Summer Vets - How do you beat the heat?

[Ludwig Von Drake]

Okay, we have enjoyed the parks many times, but NEVER in the summer! Trip is planned for mid-June this year. How can we enjoy the parks without melting? We plan to get out early, hit the resort for mid day pool break, than back to parks in the evening. But beyond that, and drinking lots of water, I need suggestions! Anyone?

 

[momof2sons]

Misterfans with ice, walking in the air- conditioned shops on our way out, we do indoor attractions, early ps for lunch, frozen treats in afternoon, pool, and switch parks using disneys transportation it is always cool.

 

[BuzzMe]

Your plan is exactly the strategy we 've used when visiting the parks in July. We always take advantage of EE and then head back to our hotel before noon. We relax at the hotel, in the pool or on a boat, then back to the park in the evening. Take it s-l-o-w
and you'll enjoy this time of year as much as we do!

 

[ktglads]

There are always the easy summer stand-by attractions that are airconditioned. In MK, hit the Hall of Presidents. You can feel the air conditioning from the sidewalk there. Pirates of the Caribbean is surprisingly cool as well. In MGM, go to the indoor theaters like Muppet Vision, Little Mermaid, the great movie ride, and Walt's theater. At Epcot, go to the Universe of Energy, which is also a nice nap ride, and the other things inside the universe like cranium command and the making of me. AK, just take it slow, and get fast passes for Kali. You should get wet and cool down nicely. If you are feeling hot at any park, just do my favorite thing: shopping. The shops are nice and air-conditioned and you also get the pep of shopping energy for the rest of the day!

 

[bobcat]

The indoor attractions work wonders when you are feeling wilted from the heat. We try to alternate attractions when we can so we are not always outside. Lots of water, mister fans, taking it a little slower, afternoon pool time, and a huge dose of insanity for enjoying summer trips! A day at the water park is always a great way to chill out as well.

 

[Suedrews]

the mister fans from Walmart saved the day for us.....we spritzed it on our legs & arms all day.....best purchase we ever made!!! Hi Cheektowaga!

 

[cart-mom]

I have to agree that the mister fans are one of the best inventions to prevent summer meltdown (besides a/c).

I second all of the tips above and agree that you just need to take it slow and stay hydrated and you'll have a great time.

 

[DNSDisney]

When you take a break from walking or riding rides, there are also plenty of shaded areas in the parks as well. One of my favorites is an area between Frontierland and the castle , right behind liberty tree tavern in the MK. Bewarned thought park of that area is a smoking area, if smoke bothers you. Last time we were there we actually saw a duckling hatch!

And don't forget drink plenty of fluids.
go on a water ride to cool off for a while.
A Small World is also a cooling off ride.

 

[Alice Sr.]

We went in August last year and it wasn't as bad as our summers in IL. We went to the parks early and then just hung out at the pools, sometimes after dinner we would go back to another park. For a long time I avoided the summer because I thought it would be unbearable but we really enjoyed it.
Although, if you're taking little ones they can't handle the heat as well as us big kids. There was a lot of good advise aleady posted here. One other thing, even though the temperature was the same as home (or in some cases cooler) the sun is much, much more intense. At home I would use a SPF 8 down there we used a 20 or something. Hope you have a great time.

Alice

 

[ltribble31021]

Another idea is to take a wet wash cloth in a Ziploc. You may even want to put a couple of ice cubes in that bag also. It always helps me to be able to cool my neck.

 

[cinmell]

We've been to Disney a few times in August and it was very hot. Drink lots of water and take it slow. Walk in a store and browse a bit to cool down or go to an indoor attraction as others have mentioned such as Pirates or Space Mountain etc. Try not to wear dark clothes. Somehow I always end up wearing a navy blue or black tshirt and I feel the the sun is literally on me! So to sum up, wear light clothes, sunblock and drink lots of water! Have fun!

 

[DVC-Don]

We have been going in late August lately.

Lots of water
light colored clothing, cotton
wide brimed summer hats
early afternoon resort break in the pool
do not rush
stand in the shade where ever possible
sunscreen, sunscreen, sunscreen

 

[Ratpack]

Definitely get a mister fan or something similar. Carry water bottles, frozen if possible and explore the gift shops from time to time to get out of the sun. This works for us, bu Florida isn't that much different than NC in the summer, so we are kind of used to it.

 

[NotUrsula]

Little thing, but it has a cumulative effect: always walk on the shady side of the path, if there is one. This will depend on what time of day it is, and what path you are on, but train yourself to pay attention and stay on the shady side.

Along with a mister fan that can hold ice, the washcloth/ziploc is a good idea. I prefer a flat cloth diaper to a washcloth. It's thinner and larger, so it can be tied around your neck, but still very absorbent, so it can hold a lot of water, if you like a "trickle" effect. The ziploc is doubly useful, as any counter-service outlet will give you ice for cooling purposes, but it is really helpful to them if you have something to put it in.

If you have kids with you, carry a change of clothes for them, so that they can play in the fountains. I always wear sport sandals, so I can splash a bit myself.

Re-apply sunscreen at least every hour, wear sunglasses and a hat with a BRIM!! (A baseball cap does not really cut it for keeping cool.)

Be aware of the signs of heat-related illness, and take it VERY seriously if you think anyone in your party is showing symptoms; heat problems can go from "just uncomfortable" to life-threatening in less than 10 minutes! If you feel sick from the heat, don't try to go all the way across the park to First Aid; go into any store and ask a CM to call the first aid center for you.

Here are some FAQ's from the CDC on this topic: http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/hsb/extremeheat/FAQs.htm

 

[grinningghost]

We carry a Misty Mate, drink tons of water and break midday for a waterpark or a swim in the hotel pool. We have a sit down meal in an air conditioned restaurant in the afternoon too. Personally, I LOVE the summer at WDW.

 

[ktglads]

Those Misty Mates are quite helpful. I like them better than the fans, personally. As a commando who takes no breaks to go swimming or back to the resort and who spent a lovely week in July at the world with no rain (heat index in the 100's daily) last year, we just followed these tricks that everyone has been saying in this board. Plus, you should leave the AC on the hotel room before you leave, even if you turn it down at night. It makes it that much nicer to be back "home" every night.

 

[Spanky]

In addition to the great ideas already listed, I carry a compact folding umbrella to make my own shade. Then I also have it for those summer showers.

 

[laurabelle]

Where do you buy the mister thingy that has a large enough opening for ice cubes???

 

[grinningghost]

Originally posted by laurabelle
Where do you buy the mister thingy that has a large enough opening for ice cubes???

I got my Misty Mates at Walgreen's, but I believe there is a mistymate.com website (or something like that, try a search).

 

[Kallison]

I was gonna mention the umbrella idea also -- always use them at my son's baseball games in the summer and everyone comments on how smart I am.

On a similar thread someone said they purchased acquacool neckbands from Wal-mart - kind of like the wet washcloth idea.

We are taking our first summer trip in August, let us know how yours goes when you return.