How to keep your cool & beat the heat at Walt Disney World
Florida has a tropical climate, which means it’s hot and wet. Daytime temperatures in the summer months often reach over 30C (86F), and can still be mid 20’s overnight, but it’s the energy sapping humidity which often presents the biggest challenge.
Unless you plan to spend your whole trip camped under the hotel room air conditioning, you’re going to get hot. So I'm sharing our own experiences and 5 of the best ways to help you keep cool at Walt Disney World.
1. Plan your time at the parks
Arriving at the parks for Rope Drop means not only will the temperatures be slightly cooler, but you’ll also have the added advantage of a less busy park.
Temperatures drop again in the evenings, so consider touring the parks later in the day.
Plan to ride most outdoor attractions early morning or late at night to reduce the amount of time spent queuing outside.
Many rides have covered queuing areas but depending on the length of the queue, you may be forced to spend some time stood in the full glare of the sun. One of the worst rides for this is Tomorrowland Speedway in Magic Kingdom.
Schedule to watch indoor shows during the peak of the heat to help yourself cool off a little as you take the opportunity to sit down in air conditioned theatres.
2. Take proper breaks
After a morning of touring the parks, take a pool break back at your hotel or villa for a few hours. You can then return to the parks once the evening temperatures have dropped slightly, and you're feeling a little more refreshed.
If you’d rather stay in the parks, consider booking a Table Service lunch for a lengthy sit down and re-hydrate before continuing with your day.
Hint: Many popular restaurants often have availablity at lunch time. So if you've not managed to secure an evening reservation at a restaurant you wish to try, you may have more luck finding a lunchtime slot.
3. Stay Hydrated
Seems like an obvious one, but it’s amazing how easily you become so engrossed in having fun that you forget to keep properly hydrated. Our motto - drink before you’re thirsty. A little and often is best.
Hint: Free iced water is available from every counter service restaurant. Just ask the Cast Members at the kiosks for a cup.
If you don't want to queue at the counter service restaurants, there are a number of self serve iced water stations dotted around the parks. These include at Gaston’s Tavern and on the bridge to Be Our Guest restaurant in Magic Kingdom. We also spotted one on the corner of the Dawa Bar in Animal Kingdom.
Every Starbucks location also has a self service water station, including the one inside Creature Comforts in Animal Kingdom.
4. Use the Splash Zones and Water Rides
As well as keeping hydrated on the inside, cool down by getting your clothes wet.
Casey Jr. Splash ‘n’ Soak Station, near Dumbo the Flying Elephant in Magic Kingdom, is an ideal spot to let the kids cool off in the water (adults are permitted too). Be warned, the emphasis is on the soak, so you may need to bring a change of clothes.
Magic Kingdom also has the spitting camel at the Magic Carpets of Aladdin, and there’s always a ride on Splash Mountain to get you nice and drenched.
During the recent renovations, the Epcot Splash Pad has been removed. However, the Test Track Cool Wash remains, and it's somewhere the kids can play in the misting fans.
More misting fans can be found along some of the walkways in Animal Kingdom. Or if you don't mind risking a complete drenching, Kali River Rapids is the Animal Kingdom water ride to head to.
5. Set expectations
If you’re visiting Walt Disney World during the summer, it will be hot and crowded. There will be thousands of guests in the parks, and paths sometimes become so crowded, it’s difficult to move. Add the heat to this, and tempers can easily become frayed. Complete meltdowns in the middle of Magic Kingdom are not uncommon, and it's not always the children having them!
Rides break down. It can be frustrating but it regularly happens. If you’re visiting during hurricane season (June-Sept), you can expect some tremendous storms, which will force Cast Members to close outdoor rides.
Use this as an opportunity for a break. If you’ve got a Genie+ for the ride, it will automatically convert to an anytime Genie+. So you can either return later, or use the anytime Genie+ to experience a different attraction.
Parks hours are extended during the summer months, so don’t attempt to be there from opening to close, day after day. You’ll end up exhausted. Spending 3-4 fun hours in the parks is better than 12 less magical ones. Tell yourself you can’t see and do it all, and remember to relax a little.
Some of our favourite memories aren't of the rides and attractions. They're of the children running fully clothed through splash pads, enjoying family time at the pool, and sharing a huge Mickey Ice-Cream Sundae one rainy evening in Magic Kingdom. Spending hours in the parks attempting to get on as many rides as possible doesn't necessarily equate to the ideal holiday.
Arrive at the parks with the right attitude and prepare for your plans to change. That Disney Magic often happens when you least expect it.
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