Written by: Sara Mahjoub, Senior Travel Planner
Summer is always hot in Florida, but this year has been even more so! Feels like temps have been 110-115 degrees. Even once the sun goes down, it still feels like almost 100 degrees outside. Pools are even feeling hot, with warmer-than-usual water! So what do you do when the magic is calling you during the summer months?
-Strategize. Your best times to be in the parks will be early morning and late at night. Plan to be up early, and maximize your Early Park Admission hours. Lunch time is the best time to schedule your sit-down table service meals. After lunch, opt for an afternoon nap and swim at your hotel, or use that time to hit all the indoor shows. After dinner, the parks will cool down ever-so-slightly, once the sun starts to set. So take advantage of late park hours. And really maximize by staying at a Disney Deluxe Resort, that offers Extended Evening Hours on select nights.
-In the parks: use Genie+ service at Disney, and Express Passes at Universal, to skip the lines as much as possible. Opt for indoor shows and rides with longer indoor queues during the middle of the day, when it’s hottest. Save rides with longer outdoor queues for first thing in the morning, a Genie+ return time, or in the evening. This advice is also valid if it rains- which it does pretty much every afternoon during the summer in Florida. Your Middle of the Magic Travel Planner can make some recommendations on the best rides and shows for each park.
-Avoid using Virtual Queue for Tron. Just buy the Individual Lightning Lane. The virtual queue line has an average wait time of 45 minutes, some of it in the sun.
Guardians of the Galaxy is a little bit better. Its virtual queue line wait is also usually about 45 minutes, but it’s mostly indoors.
-Table service meals- best for lunch, still good for dinner, not a great idea for breakfast on your park days. Don’t waste the coolest part of the day sitting at a table. Save table service breakfasts for your rest day or departure day breakfast.
-Pack to beat the heat. Wear moisture wicking clothing. Pack cooling towels (and empty Ziploc bags to put wet towels in) and personal fans. Use Body Glide to prevent chafing, and spray antiperspirant on your feet or Foot Glide to prevent blisters. Pack a hat to keep the sun off your face. And even consider sliding a small folding umbrella in your park bag. It will do double duty, as portable shade and also help during the Florida afternoon thunderstorms. You might want to bring 2 outfits and pairs of socks per day, and plan to change in the middle of the day if you return to your hotel room for a nap or swim.
-You will need A LOT of water. Order a case of bottled water to be delivered to your hotel, or pack a reusable water bottle with a filter to refill. Bring Gatorade packets or other electrolyte drink packets to pour in. And get a free cup of ice water from any food service location, any time you need one. If you stay Club Level at Universal, you can take as many cold bottles of water as you like from the Club Level Lounges.
-If you’re bringing a cooler or insulated bag into the parks, be sure to confirm the dimensions. 24″ long x 15″ wide x 18″ high max at Disney, and no loose ice. You can bring ice packs, or ask for a cup of ice once inside the parks. No glass and no alcohol.
For Universal, you must use a soft-sided cooler bag only, no larger than 8.5″ wide x 6″ high x 6″ deep. No glass and no alcohol. But Universal does allow loose ice.
-Don’t pack snacks that could melt! Avoid chocolate anything in your park bag!
-Frozen treats for the win! Mickey ice cream bars, slushies, Frozen Coke and more really hit the spot when it’s hot outside!
-Be sure your stroller and ECV have a sun shade! A clip-on stroller fan or two are essential. And kids love misting fans.
-If you can take your time leaving at the end of the night, get on one last ride, linger in the gift shops, and take a few more pics before you go home. The lines for the transportation at the end of the night are packed, with lots of people very close together. It’s extremely uncomfortable. If you can stay up late, give the crowds a head start. Or, treat yourselves with a Minnie Van ride home.
-Plan a rest day during your vacation. I always recommend this, but especially during the summer months. Sleep in, rest up, enjoy a character breakfast or brunch, swim, or even head to one of Disney’s water parks for the day. Universal has the best water park in Florida, Volcano Bay! Disney Springs also offers bowling and an AMC movie theater, as well as the Cirque du Soleil show Drawn to Life, for cool indoor activities. Abd CityWalk at Universal offers an AMC movies and movie-themed escape rooms for indoor fun.
-Add After Hours events to your vacation plans! This year, Disney is offering After Hours at Magic Kingdom, Epcot and Hollywood Studios, H2O Glow After Hours at Typhoon Lagoon, and Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party on select nights, after the parks close. After Hours are a great way to maximize your park time, since ride wait times will be minimal.
-Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Watch for excessive sweating, headaches, nausea, dizziness, hot red skin and even lack of sweat. If you see any of these, immediately get inside the A/C, sit down, and ask a nearby Cast Member for assistance if you continue to feel worse.
-Acknowledge that you may need to take it slow and easy, and will need a lot of breaks. You may not get to everything on your wish list. That’s ok! You can plan a longer trip, use Park Hopper tickets to return to parks to go back to things you didn’t get to on your first day, or simply plan another trip in the future, to see and do even more!
Why would anyone go to Florida in the summer? Well, because the crowd levels are very low at Disney right now, and there are a lot of great deals on both tickets and hotel rooms, now through the end of September. You definitely won’t see these kinds of prices in January or February, so save these tips for summer in the Florida theme parks, and contact Middle of the Magic Travel. One of our experienced travel planners can help you make the most of your summer vacation! Please use the Request a Quote Form below, and one of our planners will be in touch shortly!
