How to stay cool in Orlando, Florida while still having fun
Summer is upon us, and that means one thing: it’s going to be hot, hot, HOT!
For some reason, a theme park in Orlando, Florida during the summer feels like the surface of the sun! It is so hot!
Unfortunately, summer is the most convenient time for most families to visit Disney World or Universal Orlando. You may have to endure the heat to be able to visit the parks.
We have some tips to help you beat the heat, to the best of your ability, while visiting the parks.
Drink Water
I know, I know! This one is a little on the nose. It is important though.
The main tip here is how to get free water in the parks and not spending an arm and a leg on water bottles. Both Disney and Universal offer free ice water. You should be able to find these cups of water at most quick service restaurants or kiosks where they sell fountain drinks. The snack booths may be difficult if they just sell bottled drinks. They most likely don’t have access to water on tap to give you a cup, but you can scope out what they offer and try.
Both park franchises offer water bottle refill stations throughout their properties. You can bring a reusable water bottle in the parks and refill it at one of these stations. This is my personal preference. I have found that the water is cold, and most importantly, it does not taste like Florida tap water. If you have ever had Florida tap water, you know what I’m talking about.
Here are a few great water bottle options:
We also have an article dedicated to some of our other water bottle favorites. You can read it here:
5 Best water bottles for Disney
Bring a portable fan
A fan will be helpful to create a breeze on your face in the moments you have to stand in the heat. It is crazy the relief you can feel from a little artificial wind!
At both Universal and Disney, you may have to stand in the direct sun while waiting for a parade. Whipping out a fan could really help in these moments. Most portable fans on the market are extremely compact, so they would still be a viable option if you travel lightly to the parks.
Don’t forget about your kiddos! Stroller fans are a must for stroller riding littles. Attach the fan to the stroller and keep them cool when they have to sit. It will hopefully, keep them from a heat induced meltdown.
Portable fan options:
Stroller fan options:
Strategize time of day
Early morning and late evenings will help to keep you out of the heat of the day. It may also help a little with the crowds too.
Do not get me wrong, it will still be warm, but it should not be blistering. Start your day first thing in the morning at the parks. Then go back to your hotel for some rest and air condition before going back to the parks to close out the night.
Using this strategy, you may not accomplish as much in the parks as you hope, so you’ll need to decide what matters more—beating the heat or pushing through to experience more of the parks’ offerings.
Choose the right attractions
Orlando theme parks know it can be miserably hot in the middle of summer. They have built, or at least it feels like they have built, their attractions with that in mind.
Most of the queues are shaded and have fans throughout to provide a breeze, though it can be difficult when you’re surrounded by hundreds of sweaty people. At least they are shaded, and you are not baking in the sun!
There are a lot of fully (or almost fully depending on the queue) indoor attractions that will give some much needed AC. Here are some of our favorites by park:
Magic Kingdom | Mickey’s PhilharMagic
EPCOT | Soarin’
Hollywood Studios | Toy Story Mania!
Animal Kingdom | Festival of the Lion King
Islands of Adventure | Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey
Universal Studios Florida | Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts
Epic Universe | Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge
Even if you visit the theme parks on the hottest day of the year, it still beats sitting on your couch at home. We hope these tips support your quest in having an excellent time.
