Your best “beat the heat” products

[EllieJedi]

I skip my normal ears during the hot weather for a cooling baseball cap. They also make other styles. It works similar to the cooling towels, which I also bring.

Mission Cooling Hat

 

[DLgal]

The #1 tip from me is

NO COTTON CLOTHING

Not even underwear. Buy quick dry/wicking clothing from top to bottom. Cotton holds onto moisture and just clings and gets heavy. Invest in wicking, quick dry shirts, shorts, underwear and socks. This makes a HUGE difference. I like UA Heat Gear shirts, LL Bean Camp shorts or Athleta Brooklyn shorts, and bombas performance socks. I have performance underwear by Jockey that I use in the parks in summer.

Fans are useless. Cooling towels are good, we like Mission brand. Hats are Adidas or Underarmour quick dry running caps or Columbia bucket hat.

UV umbrellas (with the silver fabric) are a must.

Cold water. Get insulated water bottles to keep the ice frozen longer. We like Camelbak Big Chill bottles. They are very lightweight but keep drinks cold for a long time without sweating. If you can, a Camelbak backpack is even better.

You can buy all this stuff on Amazon.

 

[AustinTink]

The #1 tip from me is

NO COTTON CLOTHING

Not even underwear. Buy quick dry/wicking clothing from top to bottom. Cotton holds onto moisture and just clings and gets heavy. Invest in wicking, quick dry shirts, shorts, underwear and socks. This makes a HUGE difference. I like UA Heat Gear shirts, LL Bean Camp shorts or Athleta Brooklyn shorts, and bombas performance socks. I have performance underwear by Jockey that I use in the parks in summer.

Fans are useless. Cooling towels are good, we like Mission brand. Hats are Adidas or Underarmour quick dry running caps or Columbia bucket hat.

UV umbrellas (with the silver fabric) are a must.

Cold water. Get insulated water bottles to keep the ice frozen longer. We like Camelbak Big Chill bottles. They are very lightweight but keep drinks cold for a long time without sweating. If you can, a Camelbak backpack is even better.

You can buy all this stuff on Amazon.

I’m a 100% cotton kind of gal so this is going to be rough for me. I am planning to wear my tennis skirts though and they are wicking material with the wicking shorts attached. I just can’t handle synthetic fabrics for shirts. Might have to get over that.

We have camelback backpacks that we use for music festivals. Could definitely bring those. Do they have to be empty when entering the parks? For music festivals it’s a requirement.

 

[DLgal]

I’m a 100% cotton kind of gal so this is going to be rough for me. I am planning to wear my tennis skirts though and they are wicking material with the wicking shorts attached. I just can’t handle synthetic fabrics for shirts. Might have to get over that.

We have camelback backpacks that we use for music festivals. Could definitely bring those. Do they have to be empty when entering the parks? For music festivals it’s a requirement.

No, the Camelbak does not need to be empty. We fill the bladder all the way with ice from the ice machine and then cold bottled water. It stays cold for HOURS.

Try some UnderArmour Tech 2.0 heat gear shirts. They are honestly light as a feather. You barely feel them on. They are super comfy. Kohls carries them if you want to try them on before buying.

 

[PDXmouse]

18 days!! Wow, I salute you. Our longest WDW trip was 14 days staying at the Swan. Now I see I have a new record to work toward.

Thanks for the hot weather tips!

Haha. We’re at the Swan Reserve for 14 days. The first four were at Universal so your record still stands.

 

[dizneegirl]

The Disney cooling towels they sell on property are great! Work fantastic.

I'll second this - much better than the cooling towels I had bought elsewhere. We carry a ziploc with us for each towel... if we don't want to use them, they won't get everything wet. And sometimes we'll slip a couple of ice cubes in the ziploc with the towel for extra cool (or start the morning by putting towels in the ziploc with a couple of ice cubes to melt and dampen them).

 

[Aimeedyan]

We don't go to Disney in the summer without our neck fans. We resisted for a long time, because they look sorta ridiculous, but we are total converts. My DH won't even get out of the car without it. They make a HUGE difference in our comfort level during the summer living in FL (not just at Disney).

We also use cooling towels, and put 2 fans on the stroller for our toddler.

 

[2Lunds]

The Disney cooling towels they sell on property are great! Work fantastic.
I have this little fan combo and love it - and not just because it stops spinning if I accidentally bump myself with so my hair doesn't get all tangled in it. It's nice because it's also a power bank and a flashlight plus it folds up compactly and is easy to carry.


View attachment 775104

We have a pair of these, and I've purchased several to give away to other folks heading to WDW. There are multiple makers of the same fan, so there should be no problem finding a version available at any time on Amazon.

In addition to holding it, you can fold it in half and set it on a tabletop. The wrist strap is so handy, if I need to quickly grab something I just let it drop and the auto-off feature stops the blades, and the wrist strap catches the fan - no fussing with turning it off/folding it up etc...

Oh, and the battery lasts SO LONG. I've had mine running for 8-10 hours INCLUDING using it for a top-up charge on my phone.

 

[AustinTink]

For UV umbrella, we have this one:
G4Free UPF 50+ UV Protection Travel Umbrella

Is one umbrella good for 2 people or do we each need our own? My husband wants to buy one for each of us. We have three people in our party.

 

[Juventus]

What dimensions are recommended for cooling towels?

 

[ShannyMcB]

Cooling towels all the way! Amazon has great multi-packs. Moisture whicking undies and socks are musts. After sun gel also comes in handy.
Anti-chaf products are a game changer as well. Goldbalm makes a good one but monistat makes the best, a gel that you won't have to worry about melting in a backpack. I recommend those two items to everyone who will listen. Sunbum also makes a great hair/scalp spray that is a good investment if you are not a fan of hats.

 

[MsChristy12]

Is one umbrella good for 2 people or do we each need our own? My husband wants to buy one for each of us. We have three people in our party.

I guess it depends on how much coverage each person wants, but one is enough for both of us. Also remember that, this isn't an umbrella for rain, so when 2 people are sharing even if one person sticks out a little bit, it should be okay because you mainly want your face/head to be out of the sun.

 

[Juventus]

How do the cooling towels work? Do you dampen then and throw them in a ziploc and take them out and ring them out when needed? Or do you have to find cold water in the parks and get them wet and ting them out each time you want to use them?

 

[scrappinginontario]

How do the cooling towels work? Do you dampen then and throw them in a ziploc and take them out and ring them out when needed? Or do you have to find cold water in the parks and get them wet and ting them out each time you want to use them?

I fill a ziplock full of ice and put the cooling towel in it. I wrap that bag in a regular towel as it will make your backpack wet. By the time I want to use the towel it's damp/wet due to the melting ice. When I want to use the towel I pull it out, wring it out and use it. When I'm done I put it back in the ziplock.

I know some of these towels say not to wash them but we do take ours out each night and wash them in the sink and hang to dry overnight or they quickly get funky smelling being wet/damp in the FL heat.

 

[Juventus]

Thank you!

 

[KCMA]

Nothing fancy for us… just lots of cold water and breaks when needed

 

[robinb]

I bought this umbrella for our last trip in September. I like that the outside is white and reflective and the inside is dark and feels super shady ( in a good way ))

DBA FDJASGY UV Sun Umbrella Compact Folding Travel Umbrella Auto Open Close Compact Folding Rain Umbrellas for Women Men Blocking UV 99.98% White https://a.co/d/aTHRAYF

 

[Sacahara]

Those rechargeable neck fans are a LIFE SAVER! My power went out during the most recent MS storm and I'm sensitive to heat since my heat stroke a few years back and those things made me able to breathe. I was actually able to sleep by positioning them with pillows to blow on me and my furry dog. Best decision I ever made was buying those. The battery lasted ages.

 

[gottalovepluto]

How do the cooling towels work? Do you dampen then and throw them in a ziploc and take them out and ring them out when needed? Or do you have to find cold water in the parks and get them wet and ting them out each time you want to use them?

The Alfamo cooling towel from Amazon that I use stays in the backpack until I want it. When I’m ready I run it under water in the bathroom, wring it out, give it a snap and put it on. It dries overnight and I can put it in my bag again, no need for ziplocks or ice for me. They’re also machine washable, though I hang dry.

 

[gottalovepluto]

I skip my normal ears during the hot weather for a cooling baseball cap. They also make other styles. It works similar to the cooling towels, which I also bring.

Mission Cooling Hat

I had no idea Cooling Hats were a thing!