Heat...am I overdoing it?

[Frozen2014]

We're coming end of August with 2 teenagers. Am going an amazon purchase and thinking:

• 4 UV umbrellas
• 4 cooling towels (already have these)
• 4 portable misting fans
• electrolyte packs (20 for the four of us for 6 park days)

Am I overdoing it? Or does it seem about right? Obviously on the flip side, I don't want to have an over heavy back pack.

 

[Disturbia]

We're coming end of August with 2 teenagers. Am going an amazon purchase and thinking:

• 4 UV umbrellas
• 4 cooling towels (already have these)
• 4 portable misting fans
• electrolyte packs (20 for the four of us for 6 park days)

Am I overdoing it? Or does it seem about right? Obviously on the flip side, I don't want to have an over heavy back pack.

I would have 2 misting fans, 2 neck fans (wrap around kind). I don’t think that’s a lot. I take liquid IV (Costco has a great price). I find badger sunscreen cooler than spray on sunscreens. A cotton bandanna is also good to have (if not wearing hats/visor).

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B083W3YJCV?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B08BJZMWNR?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

 

[martikus]

You aren’t going to want to haul that around. Teens especially don’t care. Just plan times in AC , afternoons by pool and stay hydrated. If you don’t mind carrying then one listing fan to share. And electrolyte packs always good.

 

[DLgal]

Keep the UV umbrella for YOU (and any other sun sensitive adults)

Keep the cooling towels for the people without UV umbrellas (my teens use these, I don't)

Ditch all the fans

Ditch the electrolyte packs. Eat enough salty food and drink enough water. That's all you need to do.

Make sure everyone has a hat.

Focus on lightweight, quick dry clothes. Workout type stuff. We like Under Armour tech shirts (Heat Gear).

 

[Frozen2014]

Thanks for the replies. Sounds like 4 of each thing is overkill.
I know a lot return to the resort for the afternoon when it's the hottest, but we're not paying 7-10K to go swimming. For us, we'll stay in the parks all day....but definitely try for inside rides or AC.

Disturbia, thanks for the links. The green fan looks like one of the fans I was looking at. Sounds like a good idea to do 2 each.

 

[Disturbia]

Thanks for the replies. Sounds like 4 of each thing is overkill.
I know a lot return to the resort for the afternoon when it's the hottest, but we're not paying 7-10K to go swimming. For us, we'll stay in the parks all day....but definitely try for inside rides or AC.

Disturbia, thanks for the links. The green fan looks like one of the fans I was looking at. Sounds like a good idea to do 2 each.

It is hard to carry around all that stuff AND find charging ports to charge them up overnight (we take a drawstring bag and closed bottles-the resort mugs leak), but we have small kids in a stroller and it made all the difference to have something to cool them down (back then you couldn’t just walk into a store/AC due to restrictions)

Our 5 year old was getting upset and didn’t realize he was dehydrating. He was on the back of a sit/stand stroller. I opened a liquid IV electrolyte package and gave him a few sips and he was fine. This was prior to Genie+ so we waited in 2 rides (JC and POC), ate lunch and left the park it was so hot (June 2021). August weather is similar and if you’re traveling from up north it feels even hotter.

An alternative to electrolyte packets is to carry a salt packet and put it in sprite.

 

[Frozen2014]

It is hard to carry around all that stuff (we take a drawstring bag and closed bottles-the resort mugs leak), but we have small kids in a stroller and it made all the difference to have something to cool them down (back then you couldn’t just walk into a store/AC due to restrictions)

Our 5 year old was getting upset and didn’t realize he was dehydrating. He was on the back of a sit/stand stroller. I opened a liquid IV electrolyte package and gave him a few sips and he was fine. This was prior to Genie+ so we waited in 2 rides (JC and POC), ate lunch and left the park it was so hot (June 2021). August weather is similar and if you’re traveling from up north it feels even hotter.

Thanks. Tough with little ones as they can't always communicate or know they are overheating.
Yeah...from Canada....but our summers have gotten hot over the years. We did go to Disneyland in August a few years ago...but I think Florida is worse as it's the heat + humidity.

 

[Disturbia]

The green neck fan is pretty good and we use it on our Bow flex max trainer (doesn’t have a fan) when not in the parks (it can be adjusted to sit on a flat surface).

The white neck fan has less power but our teen likes that (no risk of hair getting caught accidentally) and the O2Cool mini misting fans (very compact, but need to be held up close).

 

[cdobert]

My son and I go every summer. Hes disabled and super sensitive to heat. We carry water bottles and wear big brimmed sun hats. We drink 2 Gatorade a day in our room. This plus stops in the shade work for us.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I'd bring reusable water bottle. We have one that folds up (we put velcro to do that) and has two holes that you use carabiners with it, hooks to our backpack (or park bag) easy peasy. It's 1 L worth. QS complimentary water is iced and something you can grab quickly. And then fill up the water bottle for queues and such.

We've done September a few times. Just drinking water throughout the day worked well. We are park commandos. Shows are a great way to get some AC and places to eat are good too. If it's not too crowded walking through shops are a good way to get a quick ac fill. Certain attractions are also cool inside. I always seem to get chilled in Haunted Mansion (and no not because of those pesky hitch hiking ghosts), Pirates as well. Flight of Passage too plus it has air used as an effect.

I also agree on not lugging 4 umbrellas. Chances are the teens will not use them. You may not even use them enough to want to carry them around. Umbrellas are heavy and cumbersome.

Misting fans vs cooling towels I think is personal preference. One is air movement the other is a cooling sensation without air movement. Ask your family which they find cools them down better as each person is different. A towel will take up less room than a misting fan.

 

[juxtapose]

Keep the cooling towels for sure as you don't have to "carry" them around as they just hang on your neck all day. Wear light weight clothes and drink water even if you don't think you have to. I'd keep the electrolyte packs too. I'd not bring the umbrellas and maybe just 1-2 cooling fans.

 

[loves to dive]

I agree 4 umbrellas is overkill. I would ask the teenagers which they prefer, the cooling fans or towels. My son and I used to go all the time in Aug. and frankly, he wouldn't have used any of it. Drinking lots of water, a hat, some shade and some AC every once in awhile was it for him. But - we did usually go back to the room some of the days for the pool. We didn't have a pool at home so getting to go to the pool was just another vacation aspect.

We were there in early Sept. last year with his SO and their 5 month old baby. We had two fans blowing on her at all times in her stroller and kept the sun shade up all the time. I used a little portable fan every once in awhile (not a mister) if I was having to take care of her while they rode rides just because holding a baby is hot work. The heat didn't seem to bother her in the least, but like I said, we had two fans blowing on her at all times and we did leave for 3 or 4 hours in the hottest part of the day. We are from Georgia so we know heat but WDW in summer is hot even for us. You will need at least one of those umbrellas because it is going to rain, guaranteed. So pack some rain gear. Or, your teenagers might prefer to just get wet so they can cool down.

 

[nursejackie]

You have me in a bit of a panic now. We're there mid-late August for 10 days and we just planned to bring light clothes, a hat and have regular breaks in where there's AC, e.g. shops, restaurants and indoor attractions. I had already packed some flannels (is there an American word for that?) with the intention of soaking in cold water to cool us down, but I didn't realise you can buy actual cooling towels. Coming from the north of England, it's going to be a shock to our systems.

 

[Lilsia]

You are not going for a trek in the Sahara dessert. LOL Yes it is hot and humid, but you will be in and out of air conditioning all day. Save the outside rides for first thing in the morning or later in the evening. Go into the gift shops for a break and just stay hydrated. Make your main meal lunch and so that you spend some time in the restaurant. I find a good sun hat works well.

 

[Frozen2014]

Thanks for the great replies. Really good advice. Gonna stick to 2 UV umbrellas then. I already purchased 2 and they are small but seems like it'll be enough.

We used cooling towels at Disneyland. They are great but do dry off quickly. We can just wear them around our necks so won't take up backpack room. That's what we did at DL. (I will also have a fanny pack for smaller things)

I also have foldable refillable water "bottles". They were compact as they are a softer material that lies flat when empty. May use these if still in good shape. Good to hear the QS still gives out complimentary water.

Has anyone tried these fans? They are really small and don't hold much water, but may do the job for two of us, while our kids have the better ones (as in the post above). But also not sure if they are too cheap/useless
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B01DAP7DKQ/ref=ox_sc_act_title_5?smid=AJUZB60VYAV6R&psc=1
The fans may only last for a bit (and need to see if we can charge them at night - or bring batteries with us depending on the ones we get)

Yes, am researching inside rides and the queues to help. And we have Genie+ to avoid some long rides.

Also...DD and I have sandals that are waterproof (Tevas)...and DH has some sandals type shoe too. Buying my son a pair this weekend, which will give him time to wear them in a bit. One thing that concerns me though...DS won't wear tank tops so he just has these "big" tshirts.

 

[PalmettoPath]

We go three times per year, including every August. Yes it's hot, but it can be equally as hot in the Toronto area where we live (sometimes in recent years it has actually been hotter at home than it was in Orlando -- although the Florida humidity can add another blanket of oppression). Heat and humidity can be tempered with AC, frozen snacks and getting some shade as required. I don't think you need to go overboard on items. It's not so much the heat at this time of year, it's the rain that can more directly impact your vacation as far as I'm concerned. Over the years we've learned to plan with that in mind. And then of course it's tropical storm season as well, which has, on a couple of occasions, added yet another twist.

 

[Frozen2014]

We go three times per year, including every August. Yes it's hot, but it can be equally as hot in the Toronto area where we live (sometimes in recent years it has actually been hotter at home than it was in Orlando -- although the Florida humidity can add another blanket of oppression). Heat and humidity can be tempered with AC, frozen snacks and getting some shade as required. I don't think you need to go overboard on items. It's not so much the heat at this time of year, it's the rain that can more directly impact your vacation as far as I'm concerned. Over the years we've learned to plan with that in mind. And then of course it's tropical storm season as well, which has, on a couple of occasions, added yet another twist.

We're from Toronto too....and yeah, we've had some pretty humid summer days over the past few years. Our weather has definitely changed since I was a kid. Yeah, will also try and stick to inside, shade, cool snacks, etc. But just trying to help when we are outside walking from spot A to B, or in line for a ride or food, or just checking something out and enjoying the atmosphere. Kind of ironic too as with covid not gone, outside is better but will probably head for indoors whenever we can. Hoping lower crowds will help as we're coming the week leading up to labor day.

Very true...also need to deal with daily storms (which is why I want DS to also get some waterproof sandals over running shoes). Hopefully won't shut down too many rides but we know to be prepared for it to.

(Also worried of flights to get there from Pearson, but that's a totally different matter/worry).

 

[PalmettoPath]

We're from Toronto too....and yeah, we've had some pretty humid summer days over the past few years. Our weather has definitely changed since I was a kid. Yeah, will also try and stick to inside, shade, cool snacks, etc. But just trying to help when we are outside walking from spot A to B, or in line for a ride or food, or just checking something out and enjoying the atmosphere. Kind of ironic too as with covid not gone, outside is better but will probably head for indoors whenever we can. Hoping lower crowds will help as we're coming the week leading up to labor day.

Very true...also need to deal with daily storms (which is why I want DS to also get some waterproof sandals over running shoes). Hopefully won't shut down too many rides but we know to be prepared for it to.

(Also worried of flights to get there from Pearson, but that's a totally different matter/worry).

Hoping that by August the airport will have gotten better -- especially with Air Canada cancelling a bunch of flights...wonder when we find out if ours are being cancelled?

 

[Frozen2014]

Hoping that by August the airport will have gotten better -- especially with Air Canada cancelling a bunch of flights...wonder when we find out if ours are being cancelled?

Yes exactly. And if they do, hopefully they'll give us time to find an alternative. We're flying WestJet this time but they are cutting as well (but do have AC booked for next March).

 

[Lilsia]

Thanks for the great replies. Really good advice. Gonna stick to 2 UV umbrellas then. I already purchased 2 and they are small but seems like it'll be enough.

We used cooling towels at Disneyland. They are great but do dry off quickly. We can just wear them around our necks so won't take up backpack room. That's what we did at DL. (I will also have a fanny pack for smaller things)

I also have foldable refillable water "bottles". They were compact as they are a softer material that lies flat when empty. May use these if still in good shape. Good to hear the QS still gives out complimentary water.

Has anyone tried these fans? They are really small and don't hold much water, but may do the job for two of us, while our kids have the better ones (as in the post above). But also not sure if they are too cheap/useless
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B01DAP7DKQ/ref=ox_sc_act_title_5?smid=AJUZB60VYAV6R&psc=1
The fans may only last for a bit (and need to see if we can charge them at night - or bring batteries with us depending on the ones we get)

Yes, am researching inside rides and the queues to help. And we have Genie+ to avoid some long rides.

Also...DD and I have sandals that are waterproof (Tevas)...and DH has some sandals type shoe too. Buying my son a pair this weekend, which will give him time to wear them in a bit. One thing that concerns me though...DS won't wear tank tops so he just has these "big" tshirts.

Skip the fans, they are cumbersome and it is just as easy to get some free ice water to splash on your face if needed. As far as shoes go, what type do you usually do all of your long walking in? If you are a person that normally wears sneakers then wear those instead of sandals. Good walking shoes with support are essential, IMO. Your son will be just fine in t-shirts.