Needs tips for dealing with Heat in Summer at WDW

[jkh36619]

I carry a camel pack, fill it with hotel ice and bottled water. freeze 2 bottles of water the night before and pack those in the camel pack main compartment as well. wet a couple of frog togs and put them in the camel pack. refill water as needed.

 

[ExpatDisneyLover]

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.

Hi Fellow Texan here - my family lives near Houston. I am currently in Hawaii. The main difference I noticed is that in Florida in the summer it rains! I loved this as it did feel like things were actually cooler (compared to Houston) when it rained around 3 or 4pm. For this reason alone I thought the summer in Florida was much more tolerable than Houston - just my two cents.

 

[joyjoy]

THANK YOU to the poster who mentioned not liking those water mister/fan things. A fan is fine, but I don't want to be spritzed with water, it makes me feel gross and clammy. So, to that end, if YOU love your mister fan and want to spray yourself or your family while you wait in line, please remember: You're spraying whoever is in front or in back of you in line, too, and they may not like it. Position your spray-ee (or yourself) against a wall or something while queuing, don't just spray willy-nilly all over the crowd. Thanks. Muah.

 

[amberpi]

THANK YOU to the poster who mentioned not liking those water mister/fan things. A fan is fine, but I don't want to be spritzed with water, it makes me feel gross and clammy. So, to that end, if YOU love your mister fan and want to spray yourself or your family while you wait in line, please remember: You're spraying whoever is in front or in back of you in line, too, and they may not like it. Position your spray-ee (or yourself) against a wall or something while queuing, don't just spray willy-nilly all over the crowd. Thanks. Muah.

+1 and add bubbles to this list. I really don't want spots on my clothes from errant bubbles.

 

[srwarden1928]

1. I can't answer this intelligently because I REALLY don't like water.
2. It is HOT in Florida in the summer. It is HOT in Tennessee in the summer. I would rather be hot in Disney than at home. I would get very grumpy if somebody tried to make me leave the parks.
3. I have worn shorts in Florida in February, March, October, and most certainly in the summer. I can't imagine going to a theme park in the summer time without shorts.
4. I hope you have a magical trip.

 

[MermaidMommy]

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'm from Dallas, and I agree with PP that it's the humidity that makes Florida so tough during the summer. Our heat isn't as dry as somewhere like Arizona, but it's definitely not normally as humid as Florida.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

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.

Just don't assume (and say) that we deep south people don't know what we are talking about.

Good grief! I don't think you read my post. I said FL in not like being ON the sun.

If you seriously are going to go there, the average high in WDW in August is 92 degrees Fahrenheit. The sun's temperature is roughly 9,950 degrees Fahrenheit. So yes, equating the two is using hyperbole.

The main difference between FL and Maine is not how close they are to the sun, but rather the angle of the sunlight that reaches the ground. Technically, FL is about 240miles closer to the sun than Colorado, but the difference is negligible, because the sun is about 92 million miles away from the earth.

Plus, the earth is CLOSEST to the sun during perihelion in January- about 91 million miles- than it is during aphelion in July, when it is about 94.5 million miles from the sun. If the UV index was due to proximity to the sun, then the UV index would be highest in January. It isn't.

To put it another way....more than FL vs. Maine, a bigger factor on how quickly you can burn is what surrounds you. If you are surrounded by highly reflective snow or sand, your UV index can double. In June, the average UV index rating in Jasper, WY is 10.73. Which is just about even with WDW, with an average of 10.93. I'm not sure what you mean by the deep south, but truly, average UV indexes are similar across much the south in the summer.

WDW - June aver 10.93, July 11.13
Atlanta - June aver 10.53, July 10.65
Baton Rouge, LA - June aver 11.1, July 11.23
Tucson, AZ - June aver 10.73, July 11.35

Baton Rouge and Tucson are both quite a bit further from the equator than WDW, yet they actually have slightly higher average UV indexes. Go figure!

I try to avoid making assumptions about any person's knowledge.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

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.

We wear sunscreen in WDW. Perhaps I can help because I was just looking up UV indexes.

You are correct. If it is a sunny day in June, and you stand in the WDW sun for a full 30min, skin can easily start to burn.

One factor, at least for us, though is that we don't tend to stand out in the sun for a full 30mintues at a time when we visit WDW in the summer. We try to go directly between pavilions and attractions rather than lingering in the sun between them.

We try to be aware of how much sun exposure we are getting, especially during the peak middle hours of the day. In the middle hours- say 11am-2pm, we tend to focus on places like Innoventions, take an extra long time exploring the gift shops, or take a break in one of the beautiful resort lobbies.

We usually skip attractions like the Nemo show- purely to avoid the long wait in the sun.

If we need to stop to discuss something, we try to do it in the shade or a spot with AC.

We try to go to the pool very late in the late afternoon, and/or we are very careful to apply extra sunscreen for the pool.

About the only summer WDW sunburns I've had were just if I missed a small spot when spreading sunscreen, like my feet when I wear sandals. I get striped feet! The rest of my legs don't get any color at all unless we go to the beach.

Now the beach is a different beast! The reflection off the sand = the potential to burn any exposed skin very quickly.

 

[srauseo]

I often bring a pack of baby wipes or something similar to do a quick refresh in the ladies room. Helps immensely.