yes. But we still had fun.

 

[CyndiLooWho]

I haven't read all the replies, forgive me when I repeat. DH is a sweater too, and hates Orlando b/c of it. When we travel there, he and boys absolutely swear by wicking clothing. Even their undies are moisture wicking, and you don't have to spend a fortune.

Start with the underwear. They wear longer wicking boxer briefs. I think the Hanes brand are $14 for 3 pair. Then moisture wicking shirts and shorts (loose cargo types seem to work best for them). Hubby swears by his Keen sandals. All of us have the H2 variants which dry quickly and aren't made of leather. If they wear sneakers, they wear the kind that are mostly mesh instead of leather, and they go with a moisture wicking ankle sock (again, Hanes makes good ones that are reasonably priced). Dh also uses Body Glide on his inner thighs to combat moisture induced chafing. We have a big bar at the condo and I keep a smaller one (made by Band-Aid) in my park bag so we can re-apply as needed. Depending on the park, there are misters that dh stands in whenever possible, and we drink, drink, drink. We try to keep 2 full water bottles for the 4 of us at all times (we are fine sharing).

If we go back to the room during the middle of the day, dh gets into the pool or lazy river to cool off. Has a shower and complete change of clothes before we head out again, and he changes his shoes so they have a chance to air out.

We try to get to the parks early to do things that involve being outside. We plan meals and dark rides for the middle of the day when it's hotter.

 

[Linleedo]

We go in September and it is still very hot. The way that we survive is to carry bottles of water with us. We have small handheld fans(Palm size) that also mist. We use these while waiting in lines. We dress in light and/ or wicking clothes. We carry a small flat chiller type ice pack in a ziplock bag. We put it in a ziplock bag with damp washcloths that we use to cool down. These are kept in a small lunchbag in our backpack and stay nice and cold. We've tried Frogg Toggs and the other brands, but don't like wearing them & felt that the didn't really work for us. The main thing that we do is to go back to the resort 's pool daily after eating lunch in a park. It is relaxing and refreshing break before we freshen up and return for dinner and more park fun. Sometimes, we even took a nap! This is our best advise.

 

[MissKIA]

I've seen a couple of people recommend carrying around umbrellas. Unless you are sitting on a bench or somewhere stationary (even then sometimes) those suckers are dangerous in such crowds! When we were in DL last summer it rained for two days straight and we were getting hit in the heads and faces constantly with umbrellas. Not my idea of a good time, and really, someone could get their eye poked out! (Yes I am a Mom) I don't even think they should be allowed in the parks. Use a poncho!

 

[ZoZo]

Those mister fans look great but I would worry about getting sunburned from constantly putting water on your skin. Even if you have sunscreen on, it could make it wash off quicker. But I burn easily maybe its different for other people.

Try water-resistant sunscreen!

 

[ZoZo]

No worries Sept is usually pretty mild and beautiful weather. One of my favorite times to go. Early on might be warmer but its also a lot less crowded so you can get on/off rides and not worry so much about standing in heat for long lines and more time to take cool area breaks.

Wow, average temps in September (especially early in the month) are in the 90s and extremely humid - it's the same weather as summer! OP, don't be misled by this - I think most would disagree with the "pretty mild and beautiful" part. The big trade-off is the low crowds and short lines.

 

[phabric]

What is wicking clothes? Is it mesh?

Can you get wicking clothes for woman?

 

[Aliceacc]

I'm a teacher married to a teacher, with 3 kids who are students. We ONLY go over the summer.

The best tip I can offer is to miss the worst heat of the day. We're at the parks for rope drop, we tour like crazy till noon or 1 pm, then we head back to the resort for a swim or nap. We return all refreshed at dinner time. On the way out of the park we inevitable pass numerous adults in full meltdown mode, sometimes yelling at their kids that they paid $x,000 for this vacation and they are NOT going to spend it swimming. Not exactly the kind of memories I would want my kids to have.

But I digress.

Other things to keep in mind:
- Those Frog Togs are available at amazon. I even cut one in half last trip; two of my kids split it and it was fine.
- We love the Mistymate personal misters, http://www.mistymate.com/misty-2-5.html also available at amazon for about $8. They require no batteries, and will keep you cool and refreshed.
- There are lots of places you can go when you need a break from the heat-- the shops and some of the attractions (Carousel of Progress, Philharmagic... are a guaranteed respite from the heat.