We're heading down tomorrow (Sunday 5/18) and would love to know how folks deal with the parks when the weather is hot. None of us really deal well with temps over 90F, especially since we're not currently seeing that kind of heat here at home. I figured we'd be seeing a lot of our room in the GCH since it was 90F or greater in Anaheim from noon to 6pm yesterday (according to wunderground.com). I keep hoping it will be cooler Sun/Mon but if its not, I'd love some ideas (other than hitting the pool, which we're already planning on) that could keep us from having to spend so much time in the hotel.

I'm about to leave right now to spend today at the park and it's supposed to hit 100. The best ways I've found to stay somewhat cool in these conditions is:
-Wear loose clothing!
-Try not to carry too much stuff. Lugging around a big old bag will only tire you out.
-Do more indoor things like Billy Hill, stroll through shops, etc. Innoventions is great during days like this. Anytime you can chill yourself for 5 min indoors helps. You can also check out a movie on DTD.
-Sunscreen sunscreen sunscreen!
-Water water water! Take a few water bottles and stick them in the freezer the night before you leave.

Just remember to pace yourself. Find shade when you can. Use common sense. Don't jump in line for Space at 1:00pm if theres an hour wait. Unless you enjoy standing on a hot tin roof! Good luck! :cool: <- bring these (or a hat)

Wear a Hat and keep hydrated, you may even want to wear a camel back.
Make sure you slather an the sunscreen and just alternate your activities between indoor and outdoor things.
The good new is, it is not humid this week, just dry.
A little trick I learned and it really work to cool your body down is: Go to a sink and let the cold water run over your wrists, it really brings your core temp down and is unbelievably refreshing:cool:

Have a great time, just pace yourself, and enjoy what you can...don't over do it.

This is one of the oldest articles on our site (http://www.mouseplanet.com/lani/summer.htm) and I had to dig in the archives, but it's got some good info in there.

And I think everyone should have a camelbak in weather like this. Which I learned from Lani, btw, but really, we do love them in our family. Every family member has one! (Yep, even the 4 y/o! REI Outlet rocks!)

Adrienne

Take the train - it's a great break from the heat and it also saves your feet.

If you have children - check out the water park area in Flicks fair area. It's a great place to chill in the shade while the kiddo(s) cool of in the water.

Take a pool break in the middle of the day. On very hot days we head back to the hotel for lunch and a pool break until it cools off a bite.

Bring a lot more clothes than you think you will need. Frequent breaks for swimming and showers - than changing into fresh clothes, is heaven after a few hours of sweaty park hopping.

And we do this all year, but especially in the summer: do most of your rides early in the morning. It is cooler and so much less crowded than later in the day.

Bring ice! Instead of refilling our sippie cups from Toon-town with soda or juice, on our way out from the hotel in the am, we filled them to the gill with ice. the kids love to eat the ice to cool off! and if you don't want it soon, you'll have cool water with you! and you can always get ice from the counter service restaurants too.

Thanks everybody!

Carry a parasol.

I cannot stress drinking water enough. Bring your own bottled water. It's cheaper than buying it in the park, and you can refill at several of the restaurants with good filtered water for free. And you should refill often.

If you start getting a headache, you might be dehydrated. Go to first-aid for some Advil, but don't ignore it. Drink water!

Bring some bandanas, wet them and put in fridge overnight and wrap around your neck. It really helps lower your body temp.

If you have time, there are cooling bandanas that stay cool for days but you would need to buy them - maybe an outdoor type store like REI - don't know if Target or WalMart would have them.

These are all great suggestions.

I would like to add that you can also get a mister that will keep you cool. They have the misting fans and I used to have a misting pump that you were like a waist pack. When you get too hot you can turn on the mist and cool off. The one I got from Walmart was only about $10.

If you don't want to go that route, you can always get a wet towel and place it on the back of your neck.

DCA always seems hotter to me than DL. I guess it's because of the lack of vegitation there - not as much shade. So, my suggestion is if you want to see DCA, maybe go in the early hours or when the sun starts to go down. The one nice feature there are the water areas for kids (and us adults who need a little misting too!) Take advantage of those water rides during the hotter hours. You'll dry off faster! (just remember to re-aply your sunscreen - even the waterproof stuff. Hubby forgot and got burned!)

Drink tons of water! If you want, add some electrolites like Gatorade, or even better, ZipFizz (get it at Costco) - not so much salt. :) Pack some Tylenol too. Hubby suffers from heat exhaustion and always gets headaches in the sun if he doesn't drink enough.

And, I heard this great tip from somewhere (wish I could give credit . . .) Run a washcloth under water, wring it out a bit, put it in a zip-lock bag and stick it in the freezer (or at least a fridge). Take it out in the morning and put it in your pack. Later, when you start to drag, put the nice, cold wash cloth on the back of your neck. AHHHHH! Refreshing! I used that tip today in our unseasonably HOT 96 degree weather here in Seattle . . . it worked like a charm!!!

If you don't want to go that route, you can always get a wet towel and place it on the back of your neck.

Ha! Yeah, what they said! ;) Forgive me for not reading that. Hey, great minds . . . .

These are all great suggestions.

I would like to add that you can also get a mister that will keep you cool. They have the misting fans and I used to have a misting pump that you were like a waist pack. When you get too hot you can turn on the mist and cool off. The one I got from Walmart was only about $10.

If you don't want to go that route, you can always get a wet towel and place it on the back of your neck.

those misters really work great. I pump it up, open the nozzle, and I've got a cool mist for a good 10 minutes before I need to pump it again.

I cant imagine the weather never getting over 90..its been over 90 since March here and temps always reach 110-120 every summer..I always pack a sweater when I go to Disneyland in the summer

I cant imagine the weather never getting over 90..its been over 90 since March here and temps always reach 110-120 every summer..I always pack a sweater when I go to Disneyland in the summer

I never understand people who talk like this. I lived in Tucson for over 35 years -- I'm a true desert rat -- and I stopped going to DLand for my birthday in August because it was just too miserably hot to enjoy myself. Yes, it gets hot in AZ, but for the most part people stay inside during daylight hours, rather than stand in line for 45 minutes in the blazing sun for Autopia.

I became a pro in finding air-conditioned spots in the Park to have at least one retreat in each Land when lines got insane. Obvious: Haunted Mansion (if you can wait through the queue). A surprise to me: Mickey's House in Toontown. Mickey has some killer AC.

I would always pack at least two sets of clothes. I'd hit the Park early, stick it out as long as I could, being sure to hydrate and keep to the shade as much as possible after eleven a.m., then escape to my air-conditioned room for a shower, nap, and another shower. Pool breaks are good, too. Then I'd head back to the Park in dry, fresh clothes once the heat broke and stay until late.

Running cool water over the wrists is a great way to get the body temp down, as are cool cloths on the neck and throat. I like to carry the instant ice packs used in first aid for emergency cooldowns. If you pack a gallon-size ziplock baggie, you can make a quickie ice pack from the hotel ice maker for relief when you get back to the room (try the back of the knees, hollows of the ankles). For an extra treat, elevate your legs while you are icing. Aaaah.

Try to wear natural fibers -- cotton and linen, rather than poly -- and a wide-brimmed hat. Pay attention to what you are eating, too, so you don't dehydrate yourself without realizing it. Caffinated beverages can get sneaky.

umm..I work outside landscaping 8 hours a day during the summer..I dont have the luxury of hiding in shade. So, I find the weather in Anaheim cool.

The thing is the heat in Tucson is different than California. In Tucson it is the air that is hottest, the "dry heat". As in California it is the sun that is the hottest...if that makes any sense..

Im as white as they come and I can work all day outside in Tucson and barely burn...I go to California and im outside for an hour and I look like a Tomato.