[00:00:00] Dana Stanley: Everyone knows that it’s hot in the summer. There’s hot, and then there’s like Disney World in July hot, the kind of heat where everything on your body is just damp and you start to question everything from your outfit and your park plans and your dining reservations and wondering if you can actually do this for another day.

[00:00:23] Dana Stanley: I want you to think of this episode as a little bit of a pep talk and reassurance that yes, you’re gonna be okay. The summer trip’s gonna be great, and also a little survival guide for when you’re getting into the nitty gritty of planning for Disney World in the summer. Hello and welcome to the Laid Back Magic Way podcast.

[00:00:42] Dana Stanley: I’m your host, Dana Stanley, creator of Laid Back Magic. As a mom of three, I know how tough it can be to find time to plan a Disney World trip. That doesn’t leave you feeling stressed or overwhelmed. That’s why I’m here to help moms like you create Disney vacations that feel even better than they look on paper here.

[00:00:59] Dana Stanley: We’re not chasing perfection, but creating our next favorite memories. So whether you’re brand new to Disney or looking to go deeper into the details, this podcast is your go-to for simple tips, mindset shifts, real life trip recaps, and expert insights to make your trip magical and manageable. New episodes drop every Monday.

[00:01:18] Dana Stanley: So be sure to subscribe so you never miss a moment. Okay, let’s dive in. This one’s for those of you planning summer trips to Disney World, whether it’s your first time or you’re returning who forgot just how hot things are going to get. So today I am walking you through everything I’ve learned about dealing with the heat in Disney World, what to wear, how to stay cool, what to pack, and how to plan your days so that you’re not like crashing and burning by 11 in the morning.

[00:01:46] Dana Stanley: What this episode won’t be is a convincing you to go to Disney World in the summer, and B, just like bring a misting fan or just bring a bunch of stuff. These are the things I’ve personally learned from going again and again with kids and also while it’s very hot. First off, we’re going to book lunch reservations over breakfast or dinner.

[00:02:10] Dana Stanley: So my reasoning for this is that you’re going to want a break in the middle of the day when the heat is at its absolute worst, which is usually around noon. And it’s not just about the food, but it’s the sitting down, the air conditioning, the refilling your water bottle, and you’re all going to be so happy when you sit down for lunch.

[00:02:34] Dana Stanley: Now, I’m not saying don’t book breakfast or dinner and we’re gonna get to. The reasons a little bit more later of why I wouldn’t necessarily want to be taking my early mornings or late at night spending time doing a sit down meal. But just as a little backstory, last summer we ended up in Disney World for a very last minute trip and July, and I won’t lie, like I was very grouchy going into it.

[00:03:00] Dana Stanley: With every kid I have, I feel like I’m just like run hotter. So I was very grouchy. I don’t really like going in like peak, like June to August. That being said, maybe because I was grouchy AKA, my expectation level was super low. Like it’s gonna be terrible and hot and everyone’s gonna be. In such a bad mood that it actually was like one of my favorite trips that we’ve ever been on.

[00:03:29] Dana Stanley: And one of the things that I did was I booked lunch almost like every day that we were in the parks, which I normally wouldn’t do. And when I tell you, it completely saved me because as we were like walking to said lunch reservation. I was just like at my bottom, like my blood sugar and just being hot.

[00:03:50] Dana Stanley: Like just that desperation of like, I need air conditioning so bad. Like for a longer than like a seven minute ride or something like that. I needed to like really sit down. So if you have things booked already for the summer and you’re doing like maybe no lunch reservations or like you’re noticing like, oh, we have a lot of.

[00:04:10] Dana Stanley: Breakfast, but maybe I could scoot that to lunch for like a character meal. A lot of them, sometimes only characters are at breakfast, so just double check. But there’s a lot of them, like Crystal Palace and Magic Kingdom would be perfect for lunch or Hollywood and Vine and Hollywood Studios would be perfect for lunch with characters.

[00:04:28] Dana Stanley: Tusker House and Animal Kingdom. I have this in my mind ’cause we went there in July. So thankful that we were there. And an Epcot Garden girl has characters for all three meals as well. Not saying that you need to book these immediately. Just something to think about. If you’re looking for characters and you’re looking for lunch.

[00:04:47] Dana Stanley: Let’s talk about clothes for a second because I feel like this might ruffle some of my friend’s feathers. And I say this with love, but I know a lot of people love those, like full body romper. Unitard, like sporty, almost like a Lululemon material. And I thought it was just like personal preference that I didn’t like these.

[00:05:13] Dana Stanley: But when you look into what to wear for actual extreme heat, the recommendation across the board is always cotton over these synthetic materials. Like if you look up what you should do in heat waves or like go to tropical places, it’s always. Cotton. And the second thing that will come up is that you shouldn’t be wearing anything too tight.

[00:05:34] Dana Stanley: So honestly, like the fit of your clothes makes a huge difference. Like flowy is going to be your friend. Things that aren’t clinging to you. Dresses are actually amazing in the summer. Things that will like move with you and not constrict you and let you breathe. I’m not saying that you need to like go full little house in the prairie, but you will regret like that really tight, thick material.

[00:05:59] Dana Stanley: Like even if it says like moisture wicking, I am just not convinced. I think it’s just too thick. Not even to mention like if you’re wearing dark. I feel like a lot of those outfits are like the classic like black tank top with like compression shorts and like cute red mini ears. I get it. I love the vibe.

[00:06:17] Dana Stanley: You are going to be so hot by hour two. So I’d be looking for like light colored clothes, lots of white things that won’t cling and stick. Also very good for like sweat and hiding sweat. I’d wear your hair up, which I know we’re not talking about like hair, but it’s kind of like with the whole outfit conversation too.

[00:06:38] Dana Stanley: And when it comes to shoes, I typically only bring two pairs of shoes to Disney, which I know is like a little like. Extreme minimalist. I usually do one sandal, like a slide that has an open back in case my heels start to hurt and then like a sneaker. But with the summer, I would probably bring like a third shoe just to have options because sometimes, depending on just like what you prefer personally, sometimes I prefer like a sock and a sneaker, but it also gets very hot.

[00:07:13] Dana Stanley: So like if you’re. Taking a break in the middle of the day and you’re at your resort and you like take off your sneakers and then you’re going to dinner. It’s like, I do not wanna put my sneakers back on. And you’ll probably want to just wear sandals. And then the third shoe could be more like sporty, waterproof, like water park vibe.

[00:07:34] Dana Stanley: Also, just like a side note, I know I’m not mentioning waterparks here. These aren’t like obvious tips of visiting somewhere in the summer of like go to a water park. I want it to be more of like, you’re going to Disney World. What do you do when you know that it’s going to be so hot? Including like how to cool down when you’re actually in the parks.

[00:07:55] Dana Stanley: So here’s something so random, but soaking your hands and feet. And cold water is going to cool your entire body down instantly. And this goes for your kids too. So even just like a quick bathroom break and running your hands under the cold water. It feels ama. I mean, am I the only one that does this? It feels so good.

[00:08:15] Dana Stanley: Like I can’t wait to use the bathroom to get my hands under that cold water. But it’s really great for kids too. If they’re starting to overheat, their cheeks are getting red. You could just take like a cooling towel and just dab like their hands and feet. It’s gonna make such a big difference. There’s also splash pads in Epcot and Magic Kingdom that.

[00:08:36] Dana Stanley: Can be really great for kids. I shouldn’t say I avoid them. I don’t normally seek out the splash pads just because the logistics of what to do after said splash pad. I always bring extra change of clothes for the kids, but it’s just kind of like, I don’t wanna put them in a bathing suit, but they kind of should be in a bathing suit.

[00:08:58] Dana Stanley: And then you have like the diaper situation and. Barefoot situation or shoes, I don’t know, but they’re there and it’s nice knowing that they’re there and at least they could just get like a little bit wet depending on how like feral your child is. You may wanna rethink your park schedule as well, like in terms of the entire week, we have annual passes, so usually when we’re in the parks.

[00:09:22] Dana Stanley: We’ll go every day because it feels kind of like quote free for us. So even if it’s like a rest day or a slower day, we’re usually scanning into the parks. But in the summer I would just block off an entire day like Park, park, then nothing, and then Park, park just a day to not put a lot of strain on your body and just do something really relaxing.

[00:09:46] Dana Stanley: I’m not even necessarily saying like, go to a water park or go to the pool, like. More air conditioning and you could cater this to your family specifically and just how you think that you guys will feel if you have kids that are like easily overstimulated or need to catch up on sleep, like those types of kids.

[00:10:07] Dana Stanley: I feel like the heat just adds this like other layer of exhaustion. So just take that into account when you’re planning like your entire schedule. One of the hills that I will die on. So to speak is that everyone should be taking a break from two to four, and this is like for any time of year, not just this summer.

[00:10:28] Dana Stanley: For the summer. If I had it my way, it would be like take a break from like 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM which obviously is not going to work. But honestly, I want you to take a break, like a true break from two to four, preferably if you’re staying on property and it’s convenient. I want you to go back to the resort and like take a shower, give the kids a bath, let them play on the iPad or watch TV for a little bit, just like a real rest.

[00:10:54] Dana Stanley: If you’re staying in the parks, you could do maybe a later sit down lunch and then plan to do like a show after, like one of those longer shows that’s like 20 minutes. So you’re guaranteed to be sitting down in AC for a long period of time. You could also just go somewhere close by for a break. Like if you’re a Magic Kingdom, you could get on the monorail, hop over to Polynesian, just you know, do a little shopping, get a drink at the bar.

[00:11:21] Dana Stanley: They have like big comfy chairs. You could just relax for a little bit and then go back into the park in two hours. I want that early morning to be the main focus of the park time, and this is going back to not booking a lot of breakfast because you want to be getting in the parks, being a little bit more busy in the morning before it gets like extra, extra hot, then disappear for a little bit.

[00:11:44] Dana Stanley: You could go back to the pool, walk around the resort. Then after that break, you’re gonna feel so much better. Going back into the parks. Hopefully it’s getting a little cooler. I know sometimes it like almost gets hotter in the evening, but at least you are like refreshed and showered. It feels so good to just be clean and change your clothes in the middle of the day before going back in to the hustle of the parks.

[00:12:11] Dana Stanley: I consider myself more of a minimalist. I. Don’t really feel that way until I see like how much other people bring. I’m like, oh, maybe I am a minimalist, but with the summer, I am a maximalist. I want all of the gear, like I’d rather bring less clothes. And more stuff and gear so that I can still pack in a carry on.

[00:12:37] Dana Stanley: And some of my non-negotiables would be a fan for each person. So like if you have four people, you need four fans. If you have a double stroller, you’d have one fan on one kid, one fan on another kid. I’d have a fan wrapped around the handle of the stroller facing me. And then a fourth one in case we needed to just like hold it or your husband needed a fan.

[00:13:00] Dana Stanley: I haven’t dabbled into like the neck fans or anything like that, just like the regular stroller fans that you can clip and wrap on different things. Nothing crazy. Like I don’t have like the Misting fans or anything like that, but just fans. And I know the fans take up a ton of room. That’s why I’m saying like just pack less clothes and do some laundry, because you’re definitely gonna want.

[00:13:23] Dana Stanley: Like that circulation of air, especially when you’re getting from like point A to point B with the kids. Like just from the bus stop to the front gate, having those little fans on them and make sure that you have some type of portable charger, battery charger that is compatible with the USB type of the fans because you’re gonna be using them a lot.

[00:13:46] Dana Stanley: And then the second thing that’s like a non-negotiable are cooling towels. They are. So like not aesthetically pleasing or cute, but they are the easiest way to cool down because they’re not gonna like soak you like with one of those MR fans. You can just wet them, drape them like around the back of your neck.

[00:14:06] Dana Stanley: I think I might prefer that more than wearing like a heavy plastic fan. That’s just me. Again, I know that they’re not cute, but they don’t take up a lot of room and you can just like keep rewetting them and keep rewetting them and putting them. You know, on the kids’ legs or behind their little necks, like it really does cool you down very quickly.

[00:14:27] Dana Stanley: I probably don’t have to tell you that you’re gonna have to drink so much water, and the obvious reason is that you’re sweating a ton, but really the kicker is like you actually can’t sweat properly if you’re dehydrated. So it’s kinda like a chicken or the egg situation. So if you’re feeling dizzy and wondering why you’re not cooling off, it’s.

[00:14:49] Dana Stanley: Because you’re already dehydrated. That being said, I really feel like plain water just isn’t going to cut it. You need electrolytes. I’m not into like LM T or like other popular electrolytes. I stumbled across my favorite powder when I was very desperate for electrolytes while I was breastfeeding and like every mom at 2:00 AM I was on Amazon and I just was like, okay, I am gonna order it from Amazon ’cause I can get it fast.

[00:15:18] Dana Stanley: I ended up loving it, like loving the taste. I’m very picky when it comes to drinks being too sweet or like straight up, just tasting like sugar and salt. This one is like a lemonade, like it’s, it really just tastes like lemonade, like my kids are always trying to steal it from me. I later found out that it’s created by an Olympian, so like that tracks, I’ll leave the link in the show notes.

[00:15:41] Dana Stanley: I buy a huge bag of it and just put it in little Ziploc bags when I travel. But they do also come in little packets if you prefer that. If you are traveling from out of state and you’re flying, I would take the earliest flight that you can. So this last tip isn’t about the parks, but it’s a tip I always give now because when you’re choosing between flights, the earlier one is always going to be, I shouldn’t say always.

[00:16:10] Dana Stanley: Typically it is going to be. The one that’s on time and a little bit smoother. Here’s why. The weather in Florida is obviously unpredictable between rain, lightning, whatever, and it typically not always starts more in the afternoon. Turbulence also goes up a little bit as the day heats up because hot air plus cold air equals turbulence.

[00:16:33] Dana Stanley: Apparently. I am just saying this from being a nervous flyer who does research constantly of when to fly with the least amount of turbulence. And I’ve learned that the morning is your best bet. Everything I’ve read plus like I’ll see comments from pilots that are like, oh yeah, always take the morning flight.

[00:16:53] Dana Stanley: You have less chance of being delayed. It’s usually smoother. So if you’re torn between an early flight and an afternoon flight, I totally get like not wanting to wake the kids up early or like be rushing, but in the summer. With the weird weather, I would always take the earlier flight. If you’re headed to Disney this summer, I hope this gave you some real tangible tips and not just like, you know, visit the pool.

[00:17:21] Dana Stanley: So if I had to sum it all up, I would start early, book lunch, pack all the gear, and really plan your breaks because they’re really gonna matter. I’ll link any of the gear I mentioned, like those electrolytes that I like in the show notes. Thanks for hanging out and I will see you next week. Thank you so much for joining me on this episode of the Laid Back Magic Way podcast.

[00:17:44] Dana Stanley: If you enjoy today’s episode and it was helpful for you, it would mean the world to me. If you’d write a quick review, your reviews, help more moms like you find the show, and I read every single one of them seriously. Thank you in advance. You can find me on Instagram at somewhere worthwhile, and I’d love to hear from you.

[00:18:01] Dana Stanley: DM me. If you have any questions about this episode or what you’d like to see in future ones until then, keep planning for your next favorite memory and I’ll see you next time.