How crazy is this mid-summer heat wave?? Triple digits on the East Coast, wildfires on the West Coast... it makes me want to retreat to an air conditioned bedroom and stay there until school starts. But summer is also the time to travel and do fun things like visit the Disneyland Resort.
There's no question that the searing summer heat is one of the disadvantages of visiting the Disneyland Resort during the summer. But for many families, summer time is the only time they get; besides, the parks are open later and most of the rides are open, so visiting the resort in the summer does have it's advantages. You can make the most of your visit by planning ahead and taking steps to beat the heat, including:
- Head to the parks early so you can enjoy the park in the cooler morning hours.
- Wear comfortable, cool summer clothing (but bring a light wrap if you plan to stay out past 9PM!).
- Wear a hat.
- Slather yourself with sunscreen and reapply throughout the day.
- Stay hydrated; drink lots of water throughout the day.
- Don't forget to apply the same rules to your children, not just yourself!
Those are pretty basic rules that would apply to any theme park you visit over the summer. When you're at the Disneyland Resort, though, there are a few other things you can do to beat the summer heat! Here are a few of my favorite ways to stay cool:
Get on a water ride
The Disneyland Resort doesn't have a water park, but these water rides will definitely get you wet:
Splash Mountain at Disneyland Park definitely lives up to its name; even though you stay relatively dry most of the time, that final drop is just like jumping into a swimming pool!
Grizzly River Run at Disney California Adventure (you will not only get wet, you will get drenched, as in wet t-shirt contest drenched!).
Okay, Pirates of the Caribbean in Disneyland Park isn't really a water ride, but you're on a boat the whole time, and there are a few small drops, so technically, you could get splashed. Plus, the whole ride takes place in the cool, dim underground, so it's still a really cool ride (in more ways than one).
Princess Dot's Puddle Park, at Flik's Fun Fair in Disney's California Adventure, isn't a ride, it's a water play area with water fountains that kids can run through.
If you don't want to frolic with the kids, you can always head to the rocket jet blasters in front of Soarin' Over California (also in Disney's California Adventure) to get blasted with a cooling spray of water.
Go jump in the pool
Okay, these swimming pools aren't technically part of the Disneyland parks, but they are part of the Disneyland Resort -- and they are three of the best reasons to stay at a Disneyland Hotel! It's almost like you're still inside the parks when you're at the Grand Californian pool...
.... at the Disneyland Hotel pool...
... or at Disney's Paradise Pier Hotel pool (I don't have a photo of it because we've never stayed there, but my sister has and she says it is wonderful). You can leave the parks for a midday break, splash around in the pool while the park crowds are at their peak, and return to the parks in the late afternoon.
Have a cool treat
This is my favorite way to beat the heat! The Disneyland Resorts serve tons of yummy frozen drinks like the Boysen Apple Freeze at Fantasy Faire (pictured below), Ramone's Pear or Dice Soda and Red's Apple Freeze at Flo's V8 Cafe, and the frozen drinks from the Chiller Truck at the Mad T Party. You should continue to drink lots of water throughout the day, of course, but what's summer without a little brain freeze?
A frozen dessert is the perfect way to end a meal. The Mickey-shaped treats (ice cream sandwich and ice cream bar) are a family favorite. When we feel like we've been a bit overindulgent we choose the frozen banana because it's so delicious and we've convinced ourselves that it's healthy.
Finally, no visit to the Disneyland Resort is complete without the ultimate cool confection, the Dole Pineapple Whip Float. If you've never tried it, get yourself to the back of that long like at the Dole Tiki Bar in Adventureland. The combination of pineapple-flavored soft-serve ice cream and pineapple juice (and don't forget the all-important paper umbrella!) is worth the wait.
How do you like to keep cool at the Disneyland Resort?
Disclaimer: I have attended Disneyland Resort press events in the past, but I was not requested nor required to write this post.
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