Tips for a hot july visit?????

[holshouser]

Extended family of 20, including myself, DH, DD 8 and DS 2, will be visiting WDW in July 08 (so hot). Any summer tips?????

 

[bcinohio]

We too will be at WDW in July 12-19. We always go in the summer, either july or Aug. Drink lots of water, bring lots of sunscreen, rain ponchos, cover for your stroller(a clear shower curtain works great), go early before it gets really crowde and take breaks in the afternoon. Another great item to have is personnal fans that run on batteries, they are a life saver waiting in lines.

remember to have fun!!

 

[sueh]

We too will be at WDW in July 12-19. We always go in the summer, either july or Aug. Drink lots of water, bring lots of sunscreen, rain ponchos, cover for your stroller(a clear shower curtain works great), go early before it gets really crowde and take breaks in the afternoon. Another great item to have is personnal fans that run on batteries, they are a life saver waiting in lines.

remember to have fun!!

We will be going July 20 - July 25.

Thanks for the tips. This will be my girls first time at WDW.

 

[GothTink]

We'll be there July 11-18 (but we told the kids July 12-18, so we can get them up early the 11th and say we're leaving NOW! ), and it's our first trip too. The best tips I've heard are 1. Drink LOTS of water, 2. Take mid-afternoon pool/nap breaks, 3. Take it easy.

 

[carri5317]

GO TO WAL-MART & PICK UP A 99 CENT WATER SPRAY BOTTLE, DISNEY SELLS THEM WITH A FAN FOR $15, WHICH CAN ADD UP WHEN KIDS EACH WANT THEIR OWN! AND, I SECOND THE MID-DAY BREAKS. REST SHOWER AND HEAD BACK FOR MORE!

 

[loco4dis]

Ditto on the personal misting fans. You will WANT one very badly when you're there. Amazon has a key chain version.

Also, have hats for everyone. The sun is relentless. Drink lots of water. Wear as little clothes as possible. Wrap your head around the fact that you will be VERY hot.

 

[Disney Brat]

I agree with the misting fans! Those are great!! I think everything has been said-drinking lots of water, rain gear, (lots of pop up thunderstorms),taking breaks. I know that we headed back every afternoon for a rest when we went in June, the heat and humidity can sure take a toll on you! When we were there, there were afternoon thunder storms almost everyday. They lasted under 10 minutes, but they put on a great show!! You can definalty not underestimate how hot, hot will be there! It sure was a wake up call for me!! lol

 

[Tinkfan10]

Sunscreen, hats, loose clothing, for the rain ponchos buy them before you go and get a bright random color because everyone seems to buy them at Disney and they are yellow so if you want to be able to spot your group members in the rain be different. Put a wash cloth in a baggie with ice so that as it melts it is cold and that is really refreshing to cool off with. Don't bother carrying change of clothing other then socks because when you get wet from rides it feels great and drys very quickly, but wet socks cause feet issues so change those. Visit the boring attractions like Hall of Presidents or Country Bears during the hot times where you can sit down in the cool air. (Not everyone thinks these are boring). Finally as many have said avoid soda and coffee like products they dehydrate...LOTS of water and fruit for energy like oranges and apples. It really is the best time to go even when its hot I love the summer months.

 

[dzneelvr]

A visor/billed cap is essential for everyone to keep the sun out of your eyes.
Also, Disney-gals, don't worry about makeup or fancy hairstylin'--go for basics and plenty of moisturizer (tinted with spf is best). I truly enjoy a vacation from my everyday work makeup/hair routine! The AC attractions are a wonderful respite from the heat of the day. We have our lunch reservations after 1pm so we can enjoy a cool hour or so. Every park has fabulous shows, etc. that you go to between 1-5pm. do rides early or later. You'll be ok. We love summer! ASMo June 20 here we come

 

[donaldndaisy]

We use those cooling patches, from Wal-Mart. They sell them in the first aid section. Last year, my ds, nieces and nephew got really hot and I put a patch on them and it cooled them off really quickly.

Also, if you are staying on property, have you considered going to the parks, later in the evening? We like to go to the parks in the morning (mostly doing shows and the not so popular stuff); spend the afternoon at our resort-napping, enjoying the pool, etc- then, returning to the parks, later in the evening and taking advantage of EMH (popular attractions and roller coasters).

Hope this help and have fun

BTW, when are you going, in July? We will be at Disney from July 8-15.

 

[sueh]

We use those cooling patches, from Wal-Mart. They sell them in the first aid section. Last year, my ds, nieces and nephew got really hot and I put a patch on them and it cooled them off really quickly.

Also, if you are staying on property, have you considered going to the parks, later in the evening? We like to go to the parks in the morning (mostly doing shows and the not so popular stuff); spend the afternoon at our resort-napping, enjoying the pool, etc- then, returning to the parks, later in the evening and taking advantage of EMH (popular attractions and roller coasters).

Hope this help and have fun

BTW, when are you going, in July? We will be at Disney from July 8-15.

This is a great idea! My dd1 is a red head and has very fair skin and when she gets warm she turns red. So I think I will pick up a couple of these to have on hand.

 

[GraysMom]

I've gotten the personal misting fans (no batteries needed) at Walmart for around $4 in the fan/AC section. I've also taken small battery operated fans that light up, to use at night (from Dollar Tree/CVS/grocery store). If you take the mini fans, I would suggest removing the screw at home and just taping the battery cover back in place so you can change batteries easily on vacation.

I agree with light colored hats and clothes, plus extra socks for everyone. I actually take an extra pair of socks into the parks on hot days with me so I can refresh my feet (find a shady, grassy spot and air out your feet-then put fresh socks and your shoes back on).

Pure aloe vera or aloe vera w/lidocaine is great to have in case of sunburn.

Where will you be staying? Will you have access to a fridge/freezer? What we do when we go in the summer is take along a Camelbak (backpack with a water bladder in it). We fill the water bladder half way w/water and freeze it overnight. The next morning we finish filling the water bladder with cold water. We have plenty of water for us (2 adults and 1 toddler) and a nice cold pack to help cool off whoever is carrying it. The water valve is easy to use and the ice block keeps the water ice cold all day long (and if you take a wet/frozen washcloth, keep it in the pouch with the water bladder to keep it cool). We take it on rides with us so we've can keep hydrated on line. Camelbaks come in all shapes and sizes, depending on your needs (we have one to carry our stuff as well as water). You can see examples of hydration packs here: http://www.camelbak.com/index.cfm.

I agree with PPs that an afternoon break will really recharge your batteries (especially for the younger ones and senior set). You'd be surprised how much happier everyone is when they have a chance to cool off for an hour or two.

Have fun!

 

[BamaGirl]

I agree with the PP about the Camelbak! Although we did not have a freezer we packed ours the night before with ice and water then the next morning filled it with water before leaving. You can also get free ice water to refill it at the CS restaurants. It was wonderful having cold water whenever we needed it and not having to hold on to the water bottles. The packs also have some insulation to them so they help keep the water cool. We have the M.U.L.E style and it is great to carry some snacks and stuff in while not being too big.

 

[SuziQZee]

We go in the summer every year. We just don't want to take the kids out of school. Yes...it is unbearably hot and I have the potential to become the meanest bear ever!! As long as you know that it will be hot and humid you can go prepared. I agree will all posts so far! My husband laughs at me, telling me I look like Batman with my "utility belt" that carries all of my cooling supplies. Honestly, I don't really care, as long as I can keep coolish.

I will only add a couple of minor things. I've purchased the "Mira Cool" bandanas to wear. Yes, we do wear them. (Well...the kids and I do but not my husband...he's "too cool" to wear it.) There are several different kinds of cooling neck bandanas out there, you just have to look. Also, I know it's not good to freeze plastic water bottles but I figure it's also not good to pass out from heat exhaustion either. We always bring frozen water bottles, wrapped in towels and put in ziploc bags, for the next day and carry at least 2 for each person. The last tip I have might seem silly but I don't EVER leave the hotel without at least 2 with me and my girls also bring one. When in Epcot, go to China and buy yourself a fold-out, hand-held fan. I know, simple....but effective! They are only a couple of dollars. I bought one 4 years ago and buy a new one every year. They are very pretty and move A LOT of air. Whenever we are in line with air conditioning, I'm always fanning my kids and people around me ask where I got them from. Way more effective than a battery operated personal fan but we DO bring those also!

It's easy to let the heat get the best of you. Just be prepared and JUST HAVE FUN!!

 

[jacobsmom]

Mister/Fans, ponchos (cheap at dollar tree), sun screen, hats, tylenol, sandals that walk well, lots of fluids or money for drinks, patience and lots of it!!!! It gets HOT so be ready! There are a ton of great tips on this site!

 

[holshouser]

Thanks everyone for the info! Very helpful!

Donaldndaisy - we're going July 8-13!