Beat the Heat at Disney World this Summer

Summer in Florida is synonymous with two things; vacation and HEAT. Summer is a great time for families to visit Disney World. The kids are out of school, work slows down at lots of jobs so parents can get time off, and usually Disney runs some sort of discount package to get families to visit the most magical place on earth. The two main issues with visiting during the summer are the crowds and the heat. With the fastpass system the crowds should not be a huge deterrent, but if you have young children the heat can be intimidating.

Take a BREAK!

I know you spent a boatload of money to get into the parks. While I worked in Disney for a time the statistic we were given was that the average family of 4 spends $10,000 for 7 days at the resort. I get it, you spent a bunch of money, and you want your money’s worth. I have had days where I pounded the pavement as a young man. I have had multiple 12+ hour days in the parks. I will let you in on a little secret, THAT WILL NOT WORK WITH KIDS. Maybe if you have teenagers and let them do their own thing, but certainly not with younger kids. There is no reason to burn your kids out and go all day long. I suggest getting up at a normal time for you and your kids, whatever that may be, and heading into the park. For us it would be about 9, so we miss rope drop, but who cares! By the time we get to the park it is usually around 10, and we will ride some rides and hang out until about 1 or 2. By 2 o’clock we are usually ready for a break so we try to find something to do to cool off. You are better off going for quality over quantity with your time at Disney, don’t stress if you only spend 6 hours a day in the parks, as long as they are quality hours. The obvious choice is to head back to your room for a nap, but for those who are not staying on property that might not be an option. I will go over a few choices that can work for resort guests and off property guests as well.

Pool Hopping

For the longest time my recommendation was for families to “pool hop” in the heat of the day, even if they were not staying at a Disney resort. Well apparently everyone like MY idea (that’s what I keep telling myself) because Disney has really cracked down on the pool policy in recent years. Many resorts now require a magic band to get into a gated pool area, and the good old days of swimming at Animal Kingdom lodge or the Yacht and Beach club while staying at the All Star are behind us. I won’t tell you that it is impossible. I have been pool hopping all over the resorts, and I have never actually been asked to leave by a cast member. I just walk up to the pool, act like I am supposed to be there, and then wait for someone else to open the gate. I actually didn’t even know Disney frowned this upon until a cast member friend of mine was telling me a story about having to throw non-resort guests out of the pool. I haven’t done this in years, as our DVC membership allows us to use pools at member resorts, but my wife and I used to do it on a regular basis.

Just because we can’t pool hop like we used to does not mean we don’t have options to get our little ones out of the heat of the day. Nothing ruins a vacation quicker than cranky kids. Give me rain, give me wind, give me delays, give me allergies, but please don’t let the baby cry!

Resort Hopping

Remember that all of the resorts have a pseudo open policy, where you can come and go just to check things out, and this is often a great way to kill a few hours in the middle of the day ESPECIALLY if you are not staying on property, and can’t just run back to the room for a nap. All of the resorts have one thing in common…Air Conditioning! As someone who lived in Florida for a time I can tell you that in July and August, A/C is the only thing that can keep you moving some days. There is plenty of neat stuff to do at the resorts, and they are all just a bus, boat, or monorail away.

Mini Disney Safari

Do your kids (or you) love animals? Hop on a bus and head over to Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge where you can sit in rocking chairs (inside and outside) and look out over the savannah. You will have a chance to see many of the same animals that you can see on the popular attraction Kilimanjaro Safaris. The resort has 3 separate savannah areas, and the animals residing in those areas changes from time to time. In general you will have the opportunity to see giraffes and a variety of antelope species. The lodge also boasts a rather large collection of African artwork, which is nice to view at a leisurely pace as you get out of the afternoon sun.

A “Grand” Afternoon

Maybe you are in the mood for something a bit more refined. While I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this option for families with toddlers, but with infants and older kids that you can keep in line this can be a great break for parents. Head over to the Grand Floridian, enjoy the Victorian architecture, and enjoy the music. You can sit on a comfortable overstuffed couch or chair in the main lobby and listen to classical melodies on piano. If mom is looking for a little bit of a pick me up she can head upstairs to Basin White and sample some spa treatments. The hand scrubs are a fan favorite, and you can get some to take with you.

Disney Arcade

Disclaimer: This is my last choice, as I am not really a big fan of video games, especially during family time, but it is a very popular option. If your kid is big into video games and you just want a place to get out of the heat, there are plenty of resorts you can head to during the middle of the day. These on property arcades have family friendly games and Disney related prizes. I stopped in a few times to play air hockey, but other than that I can’t speak to the quality of the games, arcades just aren’t my thing. *I have compiled a list of resorts with arcades, found at the bottom of this article.

Something Else?

Did I miss a favorite afternoon activity of yours? Is there something you think other families might enjoy to get out of the heat of the day? Feel free to e-mail me your ideas or share them with me on social media.

*Current on property arcades can be found at: All Star Resorts, The Animal Kingdom Lodge, Art of Animation, Beach Club, Boardwalk, Caribbean Beach, Contemporary, Coronado Springs, Fort Wilderness, Grand Floridian, Old Key West, The Polynesian, Pop Century, Port Orleans Resorts, Saratoga Springs, Wilderness Lodge, Yacht Club