Dealin' with the heat....

Yes, Florida summers are brutal. Even for those of us who live here and are used to it it's pretty bad and for those who don't live in Florida, even if they think they come from a hot and/or humid climate don't know what they're in for. But, it's still quite doable. You need to get to the park early. By opening. Plan on leaving after lunch. Go back to your resort for a nap or to swim but get out of the worst of the heat. Then come back for dinner and the evening in the park as things cool down. Also, drink lots and lots of water. Here's the thing about Florida summer that makes it so bad - the humidity is so high that sometimes the atmosphere can no longer absorb water. This means your sweat won't evaporate. That's your body's primary cooling mechanism so overheating with heat exhaustion or heat stroke becomes very possible. Drinking lots of water helps. Take breaks inside often. The queues are usually not bad as they have fans or AC. Use lots of sunscreen, comfortable shoes and clothes, and you'll be good to go. Yes, the crowds are high, but they're high almost year round now and during the summer WDW has more staff, later hours, more things operating so things can actually flow much smoother than other "less crowded" times of the year.

We just returned from our July WDW vacation. We make the trip annually, however this trip was the hottest I can remember in many years - and surprisingly little to no rain! To best cope with the long, hot days at the park, we make sure to pace ourselves and stay out of the direct sun as much as possible. It's not unusual for us to skip an attraction with a long line outside, and head for another attraction which offers an opportunity to sit and cool down (e.g. Hall of Presidents, American Adventure, etc.). Taking a break to eat lunch and dinner indoors really helps as well. During our recent trip we adjusted our original plans and spent a few mornings at our resort pool, then went to the parks for the late afternoon and evening. Many times we ended the long day with a stop at our resort lounge for a refreshing adult drink before heading up to the room.

Summer is a great time to visit WDW!

We were in WDW in late June. We have been many times in the summer as well and this year was the hottest it has ever been. We visited a park early morning and then went back to our resort for an afternoon swim or just to lounge in the room a bit. We then went back to the parks in the evening, The days that we got an afternoon storm were much more bearable, as it cooled down quite a bit. We avoided the attractions with longer lines and utilized our fastpasses for those. We paced ourselves, ducked into air conditioned shops whenever we could to cool down a bit, and most importantly, stayed hydrated. Oh, and wear loose clothes that are light colored!

I just returned from a late July trip. And while I do agree that it was wretchedly hot, it wasn't any worse than where we live. We kept cool by taking cooling towels, personal misting fans and taking breaks often. We would often do the rides that have outside ques in the morning, and leave the indoor ques/rides until the hottest part of the afternoon. It was hot, but we managed fairly well. And that was with 7 kids between 1 and 9 years old and 8 adults!

We typically always do a June trip and for us, to simplify it ... we rope drop each morning, leave about noon for naps or laps in the pool then get ready for an evening of dinner and another park. Simple as that. Yes it's hot, but it's always gonna be busy and there are always gonna be long lines no matter what month you go. :thumbsup:

We use the cooling misting fans. Drink plenty of water and take breaks. Don't let the crowds get you upset.

As for the summer, June is much better over July. August is the absolute worst. Same holds true if you come to Texas.

Just got back from a late August trip. Worst heat and humidity we've encountered there ever since we started going. Still had a great time.

First approach...... timing of exposure to heat and interspersing AC type locations like shows.

Secret....... judicious application of Dole Whips and the pineapple soft serve with the coconut rum in Harambe in Animal Kingdom.

best,

.................john

WiltonJohn;2468030 wrote:
Secret....... judicious application of Dole Whips and the pineapple soft serve with the coconut rum in Harambe in Animal Kingdom.

best,

.................john

Now that is my kind of "Beat the Heat" advice. Can't wait to try the latter.

deedee73;2468039 wrote: Now that is my kind of "Beat the Heat" advice. Can't wait to try the latter.

It is delicious. I'm not a big "drinker" ... and I loved it. Of course it was about 97 dergrees with 100% humidity and it was cold..... so that may have factored in :thumbsup:.

It is at a small stand near the stage where the drummers perform across the street from the Tusker House.

best,

...............john

We come from a hot climate as well but found our mid September trip, a few years ago, REALLY eye opening. Since we don't have humidity with our heat, it was really draining.

In Epcot, we lived on the kaki gori shaved ice. The F&W fest was on and we had free dining but was just too darn hot to eat. . .

Either way, was still a fantastic trip :mickey: