Mid-July heat

[DLgal]

Just want to add that Regal Eagle at Epcot has fantastic watermelon, and it’s a great location to take an air conditioned rest in that park.

Primo Piatto (Riviera QS) also has great, non-mushy fruit salad. I actually love this QS in general. Almost everything I’ve tried there has been delicious.

Both are already on the list, thanks!

 

[DLgal]

It is often hard to find at WDW. This is a big reason why we often do a grocery store run ourselves.

Some WDW places I have had luck: WDW now stocks Cuties tangerines in a fair number of locations: the in-park fruit stands, as a side with some QS meals. Another place we find fruit is the breakfast buffet when we stay club level.

Sad to say, but this is one reason why we sometimes choose club level. By that I mean every food court ought to offer it, but since it is hard to find, part of why we choose to stay club level is that we can readily get fresh produce every day. In the morning the lounges have fresh fruit, and during appetizers many CL's put out cold vegetables like grape tomatoes, broccoli, small carrots (sometimes the gross WDW packaged ones now, but often better quality carrots too), sometimes cucumber sticks, etc. I've even sometimes seen asparagus! The CL's also usually put out a basket of whole fruit all day, that is just okay. It varies from stay to stay. Recently they have had Cuties, but often it is just bleh apples, maybe underripe pears, Sunkist meh oranges. During breakfast hours (7am-10am), the CL's have better fruit. It varies from CL to CL and visit to visit, but they often have melon, good red grapes, sometimes: pineapple, strawberries, other berries.

Other places to find fruit: the QS in the Land (Epcot) usually has something like grapes or a melon cup. (not the gross baggies, but a better cup of grapes). Some table service buffets. One place that has a great salad is Docking Bay 7! it has grapes, tomato, cucumber, and really great dressing. The kefta appetizer is also really good. The grab and go places at the Swan/Dolphin/Swan Reserve.

It is possible to find some decent produce at Universal. Some that come to mind: The Harry Potter Hogsmeade has a fruit cart. Leaky Cauldron has bangers and mash - sausage- but it some with excellent sides. The minted peas are delicious. You have to ask, but they allow you to order the peas stand alone. the whole platter is very good though. The apple beet salad is also good (comes with a different platter). Portofino QS Sal's has prepared salads including caprese, some fruit. The club level lounges at Royal Pacific and Portofino Universal both serve great fruit in the AM and decent veggies during appetizer hours. thunder Falls Terrace is decent. the roasted corn on cob is not great, but the other sides are good, like plantains. Aventura food court has some good options, as does the Qs at Sapphire Falls. The QS at SF has fruit smoothies (or did the last time I was there.) Morning grab and go in the lobby at Royal Pacific, but I don't recall what they had- only available in the morning.

In season, there are some offsite places to get fresh oranges. there's a fun (but so-so) fruit stand on Route 192, and (I've not been) a better orange grove/fruit place I think about 20min from WDW. If you ever drive to the Everglades, you can get AMAZING exotic tropical fruit at a fruit stand called Robert is Here, and other smaller fruit stands. RiH will cut up the fruit for you, including amazing mangoes. They also make smoothies with I think any fruit they sell. You can try some really exotic fruits there like soursop.

Just off Universal is a Whole Foods. It is an excellent Whole Foods with a LARGE buffet of prepared foods, or did last time I was there. It is on Sand Lake Road. They recently remodeled, so I can't say exactly what they offer now, but I am sure they still have a very large offering of all kinds of healthy options of prepared foods, plus like a full bakery, etc. pricey, but a large selection for fresh produce. There are plenty of other good grocery stores, too, but that WF was a cut above, if a bit $$.

We usually stay CL for the same reason, but I can't justify it this trip since we will not be around for the meal service hours overall. The teens sleep in until past 10 and we won't be there for the 5-7 or 8-10 services either, since we will be only doing the parks in the afternoons and evenings.

 

[Auntof2]

Are there any recommendations for moisture wicking clothing brands? We don't golf, hike, etc (man I feel lazy typing this) so am out of the loop on sporty warm weather clothing. Also going late July.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

Are there any recommendations for moisture wicking clothing brands? We don't golf, hike, etc (man I feel lazy typing this) so am out of the loop on sporty warm weather clothing. Also going late July.

I don't have tons of info, but one option we like are the men's Izod shirts at kohls right now. They only have them in summer. These are not the "saltwater" line, but the Breeze line that includes a blue shirt with oranges, and another with sharks. They go on sale for about $30, maybe less w/coupons and later summer sales. The lightest colors are a tad sheer, but otherwise they are great shirts.

 

[RichieTruxillo]

I appreciate this thread as we are going, for the first time in awhile, during mid-July. Portable fans and cooling towels are a must for us. Afternoon breaks are perfect as well as cooling off in the pools. We usually stay on site and plan on hanging out doing nothing during the peak heat hours.

I like Arctic Cool as moisture wicking/cooling shirts. I have a couple polos and t-shirts that work well.

I'm also already trying to acclimate to heat by taking walks outside in the middle of the day and early evening.

Nothing prepares you for that first time you come out of the airport to get smacked in the face with Orlando humidity though.

 

[matt_in_nh]

You could get lucky but generally the heat is on full blast in July.

 

[Miffy]

@DLgal: In DAK there's a food cart near the entrance to KS and they often have fresh-cut watermelon and cuties. They also sell grilled corn on the cob there.

 

[DLgal]

Are there any recommendations for moisture wicking clothing brands? We don't golf, hike, etc (man I feel lazy typing this) so am out of the loop on sporty warm weather clothing. Also going late July.

Under Armour Tech gear/Heat Gear. They are frequently on sale at Kohls, or Amazon also has a good selection.

 

[TheSouthernBelle]

We go in the summer months since that's when, generally speaking, it's much less crowded than other times but more importantly, we can travel when my kids are not in school. I take the summer discounts and lower crowds as my consolation prize for dealing with the heat. We prefer to go in cooler months but most years, especially now that kids are in high school, I can't in good conscience pull them out of school to go on vacation. It's too much added stress and work for them and just not worth it.

More times than not, July will definitely be hotter and way more humid than May but May can still have some scorchers and depending on where you're from, you may think it's blazing. Most days it will be high 80s-90s but feels like temps in May can still be close to 100 but it's still not on average as hot as July. It won't be cool, but it just won't be as humid. And also to state the obvious, May isn't yet hurricane season so tropical disturbances are more likely June on, which in turn, means you'll have more encounters with rain/afternoon T storms. Never a deal killer, but just food for thought. Overall, May would be my preferred choice for crowds and temps.

There are tons of great tips on here for dealing with the heat. We have been most every month of the year to WDW and even as hot as the summer months are, it's still always a great trip.

 

[Princess Disney Mom]

I realize it'll be hot in mid-July at WDW, but how much worse will it be than it was the 2nd week of May this year? Because it was pretty darn hot then--we were there May 3rd thru the 11th--and we survived with the rope-drop-and-leave-by-noon-then-return-in-the-evening strategy.

Or is it just unbearable in July? Sun directly overhead, heat beating down on a person, and all that. Because . . . the AP discounts are pretty good for July and we're contemplating doing this but not if we end up having to stay in the room the whole time!

Thanks!

I've done July and lived to tell about it. Yes, it's hot. Take the hot precautions. Drink water, use mister fans, if you can return to your room for the hottest part of the day do it otherwise try to make a reservation at a restaurant during that time. Wear a hat, sunscreen, have a poncho. It can be done, go for it.

 

[Dvcforestfriend]

We go every July.

It is an "interesting" time to be at WDW.

I take 3 Showers a day just to keep the sweat beat down a little bit.lol

And the daily lightning Storms rival the nightly Fireworks shows.

I have been in may and august but you sumed up July perfect ...here now

 

[davidl81]

I’m here now. It’s hot, rain kinda helps. If you are trying to do a full day in the parks you very likely will be miserable and be done by like 6 every day. There is a ton of value in the getting to a park at 4:00 and staying till it closes. The crowds really thin out in the late afternoon because people are honestly just beat.

 

[DLgal]

I’m here now. It’s hot, rain kinda helps. If you are trying to do a full day in the parks you very likely will be miserable and be done by like 6 every day. There is a ton of value in the getting to a park at 4:00 and staying till it closes. The crowds really thin out in the late afternoon because people are honestly just beat.

Good to hear. This is going to be our strategy in 2 weeks when we arrive.

 

[WEDWDW]

I have been in may and august but you sumed up July perfect ...here now

We are headed down Sunday for my Birthday trip-just follow the trail of sweat and you will find me!lol

One interesting think about July at WDW is there seems to be a special "closeness" between Guests-each Guest is pulling for the other Guests to survive their Vacation and make it back home without any permanent damage!lol

When a Guest is struggling other Guests will kind of give them a nod of encouragement.

It is more of a survival test then a Vacation!lol

 

[momo695]

We went to Orlando in July once and spent one day in MK and Epcot. All I remember from that day was how hot it was walking around World Showcase. We go pretty much exclusively in late April/early May now, and love the weather.

 

[ghtx]

This thread is making me very excited for my upcoming trip in November

 

[jsbowl16]

This thread is making me very excited for my upcoming trip in November

We are going in July and November. I am not sure which one I am looking more forward to. Higher temps lower crowds in July or lower temps high crowds in November.

 

[WEDWDW]

This thread is making me very excited for my upcoming trip in November

Chicken!lol

 

[Bellagirl]

Is there anyone who is currently there that can confirm if the hot weather is bearable or excessively brutal? Debating going one day next week while in Florida. Can tolerate hot weather but afraid it is like an oven times 10!

 

[Miffy]

Is there anyone who is currently there that can confirm if the hot weather is bearable or excessively brutal? Debating going one day next week while in Florida. Can tolerate hot weather but afraid it is like an oven times 10!

I'm here right now. And right at this minute, I'm in the room, in the a/c.

Is the heat bearable? Apparently a lot of people think so. Here's what we've been doing:

(1) Rope-dropping. The temperatures and sunlight in the early morning are far more bearable (to me) than they are as the day goes on.

(2) Using UV umbrellas. They really really help. Thanks so much to everyone on this board who recommended them.

(3) Using cooling towels. They also help. But if I had to pick one thing, I'd choose the umbrella.

(4) Drinking a TON of water. And then a ton more.

(5) Not racing back and forth across the park, any park, and taking it slow.

(6) Leaving before noon. It only gets worse as the afternoon goes on. We left DHS a little after noon today and with every step we took, it seemed that the temperature rose another degree. By the time we got back to the resort (AKL), the heat index was 104. Later in the afternoon it was 110.

(7) And going back in the evening. Tomorrow our strategy is to rope-drop Epcot, leave by noon, and go to MK around 7 or so. Tonight we're just staying in.

If you intend to be in a park/the parks all day, plan a lot of breaks in a/c if possible and sitting down in the shade if no a/c is nearby and drinking a heckuva lot of water. Do not skimp on sunscreen. Use a UV umbrella. Get G+ if you can afford it and/or ILL$ if you can afford that.

Yes, it is brutally hot here. I'm not a loving-the-heat person at all, but I've been okay in the mornings and evenings. It's an experience. But we're enjoying our trip.

BTW, the parks are NOT empty.