Written by: Erika Stubbs
The summer can be an amazing time to visit Walt Disney World, but you have to come prepared with a proper plan. Your friends at Middle of the Magic Travel have the experience to ensure you have the best trip when you head into the magic this summer.
Packing for the heat:
● Sunscreen is essential. A horrible sunburn can ruin a vacation.
● Hats and Sunglasses
● Wear clothing that is lightweight with light colors
● Misting Fans
● Cooling towels
● Small umbrella (please be courteous to those around you if you bring an umbrella)
● A refillable water bottle (you can ask for ice water at any quick service restaurant for free)
After you have packed the items above to ensure you are as prepared as possible, you will then want to consider how your day looks. While a fall or winter trip to Disney may allow for full park days that are 10+ hours, in the summer that is very hard to do. For our family, with 3 children, we never skip rope drop. We start each morning by booking our first Genie +, and rope drop the rides that offer an Individual Lightning Lane. Rope drop (arriving 45-60 minutes before the posted opening time) allows you to visit the most popular rides in the park with a better wait time. By taking advantage of early entry as an onsite guest, you can usually knock out 2-5 rides before the summer heat truly begins to take its toll. By 1 p.m., we suggest taking a pool break or relaxing at your resort indoors. By cooling off between 1-4 p.m., you are often re-charged to head back into the parks, and can have many Genie + lightning lanes stacked and ready to go. Our wonderful Middle of the Magic agents can teach you how to book and stack lightning lanes to ensure you are spending as little time as possible in the heat.
If you do not plan to take advantage of rope drop or Genie +, that is okay! While you may not knock out everything on your must do list without those tools, you can prioritize the experiences that are more important to your family, and build in shows and experiences that are indoors or shaded to cool off. Some of the best options in each park to cool off include:
Magic Kingdom:
● ”it’s a small world”
● Mickey’s Philharmagic show
● Enchanted Tales with Belle
● Carousel of Progress
● Enchanted Tiki Room
● Casey Jr.’s Splash and Soak Area
● Pirates of the Caribbean
And SO much more!
A sweet treat is a fun and delicious way to stay cool!
Hollywood Studios:
● Frozen Sing-Along
● Disney Jr. Dance and Play
● Mickey’s Runaway Railway
● Muppet Vision 3D
● Beauty and the Beast and Indiana Jones’ shows are outdoors, but are shaded.
● Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance
● Toy Story Mania
And SO much more!
Epcot:
● Soarin
● Beauty and the Beast Sing Along
● The American Adventure
● Canada Far and Wide
● Reflections of China
● Living with the Land
● Guardians of the Galaxy
And SO much more!
Animal Kingdom:
● The Animation Experience at the Conservation Station (learn to draw a Disney character)
● Festival of the Lion King
● Finding Nemo Show
● Na’vi River Journey
● Kali River Rapids
And SO much more!
The resort pools at Walt Disney World all offer unique and fun features, but if you want the ultimate water experience, you have to check our Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon or Disney’s Blizzard Beach water park. Currently, Disney only opens one at a time. There is an adventure waiting for all ages at the water parks. We highly recommend getting to a water park as soon as they open, to ensure you can get a great shaded spot, and take advantage of the attractions with shorter wait times.
At Middle of the Magic Travel, we are here for you to ensure you have a great time no matter what the weather is. We want to ensure you know the best ways to make the most of your magical vacation!
