For many of us that have visited Disney parks in the Summer, we know how the heat can just drain you. Comedian Jim Gaffigan joked “If you haven’t been to Disney as an adult, just imagine you’re standing in line at the DMV….Actually, it was Orlando in July so it was like standing on the surface of the sun.” Whether you’re in Orlando or Anaheim, the combination of heat + long lines can put a damper on your vacation.
When the sun is at its highest and hottest at the parks, at around 12-2 PM, that’s when what I call “The Meltdown” happens to both kids AND adults. This is when the sun feels like it’s 5 feet away from your face. Little ones start getting hot, hungry & cranky, adults start to slow down, and on some REALLY hot days, you, unfortunately, have guests that pass out from dehydration.
ORLANDO AND ANAHEIM WEATHER
If you’re not a fan of heat in general, consider visiting the parks during cooler months. For Orlando, cooler months are October to March (temps in the 70’s) or April to May (80’s). Summer is brutal where temperatures average 90 to 100 with random thunder & rain showers.
For Anaheim, the coolest months are October to May (low 60’s to high 70’s) while the Summer months from June-August are hotter (80’s to 90’s). Sometimes Anaheim can have hotter Fall days in September to October (in the 80-85 degree range), and sometimes the heat can linger to mid-November.
WHAT TO BRING:
STROLLER
If you’re a parent bringing your child to the parks, I highly suggest a stroller because little feet get super tired, it’s a nice place for your child to rest or get away from the hustle & bustle of the park, and provides shade for them (if your stroller has a cover/canopy). It also provides a place to store souvenirs, drinks, snacks, etc. Strollers cannot be larger than 31” (79 cm) wide and 52” (132cm) long measured at their widest and longest points. Both Disney parks no longer allow wagons. It helps to bring a colored ribbon, name tag, or balloon to tie on your stroller to find yours easier in the sea of other strollers.
You can also rent single and double strollers from the Disney parks for a daily fee. We have a larger 6 year old and we didn’t bring a stroller thinking he would be fine walking and boy were we wrong. It was extremely hot on our visit and even before lunch came around we had to get a rental stroller for him which made our visit much better.
SUN PROTECTION
You’ll be in the sun all day and you want to protect you and your children’s skin by reapplying sunscreen every 2 hours because we all know sunburn is no fun. Don’t forget sunglasses and hats to protect your eyes and faces while waiting in line or watching a parade or cavalcade. Squinting all day is so uncomfortable. Wear light-colored loose comfortable clothing. You can also bring a small foldable umbrella to shade yourself from the sun.
HDYRATE. HYDRATE. HYDRATE.
You will get incredibly thirsty and hot walking around the parks all day, so don’t forget to always hydrate. You can freeze water bottles the night before so your drinks stay cool all day or bring a thermal drink container like a Hydroflask and fill that thing with ice. Another suggestion is to bring a smaller, lighter hydration backpack such as a Camelbak, and fill it with ice & water. You can refill your water bottles in designated water refilling stations throughout the park and request iced water in the Disney restaurants. They’re FREE! You can also bring a small soft-sided cooler into the parks, but not loose ice or dry ice.
COOLING ACCESSORIES
You can purchase a neck fan that blows air on your neck and face. There are battery-operated or rechargeable ones. Cooling towels are also great for beating the heat: you just soak it with cold water, throw it around your neck, head, or shoulders, and re-soak once it starts drying out. We also utilized a cool-misting fan a lot by throwing a ton of ice in the reservoir with a little water, which was PERFECT for cooling down in those long wait lines. For little ones, you can bring swim attire for the different splash pads/fountains along with a small towel to dry them off.
OTHER WAYS TO COOL OFF:
I know it’s tempting to try to do EVERYTHING at the parks, especially when you have limited time, but you have to remember to take frequent breaks. You don’t have to spend all day waiting in lines at the parks. Disney offers other ways to cool off until the sun starts setting and evening air brings relief.
SHOPPING/INDOOR ACTIVITIES
Disney parks provide various shops with various merchandise, sweets, food, and toys to browse through to get your Disney fix while inside an air-conditioned building. You can also browse Disney art in some areas of the park and some can be purchased.
HOTEL BREAKS
You can go to the parks early, then take a break in the afternoon and utilize the hotel pools or take a nap especially if you have little ones. Trying to stay in the parks from open to close is exhausting so it’s nice to take a break in your hotel to recharge. You can return to the parks refreshed and rested in the late afternoon or evening to catch more rides or fireworks.
SLOW RIDES/SHOWS
You can jump into a nice slow-moving ride that’s inside an air-conditioned building such as “It’s a Small World”, “Haunted Mansion”, or “Pirates of the Caribbean”. I’ve seen videos of people taking mini-naps on these rides and it always cracks me up! You can also catch a show and enjoy a nice comfy seat inside a cool auditorium. There are some attractions that you can hop on and get soaked like “Splash Mountain” or any of the river rapids rides.
COLD TREATS
Don’t forget that you can buy some Mickey-shaped ice cream treats throughout the parks, along with Dole Whip, Blue or Green Milk, slushies, popsicles, Starbucks, adult beverages, you name it. So grab one of those, find a shady spot to sit at, and enjoy a little snack break.
Disneyland & Disneyworld are such amazing places to visit and you can make your vacation even more enjoyable if you prepare beforehand to make the heat bearable. My family & I have utilized the majority of the tips mentioned above and it definitely helped our trip to be even more magical.