Staying Cool This Summer!

[mamabunny]

OK, I was summarily kidnapped and hauled away to Disney World last week, and I only hollered... a little while riding Midway Mania!

BUT - it was *hot* (for me at least; I am, as you all know, a delicate flower who thrives only in a very limited temperature range and Florida @ 90+ degrees and eleventy-million percent humidity is NOT those conditions! ) and yet I survived - and quite well!

How? you ask! How, Mamabunny did you ever survive the heat, the humidity, the very sunlight that burns your skins and renders you blistered, not tanned?

2 things: First was these Amazon Rash Guard shirts. Yes, these are the men's style, but currently on sale, (under $7!) so your size may/may not be available; our daughter bought me enough of them to last me through the trip, and they do make a real difference for me. She also got me a scarf made from the same type of material, as well as some pants, and brought my crushable hat. I was covered, and I was not miserable! (yes, I had pants. I promise anyone you saw Donald-ducking it was *not* me!)

Don't get me wrong - I do not plan to go in the hot months again - but when you are whisked away for a surprise Mother's Day trip, you go, and you eat the Dole Whip, and you eat the Mickey Premium Bars, and you do it all with a giant, happy grin on your face!

But wait - there's more!!!

She also got me this. This thing is *insane*. It's a "personal air conditioner" but Oh Happy Day it *also* can warm your neck in the cooler evening hours, or in the fall/winter or any other time my old bones grow cold! It has it's own app you can use on your smart phone to fine tune it - it senses the ambient temperature and then you set the temperature you want to feel like, and darned if this thing didn't take off, and keep me cool! It has a "silent" mode, which does make a difference, but at a reduction in air volume.

Some caveats - it is (relatively) new technology, and as such, has a few things to know. It goes without saying that this costs more than your average $19.99 neck fan that blows ambient temperature air. It's not for everyone, and that's OK. Mine was a gift; I am not sure I would have ever purchased it for myself, but now that I have it, I am going to sure 'nuff use it!

First and foremost, the pictures of the device show kind of a frosty blue looking interior (the part that goes against your neck). My unit has an interior part is just the same white as the exterior; the frosty blue color is to show you where the cooling/heating pads are. The pads on the interior of the neck band work well - obviously best when they can contact skin. I found that a Disney cooling towel between my neck and the interior of the unit was just right; I didn't like the way that humidity condensed on the pads, but the cooling towel helps absorb that.

Next, if you want to go aaaaalllll day long, you *will* need to bring along a substantial external battery pack (or 2. Maybe 3. Depends on exactly how cool you want to be, and for how long) (also, side note: for battery packs, I highly recommend Anker - look for the bigger packs, like 20,000 mAh, and be sure to get one with USB-C, as that's what the AICE uses to recharge) I found that with the rash guards, and all of my sun-protection gear, I needed it mostly in the afternoon/early evening when the heat was... the hottest.

Using the external battery pack, the unit will not run the fan quite as fast, and it won't cool quite as quickly, but it will still work - and it's so much better than blowing hot, humid air into your face, and hoping it helps. It will actually recharge the battery while still cooling, which is great.

The other thing to mention is that yes - on the exterior of the device, there are a couple of places that will get warm/hot (not so hot it should burn, but it will be noticeable) but I never felt it on my skin while wearing it - just when I went to take it off, I felt it with my hands. Nothing alarming - just in the spirit of full transparency.

So, there you go.

Rash Guards + personal air conditioner = cool(er), calm & collected Mamabunny!

And if you have any other products that might help folks who need to stay cool in the summer, let's post about them here; it's that time of year!

 

[mamabunny]

Another new-to-us item that we took along to use in the hotel room was this Venty portable fan.

It can be a desk fan, or a floor fan; and it can oscillate if you wish! It has a little round remote control you can keep on your nightstand, and it has a soft white light that glows all the way around the base if you want.

It recharges via USB-C and we ran it full-tilt all night every night, and recharged it every day, and it made a lovely difference in our hotel room; we don't like to make it too cold, but we do want to move the air, and this works perfectly for that. It all telescopes down into a sturdy molded fabric travel case, and it comes with everything you need but a power brick (you can just use the one you charge your phone with).

Last, but not least, it *can* recharge your phone in a pinch - but it won't be able to run quite as long before requiring a recharge.

We were pleasantly surprised at how well it works!

---

The bathrooms in Disney hotels can get kind of... stuffy/airless in the summertime. We have long wanted a little portable travel fan to set on the counter, just to move some air around in there as well.

This is what we found, and it works very well!

Also rechargeable via USB-C, this little fan has a knob that lets you set the speed anywhere you wish between Off & maximum! While it won't last quite all night on high, it works well enough on a lower speed to just move around some of the warm, humid air that can accumulate in the bath. Especially right after someone bathed, it was nice to be able to enter the bathroom, and not feel like you stumbled into a sauna!

We charged it during the day while we were in the Parks, and it really made a lovely difference for us!

 

[Simba's Mom]

Thanks for the ideas, mama bunny, and I'm glad to hear that you "bucked up" and put a grin on your face and ate the Mickey Bars!

 

[Becca43]

Thank you for sharing @mamabunny, and glad to hear you had a good trip! I’m so heat sensitive that I am seriously going to look into that neck fan just for spending time outdoors at home (in Canada ) this summer. How was it to wear on your neck and shoulders all day? I have had pretty consistent coat hanger pain for years, so my only worry is whether it might make that worse after wearing it for a little while. Maybe I’ll have to try one of the cheap neck fans first and see how I fare before I seriously consider making the investment

I typically use cooling headbands, towels, and wristbands in the summer but I find they’re all only mildly effective…at least for me.

Would love to know how people find long-sleeve rash guards and UV shirts/wear — do you find you tend to be too hot still if you’re trading in shorts and t-shirts for long-sleeves and pants? Or does the type of material and the difference it makes truly come out net positive for you?

Also not directly related to the parks but definitely to travel: if anyone who is heat sensitive has any tips for surviving the sun while in the car, you will be my new favourite person!!! Just the sun coming through the window and/or windshield while driving is enough to makes my symptoms spike, and I’m having a hard time finding the right accessories (for both myself and my car lol) since getting a new car (a little tiny hatchback) last year.

 

[mamabunny]

Thank you for sharing @mamabunny, and glad to hear you had a good trip! I’m so heat sensitive that I am seriously going to look into that neck fan just for spending time outdoors at home (in Canada ) this summer. How was it to wear on your neck and shoulders all day? I have had pretty consistent coat hanger pain for years, so my only worry is whether it might make that worse after wearing it for a little while. Maybe I’ll have to try one of the cheap neck fans first and see how I fare before I seriously consider making the investment

Trying a cheaper neck fan first to see if it causes problems might be a good idea! I will say that while the AICE does have some “heft” to it, once I had it on, and properly in place, I didn’t really notice it.

I will say that during the time I was wearing it, I was so enchanted by the coolness that I really didn’t pay attention to the device itself! Apparently, I am easily amused and distracted

The other thing to know about the AICE is that you *can* wear it either “right side up” or “right side down” - up means the fans are pushing the cooled air up to your face, and upwards from your neck into your hairline. It is delightful! But, turn it upside down, and you have a cooling fan that will (with a small adjustment of the fabric) blow the cooled air down into your shirt, and down your back. Either way works fine!

I typically use cooling headbands, towels, and wristbands in the summer but I find they’re all only mildly effective…at least for me.

Would love to know how people find long-sleeve rash guards and UV shirts/wear — do you find you tend to be too hot still if you’re trading in shorts and t-shirts for long-sleeves and pants? Or does the type of material and the difference it makes truly come out net positive for you?

I don’t want to oversell the rash guards, but I am always that person who suffers in the heat, and is cranky and sweaty, and has to go find A/C.

When I wore the rash guards, I was so cool all day that our daughter literally thought I was getting sick! I almost didn’t need the AICE, because the rash guard was doing 2 things at once: it was keeping the UV off of my skin and the fabric is so lightweight and breathable that I didn’t feel like I was being choked by my own clothing.

I had some leggings that I bought from Target last year, and they are made of a very similar material to the rash guards, so I paired the shirts with those. I even worse a family Disney shirt *over* my rash guard on a 90 degree day, and didn’t really notice! 2 layers, no waiting!

I highly recommend covering up as much as you can - it really makes a big difference.

Also not directly related to the parks but definitely to travel: if anyone who is heat sensitive has any tips for surviving the sun while in the car, you will be my new favourite person!!! Just the sun coming through the window and/or windshield while driving is enough to makes my symptoms spike, and I’m having a hard time finding the right accessories (for both myself and my car lol) since getting a new car (a little tiny hatchback) last year.

So… I wear “sun sleeves” or UV protective gloves in the car, when driving or when a passenger. I also tie a scarf around my neck to protect it, that I was given as a gift - it is made from the same UV protective material as a rash guard.

I get the windows tinted with a UV protective film - all the way around, except for the windshield, obvi.

Congrats on your new little car! I get it about the symptoms; I don’t tan or burn, I blister, and I get heat sick *so* easily. I resisted using UV protective fabrics and clothing for a long time, but I am embracing that technology because it allows me to function so much easier in the world! I also worked with my PCP and my specialists, and they helped identify some medication changes that have helped as well.

Good luck! If you find something that helps, please share it - it’s so miserable to be hot and unhappy at WDW! We can’t fix everything, but maybe we can all help folks have a better time at our favorite place!

 

[jo-jo]

B

The other thing to know about the AICE is that you *can* wear it either “right side up” or “right side down” - up means the fans are pushing the cooled air up to your face, and upwards from your neck into your hairline. It is delightful!

Soooooo when are we going to see all the glamour shots with your hair blowing away from your face? Anyone ask for an autograph? Cause you must be some fancy person with all that fancy stuff.


But serious question, does the AC unit , stay put? Or jangle around your neck every time you breath? Our car mechanic has MS and the heat is terrible for him. I doubt he could wear it while working on a car but sitting doing paper work, etc. Even a few mins here and there. I wonder if that would help.

So glad your family was mean to you and dragged you away and forced you to eat dole whips. Such a wonderful surprise.

 

[mamabunny]

Soooooo when are we going to see all the glamour shots with your hair blowing away from your face? Anyone ask for an autograph? Cause you must be some fancy person with all that fancy stuff.


But serious question, does the AC unit , stay put? Or jangle around your neck every time you breath? Our car mechanic has MS and the heat is terrible for him. I doubt he could wear it while working on a car but sitting doing paper work, etc. Even a few mins here and there. I wonder if that would help.

So glad your family was mean to you and dragged you away and forced you to eat dole whips. Such a wonderful surprise.

LOL no glamour shots for me - the chemo has left me with “chemo curls” and I keep my hair shorter, because it’s *so* much easier… so at most, it would look like my hair curling from the humidity in real time!

I have seen videos of folks wearing this kind of device while doing yard work or other reasonably active activities, but for the most part, I would say sitting, walking or standing would give the best result.

I was sitting the whole time (because that’s what I do best these days ) but I was turning my head from side to side looking around, and driving up and down ramps, things like that. It didn’t really slide around my neck, even with a cooling towel between me and the cooling plates.

I’m so glad that our daughter “kidnapped” me too! We had a lovely time, and will be going back for 2 weeks in the fall as well!

 

[Selket]

Would love to know how people find long-sleeve rash guards and UV shirts/wear — do you find you tend to be too hot still if you’re trading in shorts and t-shirts for long-sleeves and pants? Or does the type of material and the difference it makes truly come out net positive for you?

I don't buy the shirts except the swim type for the pool. The material on my swim one seems thicker and I don't like wearing it except for swimming.

What I do like is the "open cardigan style" with long sleeves and thumb holes if you can find them. Coolibar sells one and I've also bought a cheaper on on amazon. This way I can wear my favorite disney t-shirt of the day and put that over and it's open enough in front. This protects my arms and the back of my neck. I have ones in white and blue and I've worn them at WDW last summer when the "feel like" temp was well over 100 and they had heat advisories out over the 4th of July and I was cooler with them on - or at least no hotter.

Maybe if I was skinnier I'd like the shirt style with the same material but I like looser things and I haven't found a shirt style I like. I also detest anything coming close to the front of my neck (from thyroid surgery many years ago). Clearly a "me" problem haha.

Anyone try these umbrellas I see on amazon that have a water bottle attached and a fan underneath so it acts like a mister under the umbrella? That just sounds lovely in theory but the reviews are mixed. If Disney sold them they'd make $$$$$$$$$$!

 

[mamabunny]

I don't buy the shirts except the swim type for the pool. The material on my swim one seems thicker and I don't like wearing it except for swimming.

What I do like is the "open cardigan style" with long sleeves and thumb holes if you can find them. Coolibar sells one and I've also bought a cheaper on on amazon. This way I can wear my favorite disney t-shirt of the day and put that over and it's open enough in front. This protects my arms and the back of my neck. I have ones in white and blue and I've worn them at WDW last summer when the "feel like" temp was well over 100 and they had heat advisories out over the 4th of July and I was cooler with them on - or at least no hotter.

Maybe if I was skinnier I'd like the shirt style with the same material but I like looser things and I haven't found a shirt style I like. I also detest anything coming close to the front of my neck (from thyroid surgery many years ago). Clearly a "me" problem haha.

Anyone try these umbrellas I see on amazon that have a water bottle attached and a fan underneath so it acts like a mister under the umbrella? That just sounds lovely in theory but the reviews are mixed. If Disney sold them they'd make $$$$$$$$$$!

The Amazon Basics Men's rash guards have a loose, boxy fit - it's so funny, because I bought a couple of extras, and I was thinking about slicing one down the front to make a "cardigan" out of it! I had already started cutting thumb holes into the seams of the sleeves - it worked *really* well on this last trip! Our daughter was just so stunned - and I have to be honest, I thought I was sick at first, because I just was so much cooler than normal! As that person who is usually absolutely shade-seeking anytime it gets over 79 degrees, and feels like the sun is actively trying to peel my skin off, it was delightful to not feel that way while sitting in direct sunlight! I am a huge convert, as you can tell!

I'm going to take one of the extra rash guards I bought, and craft 3 "components" from it - the first one will be a cooling towel/scarf, to help protect the back of my neck, and I can loosely arrange it around the front as well. The second one will be a scarf to cover my hair and head, probably about the size of a standard bandana. The third thing will be to use the sleeves (so there will be nothing left of the original shirt! LOL) and make a set of arm/hand guards so I could wear a short-sleeved shirt with those. I am going to finally learn how to actually use that serger I have! Our daughter thinks we might even be able to tie-dye them if we can find the right dye! Stay tuned - I will let you all know how that goes if we can find the right product!

I have seen those umbrellas online, but not in person yet. There are times when it is *so* humid at Disney World that adding water to the air just sounds miserable at best. That's why I had always refused to use a "standard" neck fan at Disney - it's just blowing hot, humid air around, and that gives me the ick. When we found out there was an actual "personal air conditioner" that was intriguing enough for me to try, and I am still shocked by how well it worked. Our daughter lives in Austin (where rolling blackouts are a fact of life in the summer) and she has custody of it for the moment, in case the power goes out this summer. (she also has an Anker cordless generator that can be recharged with portable folding solar panels, so she can run a fan, an LED lamp, and keep her devices charged since she works from home half the week, so she is *prepared*)

But... I'm not sure that Disney would sell the umbrella/mister fan combo, only because they don't usually sell umbrellas in the parks at all. I think that's partly because of potential liability ("Hey that guy poked my eye out with his Disney umbrella!") and also because if everyone has an umbrella open then a couple of things happen: first is that no one can really see around them to navigate, especially if would happen to be super crowded, and second, can you imagine the Festival of Fantasy parade where *everyone* had their Disney umbrella up and open? Or, think about how The Tree of Life will look when everyone has their mister-brella open... Only the folks in front, and those who grabbed a shady spot would be able to see. It would be the same thing all over at every Park - you wouldn't be able to see in a crowd, and everyone's vacation pictures (as well as PhotoPass pix) would just be a veritable sea of Disney mister-brellas. It also just kind of breaks the magic in a way that smaller, less obtrusive solutions don't. Not to mention that folks would be constantly stopping to fill their umbrella with cold water, and every time the fan stopped, or the mister quit misting, folks would expect Disney to replace it if they were still onsite. Although Disney might be able to make a small fortune selling batteries and ice water...

 

[Becca43]

What I do like is the "open cardigan style" with long sleeves and thumb holes if you can find them. Coolibar sells one and I've also bought a cheaper on on amazon. This way I can wear my favorite disney t-shirt of the day and put that over and it's open enough in front. This protects my arms and the back of my neck. I have ones in white and blue and I've worn them at WDW last summer when the "feel like" temp was well over 100 and they had heat advisories out over the 4th of July and I was cooler with them on - or at least no hotter.

I saw this style when I was doing some searching online but hadn't thought of wearing it over a Disney tee - what a great idea. Best of both worlds potentially! Aside from Coolibar and Amazon, where are everyone's go-to places/websites to buy UV wear from? Open to investing in pricier options once I've tried some different options and know what I like/don't like/what works best for me, but to start it'd be great to begin with something a little more cost effective but of decent quality.

Anyone try these umbrellas I see on amazon that have a water bottle attached and a fan underneath so it acts like a mister under the umbrella? That just sounds lovely in theory but the reviews are mixed. If Disney sold them they'd make $$$$$$$$$$!

I haven't seen those, but I have wondered about the UV protection umbrellas - has anyone tried those and found them helpful? Keep wondering if being able to have my own little personal shady spot at all times would be helpful (if only Elsa could make my own personal flurry like Olaf haha). To mamabunny's point about Disney not selling umbrellas, what is the general feeling about umbrellas in the park in general? Would it be frowned upon or against rules of some kind to have a UV umbrella to us while at WDW/DL parks specificially?

I'm going to take one of the extra rash guards I bought, and craft 3 "components" from it - the first one will be a cooling towel/scarf, to help protect the back of my neck, and I can loosely arrange it around the front as well. The second one will be a scarf to cover my hair and head, probably about the size of a standard bandana. The third thing will be to use the sleeves (so there will be nothing left of the original shirt! LOL) and make a set of arm/hand guards so I could wear a short-sleeved shirt with those. I am going to finally learn how to actually use that serger I have! Our daughter thinks we might even be able to tie-dye them if we can find the right dye! Stay tuned - I will let you all know how that goes if we can find the right product!

Please keep us posted on how this goes! I love crafting/repurposing and would love to know if you have any tips to share afterwards - maybe I'll be brave enough to try something similar myself

 

[mamabunny]

I saw this style when I was doing some searching online but hadn't thought of wearing it over a Disney tee - what a great idea. Best of both worlds potentially! Aside from Coolibar and Amazon, where are everyone's go-to places/websites to buy UV wear from? Open to investing in pricier options once I've tried some different options and know what I like/don't like/what works best for me, but to start it'd be great to begin with something a little more cost effective but of decent quality.

So far, my experience is somewhat limited - as a plus-sized person, it's hard to find larger sizes; hence my foray into the wilds of Amazon, where I found that the men's sizes in the Amazon Basics went to 6X! Since I have a strong preference for looser-fitting clothing, it meant I could size up, and get the exact fit I wanted. That sizing is not available for me with Coolibar.

This is also the first summer that I have worn a rash guard for its intended purpose! I have worn them in the therapy pool at PT for years (with a pair of capri-length leggings) because I didn't want to wear a swimsuit in that setting. (I never knew who I might be sharing the pool with, and I didn't want to go to jail for "accidentally" drowning someone stupid enough to comment on how I looked in a swimsuit... )

I haven't seen those, but I have wondered about the UV protection umbrellas - has anyone tried those and found them helpful? Keep wondering if being able to have my own little personal shady spot at all times would be helpful (if only Elsa could make my own personal flurry like Olaf haha). To mamabunny's point about Disney not selling umbrellas, what is the general feeling about umbrellas in the park in general? Would it be frowned upon or against rules of some kind to have a UV umbrella to us while at WDW/DL parks specificially?

I doubt anyone would give you any flack about carrying an umbrella - just don't try to carry something stupidly large, like a golf umbrella. And I know it goes without saying to try to be thoughtful of others around you. Unless they have made a very recent change, it is not against any WDW rule or policy to use an umbrella.

Please keep us posted on how this goes! I love crafting/repurposing and would love to know if you have any tips to share afterwards - maybe I'll be brave enough to try something similar myself

The fabric that the Amazon Basics uses has been very "stable" so far - I had to open the inner arm seams to make a thumbhole, and then do a simple tack stitch (to prevent the seam from opening all the way) and at the time, I was not near a sewing machine. The raw edges were laundered several times, and did not ravel at all.

The material *is* a little slippery - OK, it's almost a *lot* slippery - to sew with a machine, but going slow and using an old favorite trick (a little thin strip of blue painters tape next to the seam to give the feed dogs something to grip) and it sews like a dream. I love love love that these fold and roll down so small for packing, and any wrinkles fall out easily when you hang them up.

Oh - and I forgot to tell y'all that I have been using a sunblock stick on the last few trips - I like it better than the sprays or creams, because you can be more precise, and I can easily fit it into my crossbody purse.