How to Survive Disney in July (Part I: The Heat)

On my last trip to Disney World (here in Florida), I found myself scowling and trudging through the oppressive heat and humidity.  I thought, "Why do people come here when it's this bad?"  Which is a question I was surprised to hear myself ask, because I won't hesitate to go to Disney on ANY day!  But now that I've been a FL resident going on 7 years, and have recently become an Annual Passholder again, I realize I'm spoiled with the ability to go basically whenever I want, so I get to be choosy!  I don't have to plan a trip months-out and around school holidays (though I still will).  So, if you find yourself at Disney in the horrible heat, but that's the only time you CAN be there, here are some tips I hope you will find useful.  

1. Hydrate (and wear SUNSCREEN)

This is probably the most obvious tip that you already know.  Please, please, please make sure you are drinking water throughout the day!!  You might NOT know that the water at Disney doesn't taste the BEST, so we always bring insulated water bottles from our own water at home (I use a Brita).  Yes, it's annoying to carry it around, but I always have a backpack, and lately I just carry it in my hand because I drink from it so often.  My boyfriend, Wayne, brought his running belt made for carrying water bottles, and that worked quite well since he didn't have a backpack.  

Every Starbucks will give you a cup of ice water for free if you ask.  You can buy ice-cold bottled water throughout the parks as well.  There are water bottle refilling stations and water fountains near the bathrooms.  My favorite place to get water in Epcot is the entrance to Spice Road Table in Morocco.  Just walk in, look to your right, and there is a cold pitcher and cups (they prefer you to fill cups, not bottles, but you can pour the water into your bottle from the cup quite easily).  This week at Hollywood Studios, we ate at Pizza Rizzo, and found a few water stations there too!

2. Shop (and reapply your sunscreen)

The souvenir shops have the best AC!  So even if you don't intend to buy anything, just pop in, admire the cute and creative merch, and when you're ready, head back out!

3. Use Cooling Accessories (over your sunscreen)

I see people with those headphone-shaped personal fans hanging around their necks--I haven't taken the plunge to get them myself, but they always look like a good idea.  There's also a ton of personal fans that are phone-sized that you can wear on a lanyard, and of course the ones you can clip onto strollers for the little ones.  Read the reviews though, because some are much better than others!!  And Disney parks sell the spray-bottle fans so you can mist and fan yourself at the same time!

The one accessory I DO use is the cooling towel.  They sell them at Disney with Mickey silhouettes printed on them, but I actually got mine from a pack my dad ordered for a family trip last year, I think from Amazon.  Just pour water fountain or sink water over it when you're ready, squeeze it out (or don't--you might want the extra drips), and drape it around your neck, head, wherever.  Yes, they warm up quickly, but just move them and flip them over for more cooling, and re-soak them when you can.  I still claim I would have collapsed without mine when my friend Kim let me borrow one of hers on a trip we took to Universal last July. 

4. Take Breaks (to put on more sunscreen) and Edit Plans

The only must-do on vacation is to take care of yourself!  If you're too hot and tired to wait in line for a ride or stay at the park for a dinner reservation, listen to your body, and your travel party.  You can cancel dining reservations with no penalty up to 2 hours before your reserved time.  I love being in the parks, but my favorite relaxation memories have been at the hotels.  There's something to just lazing about your hotel room eating snacks, getting a cocktail at the hotel bar, or walking around the resort looking at the water and little magical details in the theming.  An added bonus--if you're leaving a park and staying on property, you can enjoy the blast of AC on the Disney bus back to your hotel!

5. Use Windshield Covers!! (a literal sun screen!)

That being said, if you're NOT staying at a Disney hotel, or if you're a local and heading home at the end of the day, make sure to use one of those windshield sun-blockers!  If you plan on renting a car, see if one will fit in your suitcase!  I feel a HUGE difference between the times I remember to use it and the times I forget!  Like a 10 or more degree difference! 

Hangin' Out in Disney Springs!

I don't live in Florida, but my brothers do.  So when I visited for a job interview at a school, we decided to spend a fun day at Disney Springs!  What I love most about Disney Springs (nee Downtown Disney) is the park-like experience for zero admission fees.  There is, of course, a huge difference between the Springs and a park (rides, character meet and greets, parades), but you do get the Disney atmosphere, park-exclusive merchandise and food, access to the Disney park buses (to watch fireworks for free from just outside the entrance to Magic Kingdom) and unique experiences.  We had a great time hanging out, and here are some highlights!

First of all, to get to Disney Springs, you have to drive through the gates to the kingdom:

...which I'm pretty sure means you've entered the happiest place on earth.  So things are already looking up.

Since my visit last month, they have opened up a new shopping area, Town Center, with stores like Alex + Ani, Zara, and Sprinkles.  Actually it all opened today, May 15!  So I'll be covering all the things that have made Disney Springs magical before the newest additions!

I love that Disney Springs has Disney parks merchandise at World of Disney (the old NYC store on 5th ave was a park store so they had park merch too.  When they closed that location to open in Times Square, they became The Disney Store, meaning they had Disney Store products--not Disney parks products!  Meaning no pins, antenna toppers, and other cute park things.), but I was excited to find that they also have exclusive Springs merch:

Of course this may be the only thing that is specific to Disney Springs (it may also be available elsewhere, but really--why?) but it's fun and cute!  It's a glass bottle really playing up the idea that Disney Springs is an old-timey Florida spring water district.  I guess there's not a lot you can do with that.  The bottles don't come with corks or tops, so I imagine this is just for show, or for immediate serving!

Of course this may be the only thing that is specific to Disney Springs (it may also be available elsewhere, but really--why?) but it's fun and cute!  It's a glass bottle really playing up the idea that Disney Springs is an old-timey Florida spring water district.  I guess there's not a lot you can do with that.  The bottles don't come with corks or tops, so I imagine this is just for show, or for immediate serving!

There is also the Characters in Flight balloon which lets you ride up into the sky and from which, I hear, you can see the surrounding parks (at least Epcot's Spaceship Earth).  It's been too windy my last 2 trips (ughh) so I haven't been able to go up, but I am dying to!!

As for the park-exclusive food, there are 3 food trucks stationed towards the La Nouba/House of Blues side of the Springs near Starbucks that have samples of meals from Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and Epcot's Food & Wine Festival!

Of course none of these trucks had opened yet--we were there pretty early!  I thought this logo was pretty cool: 

They also have other park favorites:

We stopped at Joffrey's Coffee (mostly because they had a sign advertising their alcohol-infused beverages) where I got a frozen chai tea with Kahlua!  I was excited to get my first cup with this adorable Disney design:

It was particularly refreshing on this particularly hot day!  Oh, there's that springs mineral water bottle again on an old-timey painted sign:

The Lego store is always one of my favorites!  I was looking for the Lego Disney minifigures but they hadn't yet been released.  I saw from Disney Springs' latest instagram post that they are currently stocked (I got mine at Barnes & Noble)!  I don't usually go into the store but I love the sculptures all around the shop:

World of Disney is my favorite shop in the Springs (followed by Basin, but more on that later)!

Hi, Disney.  It's me, Elyse.  I'd like one of each pair of these socks in adult size. 

Lots of fun photo ops available (my brothers did me the favor of trying these bows on):

Poor Dug in the Cone of Shame:

 Make sure you look up--they have gorgeous ceiling paintings!

Lumiere really lights up on all three candle spots.  I'm going to buy him when I get my own apartment:

Next to World of Disney is the Ghirardelli chocolate shop:

Looks even better at night!

They always offer you a free sample as you walk in (David has shown me the "repeat offender" technique).  This time they were handing out a new flavor, blueberry.  It was very pretty, but a strange taste pairing!

In February it was a little chilly, so David and I got the "drinking chocolate," which was a cup full of melted chocolate drops!!  Amazingly delicious, but you need to get the smallest cup and not drink the whole thing like we did. 

Rich, delicious, stomach-ache-inducing.

Just out the window from Ghirardelli was the volcano from the Rainforest Cafe which I had never seen erupt, so that was pretty cool: 

And just next to this area is Basin, a bath store that sells bath bombs, themed soaps, bath salts, shampoo and conditioner bars, and other body products.  I fell in love with them on my February visit when I bought a couple Mickey confetti bath bombs.  It really is like a special event when you pop one of those in your tub!  Here are a couple of the fun soaps:

An appropriately-placed Mickey fountain:

Another favorite up there with World of Disney is Goofy's Candy Company!  

This sign is made of jellybeans

Look how cute and Florida-relevant these chocolate mini crocodiles are!

The Good Dinosaur pops:

Giant crispy rice treat:

David and I had too much fun (if there is such a thing) in front of the fun-house mirror...

The details are everywhere in Disney--I especially liked this bench near the Christmas shop:

We were looking to eat at Fulton's Crab House where we ate last time:

but it was under construction so we pardoned their pixie dust and ate at Portobello instead.  Good food at a reasonable price, and they give you the choice of olive oil OR butter with your bread (I said if they were so fancy they shouldn't even give us the option.  Just bring both over and make us feel spoiled)!

We also absolutely love Jock Lindsey's Hangar Bar:

My Reggie's Revenge came with this snake wrapped around an oar--I love drinks that come with souvenirs!

Between the Hangar Bar and the Boathouse, you can get a ride on an amphibious vehicle:

To me, the cars always look like they're going to sink, but that's just their "style!"

For the gamers out there, there is DisneyQuest, a big arcade that I heard once was "hosted" by Genie from Aladdin (not sure where I heard it so don't take my word for it, but he was the featured character).  It's really a big mystery to me because I've never gone in--you have to pay a pretty hefty price for a ticket (about $48), but it sounds cool!  This is just inside the entrance (before they take your ticket), and it looks pretty majestic!

They have free Frogger and Donkey Kong Jr. for us cheapskates:

Of course there's always more... Cirque du Soleil's La Nouba is an amazing show (I saw it back in 2008) which has just announced a couple new acts this year!  I found a stall that takes requests for custom paintings on Tom's shoes while you wait.  There's also a shoe store that carries special running shoes as well as Disney designs:

And the running store carries shirts that aren't necessarily Disney but say things like "Look Like a Beauty, Run Like a Beast."  The Starbucks features "Starbucks Evenings," which pair wine and craft beers with small plates of culinary delight!

A pretty mobile hanging from the ceiling in Starbucks

In summation... there is always so much to do at Disney Springs, and they are only adding more.