I need all your 'Surviving the Heat' tips!!!

[Kitty 34]

We leave in two weeks and I want to make sure I've heard every tip on surviving the heat there is!!!

We have our Misty Fans already and are still figuring out how we are going to consume tons of water...keep filling water bottles, buy water or stand in line at the fountains. Any suggestions??

What's your greatest Cooling Off tip!! We've never been in June before so we really are clueless to the heat down there!!

 

[CapeCod53]

We plan on staying out of the theme parks in the middle of the day, going back to resort to swim & rest. Have heard about carrying washcloth in baggie or special bandana with some kind of gel inside that you soak in water first & then wear around neck to stay cool. We actually use little battery operated fans & small squirt guns smaller & lighter than the mister fans(much cheaper cost me less than $4 for 3 fans & 3 squirt guns)Wide brim hats, cool-max clothing, special socks, good sunglasses & plenty of sunscreen esp on lower legs because of the sun reflecting off the pavement. We have belt-clip water bottle holders & will carry 2nd bottle of water in a backpack. Since we'll only be in parks for a few hours at a time, this should be enough. Also plan on hitting the water rides & attractions (Kali River Rapids, Splash Mt, fountains in Epcot, etc)

 

[demarcon]

I just bought DH a personal cooler from sharperimage.com. It is a little fan thing that you wear around your neck and a fan keeps the back of your neck cool. I don't know if it works or not, but I work in a hot kitchen and our chef says it keeps him cool. I will let you know if it works in our trip report. I hope it helps, we are going to be there late June and DH does not handle heat well!!

 

[RussH]

The best tip I can add is go inside once you get too hot. All of the inside attractions have great Air Conditioning systems. Depending which park really sets where to go but some lines are never long and if they are it's mostly inside. Pirates of the Caribbean rarely has long lines and can get cold. Some of the sit downs like HOP at MK or American Adventure Epcot along with Muppets and the Doug (now gone great napping place) at MGM are a few of the places to go when hot. I try to do the outside lines and attractions either early or late.
I am another that escapes during mid day. Once it gets bad enough that people start sticking to each other as they pass by and then must move like a huge ball of rubber cement with legs I adios until later.
RussH

 

[ReneeQ]

I've never been in the summer, but went once in Sept. and it was really hot. We would alternate indoor and outdoor attractions so we could cool down. Also found it very refreshing to get out feet wet. That cools you down quick. We all wore Teva sandals and could just stick out feet in the water and keep going, no stopping to take off shoes and socks. If we couldn't find a fountain to wet our feet in we would fill up our water bottles at the water fountains and pour the ice cold water over our feet. This sounds crazy, but really worked.

 

[Lilly]

Ok, this sounds a little strange, but last summer we went to the World with some Florida friends and their teens, and they brought hand towels from the hotel, and kept getting them wet and putting them around their necks. We were dying in the heat, so the next day we tried it too. It really helped! When it starts getting warm just rewet at a cool sink and wring it out. Also, plan to go to some of the indoor shows in the afternoon. They are air conditioned and usually last about a 1/2 hour. Hope this helps! Lilly

 

[Ahrizel]

Water bottles-frozen in the freezer overnight, and refilled in the park as we go. Water doesn't have to be cold, but it always seems to taste better that way. What you don't drink feels good squirted on yourself or others in your party! Misting fans, really does feel good when your sitting and waiting for stuff-people would ask us to mist them. Light colored clothes-seriously, all of pictures have us in white shirts and khaki shorts. If black is your color, rethink it for vacation.
Get out of the parks at midday!!! You many think that you can make it, but you won't. Go back to the hotel, swim, or just sleep in the ac. The time you'll miss at the parks is the most crowded, hot and miserable period at the parks. Come back in the later afternoon refreshed and ready to handle the nighttime fun.

 

[GrumpyOne]

It's not very hot there but you do need to be prepared for the humidity. Combine the two and you have a high misery index.

When we went last week we made sure to always bring two bottles of water per person (1/2 quart each) and when we'd go back to the room in the early afternoon, we'd be sure to refill them and stick them back in the fridge. We must've saved $100 by refilling them from gallon water bottles instead of buying new bottles at the parks at $2.50 a pop.

Make sure you wear sunscreen and also wear a hat and sunglasses. The hat keeps your head cool while the sunglasses keeps headaches from glare away.

The most important thing is to prevent heat exhaustion and dehydration. Any time you feel dizzy, especially if you're not sweating or sweating a ton, get into an air conditioned facility *PRONTO* and drink water! One problem is that in the environment you'll be in, it's easy to not feel thirsty so you tend not to drink.

 

[mum4jenn]

Last year we went the week of the fourth of July and boy was it HOT!!!!
One of the best things we did was to sit down in an air conditioned place or at least one that had some fans blowing and stay there for 20-30 minutes. We had a real bad episode with the heat at AK and it felt like we could not take another step so we went into Rain Forest Cafe for a late lunch and it gave all of us a chance to cool off good before we ate since their service is so slow!!!

 

[skeezixspud]

Drink constantly; if you wait until you are thirsty, you have waited too long. We use Brita bottles and fill them in the parks from the water fountains; we have never gotten sick from the fountain water. First stop in the MK is by the lockers under the station, some really well-cooled fountains there.

Wear loose light-colored clothing, and slather on the sunscreen, protected skin is cooler skin. If your skin starts feeling hot, you are probably burning a bit. If at all possible, get Circulair fans; they have a wide opening, so you can put a few ice cubes in the water; makes a huge difference in how effective it is at cooling you down.

I've done the hand towel thing, too, but I now know how to do it one better -- a flat cloth diaper! (Use the kind that is just a rectangular piece of cloth, not the kind that is folded over and stitched.) They are soft, very absorbent, and much less bulky, and so much easier to put around your neck or store away when not in use. They dry very quickly as well. Most people have no idea what a flat diaper looks like these days, so you won't get any funny looks, it just appears to be a white rag. These also work well for shading babies in strollers; the cloth is thin enough to let plenty of air through.

WEAR A HAT with a brim. It is important to keep your head cool to lower the risk of heat exhaustion and/or sunstroke. (I know that sounds like a joke, but as a veteran of a couple of sunstrokes, I assure you, it isn't!) Going red in the face is not a good sign, but if you see anyone in your party suddenly go -white- in the face, stop whatever you are doing and get the person into a cool area immediately, and don't listen if they say they are fine. Apply cool (not cold) water to the skin, especially at the back of the neck, and watch for tremors and/or disorientation; if you see them, tell a CM you need paramedics. Not sweating in high heat is a BAD sign! It is a complete myth that only children and old folks get heat-related illnesses; people in perfect health can get it at any age if they overdo, and the damage can be lasting.

 

[Fantasia_]

Yep! face cloth in a baggie, when needed just wipe the exposed skin. When the cloth dries, just wet it.

When we went in Florida some years ago, my mom brought her umbrella. When we were in line and not in shades, we would use it. It may sound odd, but it help us stay cool. People around us were irritating hot under the sun and they wished they had some any kind of shades.

 

[Beverly Lynn]

there are these things with those gel beads in them. all you have to do is stick it in ice water for about 5 min and it keeps cool for a few hours. I brought 2 with me last may and just kept a baggie with ice water in the cooler I brought with me in the stroller and then when one got warm I switched. they were great at helping to keep mne cool! its like a bandannna rolled up that you can wear as a headband or around your neck etc.

 

[nutz4dzny]

Don't even try to wear Make-up!!!!

It will melt right off and make trying to wipe your face very hard without getting it all over!

I also bring feminine fresh wipes that are individually wrapped! Helps to keep you fresh from all the sweating!

I also bring a hand towel form my resort and wrap that around the back of my neck. If it gets extremley hot I find a Water Fountain and soak the towel in the cold water from the fountain and then wrap it around the back of the neck! This works great!

A small bottle of baby Powder also wroks great to help you if you tend to sweat behind the knees or in the bend of your arms! Or anywhere else?????

Last tip I promise....

A Sun Visor is s must! I use a golfing one that is made of Terry Cloth. It absorbs the sweat drips from my forehead!

 

[pdzabe]

I saw this new cap on QVC called a "cool cap" that actually works on solar energy-it's got a little fan that blows on your face. Unusual looking with the little fan stuck in the brim, but didn't look at all bulky or heavy. Anyway, just a new beat the heat item on QVC that someone might be interested in. It was about $15 plus shipping.

 

[tracy baugh]

In addition to the previous tips, I have a few that may be helpful. As a runner in Texas I've learned a few "survival" tactics.:
Water is great for fluid replacement, but a sports drink like Powerade or Gatorade will help much better. Take a canister of the powdered mix and then measure up some baggies for your water bottle. Drink small amounts frequently. Keep reminding the kids to drink,

DON"T wear cotton! Cotton will hold moisture. A fabric like coolmax or supplex will wick away moisture and help cool the body (even your undies can be coolmax!).
You'll really regret cotton socks(major blisters). Tevas are great! Nylon shorts will dry quickly after a dunking at Kali River Rapids.

The gel filled bandanas are great!

For chafing problems, try Runner's Lube. It comes in a stick form like a big chapstick.

Here are some good sources for "survival" gear:
www.roadrunnersports.com they have great hats too
www.title9sports.com all women's wear
www.campmor.com all kinds of good stuff including gel bandanas

the best tip is to slow down and limit exposure! Have fun! T NT

::

 

[LisaT]

My husband bought me this great little mister. Not the kind with a fan, but it's a pressurized mister. You put water and ice in the canister, seal the screwtop lid and pump a handle to build pressure. When you turn the nozzle on..out comes a fine, cooling mist! You dont get soaked like a lot of other products, but you do get cooled off. It also has a strap to put around your waist or shoulder. The tubing also has a clip on it, so you can clip it to your clothing.

I also like the neckties that are cooling. I plan to get some before I leave on my trip!

Lisa