Okay, things that haven't been mentioned that I always keep in mind when Northern friends visit me in the Gulf South.
Clothing: Light, loose, cotton materials. Thin is in. Colors are soft neutrals or white or pastels. Tight clothing will chafe and cause heat rash. If I were going to Disney in August, I'd wear my uber-thin quick drying bermudas in sand color and a tissue thick t-shirt. The bermudas and the t-shirt are both in a size 12. I'm a size 8. Loose clothing moves and lets air in. As for hats: buy the ventilated kind with wide brims. But shade your WHOLE head: the top of your head can sunburn, even through hair!
If it has been raining and the humidity is high and you'll be out in the weather, sweating for long periods of time: Cornstarch is your friend, especially in places that tend to be wet and moist. For women this is under your endowments. For men this is. . .well
you can figure it out. For both sexes
. . .let's just say that the worst case of heat rash I ever got was a case I got huckleberry picking in the deep woods one rainy day in May while wearing jeans with boyshort undies. I walked funny for a week and a half.
Be careful with your feet. Do not let them become wet and humid and STAY wet and humid. This can lead to things worse than blisters! (There are some GREAT sandals out there that will keep your feet cool and comfy.)
If you feel like you're going to melt, stop and sit down and cool down. If you don't feel like you're going to melt, you still should stop frequently and cool down.
Other posters have mentioned sunscreen. Remember to re-apply sunscreen every few hours. May I also mention that alcohol based Bullfrog sunscreen is nice, cool stuff?
Ice cream is NOT the most cooling thing you can ingest. Go for straight water, cold soft drinks, cold iced tea (why do you think Southerners are so addicted to it, anyway?), cold iced coffee, or snoball type slushy ice concoctions. Drink these things as often as possible. (However, I will still ingest about 8 cups of hot coffee a day in August. I will do so while walking out in the heat. I was born in Louisiana, and my father fed me hot coffee from the time I was an infant. I've developed the ability and you will doubtless see others drinking hot coffee in 98 degree heat. This does not necessarily mean you should follow suite.)
Swimming pools are a wonderous invention. Please be careful. Water is a great reflector. (You probably know this already, but I'll lecture to the chorus.) You're more likely to get sunburn at a pool than sitting in grass because the sun's rays reflect off the water (and also because you're exposing various bits of your self that haven't seen the sun in months). Reapply sunscreen frequently. If you do get sunburned, there is no such thing as too much aloe vera lotion.
You will sweat a great deal. Don't worry about it. Everyone else is sweating too. Wear good deodorant and shower every day, you'll be fine.
If you're a girl, keep your hair pinned up. High pony-tails are for, whatever reason, even cooler than short hair. (Never been able to figure this one out, but it's true. My hair has been a half inch and it's been to my waist. Putting my hair up is cooler than wearing it short. I know women who grow their hair out for the summer months just so they can take advantage of this strange truism.)
Finally, if you live in snow country: you know that point in February where you're so SICK of effin winter that you effin want to effin go nuts? The time when you have long daydreams about warm weather and not having to wear an parka everytime you go out? That time when the mountain of snow in the parking lot at the Wal-Mart is so large there have been reported sightings of Yeti on it at night? And you're miserable because you know you're not even close to warm weather? That is how the natives in Florida feel in August. Except instead of living in a deep freezer, they're living in a dog's mouth.
A better idea is a "neck cooler" or bandana that they can soak in cold water and put on their necks. We packed some dry shirts to go with the kids quick-dry shorts. Also worth noting, when we were there, we noticed that two little girls with "swim shorts" were not allowed on Splash Mtn because bathing suits weren't allowed and I guess these were really bathing suit bottoms.
We left the misting fans and refillable water bottles back in the room. We took small water bottles each day and when it was empty we just bought new ones at the park. More expensive, but definitely worth not having to carry around a bottle all day. The one thing that helped us out tremendously were washclothes. I bought a pack of 12 cheaply in Kohls and we would wet one for each of us and put it in the little freezer or fridge in our room overnight. Then we'd just carry it in our little fannypack/purse and wipe down frequently. Even once it melted and thawed, we would just rinse it/run it under cold water in the restrooms and be completely refreshed.
