Heat and humidity tips

daisyduckie

daisyduckie

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Anyone care to share their tips for beating the heat and humidity in Florida? I see that it has already been surface of the sun hot, so I'm hoping we all have tips to share! I'm going in July, so I'm looking for some great ideas on how to stay cool-ish and feeling fresh-ish.

Besides drinking lots of water and using sunscreen, what tips do you have?
 
JIMINYCR

JIMINYCR

Well-Known Member
This gets asked a lot. Drink, drink, drink to stay hydrated. ( Water that is !!! ) We start off the day filing our water bottles to the brim with ice. I add mio to help cut the water taste. Then I have 1 bottle just filled with ice that melts over time to leave me just cold ice water. I have used the cooling towels, DW has a cooling vest, which work for us. Other people will say they dont work, but they seem to do fine for keeping us cooler. Take breaks in the middle of the day to shower or have a refreshing dip in the pool. Slather on the sunscreen and redo it as needed. Wear a good hat and take clothes that are made of lighter fabric and colors. Take time to wander in the stores or the attractions that have a/c. My July trip wasnt as oppressively bad as my August trip.
 
H

Heppenheimer

Well-Known Member
On my last two trips, I tried to maximize my time at the parks during the cooler hours (morning and evening) and head to either the resort pool or the water parks in the afternoons. Also, Animal Kingdom has the most shade, whereas Hollywood Studios, with far fewer trees and much more blacktop, becomes a heat sink. It should go without saying as well that indoor shows provide some much-needed relief during the afternoon heat, and you rarely need to wait very long.

There is one unexpected plus to visiting in July, though. This is during the Florida rainy season, where you can expect a heavy thunderstom hitting during the afternoon fairly regularly. If you can wait-out the rain, the cooling effect of all that downpour can be significant and it lasts a few hours. Oddly enough, I've been more uncomfortable during a dry April than a wet July because of the moderating effect of the rain.
 
DreamalittleDisney

DreamalittleDisney

Well-Known Member
We got a Disney water mist one for about $20 is 2016 it managed a 10day trip with a 3n5 year old using and went with us for another 10days last year and survived.. foam fan pieces are now a little misshapen but dont feel ripped off after 2 trips and the mist feature helped cool quickly
 
Gitson Shiggles

Gitson Shiggles

There was me, that is Mickey, and my three droogs
Premium Member
All QSRs will have cold water available, for free. I use Brita water bottles that get rid of all the unpleasant taste.

Brita 20 Ounce Sport Water Bottle with 2 Filters - BPA Free - Twin Pack, Blue and Orange https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004GN6QV4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_ckd2CbHZGGBEZ

Carry as little as needed on your person.

Wear a wide-brimmed hat to keep the sun off your head and face.
 
D

Driver

Well-Known Member
LUVofDIS said:
My wife uses a fan similar to this, only it connects to a USB charging pack. She won't visit WDW without it. She also uses a cooling scarf and swears by it. I have many pictures of her joyfully entering one of many fan/water mist stations at Disney.
Click to expand...
The cooling scarfs or a piece of light weight cotton cloth ( not a towel) wetted with water around the neck makes a big difference. I worked construction for 32 years, the evaporative effect helps keep you cool as the cloth is in contact with your neck and the carotid arteries pick that up and make a noticeable difference. You can rewet it anytime with cool water. My shirt will get wet but that just adds more cooling affect. And (as mentioned) wear a hat the combination of these two items really helps. This may not make much of a fashion statement but it does go a long way toward comfort on a hot day. Did this often when working to get through days when no other relief was available in direct all day sun.
 
Big Phil

Big Phil

Well-Known Member
I honestly think part of the reason is pressure we put on ourselves. You used to just relax a bit more and not worry as much. You almost never had a stroller or knapsack you were lugging around. That doesn't help you beat the heat pushing a stroller around. But here is the thing I always try and focus on. See more of the shows during the day. Mickey's Philharmagic, Carousel of Progress, Hall of Presidents, Country Bear Jamboree, Tiki Birds, etc. All indoors and very cool. Even something like Little Mermaid might be a ride but the line up is all pretty much in a cooler environment or out of the sun. Focus on the outdoor stuff a bit more when the sun is down. Gives you more reason to hit Haunted Mansion and Pirates as well. Don't do stuff like Tomorrowland Speedway at noon or anything. Or even Dumbo or Mad Tea Party. If you want to go to Tom Sawyer Island you need to go before dusk, but even then the tunnels are out of the sun and it always seems cooler down there.
 
OneofThree

OneofThree

Well-Known Member
Chef Mickey said:
Best tip I can give (maybe controversial) is to be in really good shape before you go.

Lose weight if you need to, do a lot of cardio, and just be in good general health. The heat doesn’t bother you as much.
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This, in a nutshell. I lived in a cold climate for 20+ years before living in Central Florida for another 20. Unless you're a toddler, elderly, or have health issues, the heat is more about being a little uncomfortable than anything else. The temps rarely get that high. The biggest two factors are the humidity (not too much to be done about that) and the angle of the sun (blistering vs higher latitudes). The best thing you can do is to cover your head and exposed skin with clothing specifically designed for that purpose (ie Under Armour, Columbia, etc.) It's definitely important to stay hydrated, but that's not all that difficult here because it's so humid that evaporation is really limited. Be careful with alcohol consumption and large, heavy meals. One of the biggest factors is that many people (including myself) aren't accustomed to walking 10+ miles per day in any weather. Taking up that activity when the heat index is 120 degrees can be challenging. As indicated in the quote above, exercising and getting in shape before your trip will help far more than anything else, IMO.
 
scorp16

scorp16

Well-Known Member
Yes, hydrate. Pace yourself. Plan breaks. And dress appropriate. Not knocking someone's fashion sense, but wearing a pair of denim jeans with a black T-shirt in 90 degree weather (with Florida humidity) leaves me scratching my head. Remember you can get ice water at any QS location at no charge.
 
larryz

larryz

Clearly Visible
Premium Member
Go in January. Most years, it won't be all that hot.

Since that won't help you in July, I second the notion that you should plan on visiting the parks early in the morning, take a mid-day break, and return in the evening after the sun goes down.
 
LeighM

LeighM

Well-Known Member
Like others have said, drink plenty of water (they give ice water for free at quick service locations), wear a hat to shied your face, use sunscreen, wear light and lose fitting clothing. Shoes that have airflow, soft socks that help wick away moisture. Take breaks from the heat by going on rides with AC and the gift shops. The heat isn't the problem but the humidity and that's hard to get used to quickly if you're from a place that doesn't have it. Pace yourself and go slow if necessary. Don't eat heavy types of food. Go to the parks in the morning, leave around 1 and go back to your resort. Go back to the parks around 6 when it starts to get more comfortable. Be prepared for quick showers or thunderstorms. Don't count on them to always break up the humidity - sometimes its worse after it rains. If you aren't used to the humidity, don't plan too much the couple days of your vacation so you can see how you do. It's not fun to go to hard in the beginning of your trip only to get sick from the humidity.
 
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