Summers at Walt Disney World are remarkable, especially for those of us who lived further north for many years. First, they are long... I call them our, “five month-long summers,” they span from mid-May through mid-October, and many guests are even surprised by how hot it is in April and in early November.
We live here so we have to manage with the heat and humidity every day. Here are my best insights about how to manage it:
‣ The first step is to put aside the notion that you'll ever be free of sweat. A lot of dealing with the heat and humidity is mind over matter, and this is where it starts.
‣ The second step is to hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. (And do as I say; not as I do, in that regard.)
‣ The third step is to dress for success. Very light, breezy clothing. Function (staying cool) over style (looking cool). This includes wearing a very wide brimmed hat, or holding a wide umbrella over your head. The sun isn't kidding. No matter how much sunscreen you wear, no matter how huge your sunglasses are, you still need the cover offered by a hat or an umbrella. The importance of portable shade like this cannot be overstated. Portable neck fans (the kind where strings and hair can’t get caught in the blades!) and cooling cloths are also very useful.
‣ The fourth step is to avoid the middle of the day, 1pm - 3pm. Plan a long lunch, go back to your hotel, whatever. Just get off the pavement of the park and stay off the pavement of the park for those two hours.
‣ The fifth step is to pace yourself. Beyond just factoring the extra time needed for hydration breaks, and beyond getting off the pavement of the park during the worst heat of the day, you really need to build in additional, real rest time. If you don’t work outside everyday in heat and humidity similar to Central Florida, you need to take it slower than perhaps you may want.
It is a good idea to keep track of how you and your family are doing, with regard to the heat, and keep in mind the best places to take a break. Some guests prefer to take a midday break, back at their hotel. Another good option are long, leisurely meals in air conditioned restaurants. However, there are even attractions that, once you get inside, are good places to relax in air conditioning:
𝗠𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝗞𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗱𝗼𝗺 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗸
🆒🆒🆒 Hall of Presidents
🆒🆒🆒 Carousel of Progress
🆒🆒 Mickey’s Philharmagic
🆒🆒 Country Bear Jamboree
🆒🆒 It’s a Small World
🆒🆒 Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor
🆒 Enchanted Tiki Room
𝗘𝗣𝗖𝗢𝗧
🆒🆒🆒🆒 The American Adventure
🆒🆒🆒 Disney/Pixar Film Festival
🆒🆒 Impressions de France
🆒🆒 Spaceship Earth
🆒🆒 Reflections of China
🆒🆒 Living with the Land
🆒🆒 Journey into Imagination
🆒🆒 Amazing Planet
𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗻𝗲𝘆'𝘀 𝗛𝗼𝗹𝗹𝘆𝘄𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼𝘀
🆒🆒🆒🆒 Frozen Sing-along
🆒🆒 Muppet Vision 3D
🆒🆒 Vacation Fun
🆒🆒 Lightning McQueen Racing Academy
𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗻𝗲𝘆'𝘀 𝗔𝗻𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗹 𝗞𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗱𝗼𝗺 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗸
🆒🆒🆒🆒 Festival of the Lion King
🆒🆒🆒 Finding Nemo: The Big Blue… and Beyond!
🆒🆒🆒 Animation Experience at Conservation Station
🆒 It’s Tough to be a Bug
(𝘐 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘰𝘷𝘦, 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘳 𝘴𝘪𝘵 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘹𝘪𝘯𝘨. 😉)
Keep an eye on any physical effects you’re feeling or seeing. One common condition is exercise-induced vasculitis (sometimes called golfer’s vasculitis or Disney rash). It is a harmless form of cutaneous small vessel vasculitis and is caused by strenuous or extended-duration physical activity, especially in warm weather to which the body is not accustomed. Prevention advice includes a lot of what I outlined above: Wearing light and loose clothing; drinking a lot of fluids; taking 15-minute breaks for every hour on your feet. Prevention advice also includes things like wearing compression socks and comfortable, high-quality, and well-fitting footwear.
Have a great summer at the parks!
