How to Survive Summer at Walt Disney World

Summer has arrived.  In some places, this is cause for rejoicing and excitement - it's time for picnics, barbecues, and swimming pools.  In Central Florida, however, we have already been enjoying these things since mid-March, and summer more accurately means time to retreat into our well air conditioned abodes and avoid the blazing rays of the sun and the stifling humidity levels.  Many of you don't live in Central Florida, though, and plan on bringing yourselves out to visit us and enjoy a bit of time at Walt Disney World.
Summer is the time that causes me to have at least some understanding of why people don't particularly care for Disney parks.  It's hot, the lines are long, and children (whether your own or other people's) tend to be a bit less pleasant as they are uncomfortable and impatient.  I'll likely be avoiding the parks for a couple of months, so there will be fewer trip reports coming in from me (and if there are any, they'll likely be from resort experiences), but I thought to kick off the summer in style, I'd go ahead and give a few of my biggest tips for those making the trek to Walt Disney World in the heat of summer.

Hydrate and Protect Yourself

The face of hydration: Stormtrooper helmet stein optional, but recommended

First, we'll take care of the basics - not becoming sick or dying.  Hydration is an incredibly important thing, and something that can be easy to forget in the hustle and bustle of your Disney trip.  You may want to guzzle down a soda with your hot dog, but do your best to stick to water, and a lot of it.  Bring a water bottle into the parks for each of your party members and refill at the water fountains.  It may not be the best tasting water in the world, but it'll keep you going.  Essentially, the goal is to never stop drinking, even if it means more frequent bathroom stops.  If you don't keep hydrated, you'll soon feel yourself becoming even more groggy, irritable, and, eventually, ill.  Soda won't help you out too much with hydration, and alcohol is straight out (now, if you stay properly hydrated alongside it, feel free to indulge!) - if you feel you've sweat out quite a bit, you may want to consider picking up a Powerade to replenish your electrolytes, but apart from that, as best you can: water, water water.

That solves one problem brought on by the sun's rays, but what about the rays themselves, which will cook you to a less-than-pleasant shade over the course of just an hour or so.  I cannot emphasize this enough: use sunscreen.  Use the appropriate SPF for your skin type, and make sure to reapply as often as the bottle says to, or else you'll be a crispy critter by the end of your vacation.  Keep in mind, you're not just preventing a nasty sunburn, but also potential future skin cancer.  Take care of yourselves out there, and your vacation will be much more pleasant.

Enjoy a Cold Treat

Milkshakes from Min and Bill's Dockside Diner

I know what you're thinking - "Josh, everything with you ends up coming back to food in the end."  And you are 100% correct.  There's always the classic Premium Mickey Bar or a nice Dole Whip on a hot summer day, but what about something new and different?  Have you had a LeFou's Brew yet, or perhaps over in Epcot you could check out the frozen Japanese wonder that is kakigori, topped with some sweet condensed milk.  There are tons of treats out there that'll help lower your body temperature by a few precious degrees and help you forget about the sweltering heat you're suffering through.

Wait Out the Rain

It rains in Florida in the summer, pretty much every day.  There's no way to avoid it, so you might as well continue making the best of your trip.  Wait out the rain in a cafe, or venture out and enjoy the fact that there are fewer people in line for rides.  You can, of course, get a poncho or umbrella if you prefer, though I'd not recommend the latter if there's a thunderstorm or strong winds.  I am not particularly fond of pochos myself, as I find them a tad bit sticky and humid after a while, but they're probably the best way of avoiding getting soaked without having to tote around an umbrella.

Plan Ahead

I'm the type of person that, for the most part, prefers to do things with a degree of spontaneity.  The summer at Walt Disney World is not a time to do this.  Now, I shall lead into this with a caveat, and one that I will revisit later in this blog entry:  do not over plan.  You are at Walt Disney World to have fun, and if 90% of your visit consists of rushing from place to place, stressing about seeing everything, you will have approximately 0 fun.

MagicBands and FastPasses - the key to not waiting in long lines

That said, Disney offers a lot of different ways to be ready for your vacation.  After you have your stay booked (at an official Disney resort, that is), you can plan out your FastPasses 60 days out from your stay.  You can plan three FastPasses, and you can only plan them at one park per day, unless you've already used your FastPasses for the day, in which case, you can get one additional FastPass at a time from a FastPass+ kiosk.  Using these is an enormous time saver, and will certainly prevent the stress from mounting as you have to wait in immensely long lines.

Next up: reservations.  If you are planning on doing some dining while on your trip to Walt Disney World, be sure you plan well ahead of time - be ready to make those reservations 180 in advance, the maximum Disney will allow you to book.  Certain restaurants, such as Be Our Guest and Chef Mickey's, are still extremely hard to get reservations for, even if you're waiting like a hawk early in the morning to book.  Booking online is extremely convenient, but booking via the phone can be helpful, as the cast members can try their best to work some pixie dust to find a spot the computers might have missed during your stay.  Again, a caveat, there's no guarantee that these cast members can squeeze you in at Be Our Guest, but they can check for you.  It's best to do your research online, as far as what each restaurant has to offer, and then call to book your reservations - just make sure you do it as soon as possible, lest you miss your chance.  As a side note, I'll also mention that it's probably best to only have one table service meal per day.  If you have more, you'll end up spending more time rushing from one place to the next rather than enjoying time at the parks.

Reservations are also available for all kinds of fun Disney experiences, such as behind the scenes tours, fireworks cruises, and the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique.  I mention this last one specifically because it is perhaps one of the most difficult things to get reservations for.  Many little girls want to be princesses, and many parents are quite hawkish in their reservation making, so, again, especially during the summer, be sure to book 180 days out.  I realize that it's too late for that this summer, as I write this, but I do hope that this post helps people in upcoming summers.  If the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique is completely full, you might want to inquire about the Pirate's League, another fun experience for boys and girls where they can be transformed into pirates or mermaids, though during the summer this experience will likely also be extremely packed, so plan accordingly.  If, of course, you can't manage to get all of your plans in order...

Keep Calm and Carry On

Things don't always go perfectly.  Disney's cast members have a way of working magic, but even their pixie dust can only go so far.  Attractions break down, reservations get snapped up, restaurants may occasionally run out of an item that you were very much looking forward to.  If this happens, you will be disappointed.  There is no avoiding this.  What you can avoid, however, is having an awful attitude about it.  Take things in stride - you're at Walt Disney World, after all, and there is still fun to be had, even if your plans aren't going exactly the way you want them to.  While Disney is in the business of facilitating the making of memories, it's up to you to make use of that.  Some of the memories that I hold most dear at Disney aren't necessarily the ones that had to do with attractions of dining experiences, they are just memories of sitting around and eating chicken tenders from some random counter service location, laughing and joking with my family.  They're memories of trying to find a place to hide from the rain, holding a tray of fish and chips that are growing rapidly damp.  Memories, even, of struggling with opening a bottle of Ramune soda for the first time at the Japan Pavilion.

Always try your best to remember why you're really there: to spend time with people you care about.  As I said, disappointment is something that can happen, especially during more crowded times, and the cast members will frequently do their best to try to make things better, but if things don't go your way, there's no need to make a scene (especially with your kids watching - they'll just learn that throwing a fit is the way to get what you want, and I assure you, that will come back to bite you in the rear).

Go Off the Beaten Path

I'll begin this section by saying what I said in the first post in this blog: I have been going to Walt Disney World since I can remember, and have been an annual passholder for about fifteen years, and I have not yet experienced everything that Disney has to offer.  Take some time to watch shows, visit less popular attractions that you may never have checked out before.  New experiences are the spice of life - for example, Living With the Land rarely has a line much longer than 15-20 minutes, but it's one of my favorite attractions.  It's cool (in temperature, as well as experience) and you get a look at Disney's work with agriculture, both for food in the park and as research for the future.  Have you always just meandered past while Off Kilter played at the stage near Canada?  Why not take a seat and just enjoy the show?

There are a lot of neglected experiences at Disney (many of which include air conditioning), and you may just find your new favorite hidden gem that you can tell all of your friends about, which will make you seem that much cooler for having the inside scoop.  After all, isn't being cool what life is all about?

Get Out of the Parks

The lobby of Wilderness Lodge - one of my favorite spots to relax outside of the parks.

That's right, you heard me - I know you've been planning this vacation for years, and don't want to miss a second of excitement, but there are things to do outside of the parks, and they are far less crowded.  Take in a Yehaa Bob show at the Port Orleans Riverside resort, go horseback riding at Fort Wilderness, take a wander around Downtown Disney (though as of the writing of this, the Disney Springs construction is making that feel a little more chaotic, but it will soon be an even better experience).  You could even check out the Wishes schedule for your stay, and go take a seat on the beach at the Polynesian Resort with a tropical drink in your hand - they play the music for the fireworks and everything.  It may not be the best view in the house, but it is certainly a relaxing way to enjoy the pyrotechnics.

I realize that I'm not giving very specific details, and I assure you, I will in future posts, since that's what this blog is all about, but the more you explore the Walt Disney World Resort, the more you'll realize that you've probably never even scratched the surface of what you can do - and things like Yehaa Bob (official website here) are completely free, though you'd be remiss if you denied yourself the pleasure of a Hurricane or some fried crawfish while at the River Roost Lounge.

In Conclusion...

There are many, many ways to enjoy your trip to Walt Disney World in the summer - it will be hot, it will be crowded, but there are things you can do to make it better.  Try to emphasize the time with your loved ones more than any particular experience, and things will vastly improve.  Plan ahead, and take your time, despite the hustle and bustle, and you'll have memories to share for years to come.

Do you have any additional tips for those making the trip down here in the summer months?  Leave comments below!

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