Need encouragement for summer heat!

[Luv2trav]

We plan on going back to Disney late July/early August. We have never been during this time of year and expect it to be hot.. My children don't do very well during the heat. That being said we are not into park commando type touring. We have been there enough to know to get there early and back for naps and swim in the afternoon and back to the parks in the evening...

However I am a bit scared to plan a trip during this time. 7/29 is my DS 6th birthday and I REALLY REALLY want to take him on his birthday. I want to make this one special because he will be going to kindergarten next year. I want to plan special birthday surprises for him etc...

Am I crazy for considering this time of year? or would you go for it anyway? I need some positive reasons to go during this time of year.

 

[Schmeck]

If your children do not do well in the heat, do not take them to Florida in July or August. It can be intensely hot and extremely humid by 9:30 AM.

 

[dcassetta]

I think your time schedule is a good one, with a cooling off break in the afternoon. Take is slow, plenty of fluids, and maybe spend a day or two at the water parks. It will be hot, but as long at there is a nice downpour about 4pm, the evenings should be managable heat-wise.

 

[InstImpres]

We go in August each year even though DD has major heat issues. We take it slow and stay very hydrated. We do it for price and timing....I usually pull her out once in the winter for vacation and there is a limit to how many days she can miss. With her other committments, this is the time we have.

A real savior for her is a neck wrap. We get them in Disney prints from the link below:
http://www.digitizedmind.com/wraps.html#05

Put them in the room sink with ice for 10 minutes before leaving and you are good for hours. We refresh it in the parks with a 10-15 second dunk in the big tubs of mister fans...that water is always icey cold in the bottom.

 

[Luv_my_Family]

I am someone who HATES heat and humidity, but spent 2 weeks at WDW last July for my son's birthday. I was expecting it to be the worst vacation, but it turned out to be the best!

As long as you go expecting it to be hot, and plan to take regular breaks, I think you will be fine. While we never really "got used to" the heat and humidity, after a few days it was much more tolerable. Also, you will be amazed at how frequently you find an air conditioned place to duck into! All those little breaks help!

Have fun!

 

[hniki234]

You should be ok. Most of my WDW trips have been in the summer. Just take breaks and drink lots of liquid like everyone else has said. Also, try to work in rides that are air conditioned between the rides and lines that aren't. Step into a shop every now and then to cool off, too. I get heat exhaustion (despite the fact that I've lived in humid MS my entire life!), but as long as I have plenty of liquids I'm good to go!

 

[nhdisnut]

We were at WDW last August (1st week). To echo advice from previous posters, we found that carrying water bottles (we have a pack to hold them) and a mister fan really helped! Someone mentioned air conditioning: all of the shops have their doors open, so just walking by can bring relief. During the middle of the day we either took a break to swim or rest at the resort, or planned on seeing the indoor shows at whatever theme park we were at. Early mornings and evenings were quite comfortable.

All in all, we had a magical time, and will be going again in early August again this coming summer!

Enjoy!

 

[JESW]

If you do decide to go, I would suggest staying away from Animal Kingdom. The other parks you can easily find air-conditioned spots to drop in for a break, but AK can be brutally hot/humid as there are not many escape places. We go in august and my kids are now 7 & 12. We may head over to ride one or two things and then head back to the resort or another park.

Just a suggestion...

Jill

 

[mecllap]

What are the ages of the other kids? The 6 year-old can probably manage, as long as you plan for heat. Let him have his own water spray bottle (without a fan) and don't worry if he sprays someone else (encourage him to just spray himself) -- hopefully he will do what my DGS did last summer -- mostly spray it into his mouth, and never pass up a water fountain or bathroom without getting a refill -- that way he stayed hydrated (and the bathroom visits were very handy fo me). Get mini-fans from the dollar store for everyone, plus a couple extras, and batteries.

Take along blister-protection, coping stuff -- bodyglide for feet and arms (see bodyglide dot com for a location near you to get it), special blister bandaids (all the parks have first-aid stations). Wear good-fitting comfortable shoes. Use lots of sunscreen.

I didn't like the "gooey" neck-wraps, a plain wet bandana seemed to work best for us.

Take breaks, don't push anyone to their breaking point; don't try to do everything. Check on various tips boards, for more ideas.

Our favorite thing was using a small folding umbrella for portable shade -- just be aware of it, and don't bump into anyone.

 

[Luv2trav]

If you do decide to go, I would suggest staying away from Animal Kingdom. The other parks you can easily find air-conditioned spots to drop in for a break, but AK can be brutally hot/humid as there are not many escape places. We go in august and my kids are now 7 & 12. We may head over to ride one or two things and then head back to the resort or another park.

Just a suggestion...

Jill

That park always seems to be hot! We only spend 1/2 day there tops anyway. I love that park but for some reason my oldest hates it... Only likes the safari and train ride... My youngest (just turned 3) doesn't really know what he likes yet...

 

[hniki234]

That park always seems to be hot! We only spend 1/2 day there tops anyway. I love that park but for some reason my oldest hates it... Only likes the safari and train ride... My youngest (just turned 3) doesn't really know what he likes yet...

We usually spend a half day at AK, too. It's just too hot. We do Donald's breakfast; hit Dinosaur, KS, and KRR; and hit Rainforest for lunch. We sometimes watch the shows. I can't wait to hit AK in December. I'll be able to spend more time there!

 

[Leota]

I love WDW in Late August. Even tho it's pretty hot & brutally humid, it's quite doable if you Hydrate, Pace Yourself & Keep it Cool.

Here's my tips:
Get out EARLY - EMH Morning Hours & Rope Drop everyday. You can get most of the biggies done before Noon when things really heat Up.

Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate - Have everyone drink BEFORE they get thirsty - Carry bottles of water & sports drink & sip constantly to ward off dehydration.

Neck Bands, Bandanas or even just a Wet Towel from your resort room in a ziploc bag. Cooling off your neck does wonders. No NeckBand? Wrap Ice in a towel or a bandana & use that.

Do NOT attempt to do outdoor, stadium shows like Lights, Motors Actions in mid-day. It'll ruin you.

Afternoon Breaks - Get out of the sun - Go for a swim at the resort or at a Water Park. Nap in your room. Sit in a A/C theater. Just get out of the heat in the worst part of the day.

As said above - AK is the hottest Park. Due to the landscaping, air doesn't move & it stays very humid all day. Get there early, leave there early.

When you are walking thru the Parks, do as much of your traveling thru or in & out of shops as possible. It cools you down for a few minutes. Also, bring bathing suits / quick dri clothing for kids. The Parks offer lots of water play for kids to cool them off.

Head back out in the cooler, evening hours for a bit. But, hit the hay early so youcan get to the Parks at Rope Drop the next day.

In your Packing List include Mister, Neck Wraps, and lots of Ziploc bags, quart & gallon size. Those mini-fans are handy too.

Most of all - Enjoy! A Positive Attitude goes a LONG way in overcoming heat & crowds. Mind over Matter really works in this situation. Go in saying "It's Hot, I love Hot. It's Crowded - More people to share the Magic with" and you'll be much better off than going in anxious.

 

[dixiedizfan]

We live in SC, we know what hot and humid is, and there is no way we'd go to Florida in the summer! Some friends of ours went the first two weeks of August, and their kids were absolutely miserable from the heat. They ended up spending most of their time back at their air-conditioned timeshare.

 

[simzac]

Our first trip to the world was in July of 2003. I got sick from the heat 2 of the 5 days we were there. Never again. Now we only go in January. Be prepared, if your kids don't do well in the heat, I would advise against going. It is also hurricane season then, always a possibility of bad storms. JMO

 

[cabanafrau]

None of us in our family does well in the heat & we've always vowed never to go in the summer. Well, the girls are getting older & it's not possible to ditch school or manuever around all of their extracurricular commitments anymore, so we did the first ten days of August this year.

Yeah, it was hot, but it can be done. Afternoon breaks, check. AK only in the a.m., check. Neck wraps, check. Plenty of water, check.

When it's your only option, it's better than no Disney at all!

 

[LubsPoohBear]

our first trip was last week of july it was hot as i don't know what anyway we had a blast and going back next aug and in jan lol but the only pak we had a prob. with was MGM it just seemed there was no way to cool dowm all the AK has fans and misters everywhere to cool you down and shad love love AK did 3 days there we didn't even make it 4 hrs at MGM an we didn't go back it felt like we where in a city and i hate being in a city when its hot but in a fairness to MGM we are going back in jan so i can try them out. lije everyone else said take breaks lol we didn't but wish we had have a great trip

 

[pooksma]

AS so many others have said , if you plan your day right,problems should be minimal. WE took our then 4 yr old DS in July 05 and he was great. Only 1 melt down and we had pushed too far for sure. Once you get past the commando idea, things seem to fall into place. We are going August next year and plan to do morning out, afternoons at pool or DTD, back to parks in the pm.

Just go with what works and dont be discouraged if you make changes along the way. Most important, HAVE FUN!

 

[llij]

You've gotten a lot of good advice here about how to handle the heat.

I always swore that I would never go to Disney in the summer, but we went in July 2005 while I was 6 months pregnant and it was actually not bad at all. Granted, I live in the DC area where the humidity can be as bad as Florida but we hit the parks early, drank lots of water and took afternoon pool breaks. It was a fun trip and I can't wait to go back in the summer again.

Have a wonderful trip!

 

[Luv2trav]

Anymore opinions...Keep them coming. Very useful!

 

[MEK]

I live in Delaware and I would much rather spend a hot week in Disney than a hot week here in August. First of all - the air is clear. I really don't think the humidity is as bad there as it is here. There is none of that ozone fog hanging in the air. Secondly, it really only gets hot between 12 and 3pm. That is when you take your break. Last - it rains every afternoon like clockwork. Then everything cools off.

Do what everyone suggests - expect it to be hot. Being mentally prepared is half the battle. Drink, drink, drink. Alternate outdoor and indoor attractions. Arrive early and take an afternoon break. Enjoy the evening. Visit the water parks one of two times. And pack rain ponchos before you go. Wear the lightest clothes possible.

Since your son is entering kindergarten, you could consider taking him out of school in September/Oct. It is kindergarten - What he gets from Disney will be more than what he gets that week in school. The crowds will be low and the weather may be a tad cooler and it's a really great time to visit the water parks.