How to beat the heat when visiting Disney World

UPDATED MAY 2021

When picturing a magical day in the happiest place on earth, many people don't think of how hot summers get in Florida. It not only gets HOT - it gets humid. And when you add walking concrete all day and wearing a mask (even just for queues) it can be a bit overwhelming. Here are my tips for surviving the summer heat on your Disney World vacation.

GET TO THE PARKS EARLY

The weather is much cooler in the mornings. Take advantage and get to the parks early. The parks are currently opening and allowing people to ride rides almost 45 minutes before the posted opening time. Come October, the new Early Entrance for Resort guests will begin but for the hot summer months anyone can enjoy this little perk. You can easily knock out lots on your to do list before the heat starts settling in in the afternoon. Once its too hot for your liking, head back to the resort for a cool dip in the pool.

Once the temperature starts dipping in the evening, head back to the parks for more fun riding your favorite attractions. Wait times in the evenings have been equally as low so you'll also enjoy lower waits by sticking to this strategy. 

Take advantage of indoor attractions

Walt Disney World has many attractions that have both indoor queues and indoor experience that allow you to stay in air conditioned spaces while still enjoying the parks. Here is a break down of some family friendly attractions where AC is a major bonus.

MAGIC KINGDOM

• Mickey's Philharmagic - 3D theater style attraction with an indoor queue
• The Carousel of Progress - a longer theater style attraction. The queue is outdoors but often as minimal wiat times
• Country Bears Jamboree - Another theater style show that has a bit of a cult following
• Enchanted Tiki Room - a longer show where the birds sing!
• It's A Small World - the queue is partially outdoors but this is a longer ride and provides a nice respite

HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS

• Frozen Sing Along - One of the best AC breaks. The show is longer but very entertaining. You'll be in AC for almost an hour from start to finish
• Disney Junior Dance and Play - popular for the little ones. Check the show times in the app and line up early for this one!

ANIMAL KINGDOM

• Rafiki's Planet Watch - the train ride might be warm but the animation academy is great break from the heat
• Festival of the Lion King - outdoor queue but plenty of indoor sit time

EPCOT

• Journey into Imagination with Figment - indoor queue, indoor ride!
• The Seas with Nemo and Friends - indoor queue, indoor ride and an indoor activity at the end with the aquariums. Lots of AC time!
• Living with the Land - might not be the coolest ride once you are in the green houses but its a great thing to ride while rider swapping Soarin' and is located indoors
• Gran Fiesta Tour - the queue and the ride are all inside the Mexico pavilion. You can hang out and shop when you are done if you need more AC time.
• Beauty and the Beast sing along - theater style with an indoor waiting area. A good long AC break.
• Canada Far and Wide - Kids might find this boring but its a solid AC break
• Disney and Pixar Short Film Fest - Short cartoon style films create an entertaining break from the heat

Reserve a Table Service LUnch

In the summer, I like to skip the sit down dinners and opt for a sit down lunch. Temperatures get the hottest in the afternoon so a late lunch is the perfect time to cool down and rehydrate. It's also a great to guarantee some quality time with air conditioning.

BRING PERSONAL FANS

Though you may feel like this is overkill, its a great option for staying cool while walking around (remember all that concrete gets hot throughout the day). I like these two fans. One is a personal fan for me to wear. It's hands free which means I can be looking at wait times or helping my kids. The other is a rechargeable clip on stroller fan for keeping my kids cool while they ride in the stroller.

PRO TIP

Don't forget that you can ALWAYS ask for a water at any Quick Service or Counter Service food location and they will give one to you for FREE! Stay hydrated my friends and have a cool vacation to Disney World in the summer.