Help me BEAT the HEAT

[HeyKoolaid]

I am seriously intolerant to heat, and am looking for new strategies. We usually go to WDW in June, but are trying October this year to see if that helps (probably not much). I have tried misting fans with limited success. Soooo, now I am looking at cooling towels.

Any suggestions for good cooling towels or wraps? I looked on Amazon and the freezer wraps only last for 1 hour - have you found anything that lasts longer?

Any other tips/strategies? The heat from the last trip just wiped me out.

Tanks!

 

[MrsJamesPSullivan]

I can't do the heat either. I've had good luck the week after Thanksgiving. Mornings and evenings are usually cool and a break at the resort in the middle of the day works if it's too warm but usually it's not bad.

 

[markmcalear]

The best way I have found to beat the Florida heat is to visit in December. It was jeans and tshirt weather. Bit chilly in the mornings but fine from about 1030am onwards.

 

[Accident]

October can be hit or miss actually. I find early october to be very humid and still hot days but it cools off (and with some luck the humidity drops too) evenings. You are doing the one thing I would advise which is come a different time of the year if that's possible... I love late feb through late march as it's spring like weather and hotter but it's not humid yet. Nov and December are nice also but it can still get a little up there but it's not summer..

To answer your question, I use a product called Frosty Towels and disney does sell them but they are disney price. You can get 3 for the price of 1 by getting them from the website and the smaller one (wash cloth) fits really well, even in a pocket if you don't want to carry things around.. I find 1 towel per person lasts about a week but you'll want to lightly rinse it off when it starts to look less white. You do need to be careful it uses a combo of citrus acid and oils to cool you off and help you stay less sweaty but you will feel anywhere your starting to get a little sun burnt.

Suntan lotion I actually use a product that I really like which also cools you off. "Banana Boat Sport Performance Coolzone" is the full name of the product. Available just about anywhere but also from amazon (sometimes hard to find in the large selection). It actually cools you off when you apply it which is also handy to remember to reapply it. Doesn't last too long but you get a moment of relief. I also find bugs tend to stay away and other products I've tried they seem to be attracted to it. My daughter claims it's the aloe in it (so also helps sooth starting to get burned) but who knows, never looked it up....

The biggest thing I've learned since moving here is that nobody gets used to this weather, I don't care what they say but the weather isn't all year, it's only a few months really that it's like this. What you do get used to is how to stay out of it or when it's time to not be in it. It sounds like that means don't be in a park but you need to listen to your body. If you're slowing down, starting to drag, sweaty, not really hungry when you should be.. It's time to refresh and get cooled off and after awhile you figure out when that is needed or how to stay refreshed before it reaches that far. Window shop from inside the air conditioned gift shop a little more, sit down at a counter service place inside with some free ice water. Walk through buildings you know are air conditioned instead of taking the route you don't get into the cold. Ride somethign or watch a show that takes more than a few minutes or get into a long standby line that is all indoors and in air conditioning. Then you take your break and get a ride while your cooling off anyway.

And then there is the hard fact that sometimes it's just soul sucking hot out and there is nothing you can do but avoid it every chance you can so the full circle answer is back to come a different time of year...

 

[Klayfish]

If you're that intolerant to heat, to me your choices would be:
1. Visit from November to March
2. If you go from April-October, limit your time in the parks between 10:00am and 5:00pm
3. If you're in the park mid-day during the summer months, obviously do all the indoor rides

There's just no way around it. Florida in summer is hot. You may get a lucky break where it's a rainy day or "relatively" cool, but on average you can count on it to be really hot and humid. There's no magic bullet to beating the heat during this time of year. You have to cope with it. Cooling towels work for a few minutes, in my experience, but then you're back to being hot and now have a warm and/or wet cooling towel to carry around. I sweat a ton, so I'm not fond of the extreme heat either, but we try to be smart about it. Indoor rides during the midday hours when possible. Shady areas if not. Lots and lots of ice water...sometimes we just get cups of ice from QS locations and eat it as we're walking around.

 

[Barbara76]

When we went in September we took frog togs, they work great. Since we've switched the December.

 

[damskipi13]

During the hottest parts of the day I minimize time outside. From noon to about 4pm you will find me in restaurants and shows, the longer the better. When I have to travel between locations, I'm almost always walking through stores instead of on the street. It helps a lot.

 

[yulilin3]

bring a collapsible umbrella. It helps a lot

 

[Gorechick]

Instead of the misting fan, try a small handheld fan. The blades run faster. I aim it on my face and back of neck and it helps a lot.

 

[mikedoyleblogger]

Those big blue misters. Those new little USB fans that plug into your cell phone. Going slow, slow, slow. Taking every possible opportunity to pop into somewhere that has AC. Doing the same with every opportunity to sit down or be in shade. No undershirts or socks at all. Drink more water than you ever thought humanly possible. Mickey ice cream sandwiches rule the world. Maybe not the cooling towels like Frogg Toggs, though, depending on the weather--they don't do so well if it's really humid because they can't evaporate easily.

Most important, do some/all of these things when you feel okay. That's the way to stave off feeling in distress. Once you're in distress, it's harder to work your way out of it.

 

[Huff]

We bought some Arctic Cool towels from Costco (Amazon has them too). Supposed to wet them and then grab end to end and snap them whatever that does. They then are supposed to cool. Have never tried them. Will see.

 

[HeyKoolaid]

Thanks for all of your helpful responses. I went on Amazon and ordered some Frosty Towels and Frog Togs. I will compare the two on the trip and report back.

 

[SJMajor67]

Soak wash cloths in water and freeze them overnight in a gallon sized zip lock bag. In the morning put them into your backpack or whatever and when you need a cool down take one out and use it. They stay frozen most of the day, but if they do unfreeze they will stay cool. When you get back to your room rinse and repeat.

 

[cel_disney]

Soak wash cloths in water and freeze them overnight in a gallon sized zip lock bag. In the morning put them into your backpack or whatever and when you need a cool down take one out and use it. They stay frozen most of the day, but if they do unfreeze they will stay cool. When you get back to your room rinse and repeat.

This is what we do (but we freeze in a quart size bag!) and it works great! Nothing makes me feel better than being able to wipe off with a frozen cold towel! We travel a lot in September and can usually make it until 11:15 or so without it but it's perfect to clean up before lunch and again in the mid afternoon heat!

We bought a package of baby washcloths from target and everyone in the family has a different color (and they are thin and easy to wash) so we don't have to share! We toss the baggies into our small cooler bag with some cold waters and then into our string backpack!

 

[Srbright]

Water water water water and more water.

Cooling towels and sunscreen lotion are great but don't do a darned bit of good if you get dehydrated. Last week our son got sick the first day because we didn't get enough water.

Your body is a master of temperature regulation...AS LONG AS IT HAS WATER.

Did I mention water? Your face gets flushed? Drink some water.

Your feet sore? Drink some water.

As much as the bus drivers get knocked for not having the best information.... the one at 12:30PM after MNSSHP said "If your feet are sore it's because you didn't drink enough water." I did not believe her so I looked it up. She was correct. Lack of water will make your feet sore. Drinking water and propping your feet above your head for 20 mins before you go to bed will do more for your feet than any lotion or shoes or massage technique.

Do not worry so much about electrolytes. Unless you are running a marathon or weight lifting in the heat then you are fine. You get enough salt (NaCl) and potassium (K) and all the salts your body needs in the regular food you eat.

By the way you should be drinking water.

Stacy

 

[DisneyLove2015]

Try wearing heat gear clothing. It's amAzing how much of a difference NOT wearing cotton is. I prefer Under Armor but any dry fit/heat gear type clothing works. I cannot stand wearing cotton when it's hot outside.

They are worth every penny!!!

 

[Frozen2014]

Thanks for all of your helpful responses. I went on Amazon and ordered some Frosty Towels and Frog Togs. I will compare the two on the trip and report back.

Would love to hear which one works better and is more practical. Enjoy your trip!

PS - Is it practical to carry an umbrella. Often it's the hot sun blazing that makes it unbearable. So if you can stay shaded, it would help. But not sure if it's too big and intruding while standing in line.

 

[sgrap]

Did anyone find a brand of cooling towels they like best?

 

[fla4fun]

I usually go in September, which is hotter than October and still humid like summer. For that trip, I either hit the parks early and plan a TS lunch around 1pm, going back to the resort after that, or I enter the park later with a TS ADR first thing and then stay until close. I try not to be out in the parks much between 1pm and 5pm, since that's peak heat time (and usually peak rain time as well). Try to stay in shade and a/c as much as possible, and alternate outdoor attractions with indoor attractions.

 

[ArwenMarie]

I found that the best thing is to have a really good touring plan. There's no wandering when it's hot! We also force ourselves to work in AC shows even if they are at times when we normally wouldn't so we can sit for a decent amount of time in the cool.