Beating the Heat on a Walt Disney World Vacation

Recently Heather compiled a great list of suggestions for us to keep warm on a cool day at Walt Disney World.  But Winter is over now (I think) and lets face it, we're talking central Florida here, so we are more often faced with beating the sun and heat. Here are my 7 suggestions for keeping cool in the Sunshine state.

1- I will start with the obvious, get back to your resort and go for a swim.  All Walt Disney World Resort hotels have great pools!  Some offer more entertainment than others, but they all get the job done and offer hours of cooling on a hot afternoon.  Or evening.  Or morning.

2- Try a spray fan!  Many have seen those big ice tubs with water filled fans appear just when the sun is shining its hardest.  And they really work!  But like the ponchos that protect you from the rain, you don't HAVE to buy one at the parks.  Many stores sell them through the summer months.  My local Walmart even had them in January!  They come in a variety of sizes, so keep and eye out and pack some next time you're heading to the parks.  You'll be glad you did!

3- We all go on a Disney vacation to have fun and be entertained - so why not be cool at the same time?  All four of the theme parks have great indoor shows with great air conditioning!  Mickey's Philarmagic, Ellen's Energy Adventure, Voyage of The Little Mermaid and the Seas with Nemo and Friends are all relaxing shows that will let you escape from the heat.  Start thinking about the attractions that will give you a chance to cool down and you'll think of so many more!  Try to plan your itinerary alternating between indoor and outdoor attractions to space your breaks throughout the day.

4- The Disney water parks!  Let's not forget about Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon!  Adding the Water Parks Fun and More option used to cost the same amount as adding the park hopper option on to your multi-day ticket, but not anymore. Last summer Disney cut us all a break and decreased the add on cost if you are adding both the Park Hopper and Water Park Fun and More options.  Don't believe me?  Ask your Kingdom Konsultant agent for details and pricing!

5- Go shopping! Stores are air conditioned and plentiful!  And you don't have to worry about your purchases if you're staying at a Walt Disney World Resort hotel.  Just have them shipped back to your resort.  If you are checking out the next day, you can have your purchases shipped home.  You'll need to pay for shipping, but the Florida sales tax will be waived if it's being shipped out of state.

6- No one enjoys standing in lines and waiting for a ride, but we all know that some rides are worth the wait, and some queues are now more fun than ever.  So to get out of that sun, get in line for a ride with an interactive queue!  The first that comes to my mind is the newly re-imagined Test Track.  It doesn't seem like a wait at all as you design your ride vehicle in the nice, cool air conditioning!  Some other great queues to cool down in are Space Mountain and Toy Story Mania (Mr. Potato Head's jokes never get old)!

7- It's all about the food to me, so obviously my final cooling off technique has to be ice cream or another icy snack.  Make your choice wisely though!  There's nothing worse than holding an ice cream cookie sandwich only to have the ice cream plop on the pavement when it instantly melts and your two cookies collide!  It's terrible!  So try to get something that has a bowl to contain your heavenly deliciousness.  Frozen Cokes, chocolate covered bananas, Dole Whips, ice cream sundaes, and Mickey Premium Bars are everywhere, so if you run out, just grab another!  You'll work it all off with all that walking anyway!  And just like swimming, the frozen treat trick works morning, noon, or night.  Trust me on this one, I've proved it many times!

So get out there and have some fun in the sun!

Missy