I've never felt the Florida heat!

[Brancaneve]

We live in California and we will be making our third trip to WDW and the DCL Dream in late May, early June. We have been twice before(and loved it) but we have always vacationed in February when the weather was PERFECT!

Can you please offer any tips on how to deal with the heat? First of all....is it really that bad? Do we need bug repellent?

Since I am known to start packing 2 months before departing, any tidbits of info will be greatly appreciated!

Love my DVCFS(DVC friends)!

 

[vicki_c]

By June, IMO, yes, it's that bad! We like to go in January/February, so I have pretty much melted on our June trips (we're going for Easter this year and I'm worried about the heat then!).

But I would definitely buy some of those moisture-wicking type fabric shirts, they helped quite a bit. And we swear by Body Glide for preventing chafing.

Late May/early June is definitely better than August, I can say that much!

 

[eva]

We live in California and we will be making our third trip to WDW and the DCL Dream in late May, early June. We have been twice before(and loved it) but we have always vacationed in February when the weather was PERFECT!

Can you please offer any tips on how to deal with the heat? First of all....is it really that bad? Do we need bug repellent?

Since I am known to start packing 2 months before departing, any tidbits of info will be greatly appreciated!

Love my DVCFS(DVC friends)!

We used to go at that time almost every year. It can be beautiful with temps in the mid to upper 80's or it can be brutal with temps in the 100's every day. We've seen both and a lot of in between. One year it was actually cool in the low seventies with a lot of rain the first week of June. But that is definitely an exception. We love hot pool weather. So it has not been a major issue for us. But my main advice would to be to avoid the parks at the hottest part of the day. Go back to the resort and swim. Or maybe head over to DD and hit DQ and some shops. Be sure to drink plenty of water. You might want to use a grocery service to deliver a case of water to your room. Our DGD loved her squirt fan that we bought her. It did feel nice to get squirted while waiting in a hot line. Oh, and be sure to plan on getting wet each afternoon. During that time of year you can almost bet you will get an afternoon/early evening downpour. Usually only a couple hours and then it is over. We always wear waterproof Keens and bring a cheap poncho from Wal-Mart.

 

[Mtnman44]

Once it gets into the upper 80's, I have trouble staying comfortable as the warm or hot air + humity really drain my energy.

For best success, plan indoor things in the middle of the day. Use the morning and evening hours for most of your walking and theme parking. Shows, sit down lunches, resort and pool time, etc all work well in the middle of the day. One thing I like to do is wear clothes that can get wet and dry fast, such as swim wear and moisture wicking shirts. Strategically plan to get wet in the middle of the day on rides, play fountains, etc. The wet clothes will give you a lot of relief and keep you going.

Probably the single most effective tip: water. Bring lots of water. Drink it before you feel thirsty. At least one bottle per hour. This will prevent a lot of heat and fatigue related issues. Remember, if you wait till you feel thirsty, it is too late.

 

[DebbieB]

I've gone in June 3 times. My best advice is to get to the park early, beating the heat & crowds and then take an afternoon break back at the resort. I also go into the restroom and take a paper towel and wet it and wipe down my neck and arms (and face if you don't care about makeup). That really cools you down. Frozen Cokes are good too.

 

[Havana]

I agree with what everyone wrote. It's great you are preparing for it.
I freeze a water bottle the night before to take with me for the day.

I always take bug spray, but never have needed it.

 

[BEASLYBOO]

June is definitively better than July/August and September. Northern schools have not let out yet, Florida schools let out around Jun1-3, so the crowds are less than in middle or late summer. In Aug we just do water parks no theme park, too darn hot.

Bear in mind that's it's the beginning of hurricane season but what that means is just thunderstorms, generally every day around 3:30 and then right after sunshine and all good witht he World, unless we're having a dry summer!

We do rope am rope drop for AK and DHS, and only spend 1/2 the day in thepark, head back to the villa and swim, refresh ourselves and then possibly head back to the parks around 4:30 PM.

It's certainly doable, we go every June and this one is no different. Drink lots of water and wear lots of deodorant and stay away from those who don't!

 

[La2kw]

We are from Southern California and go every year in the summer. The humidity is unlike anything we have in California. We have heat, but the humidity makes it feel even hotter. You will literally sweat buckets even if you are just sitting doing nothing. That said, it's great weather for swimming and water sports (which we do a lot of). We have always had great trips in the summer, but bring lots of sunblock and drink lots of water. We also take breaks in the middle of the day, which is easy to do since the parks are open later than during other times of the year. We have been other times of the year, but really prefer summer since we can be there longer and do water activities. Spring and Winter are too cold to swim.

 

[downontheBW]

You know what they say, "it's not the heat, it's the humidity". If you're used to California weather, the effect of high humidity may surprise you - it can drain your energy.

We're from the East coast (NY state) so are used to humidity but Florida in the summer can be brutal. That said, we visited once in June and expected to be very uncomfortable but the weather was beautiful!

Late May / early June isn't as bad as July/Aug. Take the great advice of the OPs.

 

[sarahk0204]

Once it gets into the upper 80's, I have trouble staying comfortable as the warm or hot air + humity really drain my energy.

For best success, plan indoor things in the middle of the day. Use the morning and evening hours for most of your walking and theme parking. Shows, sit down lunches, resort and pool time, etc all work well in the middle of the day.

We made lunch ADR's on our summer trips, and it worked great. Lunch was followed by swimming or napping, depending on the mood and the afternoon thunderstorm.

 

[kikiq]

Yes, it is that "bad". We usually go in August which the worse. We're from California also, just not use to the heat and humidity, but it's when we can go.

The earlier you can get going in the morning, the better. We usually are out and in a park by 8/9 and then back to the resort by lunch to nap, swim and chill in the villa. Early dinner and then back out to a park. It has worked for us for the last 4 years. Remember that you can get cups of ice water from any CS in the parks for free. Take advantage of that. If you don't go back to the villas mid day then head for an indoor venue for a couple of hours. Last year, we had a 2 hour lunch on the Norway bakery patio enjoying the shade and breeze.

 

[Cee]

I've never been to WDW in June, but I've been in May twice(around Mother's Day) and at the end of July. It was blasted hot once in May and not bad at all the other time. In July, it was not that bad either. But all this is relative. What kind of weather you're used to and how you personally react to heat/humidity. One person's "not bad at all" is another person's "Get me into A/C, STAT!"

 

[JimMIA]

I'm sure a lot of Floridians are chuckling over this thread. To us, June is relatively mild, both in terms of temp/humidity and thunderstorms. August and September are the absolute worst, but you can get mid-80's just about any time of the year in Florida. Our current pattern here in Miami is 60's at night, low 80's for high temps.

For packing, I personally would take a jacket to wear when the temps plunge into the 70's...but I'm a native Floridian.

More seriously, my number one suggestion is the one mtnman44 gave above -- hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. That is more of a health suggestion than a comfort suggestion. If you wait until you're thirsty, you've waited too long and probably will not catch up.

Once you get a little bit of heat illness, you're going to feel washed out for the rest of the day, and that will really lessen your enjoyment of your vacation. If you feel a wave of warmth sweep over your body, followed by a little weakness, I'd suggest taking the rest of the day off. As an EMT, I treat a LOT of heat illness patients, and that wave of warmth is reported by almost every heat exhaustion patient I treat.

If you have ANY kind of underlying medical condition -- respiratory or heart issues, diabetes, any deficit from previous illnesses or injuries -- the hydration advice goes double. Dehydration causes all sorts of chemical imbalances which could have serious effects for anyone with a chronic condition.

Even though we're used to the heat and humidity, our family follows the early/late theme park routine suggested above, usually with a trip back to the resort for a pool/nap break in the middle of the day. The downside of early/late in the summer is that the thunderstorms usually occur in late afternoon/early evening.

We also either eat a very light lunch, or nothing at all. Light snacking and lots of water and Gatorade seem to work better for us. A frozen lemonade may taste great, but it's the volume of fluids that is critical. Avoid alcoholic beverages during the day, because alcohol is a big-time dehydrator.

 

[bwvBound]

Thanks, Jim. Excellent post and all good advice.

I'm sure a lot of Floridians are chuckling over this thread. To us, June is relatively mild, both in terms of temp/humidity and thunderstorms. August and September are the absolute worst, but you can get mid-80's just about any time of the year in Florida. Our current pattern here in Miami is 60's at night, low 80's for high temps.

For packing, I personally would take a jacket to wear when the temps plunge into the 70's...but I'm a native Floridian.

More seriously, my number one suggestion is the one mtnman44 gave above -- hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. That is more of a health suggestion than a comfort suggestion. If you wait until you're thirsty, you've waited too long and probably will not catch up.

Once you get a little bit of heat illness, you're going to feel washed out for the rest of the day, and that will really lessen your enjoyment of your vacation. If you feel a wave of warmth sweep over your body, followed by a little weakness, I'd suggest taking the rest of the day off. As an EMT, I treat a LOT of heat illness patients, and that wave of warmth is reported by almost every heat exhaustion patient I treat.

If you have ANY kind of underlying medical condition -- respiratory or heart issues, diabetes, any deficit from previous illnesses or injuries -- the hydration advice goes double. Dehydration causes all sorts of chemical imbalances which could have serious effects for anyone with a chronic condition.

Even though we're used to the heat and humidity, our family follows the early/late theme park routine suggested above, usually with a trip back to the resort for a pool/nap break in the middle of the day. The downside of early/late in the summer is that the thunderstorms usually occur in late afternoon/early evening.

We also either eat a very light lunch, or nothing at all. Light snacking and lots of water and Gatorade seem to work better for us. A frozen lemonade may taste great, but it's the volume of fluids that is critical. Avoid alcoholic beverages during the day, because alcohol is a big-time dehydrator.

 

[RweTHEREyet]

Your biggest problem is going to be the humidity. Having spent many years visiting WDW, on our trips to DL last year, we were amazed that there was no humidity at all.

Head out to the Parks early in the morning, take an afternoon break and then head back in the early evening and you will avoid the worst of it.

Have a wonderful trip and please write a TR when you get back.

 

[Ctsplaysinrain]

I'll agree about the humidity. We live in AZ , so we are used to HEAT but the humidity is what kills us... Our strategies usually involve taking it easy during the day ( it seems to take us a few days to adjust to east coast time anyway)-sleeping late, hanging at pool, shopping, eating our sit down at lunch and then hitting the parks around 4pm and taking full advantage of the late nights.. It seems the afternoon storms hit around 3-4pm, cools it off for a little bit , and then the evenings aren't quite so bad as the days...

 

[Brancaneve]

Thank you everyone for you wonderful words of wisdom. I appreciate the perspective that June is tolerable. Thanks JIMMIA!

Now, what about the bugs? Do I need to pack bug spray?

 

[RweTHEREyet]

We have never had an issue with bugs at all. Not sure if you mean mosquitoes or something else, but I get bitten more here at home in North Carolina. I cannot recall ever getting bitten while at WDW, but we don't generally do the campfire at Fort Wilderness or anything like that either.

 

[MrShiny]

I agree that May/june is usually not the worst. August/September seems to be when we've seen the most heat! This past late July was bad. Normally, there is a thunderstorm about 3PM. After that, things cool down a bit and then more so when the sun sets. This past July was also dry as far as rain, so there were many nights where the temperature drop at sunset was not that noticeable. It was better than being in the sun, but not by much!

Plan your days by the weather forecast. If it is going to be hot, start early. Take a break to swim mid-day and relax until dinner time. Then go back to the parks after sunset and stay late.

Keep the sun off you at all costs - the only thing worst than being outside on a really hot humid day is being stuck outside on a hot humid day with a sunburn! Watch out even for sandals - the tropical sun will gladly burn any exposed skin and burn feet are really not fun!

Stay hydrated. Do not push yourself. Better to see fewer things than to really over extend yourself in the heat.

Bring panchos. The rain will clear out the parks, make it cooler and provide a really great time to do attractions if you don't mind getting pretty wet (no shame in wearing a bathing suit under or as shorts!).

It is very doable. Of course it is more action-packed touring the parks in great weather, but we've had plenty of fun even when it's pretty bad.

 

[Brancaneve]

Thanks MrShiny....will add ponchos to my list, buy a lot of sunblock and keep the feet covered.