Things to help with the heat

Mosey03

Mouseketeer
Joined
Apr 3, 2014
It sure sounds like Disneyland is experiencing a lot of unseasonably hot weather. Thinking I better start preparing myself for the possibility of an unexpectedly hot trip in June! Hoping this thread will be helpful to many. Where are some good places to go to cool off? Favorite snacks/drinks to consume when it's hot? Products you take along to help you stay cool (I personally am especially interested in this - links please!)? And anything else that will help those of us planning for the possibility of hot weather!
 
I have lived in the desert for over 30 years, with temps of 115F in the summer not uncommon.

Some things I have learned: Move slowly; drink a lot of water; keep the area of the carotid arteries cool, maybe with a small wet rolled-up towel; wear a hat, but not a tight one as heat escapes through our heads; take breaks in the shade; wear loose-fitting cotton clothing (no polyester).

The Animation Building in Hollywood Land is one of our favorite spots to sit and relax out of the heat.

DLR cools down at night, so we take advantage of that time.
 
The Animation Building in Hollywood Land is one of our favorite spots to sit and relax out of the heat.

Ditto. thats a great place to escape. or hang out in the lobby of the GCH. its so nice and fresh and relaxing. my favorite drink right now(outside of a margarita from DCA is a Boysen Apple Freeze from Maurices Treats i believe. its a little kiosk style snack shack right next to the Royal Theater near Fantasy Faire. its delicious.
 
I'm a big believer in those silly little water-spray fans. Buy them BEFORE you go to the park (they are like $10+ there I think?) and bring extra batteries! (I think you can get better quality/stronger ones if you don't get them at the parks, too.)

I have only seen these at WDW, so they may not have them at DLR, but there they sell these little "cool towels" that are menthol-y and kept in ice water. Those are awesome for about 10 minutes, then they are useless. Don't spend your money on them.

Bring extra socks. It sounds weird, but switching socks midday can make you feel brand new on a sweaty day. And be sure and use moisture-wicking socks, not cotton.
 


Some things I have learned: Move slowly; drink a lot of water; keep the area of the carotid arteries cool, maybe with a small wet rolled-up towel; wear a hat, but not a tight one as heat escapes through our heads; take breaks in the shade; wear loose-fitting cotton clothing (no polyester).

While I agree with most of your statement, I some what disagree with the bolded. I often take moisture wicking clothes along with me to the parks. They will also help keep you cool. Most wicking clothes are made with polyester. Not all, but most. I agree if you want to wear cotton, make sure it is loose fitting and maybe a little thinner than your common T-Shirt. If you want to buy polyester shirts, make sure they are the moisture wicking kind. Not all polyester shirts are automatically moisture wicking.
 


We would soak a light blanket and put it over my 6mo but you could also use it around your neck. My boys and dh would get their hats wet. We brought little hand held fans, also.
 
I have also spent a lot of time in HOT places. My tips for stating cool; get a couple high thread count bandanas. Soak them in cool water and drape loosely around neck. The comment about changing your socks midday is another great one. Like posted above, get the moisture wicking models, the really help:cool1:
 
It sure sounds like Disneyland is experiencing a lot of unseasonably hot weather. Thinking I better start preparing myself for the possibility of an unexpectedly hot trip in June! Hoping this thread will be helpful to many. Where are some good places to go to cool off? Favorite snacks/drinks to consume when it's hot? Products you take along to help you stay cool (I personally am especially interested in this - links please!)? And anything else that will help those of us planning for the possibility of hot weather!

We were there during that horrible heat wave. We hung out in air conditioned restaurants for breaks, bought a spray bottle, splashed around in Bugs land and ate a TON of frozen lemonade :)
 
It's hard for me to even imagine heat being a problem as I sit here in some very wintery-feeling autumn weather. I am sure I will change my tune in 60-odd days ;)

There was an excellent podcast by the very clever people on this board about how to keep cool in the parks. It went into lots of detail and had loads of ideas. Well worth listening to.
http://www.disunplugged.com/2013/05/23/dis-unplugged-podcast-052313-disneyland-show/
 
While having a plan is definitely a good idea, don't let one heat wave panic you too much - CA in general just gets them now and then. By June, Anaheim may very well have a good case of "June Gloom". Go ahead and pack a few clothes for super hot, but also consider cool - you'd be surprised how cool a summer evening can be in California. I've lived here 25 years, and I'm STILL surprised by it sometimes.

I'm in N. CA and for the last few years, we've generally had at least one 100 degree stint in May - but that doesn't mean the rest of the summer will be that way. Last summer actually ended up being cooler than normal! Sure, we had our 109 degree days :crazy2: (don't panic, it's not abnormal for us - Anaheim was still generally in the 80s those days) but we had fewer of them than normal, and much of the summer was a pleasant high 80s.
 
oh, cutting in half is an excellent idea!

Thanks! We would dip ours in the melted ice from our cooler :goodvibes

We also took a lot of breaks in AC or in the shade and MADE our kids hydrate with WATER! No juice or milk (they don't drink soda). An an occasional cool treat was nice too!
 
Another vote for the MistyMate! They put out a very fine mist so it doesn't run out too soon, although you shouldn't buy the little 3 oz one because it won't make it too long in DL. I have the 16-oz one and can tell you I was very popular in some of the lines last time we went!
 
If you are used to WDW, remember that it can get nuclear hot in Southern California, but the humidity is nothing compared to Central Florida. Also, Walt and Roy and the whole Disney company learned a lot after Disneyland - the Magic Kingdom has much more indoor, shaded or air conditioned queues.

It's also more difficult in DL to find an air conditioned restaurant. Many of the restaurants offer outdoor patio dining. Lovely, especially when the weather is pleasant. But when it's brutally hot, ugh. The Blue Bayou is a great place to have lunch because it's dark and air conditioned!
 
I have only seen these at WDW, so they may not have them at DLR, but there they sell these little "cool towels" that are menthol-y and kept in ice water. Those are awesome for about 10 minutes, then they are useless. Don't spend your money on them.


The first aid stations have these towels in ice water sitting out for anyone to take. They don't last long but sure feel good for a quick cool down.
 
Drink water. We were in Florida in April during a heart wave and saw numerous people pased put from the heat. Talking to a medic they said people aren't drinking water but juice an that dehydrates you makes than hydrates you. And most likely a good idea not to wear velour swear suits.
 

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