How to stay cool?

[niccig]

Yes, stupid to go in June, but that was the best time. Which fans and cooling towel would you suggest?

[egoldber]

I've been in August and July and never wanted a fan bad enough to drag it around with me all day. :)

I think your best strategy is to get to the parks early, leave when it hits the hottest part of the day, and then go back in the evening. Make sure you bring enough clothes to change into non-sweaty ones for later. Or plan to do laundry, which is what I usually do.

Also, I think you will find that there is a lot to do indoors at WDW. They do this for a reason. Almost all shows are indoors and even many of the rides. Take breaks in the cool of a counter service place at non-busy times. And eat lots of ice cream. :)

Bring a water bottle that you can re-fill. I typically just use a plastic one from a meal, and then refill it with ice water that I ask for at counter service locations. Staying hydrated is really important.

[KrystalS]

We are leaving on Wednesday. I'm also worried about the heat because we have only gone in October and February, much cooler times. We plan to get to the parks at opening, like suggested. I made lunch reservations for the heat of the day so we will be inside. I tried to plan for indoor rides/attractions for the afternoon times, if we don't go back to the resort. I bought some small fans for the kids in case they want them because I'm not paying $20 in the park. I also bought spray bottles, the combo fan/bottle is just too big to carry around. I bought a frogg toggs cooling towel, not sure we will use it but nice to have just in case. I will update if we survived the heat!

[egoldber]

I made lunch reservations for the heat of the day so we will be inside.

Just for general reference, the majority of counter service WDW locations are actually indoors (and air conditioned).

[mikala]

There are a lot of indoor options at the park. Some of the lines are shaded and a lot of restaurant seating is shaded. We took breaks with indoor rides or shows when we got too toasty. The People Mover and train were great for this in MK. The big Soarin building and Mexico building were nice and cool in Epcot. We took a cooling towel but I'm not sure if we really needed it. A small fan would have been nice on the 90+and sunny days but not totally necessary. Definitely take hats and wear breathable sandals or sneakers with wicking socks. There are also several misting areas in the park.

Most of the food places offer free cups of ice water and there are lots of fountains. Some of the water tastes pretty nasty so if you're picky about that kind of thing you may want to carry a Brita water bottle or similar. We wondered if some of the restaurants filtered their water somehow because there was a huge variance in taste.

[SummerBaby]

We were there last week and it was 90 by 11:00 am and 95 by mid afternoon. I didn't think the cooling fans and towels helped. And you have to lug them around. I think the most important thing to do is stay hydrated. I filled water bottles halfway and froze them, then added more water in the morning. They stayed pretty cold.

Second best thing we did is to get to the parks at rope drop, so you can ride when it is cooler and less crowded. Take a break around 1:00-2:00 and go swimming or just relax and shower. Then return at dinner time. We saw people in the evenings who clearly had been out all day and they looked (and smelled!!) pretty grim.

Finally, lots of rides, especially at Epcot, are indoors. Even though our Epcot day was 95, I never felt that warm because so many attractions are indoors. Animal Kingdom is mostly outdoors, but it has so many trees you are shaded most places. On the other hand, Hollywood Studios has very little shade and I felt really hot the day we were there. We had to go in and out of gift shops that day to cool off.

You will be fine- have fun!

[klwa]

I also bought spray bottles, the combo fan/bottle is just too big to carry around.

Be very careful with using the water spray bottles about reapplying sunscreen. The continual application of water can make your sunscreen not last as long as expected, especially in the "bendable" areas, like inside of elbows, knees, etc. You'd rather be a little hotter than deal with a sunburn!