How to beat the August Heat???

[bdklein]

Our family (me, wife, daughters 7 and 10) will be going to WDW the last week of August. My oldest doesn't handle the heat and humidity very well, but wants to give it a shot. What are your suggestions on how to work with the heat and humdity that time of year at Disney.

The obvious (to me).

1. Wear loose fitting, light colors clothes.
2. Keep hydrated.
3. Limit the activity during the heat of the day.

I do not see us going to Animal Kingdom, and possibly not Hollywood Studios either. So that leaves Epcot, MK, the water parks, and the Polynesian (where we are staying).

I have even thought about renting a stroller to help the kids.


I welcome any and all comments, suggestions, etc.

 

[*pixie*dust*]

Honestly, if you oldest doesn't handle heat well, August isn't the best time to go. The humidity is hard on everyone and it would be terrible for your oldest to be sick or faint while on vacation. Also, the heat can stay into the night as well so, while the sun going down is some relief it may not be enough if they are really sensitive. Have you thought about going during the winter? Or even springbreak next year?

 

[Lucky'sMom]

Summer is rough, but if you're prepared-you'll be okay. Plan your days as you mentioned, with a nice break in the middle of day's heat. Get there before rope drop, do the rides then. Plan a sit-down lunch when you can (ie, Crystal Palace)-I like to do the earliest seating. Before lunch, get a FP for something like Mickey's Philharmagic or see a sit-down type of show. Then go back to the Poly for nice break. Shower, and then go back in time for dinner or just after and see the evening entertainment, or use any other FP's that you have. I brought each person their own drink bottle with a either a clip on it (good for guys with belt loops on shorts) or a strap that most of us wore around our neck or over our arms. Bring Crystal Light packets with you and fill those bottles with water all day long. Make your DD's drink and drink. Bring some of those little battery-operated fans, they can even attach to the drink bottles. These were so nice to have when waiting in lines or for a parade. You will be amazed how much better you will feel after a break and a shower! It really re-charges you for evening.

 

[Serling126]

We will be there in August Definitely take it easy during the day... go first thing in the morning and leave during the hot afternoon for rest & swimming at your hotel. Drink LOTS of water. Use one of those fan/mister combos. We will be bringing a cooler and will put damp washcloths in it which will stay cold, to use to wipe down our face/necks when we are hot. Also, I am planning on making neck coolers to use. I am not very crafty, but these look easy to make. Or I think you can buy them online as well. Here is the link: http://www.instructables.com/id/Sew-Very-Useful-Neck-Cooler/

 

[momto2js]

I know that this sound completly crazy but here is my best advise. For me it is the abrupt change in temp that makes me feel quite ill. Such as going from the 90 degree humid air outside. To the 65 degree ice box air in hotels, resturants or some of the indoor attractions. So I carry a light sweater with me even in the summer. When I go inside the sweater goes on, and then I take the jacket off when we leave the indoor space. I find when it is hot and humid and I am sweaty, I get cool inside REALLY fast. A few of these changes a hour makes me quite ill quite quickly.

Hats and sunglasses also tend to make things more tolerable.

 

[deerhart]

get clothes that help to keep you dry. I know companies like champion and unde rarmor make clothing that helps to remove heat and moisture from the body. Both Dh and I wear these types of things while at Disney in early August
my kids the heat doesn't seem to bother them, so we pretty much go all day without breaks.

But it is just as hot and humid at home as it is in Orlando that time of the year.

 

[DisneyMomma81]

I will never visit WDW in Aug. ~ we visited last Oct. (1-10) it was way too hot & humid I kept thinking how much worse could it be and obviously it would be in August. We can handle heat ~ it's always in the 90s here July-early Sept. but it's a dry heat ~ the humidity zaps me. We're visiting DLR in early July ~ it'll be hot but there's very little humidity in S CA thankfully. We'll go back to WDW next year but it'll be late winter/early spring when we do.

 

[JESW]

Buy the squirting fans and let the kids have fun with them - keep their minds off the heat.

Get up early and make it to park openings - go back to resort and swim or nap or both in the middle of the day - go out later. But remember that the nights are still hot - just no sun beating on you. It can also rain - A LOT - in August.

Kids 7 & 10 would probably be too big and get even hotter in a stroller.

We have been going in August the last couple of years and it is very, very hot & humid and my ds15 & dh usually give in and go back to the room while dd11 & I keep going. Are you staying on-site so you might be able to split up like that?

Have fun!

Jill

 

[kldmom2000]

This will be our 4th July/August trip to Disney....

In the past, we always make sure we're at a park for rope drop and we stay until lunchtime. After that, we head back to the hotel to swim all afternoon.

We go back to a park for dinner and stay through the evening when the temps are more bearable.

We also use those misting fans and drink tons of water....

Be sure to apply and then reapply sunblock throughout the day

 

[SmallWorld71]

This is a time of year when I consider it ESSENTIAL, not just nice, to get to the park when it opens, take a break in the middle of the day and then come out in the evening when you are rested. I would suggest avoiding activities which have you out in the mid-day sun for a long period of time. (Ex. afternoon parades - we skip them in favor of night time entertainment at this time of year.)

Stay hydrated! This is so important. Kids often don't know they are getting dehydrated. Water is free at all CS places. We brought travel packs of Kool-Aid to put in them. Also, your body will use a lot more sugar than you think. My diabetic mother got to have a dessert every day on our August trip. I let the kids have ice cream every day when we go in the summer.

I like to do a TS meal every day this time of year. It really refuels/ refreshes us.

Plan to do DHS and AK in short spurts. IMO, they are MUCH harder to tour in the heat than MK and Epcot in the summer.

I'll post more as I think of them.

 

[bdklein]

WE are staying at the poly, so the location/conveience should help. And I don't think we are going to DHS or AK at all. Keep your ideas coming.

 

[RMulieri]

I don't think kids that are 7 and 10 would be very comfortable ( or fit) in a stroller and those strollers are HOT.It would just make them hotter I would think

 

[robert888]

If all is set on August, just make sure to bring fans, caps and water to keep the kids cool. You could also divide the schedule with an hour or two in between for breaks so they will not be suffocated or tired easily. Enjoy and I believe that your child would have a great time there amidst the scorching heat of the sun.

 

[SnowWhite607]

We will be there in August Definitely take it easy during the day... go first thing in the morning and leave during the hot afternoon for rest & swimming at your hotel. Drink LOTS of water. Use one of those fan/mister combos. We will be bringing a cooler and will put damp washcloths in it which will stay cold, to use to wipe down our face/necks when we are hot. Also, I am planning on making neck coolers to use. I am not very crafty, but these look easy to make. Or I think you can buy them online as well. Here is the link: http://www.instructables.com/id/Sew-Very-Useful-Neck-Cooler/

This was going to be my advice also. We did not bring a cooler on our late July trip but we brought ziploc bags and wet the washcloths down the night beofre and put them in the freezer section of the fridge. Put them in the backpacks in the morning. When you pass those carts with all the ice in them (they usually have the spray water bottles sitting in them) scoop up some ice, put it in the baggie, roll the cloth around in it and wipe down!

Also in the summer we are always there when the park opens and we leave around lunch time and go back around dinner time. Just being able to go back to the resort and swim, rest, shower or cool off gives you a world of new energy! Have fun!

 

[SnowWhite607]

Buy the squirting fans and let the kids have fun with them - keep their minds off the heat.

Get up early and make it to park openings - go back to resort and swim or nap or both in the middle of the day - go out later. But remember that the nights are still hot - just no sun beating on you. It can also rain - A LOT - in August.

Kids 7 & 10 would probably be too big and get even hotter in a stroller.

We have been going in August the last couple of years and it is very, very hot & humid and my ds15 & dh usually give in and go back to the room while dd11 & I keep going. Are you staying on-site so you might be able to split up like that?

Have fun!

Jill

They are about $20 at the parks. I have seen them at Walmart for around 5 or 6. Much better to buy them before you go (and extra batteries too!) than wait till you get there.

 

[3princesses+aprince]

We went in May and it was in the 90s. Very hot. We are going in September this year and am expecting worse because of the humidity.

Use sunglasses. We are a family that very rarely wears them at home, but oh boy were they a life saver in that very bright sun. We couldn't even see some days without them.

We brought misting fans. Definitely get them. They are what really saved the whole trip. Without them, I KNOW we wouldn't have been able to go on very long.

I hate hats cause they make your heads sweat but halfway through our trip my kids heads were getting burnt. So think about hats!

And i'm glad I read this post because i'm going to try the wash cloths in the freezer the night before!! Sounds refreshing.