Beating the Heat Strategies

Don't know where you stay, but we haven't experienced that at all. Both water parks have water I would call "appropriate" temperature. Not ice cold, but not bath water warm. Slightly cool, I'd call it. Very, very refreshing. Same for the pool at the condos we've always stayed at. We've only experienced one on sight pool...the one at the Dolphin, and frankly it was too cold for DW and my taste...but the kids loved it.
My pool experience is at the dvc resorts. All really warm, sunscreen laden (you can see the oil slick on the water). Probably spoiled though. We have a pool at home.
 
So far my WD pool experiences have been limited to Typhoon Lagoon and the 2 @ Poly; kids loved them and so do I. The water's temperature felt good to this NE resident but I haven't a personal pool to compare.
 
One more tip: if you are planning to do character meals, do them at lunchtime. Those are long meals since you have to wait for the characters to make their rounds, and it is much nicer to get out of the heat at midday rather than wasting time on a long character breakfast or dinner when it is cooler. Lunch ADRs are also easier to come by.
 
Don't know where you stay, but we haven't experienced that at all. Both water parks have water I would call "appropriate" temperature. Not ice cold, but not bath water warm. Slightly cool, I'd call it. Very, very refreshing. Same for the pool at the condos we've always stayed at. We've only experienced one on sight pool...the one at the Dolphin, and frankly it was too cold for DW and my taste...but the kids loved it.

BC, CBR, PC, and AKL in August. All those pools were like bath water, not refreshing at all. They do get a bit cooler at night, or at least it's cooler without the sun beating down on the deck.
 
BC, CBR, PC, and AKL in August. All those pools were like bath water, not refreshing at all. They do get a bit cooler at night, or at least it's cooler without the sun beating down on the deck.

I'm sure you will get 100 different reviews of the pools temperatures if you ask 100 different people. This is especially true because temperature is so darn hard to gauge by touch.
I personally have never noticed anything particularly warm or bad about Disney's pools, but perhaps I am just not picky enough. I have noticed that they can be crowded, but that is to be expected of course.
 
Before we had her we always did rope drop but my DD is also not a morning person at all so at Disney I don't fight it. I'd rather sleep in and do late nights. For kiddie rides there is almost no wait at night no matter what time of year we've gone and the sun will not be beating down on you so it's so much nicer. We tried making her get up early but we were always late and missed rope drop anyway and I'd be frustrated and she'd be cranky. Not worth it, she can hang till closing though so we do that instead.

Misting fans are a life saver. I've used the cooling towels and they are ok, may try to get a cooling headband or something and I might wear a hat this time around. We're going in July and our plan is morning at the resort/pool, late lunch and then parks for the late afternoon/evening.
 
Although we're rope droppers and break for the afternoon when we go in August, I have friends that do it differently. They sleep in, have pool time in the early afternoon, then go to the parks late afternoon and stay till close. They use evening EMH to make better use of their time. They always have time to go on everything they want and see most of the shows they want to see. I definitely recommend frog togs and mister bottles. We're from upstate NY and really don't mind the heat all that much when we're there. You're in and out of AC so much it really is tolerable. Have a blast!!
 


Honestly, I wouldn’t force her to rope drop.

When I was growing up and we went to WDW during the summer, on some days we would sleep in, swim in the morning/early afternoon and go to the parks in the late afternoon through evening and stay late. We always rope dropped one day at Magic Kingdom for the old welcome show though :)

We are rope droppers now since I have kids who wake up at 5:00 am but when they start being able to stay up later and sleep in more, we will do more of the earlier pool time and later park time.

Will she be able to stay out until park close? If so, I think going in the later part of the day is a good plan for you especially since she isn’t looking to squeeze a ton of rides in. Plus FP+ will really help you get on at least 3 of the things she wants to ride per day.
 
Honestly, I wouldn’t force her to rope drop.

When I was growing up and we went to WDW during the summer, on some days we would sleep in, swim in the morning/early afternoon and go to the parks in the late afternoon through evening and stay late. We always rope dropped one day at Magic Kingdom for the old welcome show though :)

We are rope droppers now since I have kids who wake up at 5:00 am but when they start being able to stay up later and sleep in more, we will do more of the earlier pool time and later park time.

Will she be able to stay out until park close? If so, I think going in the later part of the day is a good plan for you especially since she isn’t looking to squeeze a ton of rides in. Plus FP+ will really help you get on at least 3 of the things she wants to ride per day.
Thanks this is how I am leaning.
 
I went last August with my pregnant wife, a 4 yo and a 2.5 yo. We rope dropped and stayed in the parks all day.

Keys to planning:

Bring refillable water bottles and keep them topped off.
Get a stroller with a cover, though 6 yo might be to big for that? My oldest is 5 now and she's borderline stroller size.
Get one of those self cooling towels. Get it wet, wring it out and it gets cool. Great for everyone.
Plan breaks throughout the day. We did character dining (1-2 hours break). We took things slow during the early afternoon with ice cream breaks. Go do Dumbo a few times and plan inside.
Find a nice shady spot for parades and park there about 30-60m before hand. There's another break.
Find a place for the evening fireworks and sit down and wait. We waited 60-90 minutes before the fireworks in front of the castle at MK. My daughter just danced around and made friends with the other kids. It was amazing fun after a long day.
Don't try to do too much.

Personally I don't like leaving the parks mid-day, but that's just my personal preference. I know others swear by it. The only reason I don't is because I've never stayed close by where it made sense.
 
Water, water and more water!! Dress comfortably and look for inside attractions at the peak of the afternoon. Ice cream is a great pick me up. Have a great time.
Yes to the water nth times over. My traveling kiddos are only allowed one sweetened drink a day and since most of their parents (these are grands and a niece for me) are on the same page they don't feel "deprived". MK, and, especially, Epcot, seem to not have much in the way of trees so the Carousel of Progress, It's a Small World, and other rides that don't need FPs become safe havens. I discovered Dole Whip floats at MK and it's been love ever since.
 
Hello fellow New Yorker! :wave2:

My family is also going in August for the first time in years :scared:
My dad purchased cooling towels. You can find them on Amazon for a good deal. You essentially run it under cold water and the towels supposedly stay wet and cool for a long span of time. We have begun testing them with long hikes at our favorite trails, and so far they are just okay, but it's better than nothing! Best advice I could give is drink plenty of water, even if you don't feel thirsty.
 
Hello fellow New Yorker! :wave2:

My family is also going in August for the first time in years :scared:
My dad purchased cooling towels. You can find them on Amazon for a good deal. You essentially run it under cold water and the towels supposedly stay wet and cool for a long span of time. We have begun testing them with long hikes at our favorite trails, and so far they are just okay, but it's better than nothing! Best advice I could give is drink plenty of water, even if you don't feel thirsty.
Backatchoo!:cool2:
Almost finished packing and shopping for our July trip. Century 21 is having a butt kicking sale so take a look if there is anything you need. Scored 2 tee shirt dresses for 24.99 @ piece as opposed to 200.00 in total. Wooohoo!
 
When it’s above 90 we take a break after lunch. Usually drive to get ice cream and maybe lay down in the room a bit. Kids take. Short nap. We are back on park by 4-5 until it closes. We use a stroller and pack a small ice chest with water, cold towels, ice packs, and we have a few fans we share. That works for us. This last trip we didn’t take as many mid day breaks but the park closed earlier than usual (8-9) so we weren’t up as late. The kids complained with the heat but it wasn’t too bad. Most lines and rides are inside which helps. Epcot seemed to be the most time in the sun for us.
 
I am going to WDW in mid August with my 6 year old daughter. We never go during the summer (and we are from Buffalo, NY) so I'm a little concerned with how best to tour.

Initially, I was thinking of going to the parks just in the AM, having lunch, and then heading back to the resort for swimming to close out the day. Maybe doing dinner at Epcot (we are staying at the Boardwalk) - then calling it a day.

The problem is my daughter is not some one that enjoys getting up and going. She is a slow mover in the AM. We never do rope drop.... so I'm thinking that maybe we should just do late afternoons and evenings in the parks. Honestly, we don't really care about doing all the rides. My daughter has picked just one ride per park and loves doing the shows that have much more capacity. So its more about what is the most enjoyable from dealing with the heat perspective.

Any advice would be much appreciated!

A lot of good advice on here. If you drink a lot of water, do know that the quick service restaurants will give you free water with a refillable cup from the soda fountain. We carry a nalgene bottle and refill from the various water fountains around the property and add ice after our meals to it. The water fountain water is gross we do the crystal light packets to help handle the grossness.

Another good tip is just do window shopping, most of the MK main street shops are all connected together from the inside so you never have to walk back out to go from store to store. Just browse and get some AC or hit an AC ride.
 
Depending on the length of your trip, I'd consider doing a few rope drops, touring until 11 or 12, lunch, and then do a few of the indoor shows or head to the resort pool. If getting a later start, just be sure to intersperse the indoor shows or indoor meals, and frozen treats :) throughout your afternoon touring. I'm in Minnesota and we do get some significant humidity in the summer (which I actually like), but it's nothing like what we've experienced in Florida in August. It really can tire you out.
Wearing a hat, especially a sunhat, makes such a difference. We use Frogg Togg towels (cut in half lengthwise). Be sure you're both drinking LOTS of water, and wear wicking clothing. I even make sure my daughter has non-100% cotton underwear (like the Champion brand at Target).
If you're not on a mission to accomplish as much as possible, and you go with the flow, I'm sure you'll have a wonderful trip. One of my daughter's favorite parts of her first trip was when we spontaneously decided to take a break from the heat and crowds at MK and headed by monorail to the Polynesian for a treat (and an adult beverage).
 
I am following this for all the great advice on here!

This will be our sixth trip since ODS was born 12 years ago. We typically spend 5-6 days in the parks per trip. In 12 years, we have made rope drop twice (on our last trip). Yes, it is absolutely fabulous to go early and get on the rides--we did this before we had kids and swore by it!

We often sleep in a bit because everyone is in such a great mood and so cooperative. My kids get very excited and overstimulated when at Disney, and then have trouble sleeping. We have tried nice relaxing music, warm baths, reading stories to them, a swim before dinner, etc. The things that work at home do not seem to work at Disney, no matter where we stay. They just can't get to sleep. Touring the parks at rope drop each day would be tough for us. We have done four trips in January with relatively low crowds, and other than the last trip, have only needed a few FP. Our August trip is going to be busy, hot, and crowded. We are going to have to get it together and at least make AK and HS rope drops and morning EMHs.

I will say that I much prefer evening EMH, especially at MK. There is something special about MK at night, even when it is busy. I am a night owl, though.
 

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