Ever get ill because it's just so darn hot?

[DfromATX]

We live in Texas, so we can probably take the heat more than our cooler-climate friends, but... the difference is, at home we are not usually outside when it's that hot. We don't even walk our dogs until the sun goes down. The humidity is what bothers me most about Florida weather. You walk out in the morning and it hits you instantly. Anyway, what we've done that works for us is we take a long break mid afternoon. We go back to the hotel and rest, swim, etc. Then we head back to the parks and stay until closing. That rest period really does wonders! But, like someone else said, many of the rides are in the AC so you really are just walking to and from. If it was like Fiesta Texas (Six Flags) at home where everything is outside, I'd probably faint.

 

[DfromATX]

There's a reason we in Florida go from our air conditioned house to our air conditioned car to our air conditioned office....and pray none of that A/C breaks down!.

Same for us Texans.

 

[Chef Mickey]

Sorry, you are so wrong. Yes, heat can be a medical issue, especially for older people and young kids. Certain medications and health conditions exacerbate the effects of heat. I've lived in Florida for most of my adult life, so I should be pretty acclimated to the humidity and heat of this semi-tropical climate. And I grew up in Southern California, a semi-arid climate. But in comparison, 90 degrees in Palos Verdes is more tolerable than 90 degrees in Leon because it's less humid. And unlike Florida (it's been 80 degrees at 3:00 am in the summer), it cools down in Southern Cal at night. I didn't grow up with air conditioning, no biggie. But now, if my A/C broke anytime between late April and early November, I'd be screaming for the A/C guy. It's getting hotter each summer. And as I get older, I'm less able to tolerate the heat. There's a reason we in Florida go from our air conditioned house to our air conditioned car to our air conditioned office....and pray none of that A/C breaks down!.

Texas is 102 w/ 65% humidity routinely and 90 degrees at 2am. People act like Florida is the hottest place on earth...it's not even as bad as Houston or Dallas.

I still say the heat complaining overall is a lot more to do with weight, poor conditioning, and sometimes lack of water than an overall medical issue. I'm not saying 90 degrees and 90% humidity is comfortable, but the level of exertion at a Disney park shouldn't incapacitate any fit person or put them in any sort of true medical danger. It's just hot. You're walking and in A/C 50% of the time. People largely have a hard time because they are too heavy and never have exercised. I see it with my own eyes...this isn't really a subject that I'm just riffing about.

You'd at least agree many people are in terrible shape and losing 100lbs and exercising might help them at Disney? If you're old or a child, different story, but your average person? Come on...

 

[LAKid53]

Texas is 102 w/ 65% humidity routinely and 90 degrees at 2am. People act like Florida is the hottest place on earth...it's not even as bad as Houston or Dallas.

I still say the heat complaining overall is a lot more to do with weight, poor conditioning, and sometimes lack of water than an overall medical issue. I'm not saying 90 degrees and 90% humidity is comfortable, but the level of exertion at a Disney park shouldn't incapacitate any fit person or put them in any sort of true medical danger. It's just hot. You're walking and in A/C 50% of the time. People largely have a hard time because they are too heavy and never have exercised. I see it with my own eyes...this isn't really a subject that I'm just riffing about.

You'd at least agree many people are in terrible shape and losing 100lbs and exercising might help them at Disney? If you're old or a child, different story, but your average person? Come on...

Yes, being overweight and/or out of shape can affect one's ability to tolerate heat. But so can certain other changes in physiology - menopause, hormonal imbalances, thyroid problems, cancer, medications, etc. To make a blanket statement that most people having problems tolerating Florida's temperatures is because they are overweight or sedentary when you have no idea is wrong. One of the posters indicated he has a medical condition that cause problems with heat regulation. Some people can tolerate heat better than others simply because their unique physiology provides that, while others cannot - and it has nothing to do with body weight or activity - it's genetics.

I'm a runner, I like to think I'm in decent shape. But I've found since menopause, my thermostat seems to be set higher and I get hot faster. My A/C now runs several degrees lower in order for me to be comfortable.

And it is getting warmer. 2016 was hotter than 2015; 2015 was hotter than 2014. 2017 is on pace to be hotter than 2016. We've seen scorching, record temperatures everywhere. Spring comes earlier, hell, it hardly shows up at all now. January used to be the coldest month. Now we get maybe 4-5 days of cold weather. Summer lasts until November.

And yes, to answer the OP's thread title, people get sick when it's hot...and not just because they are overweight or sedentary...

 

[Sans Souci]

Texas is 102 w/ 65% humidity routinely and 90 degrees at 2am. People act like Florida is the hottest place on earth...it's not even as bad as Houston or Dallas.

I still say the heat complaining overall is a lot more to do with weight, poor conditioning, and sometimes lack of water than an overall medical issue. I'm not saying 90 degrees and 90% humidity is comfortable, but the level of exertion at a Disney park shouldn't incapacitate any fit person or put them in any sort of true medical danger. It's just hot. You're walking and in A/C 50% of the time. People largely have a hard time because they are too heavy and never have exercised. I see it with my own eyes...this isn't really a subject that I'm just riffing about.

You'd at least agree many people are in terrible shape and losing 100lbs and exercising might help them at Disney? If you're old or a child, different story, but your average person? Come on...

My BMI is 20. I have callouses on my feet walking/running, so no, walking at WDW is not an issue for me. I could not believe that I felt so ill, so suddenly on my last trip.

My husband is from the North West of England, where 75 is considered "toasty." His first time visiting America was to Chicago on Memorial Day weekend. It was warm, but not stifling hot. He was 27 at the time, he played soccer every Saturday and he cycled to and from work. He was struggling with the warmer weather. No, he was not "obese."

Furthermore, I was living in London a couple of years ago, when a "heat wave" occurred. It got up to the mid-90s. My son's school cancelled classes and my husband said he saw someone pass out on the tube on the way to work.

I don't understand why it's inconceivable that some people who struggle with warm weather aren't obese, deconditioned or otherwise unhealthy.

 

[Chef Mickey]

My BMI is 20. I have callouses on my feet walking/running, so no, walking at WDW is not an issue for me. I could not believe that I felt so ill, so suddenly on my last trip.

My husband is from the North West of England, where 75 is considered "toasty." His first time visiting America was to Chicago on Memorial Day weekend. It was warm, but not stifling hot. He was 27 at the time, he played soccer every Saturday and he cycled to and from work. He was struggling with the warmer weather. No, he was not "obese."

Furthermore, I was living in London a couple of years ago, when a "heat wave" occurred. It got up to the mid-90s. My son's school cancelled classes and my husband said he saw someone pass out on the tube on the way to work.

I don't understand why it's inconceivable that some people who struggle with warm weather aren't obese, deconditioned or otherwise unhealthy.

I'm talking about it being a medical issue...it's not and shouldn't be for most people.

Everyone is giving anecdotal stories about heat tolerance, but no one is saying they've been in serious medical jeopardy because of the heat. It's simply not going to happen if you hydrate.

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

My BMI is 20. I have callouses on my feet walking/running, so no, walking at WDW is not an issue for me. I could not believe that I felt so ill, so suddenly on my last trip.

My husband is from the North West of England, where 75 is considered "toasty." His first time visiting America was to Chicago on Memorial Day weekend. It was warm, but not stifling hot. He was 27 at the time, he played soccer every Saturday and he cycled to and from work. He was struggling with the warmer weather. No, he was not "obese."

Furthermore, I was living in London a couple of years ago, when a "heat wave" occurred. It got up to the mid-90s. My son's school cancelled classes and my husband said he saw someone pass out on the tube on the way to work.

I don't understand why it's inconceivable that some people who struggle with warm weather aren't obese, deconditioned or otherwise unhealthy.

I was in London a couple of years ago during that heatwave. I remember there being announcements while waiting for the train to stay safe and to drink lots of water. It was pretty hot.

 

[LAKid53]

I'm talking about it being a medical issue...it's not and shouldn't be for most people.

Everyone is giving anecdotal stories about heat tolerance, but no one is saying they've been in serious medical jeopardy because of the heat. It's simply not going to happen if you hydrate.

Wrong again. My daughter had to be transported to the emergency room due to heat stroke. At elementary school. Hydration may diminish or delay, but it won't prevent. You can hydrate and still over heat, says a runner.....

 

[Chef Mickey]

Wrong again. My daughter had to be transported to the emergency room due to heat stroke. At elementary school. Hydration may diminish or delay, but it won't prevent. You can hydrate and still over heat, says a runner.....

I'm a runner too...and I disagree. If your daughter is young enough to be in elementary school, she falls into the kids and old people category. As a child, she might not have been drinking enough either. My point here is that Florida heat walking at WDW is no big deal when you're hydrated and in decent shape.

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

Too bad there wasn't a doctor or medical professional on here to settle and educate us on the hydration discussion.

I may be wrong but I think the OP just wanted to see if anyone else had issues with the heat, not a discussion on possible causes. Sorry just trying to be the Pollyanna peacekeeper.

 

[mergatroid]

Too bad there wasn't a doctor or medical professional on here to settle and educate us on the hydration discussion.

I may be wrong but I think the OP just wanted to see if anyone else had issues with the heat, not a discussion on possible causes. Sorry just trying to be the Pollyanna peacekeeper.

Correct, it was just intended as an innocent conversation about the Orlando heat and if it affected anyone else to be honest. To be fair the debate has been civil and on topic though, but a doctor's input could possibly help.

For me personally, I'll accept that I possibly didn't take enough fluids that day. Having Dystonia means walking for me takes about the same amount of energy as most of you would use running everywhere. Add the Florida heat and imagine running from every attraction to another and how much you would sweat in doing so, that's me walking around Disney.

Online an article states

Other causes
Besides hot weather and strenuous activity, other causes of heat exhaustion include:

• Dehydration, which reduces your body's ability to sweat and maintain a normal temperature
• Alcohol use, which can affect your body's ability to regulate your temperature
• Overdressing, particularly in clothes that don't allow sweat to evaporate easily

I think for me walking constitutes 'strenuous activity', others may differ as to their causes. As I've said I try to drink a lot of water and Gatorade but sometimes it's a battle to do so as I lose so much sweating.

 

[Walt Disney1955]

My dad remembers a woman fainting in March of 1973 while in line for the Country Bear Jamboree. He said it was hot, but they must have had a huge heat wave because I can't see it being THAT bad in March in Florida as we usually went that time of year.

I do enjoy the cool A/C during the shows though.

 

[SyracuseDisneyFan]

I live in the Syracuse, NY area. As I like to say, if you don't like the weather, wait about 5 minutes.

 

[Sans Souci]

I was in London a couple of years ago during that heatwave. I remember there being announcements while waiting for the train to stay safe and to drink lots of water. It was pretty hot.

It was surprisingly muggy, too. I hope your hotel had AC. I was living in a ground level apartment and I think that helped keep us cool.

 

[SyracuseDisneyFan]

The last time I went, I was at DHS with my younger siblings. It was hot out and I got a bottle of water. I made the mistake of gulping down the bottle of water too fast before going on Tower of Terror. I just wanted to make sure I wasn't dehydrated.

 

[KBLovedDisney]

Yep, I did get sick last September while we were in MK. I had been drinking water, but as we were walking through Fantasyland, I told the hubs that I needed to sit down immediately. I was about to pass out. We hurried into Pinnochio Village Haus, and he went and got me an ice cold lemonade slushy and sat with me in air conditioning.

I live in the South, but that heat was an exceptional dry heat with absolutely no moisture in the air. It felt like my oxygen got cut off.

 

[KordovaJD]

I'm from South Texas, we don't usually have that problem when in Florida. But it's a very real issue for people from cooler climates.

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

It was surprisingly muggy, too. I hope your hotel had AC. I was living in a ground level apartment and I think that helped keep us cool.

Yes our hotel had AC, just luck I guess. I didn't find out until after my trip that there are quite a few hotels that don't. Maybe it was because we were in a chain hotel (Hilton brand). And it definitly was hot and muggy, but we were okay, must have been all those summer trips to Florida had us pre-conditioned!

 

[floridagirl57]

In the summer of 07 I got sick from heat exhaustion. I felt horrible all afternoon, when while waiting in line for Innovations I threw up. My friend alerted a CM and I had a wheelchair the rest of the day. But lesson learned, drink tons of water while at WDW in the summer.

 

[LowesChevy]

Our visit this past February was wonderful-not super hot or humid and cooler nights

We usually visit in late September, so still get that stifling hot and humid weather. We have also been going to Arizona in the summer the last few years.

I agree with @Chef Mickey in that a lot of folks do not realize how much water you need to drink! Bottles of water are expensive and they are pretty heavy to drag in your bag, so guests may be hesitant to keep buying a drink. However use those snack credits and free water drinks from counter service places to supplement your intake. Drink water and once and a while choose something with electrolytes to replenish. For adults we know when we are thirsty, but young children and the elderly do not always get enough fluids daily. I know some folks do not like to drink a lot because then they will have to go to the restroom frequently too.

I am pooh sized, but I play soccer and walk almost every day to (try) to keep in shape. Most importantly I know my own and my family's limitations. Mom needs a nap or rest every day and getting out of the mid day heat is a great time. We can't tour the parks from dawn to night.

A WDW trip is well planned out, but make sure you have some flexibility for a break or two in the ac during the day, especially if you are not used to the climate.