Planning a Trip to Disney? Here are 3 Easy Ways to Beat the Florida Heat
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Number 1: Stay Hydrated
Florida is hot and humid most of the year. This is especially true during the summer months, when real feel temperatures often exceed 100 degrees fahrenheit. Ensuring that everyone in your travel party drinks enough water during your day at Disney is crucial; especially for the little ones.
Whenever we go to Disney, I always pack a refillable water bottle for my husband and me, as well as our two toddlers. The price of water bottles is fairly expensive inside of Walt Disney World. Having our own refillable bottles to use at one of the bottle refill stations inside the park or at one of the Disney hotels, not only helps to keep us hydrated, but also helps to save money. Consider bringing a product like Liquid IV to add into your water that provides additional electrolytes and helps you to hydrate faster than water alone.
We love the Simple Modern brand of refillable bottles and own a few different sizes and styles. I like to carry the 40oz Trek Tumbler that has a handle and a lid with a straw. It comes in a lot of different colors, is very durable, and has a leak resistant lid. Two of the best features: it’s dishwasher safe and fits in cup holders both in the car and stroller. I found this to be a more cost effective alternative to other brands and it works great for Disney. I can fill it at home and my drink will stay cold for the entire day, even in the Florida heat. It’s currently available on Amazon for $25.
My toddlers love the 14oz Kids Summit Water bottle that also has a straw lid. Much like my larger tumbler, this one is also insulated to keep drinks cold all day, is very durable, which is great for the number of times they get dropped and is dishwasher safe. It’s offered in a lot of different patterns, including some really fun Disney characters. They’re currently available on Amazon from $22-$25 depending on the pattern you select.
Number 2: Wear Sunscreen
The UV Index in Florida is quite high all year round, with the peak time being during the summer months. Wearing protection against the sun can help prevent damage to your skin. Trust me, there is nothing that will ruin your once in a lifetime Disney trip faster than a sun burn. We typically apply our sunscreen when we arrive at Disney, before we take the kids out of the car. It’s easy to get distracted while having fun and going on rides, so I recommend setting an alarm on your phone as a reminder for when it’s time to reapply throughout the day.
We love the Sun Bum Mineral SPF 50 sunscreen. My kids both have sensitive skin and this zinc-based sunscreen is made fragrance and chemical free. To help with application, I picked up the Sun Bum Mineral SPF 50 Face Stick, which makes putting it on the kids’ faces so much easier. My younger son is almost 2, and it can be an adventure to get sunscreen on his face. I’ve found this to be a more effective way without getting it near his eyes. In addition, I also purchased a refillable roll on sponge sunscreen applicator. You squeeze your sunscreen inside the applicator, and as you roll it onto your skin, it evenly applies for a faster, easier and less messy way to put on sunscreen. There’s a cap to keep the applicator closed and it fits great inside our diaper bag. It can be found on Amazon for $16.
Number 3: Stay Cool With Fans
Truthfully, bringing a portable fan with you to Disney is a must. We’ve tried a lot of different brands over the years and didn’t find any of them to be very effective at keeping us cool while walking around Disney. Then we tried the Ryobi cordless clamp fan and it was a game changer. The fan has 2 speeds, a rechargeable battery, an extremely strong clamp that allows you to easily attach it to your stroller, and the head rotates in different directions so you can get the optimal setup for maximum air flow. They’re currently $35 for the fan on Amazon, with a rechargeable battery costing about the same. It’s a higher investment, but I cannot recommend it enough. With the smaller, plastic fans you can’t even feel the air moving and the battery typically won’t last an entire day. With a fully charged Ryobi fan, you can use it on high the entire day without running out of battery. We have 4 of them, and clip one on the inside of each stroller for the kids as well as one on each of the handles for my husband and I while we’re pushing the strollers around. As an added bonus, if you have any of the other Ryobi tools at home, the batteries are all interchangeable.
Final Thoughts
The only way to completely beat the Florida heat is by avoiding it all together and staying inside where it’s air conditioned. Since I would rather be at Disney, I recommend giving these three tips a try: stay hydrated, wear sunscreen and stay cool with a fan. There’s also a lot of places to sit down in the shade, and if you’re looking for air conditioning take a stroll through one of the many gift stores located throughout each park. If all else fails, there’s always ice cream!