Tips for a first-time summer trip?

[Best Aunt]

Some days are more humid than others. Some days are sunnier than others.

I find that carrying a bottle of water around makes my bag too heavy (bad back). Normally I'm fine, even in the summer. But the last time I stayed at BCV in the summer, I walked over to Epcot and was dying for water by the time I made it to the first gift shop. It was unusually hot and humid that week.

If you're going to take ponchos, make sure you take plastic bags in which to place the wet ponchos. Maybe take a Sharpie so that you can label the bags to know whose poncho is in which bag.

If anybody has hair long enough to put up into a ponytail, take extra hair elastics and keep some in your park bag.

We still don't know what will have re-opened by the time you get there. My understanding is that Hurricane Hannahs by the big YC/BC/BCV pool has a very limited menu currently. Some of the YC/BC restaurants have not reopened yet. Stay on top of the changes, because "We'll just eat at the hotel" might be different than what you expect if you assume all restaurants will be open with complete menus.

 

[MudQueen22]

We live in a hot, humid climate, and the heat and humidity still tax us at WDW in the summer.

Here is what we do:
1. Wear the dry-fit shirts. You can get them in generic labels if you want to have family shirts made, but the dry-fit is worth the extra cost.
2. Wear close-toed shoes. You can find TEVA and KEEN sandals in close-toed varieties if you're wanting a water shoe to deal with the rain (and I do recommend these), but I would wear an athletic shoe over a sandal after witnessing what a scooter did to a toe on our last trip.
3. hats or visors. Dd and I have long hair, which we put up in ponytails, buns, or braids, and we wore visors. Dh & Ds wore hats since they don't have much hair. Dh is closer to bald, so he needs the extra sun protection.
3. Wear shorts made from breathable material, if possible.
4. Sunscreen. Put it on in the morning, and reapply after lunch. You might want to do this more often if you're not a frequent sun enthusiast.
5. WATER. I can't stress this enough. Drink. Your. Water. Drink a lot. We had a water strategy going into the parks. I brought my big, ice-water filled tumbler into the parks. We all drank water before leaving for the parks, or at least while we were en route. We also brought six (20 oz.) water bottles and two quart-size ziplock bags filled with ice in a cooler. When QS water was convenient, we stopped in for QS water. We also drank plenty of water at lunch, and topped off my tumbler with water and ice. When QS water wasn't available, we used the water bottles. When the ice melted in the ziplock bags, we added it to my tumbler as it got empty if QS wasn't convenient.
6. Seek out A/C and shade mid-day. We did shows and indoor rides in the heat of the day (noon to 5pm).
7. Eat lunch inside. If you eat QS, choose a QS location that has an indoor, air-conditioned dining room. Take your time eating. Drink plenty of water. Eat light.

We didn't do the cooling towels because I think that just makes the humidity situation worse. When our baby was a toddler, we used a fan for him, but I don't think anyone over 8 really needs one if they are from my climate. If you think a fan will help things, definitely use one.

Something I do want to stress if you are bringing a baby in the heat.... DO NOT completely cover the stroller with a blanket, even if it is lightweight. The heat gets trapped, and there have been babies die because of this. If you cover, only cover partially, and make sure the stroller is adequately vented so that the baby gets some circulation and that heat can get out. I would just cover enough to block the sun directly, and leave the rest open. Usually, the umbrella is sufficient.