Help with August heat at WDW

R. Mexico

Member
So sorry if this topic is in a bunch of forums but my family and I are going in late August/early September. I am dreading the heat but want to give this time of the year a try at WDW. I need suggestions. I am going to pick up some filtered H2O bottles from Amazon. Which one would you recommend? Water misters or those frog cooling towels? I read something that those towels don't work as well with the humidity but not sure. Thanks!
 

Missymoe4

Well-Known Member
Almost all of my vacations to WDW have been during August (whether early or late).

I believe that the best advice is to dress for the weather and to take it slow. Get up and out early (rope drop) then take time off around the late afternoon to swim and/or sit in air conditioning. The evenings are great, although sometimes feel more humid to me than the daytime. Whenever you can, cool off in air conditioning and/or cut through shops to get to where you want to go.

We usually head back to the hotel for a dip in the pool after lunch (1-4 pm) and then are back in the parks by 5 pm for the evening. We also start the day at park opening, which helps beat the heat and the crowds. Sometimes by 11 am we have been on all the mountains and major rides in the MK. Timing really helps.

Also, dress for the weather. Be prepared for a sudden downpour (pack plenty of rain gear and extra shoes). I pack extra clothing because I change between morning and evening in the parks (I like to be fresh).

It is hot and humid. Don't let anyone tell you it isn't. Unless you are acclimated to the heat and humidity, you need to be safe. I'm from Chicago and although it gets quite warm here (up into the high 90s and even 100 degrees). it is nothing near Florida weather.

Oh, and drink plenty of water, too. I thought that I was well hydrated because I drink a lot of tea and water. One day I was dizzy and thought it was due to being ill. I was dizzy from not drinking water. (Think drinking twice or three times the amount you normally drink).
 
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JohnD

Well-Known Member
Bring bottles of water with you into the parks. You can pick up a case of 16oz water bottles (24 of them) for around $4.99 in most places. By comparison, ONE 20oz Dasani bottle purchased anywhere in WDW is $2.50.

While you certainly can't bring a case with you, keep the bottles cold either in your resort room refrigerator or a cooler with ice. Grab the ones you need for the day and distribute them around your party.
 
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JohnD

Well-Known Member
Almost all of my vacations to WDW have been during August (whether early or late).

I believe that the best advice is to dress for the weather and to take it slow.

Oh, and drink plenty of water, too. I thought that I was well hydrated because I drink a lot of tea and water. One day I was dizzy and thought it was due to being ill. I was dizzy from not drinking water. (Think drinking twice or three times the amount you normally drink).

Agree completely. While I followed my own advance and brought water with me, I didn't drink enough of it. I was moving too quickly around Epcot and got heat exhaustion. Had to go to first aid next to the old Odyssey Restaurant. They put me on a cot and I lay there for about an hour, along with taking ibuprofen, drinking water, and cold compresses against my forehead. At the time, Epcot was still using the old FASTPASS. I gave away my return ticket to a CM outside Soarin' and returned to my room. Don't let heat exhausion happen to you!
 
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Missymoe4

Well-Known Member
Bring bottles of water with you into the parks. You can pick up a case of 16oz water bottles (24 of them) for around $4.99 in most places. By comparison, ONE 20oz Dasani bottle purchased anywhere in WDW is $2.50.

While you certainly can't bring a case with you, keep the bottles cold either in your resort room refrigerator or a cooler with ice. Grab the ones you need for the day and distribute them around your party.

Great idea! I forgot that we purchase a case or two of water (off property and/or at the Hess) and drink them on the way into the parks. We don't like to carry extra with us, but now we all make sure that we have a few bottles of water a day/person. Think: Hydrate early and often (especially if you drink coffee, tea, pop and alcohol).
 
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hanwill

Well-Known Member
If you feel not sweaty, nauseous, dizzy, or something is not right.... then something is not right. It happened to my child one morning at AK... we had to really make sure he drank a ton... make sure you aurorally really hydrated- you will feel better too.
 
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JohnD

Well-Known Member
Great idea! I forgot that we purchase a case or two of water (off property and/or at the Hess) and drink them on the way into the parks. We don't like to carry extra with us, but now we all make sure that we have a few bottles of water a day/person. Think: Hydrate early and often (especially if you drink coffee, tea, pop and alcohol).

Yeah, I always carry two in the bottle holders on my backback. The first one I drink starts off cold. The other soon becomes tepid. I'll drink that one from the bottle occasionally but if I sit down somewhere, I get a cup of ice and pour the water over it before drinking.
 
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CaptainAmerica

Premium Member
Think: Hydrate early and often (especially if you drink coffee, tea, pop and alcohol).
Fun fact: they've revised the science on that and those things actually don't dehydrate you (except for the alcohol). The water in a cup of coffee or soda more than offsets the diuretic effects of the caffeine so those beverages are net hydrators. Not as good as water, obviously, but you don't have to "make up for it" with extra water if you drink those other things too.

Yeah, I always carry two in the bottle holders on my backback. The first one I drink starts off cold. The other soon becomes tepid. I'll drink that one from the bottle occasionally but if I sit down somewhere, I get a cup of ice and pour the water over it before drinking.
Freeze the whole bottle.
 
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Weather_Lady

Well-Known Member
Here are my tips:

(1) Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. You can get free iced water from any Disney counter-service location. Use it to refill your filtered water bottles often.

(2) If you don't feel like carrying a "mister" around, take advantage of the wonders of evaporation the way my mom used to do with our family, in the days before personal cooling devices were invented and before "splash zones" existed at the parks: take off your shirt in the restroom, run cold water over it, wring it out thoroughly and wear it until it's dry. Repeat as necessary. (*Note: When using this trick, be sure to select shirts that won't be semi-transparent when wet!)

(3) Build frequent breaks into your touring plan. When it gets uncomfortably warm, buy a frozen treat, or duck into an air-conditioned shop or attraction.

(4) Plan your routine to ensure that you're out of the sun during the hottest times of the day. Get up early, go to a park with morning EMH before rope drop, tour it ("like it's hot," LOL) and leave before lunchtime, when the sun is at its zenith. Have lunch at your resort in an air-conditioned venue and then take a long siesta and/or swim break until dinnertime, when the temperatures will start to cool once again. Now refreshed and rested, tour until late. When deciding what attractions to do when, schedule outdoor shows or waits in unshaded/outdoor standby queues for first thing in the morning or after dark.

(6) Dress for the weather: focus on the fabric, rather than the "coverage" of an item. For example, a linen or Coolmax shirt (even one with long sleeves) will be far more comfortable in the heat than a cotton-and-polyester tank top, which will trap heat and moisture. A light-colored hat can help deflect the sun, and obviously sporty sandals will be cooler than heavier footwear. (I'd avoid flip-flops, Crocs or other footwear that is slippery-when-wet, especially if you have sweaty feet or plan on visiting a splash zone to cool down.) And of course, wear sunscreen!
 
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Missymoe4

Well-Known Member
Fun fact: they've revised the science on that and those things actually don't dehydrate you (except for the alcohol). The water in a cup of coffee or soda more than offsets the diuretic effects of the caffeine so those beverages are net hydrators. Not as good as water, obviously, but you don't have to "make up for it" with extra water if you drink those other things too.


Freeze the whole bottle.

No kidding? The nurse in HS was incorrect. Eh, my alcohol intake kills it all anyhow. hehe.

Thanks for the tidbit!
 
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lebeau

Well-Known Member
Last trip, I picked up some tiny little misters with built-in fans. They were $5 a pop at Wal-Mart. Life savers. Whenever we were lined up for an afternoon parade, people were asking us where we bought them. They were very disappointed to hear we got them outside the park before we came.

Something like this is cheap and you can clip it so it's hands-free.

shopping
 
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rsoxguy

Well-Known Member
A little advice from a Floridian. Don't give the heat more credit than it is due.Yes, it get's very hot and humid in August. No, it doesn't mean that your sneakers will melt onto the pavement.

Wear light and comfortable clothes (I've worn jeans in August and didn't die).
Drink water throughout the day, remembering that counter service restaurants give free water and drinking fountains can be found throughout. Small water containers are not too cumbersome and can be refilled.
Plan the day strategically with air conditioned attractions sprinkled evenly.
Sit in the shade every once in a while. It's not too big a waste of your vacation dollars.
Avoid carrying larger items like a backpack. If possible, just take things that fit in your pockets.
Remember that things get really humid after it rains, so be careful to not treat a thunderstorm as though it signifies a permanent drop in the day's temperature.
Wear a light hat with some type of brim to help keep your head and face protected from direct sunlight.
 
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SAV

Well-Known Member
We always bring the water spray fans with. The fan is what cools you off if the water isn't ice cold. The frog cooling towels are OK, but I think they need to be wet with cool water to really keep you cool.

As it has been said, drink a lot of water and keep hydrated. We stop at many QS stands to get the free ice water throughout the day. Go inside every once and a while to cool down. Air conditioning is your friend. I found that having a Gatorade before bed helped replenish my fluids for the next day. When we did the DDP, I had the powerade in the AM and PM.

I don't see a need to bring a filtered water bottle when filtered ice water is freely available in all of the parks. It doesn't taste like normal "Florida water" at all. But I am not a picky water drinker. And it is one less thing to carry around.
 
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R. Mexico

Member
Original Poster
Fantastic replies everyone. I just can't wait to go down. Being a nurse, i've always made sure my family is very hydrated everywhere we go even up here in Michigan! That is one thing people forget to do is drink plenty of water. Thanks again!
 
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BethG

Member
We've been twice in Aug (third Aug trip this year). I'm from MN and don't even like it when the temp reaches 80.

I wear hiking gear like Weather_Lady suggests. I love Columbia brand clothing. Everything is light and wicking. Definitely a wide brim hat too!

Other than that, just be alright with being sweaty all the time.
 
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