It’s hot. Phew! Believe me; I get it. Being in Orlando in Summer can make you question everything you thought was a good idea in coming here in the first place. However, in this week’s Disney Summer Series article, there are a few tips and tricks that I will share with you that will make it a whole lot easier to acclimate, and it starts the minute you walk into your resort. Here are five mistakes you do not want to make on arrival when starting your summer vacation at Walt Disney World.
Don’t go too hard on the air conditioning.
This is the most common mistake I see friends and family make when they are struggling with the summer heat in Florida, and it is hard to stop yourself from doing it. When you arrive feeling like your body is overheating, all you want to do is throw yourself at the thermostat to cool the place down to as close to artic temperatures as possible. Within an hour, you are reaping the rewards of your decision and enjoying the cool waft of cool, conditioned air. That is until you need to walk out the door again. As you do, you instantly hit a wall of steam, hot air that covers your once-cool skin in sweat.
The cooler you make your room, the bigger the jump will be every time you must leave the comfort of your resort room. Keeping the room at a lower temperature will give you some instant relief when you walk in, but overall, it makes the hot and cold experience even harder to navigate. Try and keep things in perspective and aim for a refreshing, reasonable temperature in your room that is not doing you a disservice by being the polar opposite of what you face outside.
Ditch the heated hair stylers.
The heat and humidity have this not-so-appreciated way of restoring your hair to its natural state. For example, if you have thick curls like I do and spend a good hour straightening your hair for those perfect Disney Castle photos, mother nature will surely have the last laugh when you walk out looking like Monica Gellar in The Bahamas.
Embrace the natural state of your hair and accept that, more than likely, by the time the afternoon rolls around, you will likely have thrown it up into something that keeps it off your neck anyway. That curling iron you brought will just make your head hot as you leave and then frustrated when your hard work doesn’t pay off. Starting your day feeling flustered and overheated is never a good thing.
I’ll just have coffee.
Stop right there. If you are not familiar with this sort of tropics-style heat, you may be shocked at the way your body reacts to it. I’m sure you’ve seen all the posts and advice telling you to drink lots of water, but the reality of how quickly you can become dehydrated is often a surprise for guests that come from a different climate.
Before you try to exercise the same beverage choices on your vacation that you would have opted for at home, just remember that water is the key to your well-being. Obviously, I am not saying you shouldn’t drink coffee; however, you are best to piggyback a glass of water onto just about anything you eat or drink. Stay hydrated, and you will make the most out of each Disney day you spend and less time seeking refuge or, even worse, collapsing in the park.
Wear appropriate layers.
If you wake up to a comfortable morning where the sun hasn’t yet made its way to the center skies, don’t be fooled into thinking you can get away with wearing something warmer without a layer underneath. There is nothing worse than a wardrobe malfunction when you are desperate for a cooler outfit but have nothing appropriate on underneath to ditch the long sleeves. Throw a tank top in your bag, especially for younger children who can get cold and quickly overheat. You will be so glad you have something to change into if the temperature climbs and you are caught getting hot.
I’m not going to the pool; I don’t need sunscreen.
Incorrect. You don’t want to be that person sporting the lobster look, walking like a starfish and desperately trying not to let your sunburnt skin rub against your clothing. You need sunscreen before you leave, again at mid-day, and likely another application in the afternoon, at a minimum.
On extra hot days, sweating can make your sunscreen wear away faster, and every time you wipe sweat from your face, you are likely decreasing the effectiveness of your face cream as it rubs off, which will leave you needing to reapply more frequently. Even if the sun doesn’t shine directly on you, you can still get burnt on a cloudy day. Make a rule to reapply every few rides to ensure you are protected.
What are your must-nots when arriving at a hot destination? Share your best tips with the DIS Community, and let’s all get the most out of our hot weather vacation to the magic!
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