Handling the Heat

[Brett Wyman]

If you don't like water Gatoraide or Powerade will do the trick. There is always Powerade available at WDW since its a Coke product.

 

[davper]

As a northerner myself who sleeps in the winter with a window open, fan on, and just a cover sheet for bedding...I never go this time of year. Too Hot. But I have been down when the heat has been into the 90s and very high humidity.
I go as early in the morning as possible and go until it starts to get to warm. I head back to the hotel for a swim to cool off, lunch in the AC, and maybe a nap. After dinner I head back.
I have on my person a cooling towel and take advantage of the AC when I can in the park. I carry an insulated steel water bottle filled with ice and water and drink often. You must fill it to the top with ice because you can get free ice water at counter service restaurants, But there is never any ice left in them.

I wear light weight wicking clothing because I don't like the feeling of wet clothing. But wet clothing will help with cooling.

 

[davper]

It's not that bad. As a CM doing mostly outdoor events, you have to be able to deal with the heat for hours at a time without a break.

It's not that bad if you are acclimated. At 60 degrees, us northerners are in shorts. Some of us wear shorts all year long.

 

[FastPasser.]

It's not that bad if you are acclimated. At 60 degrees, us northerners are in shorts. Some of us wear shorts all year long.

But I was a New Englander for most of my life, always hated the winters. Probably not typical but it took me zero time to become acclimated to Central Florida summers. I could not live through another northern winter again.

 

[Wendy May Hall]

Again, stay hydrated! Drink water with meals, take a minute to grab some at any QS, some TS have coolers set up in the waiting area anyone can use.

We're going in August, which is like the fires of Hades but wetter, and will tour early AM and after dinner. 12-4 will be at the pool or indoors getting ready to go out. If you can, avoid touring in the afternoon. If you are out, take A/C breaks and stick to shade if you can.

Make sure your clothes are quick dry. Take Body Glide, or similar, to reduce chafing. Change socks and shoes if you go back to your room. You'll sweat but still have fun!

@alex9179 Yes! Yes! Yes! I was going to suggest everything you said! We are going first week of August and planning to do very early and late night at the parks, otherwise, we’ll be at the pool, taking a nap in the AC or chilling inside somewhere. Frog towel, very light clothing and body glide are MUST HAVES!!!

 

[cj.scribbles]

I can confirm. Today was murderous.
I think it got up to 95 but it felt like the inside of an oven lol

 

[DisLiss]

If you are not planning on taking a midday break from the park on any given day, then at least try to look for longer indoor attractions during the hottest hours. Shows, for instance, will allow you to get out of the sun, into the a/c, and seated for a decent amount of time and it can make you feel so much better. Especially if you take the time to drink some water before heading in.

 

[dreamit]

In addition to suggestions already shared, add "wear a summer hat". I am not a hat person, but it makes a world of difference in the Florida summer sun.

 

[kbwright]

If you are anything like my New Englander self, it takes a while to acclimate to hot weather and humidity (and the spring we have been having this year isn't helping) so you will no doubt feel the heat and humidity. We were there in September last year and it was rough and that was after getting through summer.

Hubby and I realized that it is impossible to get enough water so hydrate constantly, I can't drink booze in that heat without wanting to die, even though I don't drink sugar beverages - every now and then I needed a Sprite to feel normal - I can't explain it, it just was! Evenings were more manageable heat wise. We found using early part of the day for lighter stuff - pool, breakfast or lunch in a/c, shows and then being outside later when it was not like the surface of the sun was better. Moisture wicking clothes, water fans as others have suggested....more importantly - breathable sunscreen. Don't make the mistake of getting sunscreen that doesn't let you sweat through it - you will feel your brain cook lol trust me

Also, I am fairly certain the restroom in Norway is the coldest restroom on property.

 

[Wendy May Hall]

If you are anything like my New Englander self, it takes a while to acclimate to hot weather and humidity (and the spring we have been having this year isn't helping) so you will no doubt feel the heat and humidity. We were there in September last year and it was rough and that was after getting through summer.

Hubby and I realized that it is impossible to get enough water so hydrate constantly, I can't drink booze in that heat without wanting to die, even though I don't drink sugar beverages - every now and then I needed a Sprite to feel normal - I can't explain it, it just was! Evenings were more manageable heat wise. We found using early part of the day for lighter stuff - pool, breakfast or lunch in a/c, shows and then being outside later when it was not like the surface of the sun was better. Moisture wicking clothes, water fans as others have suggested....more importantly - breathable sunscreen. Don't make the mistake of getting sunscreen that doesn't let you sweat through it - you will feel your brain cook lol trust me

Also, I am fairly certain the restroom in Norway is the coldest restroom on property.

That’s my favorite bathroom on property!!!!!!!!

 

[Bestdayever89]

Did anyone else see the forecast for Orlando for next week? So far it’s looking like mid-90s, with Wednesday at a high of 99.

My northern butt is going to melt faster than Olaf in summer.

Anyone have any tips on how to handle this heat? We were expecting high temps, but not this high.

Canceling is, perhaps obviously, not an option at this point.

ETA: Also, I realize forecasts change all the time. I’m just woefully underprepared for near-100 heat. Now, if it was snow, I could handle that in shorts if I had to.

Cooling towel and insulated metal water bottle

 

[jeff_h]

Well we handled the heat OK (except for the usual Disney rash), each day had highs of 95-99 -- took a 2-hour break each afternoon and showered at hotel and did a couple extra loads of laundry during the week and those breaks make the evenings so much better.

 

[Happyinwonerland]

The heat doesn't bother me, but I like to do indoor attractions during mid-day. Philharmagic, Pirates, hall of presidents, carousel of progress, Finding Nemo (both the ride at Epcot and the show at AK), living with the land, soarin, the frozen singalong, It's Tough to Be a Bug, The Lion King show, Monster's Inc Laugh Floor,etc all provide minimal outdoor waiting and lots of time in an air conditioned building. These are also our go-tos for those mid afternoon storms. We save the majority of ourdoor time for evening and night. We do not rope drop, but do stay until the park closes each night.

 

[Kestryl]

So, now that I’m back, I’ll share what we did to help stay cool:

Land Pavilion at Epcot: this place saved my butt. We ended up eating a late lunch here, then did Living with the Land and Soarin’ to keep us cool for 3 hours. Sure, we waited 45 minutes for Soarin’, but it was in the AC.

Character Meets: some had indoor lines, like Mickey and Minnie and Tinkerbell at MK or the Star Wars characters at HS. Some of the lines were long, but once again, the AC was worth it.

Shows: I love Carousel of Progress anyways, but we made sure to hit up one of the indoor shows if the line wasn’t too bad and we were nearby. Not all shows worked well for this. While we did watch Festival of the Lion King, we were stuck in the sun waiting.

Bathroom Visits: I did not rush in and out of the AC was cranked, ha. One of the bathrooms in Pandora was just heavenly.

Browsing Stores: This was hit or miss, as many places had their doors open so the AC wasn’t as strong, but in general walking through stores helped with the heat.

 

[ManOfSteel4488]

So, now that I’m back, I’ll share what we did to help stay cool:

Land Pavilion at Epcot: this place saved my butt. We ended up eating a late lunch here, then did Living with the Land and Soarin’ to keep us cool for 3 hours. Sure, we waited 45 minutes for Soarin’, but it was in the AC.

Character Meets: some had indoor lines, like Mickey and Minnie and Tinkerbell at MK or the Star Wars characters at HS. Some of the lines were long, but once again, the AC was worth it.

Shows: I love Carousel of Progress anyways, but we made sure to hit up one of the indoor shows if the line wasn’t too bad and we were nearby. Not all shows worked well for this. While we did watch Festival of the Lion King, we were stuck in the sun waiting.

Bathroom Visits: I did not rush in and out of the AC was cranked, ha. One of the bathrooms in Pandora was just heavenly.

Browsing Stores: This was hit or miss, as many places had their doors open so the AC wasn’t as strong, but in general walking through stores helped with the heat.

All very good info to know. Thanks for the tips!