Needs tips for dealing with Heat in Summer at WDW

[GillianP1301]

We always go to WDW the end of August through Labour Day weekend and we love it. My top beat the heat tips:

1) Wear a hat - nothing will bring on heat stroke faster than being out in the summer Florida sun with no hat.
2) Sunscreen
2) Drink plenty of water
3) TS meals - they are a break, a chance to eat and a chance to cool down all in one. You have to eat anyway, might as well save a little time and make it your rest and cool down chance at the same time
4) Anytime you start to feel overheated, head into an indoor attraction or a shop.
5) Light weight and breathable fabrics. Shorts vs pants is less important than light weight/breathable fabric vs. heavy fabrics
6) Light weight/comfortable shoes. I use body glide on my feet which keeps the blisters away. Body glide on any skin that is rubbing together is a good idea too.

 

[Klayfish]

You can see the Poor Miserable Soles that don't know about it and they are walking around in agony, some like they have a load in their pants.

How do you know they don't have a load in their pants? "Alright, darn it, I've been standing in this queue for 45 minutes...I really want to ride the ride, I can hold it, I can hold it, I can...oh nuts."

 

[chad33el]

We had 2 hot experiences in 2014 and learned from them.

1) get there early...obviously it's cooler in the AM. same goes for evening. If you are there and not breaking, then plan your midday stuff to be movies and shows and indoors if you can..Epcot has a lot of indoor stuff...so does Adventureland/Liberty Square.
2) a good hat is worth it's weight in gold. Not a ballcap...not mickey ears, but think of a straw fedora or even an aussie hat with ventilation. Less sunscreen to put on your face when your face is shaded.
3) I just like the spray on stuff. Easy to reapply.
4) AK and the World Showcase are bad places to be when it is hotter than Hades. No shade and a long way back to transportation.

 

[North of Mouse]

You can use all the tips you want, but nothing much IMO helps - sure, the obvious, drink lots of water (and by the way, the CS water is great - the water fountains nasty), stay out of the sun in the heat of day, etc. etc.

The heat and humidity almost kill me and I'm a south LA girl, so have known it all my life. But, the difference is staying out 'in' it all day!

No enjoyment for me. We tried summers a few times at Disney, but no more - a waste of time and money for us, we're so miserable. No way to sugar coat it. Lots of people 'endure' it, but that's not a vacation to us. To each their own!!

 

[nco91590]

We've been Memorial Day weekend, early July and mid-August. I agree with the poster that said it's a psychological thing. You have to be resigned to the heat but determined to have fun.

We also did early mornings, back to hotel mid-day, and out in the evenings.

I like skorts in the heat. I don't have to worry so much about shorts riding up.

My DH wears a camelback and freezes the water bladder. That way we have nice cold water all day in the lines. It's easy to refill too. The backpack stays nice and cold so he doesn't get too hot. The camelback we bought last time had pockets to keep all of our stuff in too.

 

[SaintsManiac]

You can use all the tips you want, but nothing much IMO helps - sure, the obvious, drink lots of water (and by the way, the CS water is great - the water fountains nasty), stay out of the sun in the heat of day, etc. etc.

The heat and humidity almost kill me and I'm a south LA girl, so have known it all my life. But, the difference is staying out 'in' it all day!

No enjoyment for me. We tried summers a few times at Disney, but no more - a waste of time and money for us, we're so miserable. No way to sugar coat it. Lots of people 'endure' it, but that's not a vacation to us. To each their own!!

I'm from New Orleans myself and agree with you 100%. People underestimate the July and August temps in Orlando. I refuse to leave my house unless I have to!! I can't handle it and refuse to "vacation" in it.

 

[Klayfish]

4) AK and the World Showcase are bad places to be when it is hotter than Hades. No shade and a long way back to transportation.

Without a doubt, especially the World Showcase. It's hot to be walking around there. AK is a very hot park, if we're there mid-day we try to do the indoor things...or ride Kali and hope to get soaked.

Yes, part of it is a mental thing. While I agree it's very hot and humid, I can't imagine WDW any other way. I've been there for about 11 or 12 trips in my lifetime, not sure how many total days exactly, but it's a relatively large number. Almost all my trips have been in mid-summer, and the few fall/winter trips I've done had heat waves going while we were there. I think the coldest high temp I ever experienced was about 82 degrees. The coldest temps I've ever experienced at any time of day in WDW is probably 65-67 degrees. To me, it just doesn't feel like Disney if it's not hot out. I know that sounds strange, but I've been conditioned that way for 44+ years, so it's what I'm used to. I felt very odd on the one night where it dropped into the 60s and frankly didn't care for it.

 

[gingerfeathers]

My biggest learned-from-experience suggestion: Definitely wear shorts. Definitely ride all the water rides because they'll cool you down for a bit. However, do not ride them wearing white shorts. They will get wet. Then they will be see-through. And then you'll be figuring out how on earth to preserve your modesty until said white shorts dry. And you will be miserable.

In all seriousness (though the above is serious because it did happen to me, ugh), just make sure you're constantly aware of the heat. Take lots of breaks, walk through shops, sit in the shade with water, and if you miss an attraction or two because you need a break, don't sweat it. Your health is far more important.

 

[famy27]

We've actually grown to like going in the summer. We just got back, and I'd rather sweat in the heat than have to wear a coat in the park. It got to the low 50s with a lot of wind at the DVC member party on Friday night. It would have been much more enjoyable if it had been 10 degrees warmer.

In the summer, hitting the parks after dark is great. No sunscreen worries, and the heat is a little lower. You know what to pack and don't have to worry about layers. The pools are warm day and night. Park hours tend to be longer as well.

We're at the point of wanting to move to FL because we hate Chicago winters way more than we hate Florida summers.

One thing I recommend is to bring your own empty water bottles. Fill them up with ice and water and then add water flavoring liquid to them. This keeps us hydrated and saves money. We bring at least two flavoring bottles for a four-day trip for four people.

 

[DreamRunner1]

Our 2 fav items that help -
1. Brita Sport Bottle - love these guys, makes any disney water drinkable. and decently light-weight because it's flexible . get approximately 500 refills per filter!
2. frogg toggs chilly towels = awesome

Like many have mentioned - sometimes nothing helps to beat the heat, especially in July-Sept. We just have fun and don't rush and/or don't over-plan. Sometimes a midday pool break is great, but so is a nap in your ice-cold room

 

[mickeyluv'r]

Why no ponytail on rollercoasters?

We split our time between WDW and US.

No hard rule, but on RNRC at WDW, you're supposed to keep your head back against the headrest during the launch. Many folks wear ponytails and survive, but it is easier to put your head back without one.

There's also little you can do about Test Track, except redo your ponytail after you get off.

 

[Praying Colonel]

Some things we do:

--Do some walking in summer weather before your trip to acclimate yourself as much as possible;
--Hydrate before your trip and keep hydrating;
--Wear cool, moisture-wicking clothing as much as possible;
--The earlier you can start your day, the better;
--Take lots of water into the parks with you or stop for ice water whenever possible;
--Try to get out of the sun by midday and take an afternoon break where you're putting up your feet someplace air-conditioned;
--If you can't take an afternoon break, try to save afternoon for attractions/activities that are air-conditioned;
--Eat meals in air-conditioned restaurants;
--We find Frog Toggs help us but YMMV;
--Take advantage of evening park hours as much as possible.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

I'm from New Orleans myself and agree with you 100%. People underestimate the July and August temps in Orlando. I refuse to leave my house unless I have to!! I can't handle it and refuse to "vacation" in it.

I respect your opinion, but disagree. I've read a great many hyperbolic posts over the years, where folks say WDW in summer is like being on the sun or some such nonsense. We like WDW in summer.

We've been to WDW in all month of the year except June. IMO, WDW just doesn't feel like WDW when it is too cold. A few years ago, it was so cold, we all had to wear four layers! The first day of the flower festival had us shivering in hats and gloves. It was so cold, the butterflies in the butterfly house didn't move all day!

*****

One thing I didn't add in my pp is the importance of acclimating your skin to being outdoors in the summer. It takes the pores on our skin about two weeks to acclimate! If you spend all your time in AC (?to 70 degrees?), then outdoors at WDW in the summer will feel very different.

Second, some days, it stays perfectly sunny, but the threat of a storm mysteriously closes pools, coasters, animal attractions, and shuttle boats stop running.

As always, it pays to be flexible.

 

[SaintsManiac]

I respect your opinion, but disagree. I've read a great many hyperbolic posts over the years, where folks say WDW in summer is like being on the sun or some such nonsense. We like WDW in summer.

We've been to WDW in all month of the year except June. IMO, WDW just doesn't feel like WDW when it is too cold. A few years ago, it was so cold, we all had to wear four layers! The first day of the flower festival had us shivering in hats and gloves. It was so cold, the butterflies in the butterfly house didn't move all day!

*****

One thing I didn't add in my pp is the importance of acclimating your skin to being outdoors in the summer. It takes the pores on our skin about two weeks to acclimate! If you spend all your time in AC (?to 70 degrees?), then outdoors at WDW in the summer will feel very different.

Second, some days, it stays perfectly sunny, but the threat of a storm mysteriously closes pools, coasters, animal attractions, and shuttle boats stop running.

As always, it pays to be flexible.

You can disagree all you want, but everyone handles different weather in different ways. WDW in the peak of summer is not my idea of a vacation, which is exactly what I said.

 

[North of Mouse]

I respect your opinion, but disagree. I've read a great many hyperbolic posts over the years, where folks say WDW in summer is like being on the sun or some such nonsense. We like WDW in summer.

We've been to WDW in all month of the year except June. IMO, WDW just doesn't feel like WDW when it is too cold.

Being a deep south girl, I agree completely with SaintsManiac! So 'you' think it's all exaggerated nonsense when people talk about FL in summer as being near the sun??? The 'heat' is definitely more intense there as it's closer to the equator and will burn you quicker.

By the way, where do you live? If you enjoy the hot summers at Disney, enjoy it! No one tells people 'not' to go - just what to expect!!

I don't like it 'freezing' either, but there are temperatures in other months that can be quite pleasant. Just don't assume (and say) that we deep south people don't know what we are talking about.

 

[bryanb]

I'm surprised at the number of people who have said they don't use sunscreen. I feel like my every inch of exposed flesh is starting to burn within 30 minutes of standing outside in Florida. I guess everyone is different.

 

[Elle23]

I am from the Summer Inferno known as Texas. I'm curious how the heat in Texas compares to the heat in Florida in the summer (from any Texans who would know).

I have only been to WDW in January and the weather was wonderful. But I am curious if it is that much worse than Texas in the summers.

 

[Zippa D Doodah]

The biggest thing to remember about summer is to constantly drink water. Hard to say how many gallons would be enough. You're going to sweat more than you would anywhere else. Fortunately the water is not too bad, and a Brita filtered bottle will take away anything that might offend the taste buds.

Enjoy the thunderstorms that will come. They typically won't last long, yet they will cool things down a bit and cause some guests to leave the parks.

 

[nco91590]

I am from the Summer Inferno known as Texas. I'm curious how the heat in Texas compares to the heat in Florida in the summer (from any Texans who would know).

I have only been to WDW in January and the weather was wonderful. But I am curious if it is that much worse than Texas in the summers.

I lived in San Antonio and visited WDW in July. I thought I would be fine with the heat because I'm able to handle high temperatures from living in S. TX for 5 years. The humidity KILLED ME in FL. I got heat rash! Lol. I was honestly worse off than my family that live in Upstate NY. I think they were more used to the humidity.

 

[SaintsManiac]

I'm surprised at the number of people who have said they don't use sunscreen. I feel like my every inch of exposed flesh is starting to burn within 30 minutes of standing outside in Florida. I guess everyone is different.

It's concerning to me. I wear SPF moisturizer year round. Skin cancer isn't scary enough to people.