Talk me down 😭 - updated

[konapoppy]

There is going to be another heat wave while we are at Disneyland and I am freaking out.

I have now gone crazy ordering cooling towels, fans, hats and umbrellas. I’m just worried the heat will ruin the whole trip. H who hates the heat said last week he isn’t worried, but mid 90s sounds awful. We are staying on site, but there is no shuttle, so we will still have a little walk.

I think I am going to have to check bags to make sure we have enough clothes to change into.

Please tell me it is okay 😭

[maudefindlay]

It's always that hot when we go to DW. You will survive. Genie and LLL have helped with wait times. We rope drop and stay all day so we don't pack extra clothes due to heat. Definitely light and wicking clothes for comfort. We grab a free water whenever we walk by a quick serve place and down them in line for rides. We've tried the cooling towels and fans, but have found drinking the free ice water helps the most and we don't like carrying extra stuff like water bottles, fans etc. Most lines at DW have some shade cover anymore too. We save water rides for hottest times of day and we do a lunch time reservation so we can sit in the a/c for a bit and recharge.

[dcrunnergirl52]

I was going to say basically the same thing as maudefindlay. You're going to be fine and still have a great time.

We've done WDW in August/September 3 times, and it's always at least that hot. And, we've went to Italy in August a few weeks ago, and it was the same. I don't find the cooling towels that helpful. The kids like the fans. Cold water, ice cream, mid-day breaks, and just accepting that you'll be hot and sweaty and gross are what work best.

[freshsqueezed]

We went to DW last year when it was that temp and you still had to mask in some areas. We bought so much stuff, such as the cooling towels, and didn't use it. It wasn't really that bad and al of the "stuff" was not worth the hassle to us. We just drank a lot of water and took breaks.

[konapoppy]

Thanks, all. I don’t think Disneyland is set up in the same way to have as much cooling as WDW, but it definitely won’t be as humid. I’m trying to remind myself that we can come and go as we please and don’t have anything specific to do (other than Ariel because one child is obsessed lol)

[jewel]

I was there during the last heat wave a couple weeks ago, and we’ll be there starting tomorrow for the next one now. Lucky. Lol.

It’s not horrible. Cooling towels and mist fans help a lot. All of the food places give out free ice water any time. If you can get into the park by 7:30, when on-site guests get in, you can get a ton of rides done before it gets hot. 2-3pm is going to be the worst, so if you’re planning to go back to swim or anything, that would be the best time. It is also supposed to be much cooler at night than it was a few weeks ago, so that’ll help a lot in the morning/evening. DCA has a few good indoor activities that can get you out of the heat - mickeys philharmagic, turtle talk, the drawing class.

It won’t ruin your trip 😁 just be prepared to take more inside breaks and drink extra water. It also scares the locals away so wait times were generally a lot lower than normal.

[gretchenindisguise]

The absolutely nice thing with this upcoming heatwave is that it's forecast to actually cool down overnight. So mornings will be cool and once the sun goes down, it'll be cooler.

There are plenty of places to cool off in both parks.

The amount of walking to the gate from your hotel is potentially the same amount of walk you may have to a disney bus from one of the larger resorts in Disney World. It's hard to imagine how compact it is if you haven't been there before.

You're going to have a great time.

[konapoppy]

Thank you!!

[Wines Not Whines]

It will be fine. Wear lightweight clothing. I usually wear my running clothes and a hat to keep the sun off of my face. I also recommend taking a break during the hottest part of the day, especially because you’re staying on site.

[konapoppy]

Update for anyone curious:
We did end up using the cooling towels, fans, hats and an umbrella. We drank tons of water, sprite and lemonade. And we had Gatorade in the room. I’m glad I had prepared. We got in at 7:30 each day and made it to 1:30/2:30. I went back one night, but otherwise we did pool and tv. It worked out really well. It’s a bummer that the monorail closes in the heat.

Also, I swear DCA is the superior park for this age (4/5). If we go again in the next year, I might just have us start at DCA every day.

Thanks for talking me down!