Mouse and the Magic
  • Home
    • Contact >
      • Disclosure
      • Privacy Policy
      • Instagram
      • TikTok
  • Blog
  • Disneyland Resort
    • Dining and Hotels
    • Planning and Tips
  • Disney World
  • Disney Cruise
  • Disney Life

How to Beat the Heat at Disneyland

6/30/2016

1 Comment

 
Strategies and tips to help you beat that heat at Disneyland
by Jennifer Stuart

For those of us from cooler climates Disneyland can be much warmer than home for most of the year, but in the summer months, or during a heatwave, it can be simply scorching. We have some strategies and tips to help you beat that heat in the parks.

Go Early and Stay Late

​I cannot say it often enough - go early and stay late.  This is especially effective on hot days when you want to get out of the midday sun.  Get up early and head to the parks for the lowest crowds of the day.  
Strategies and tips to help you beat that heat at Disneyland.
Even if you don’t have an early entry, it is worth it to get to the parks as early as possible. See our blog post on Magic Morning and Extra Magic Hour At Disneyland for more information.
Crowds increase dramatically by 11am, so start to either head to lunch or head back to your hotel for a recharge by noon.  A nap (even for adults) in air conditioned bliss is a great way to get out of the sun and let you all stay up late. ​
Strategies and tips to help you beat that heat at Disneyland
​Go back to the park for dinner or after dinner, when it starts to cool down.  You can expect crowds for the nighttime shows, but if you don’t want to watch them it can be a great time to get on rides.  Also the parks at night are beautiful and not to be missed.
​

More than Splash Mountain

Strategies and tips to help you beat that heat at Disneyland




​Sure, everyone wants to go on the water rides when it is hot (Splash Mountain and Grizzly River Run) but you can expect BIG lines by mid morning.   If you want to hop on these make sure to grab a fastpass for later use or consider going single rider.
Strategies and tips to help you beat that heat at Disneyland
​Think air conditioning.  In Disneyland,  Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Carribean, and Small World are longer rides in cool air conditioning.  In California Adventure, Little Mermaid usually has shorter wait times and Soaring lasts longer.  
Strategies and tips to help you beat that heat at Disneyland
t heat in the parks.

Shade Seekers

Search out  rides and attractions that offer shade.  When it is hot out, the last thing you want to do is wait for 45 minutes in the blazing sun. I am looking at you Autopia.  
Strategies and tips to help you beat that heat at Disneyland
These rides have shadier queues: 
Space Mountain
Pirates of the Caribbean
Jungle Cruise
Indiana Jones Adventure
Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride
Alice in Wonderland
Star Tours – The Adventure Continues
In DCA:
Grizzly River Run
Monster’s Inc. – Mike and Sulley to the Rescue

Rides with partially shaded queues:
Finding Nemo Submarine Ride
Haunted Mansion
Mad Tea Party (the tea cups)
 In DCA:
Little Mermaid – Ariel’s Undersea Adventures
Toy Story Midway Mania
Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree
Goofy’s Sky School
Most of the rides in Bug’s Land
For most of the day many of the Fantasyland rides in Disneyland are in the shade but they are also mostly original rides and they can be very stuffy.

Shady Spaces

Strategies and tips to help you beat that heat at Disneyland
Strategies and tips to help you beat that heat at Disneyland


​There are also shaded spaces that don’t exactly qualify as rides—so we will call them attractions.  Redwood Creek Challenge Trail in  DCA is a wonderfully shady heavily treed area in DCA.  Kids will have a blast climbing, sliding and swinging all out of the direct sunlight.  It is also a great place to sit in the shade for a break from all the hot pavement.  Tom Sawyer’s Island in Disneyland is another such area.

See a Show

Strategies and tips to help you beat that heat at Disneyland
​Disney is not all about the rides there are lots of other experiences to be enjoyed in the parks.  Consider watching vintage movies in the Main Street Theater or the interactive Turtle Talk with Crush.  (We once enjoyed the air conditioning here for over an hour while we waited for our hotel room to be ready and the temperature topped  100F/40C).  The show at the Hyperion Theater in DCA---Frozen (now open)  is a Broadway quality stage production that is well worth your time in any type of weather but is also a great place to sit down and cool down on a hot day.

Cool Spots to Eat

Strategies and tips to help you beat that heat at Disneyland
​When stopping for a bite to eat you will want to think about finding a spot that offers air-conditioning or good shade coverage.  In DCA, I love the seating outside Paradise Garden Grill and Boardwalk Pizza and Pasta.  The trees and shaded arbors are really nice.  Also good for shade is the covered seating beside Smoke Jumpers Grill. In Disneyland, I love the Hungry Bear (sadly the view is lacking these days as the Rivers of America are closed for refurbishment) but it is still very shady.  Other good shade options for outside seating are Rancho del Zocalo and Café Orleans.  Most restaurants have umbrellas to offer some shade for outdoor diners, but these are significantly shadier than the others. 
Strategies and tips to help you beat that heat at Disneyland
​


Insider Tip:  Need an air-conditioned break when exiting or entering Disneyland?  The shops on Main Street USA (and some near the entrance in DCA) are interconnected.  You can walk almost all the way from the hub to the Town Square in chilly bliss.

Splash Zone

Strategies and tips to help you beat that heat at Disneyland
There are places to get a little wet even if you aren't on the water rides.  In DCA walk down the path behind  the entrance to Grizzly River Run.  You can watch the extra river water come down the side of the rocks and be misted by cool water.  Venture down to the lookout next to the last drop  and expect to get wetter than the people on the ride. I mean soaked to the skin!  (I have warned you).

Strategies and tips to help you beat that heat at Disneyland
Also in DCA, visit Princess Dot's Puddle Park in Bug's Land.  It is a great little splash pad and the kids will love to run through the water and get wet.  Expect it to be busy on a hot day.
Strategies and tips to help you beat that heat at Disneyland
Unless you fall off the Jungle Cruise the only place to get wet in Disneyland is this giant wet ball outside of Space Mountain in Tomorrowland.  Honestly my kids love this.  It is amazing how long they could stay and play with it, and it does cool you off a bit.

Ice Ice (Cream)  Baby

Strategies and tips to help you beat that heat at Disneyland
As you might expect from a sunny holiday destination there are many delicious cool treats on offer at Disneyland.  See our blog post  7 of the Best Cool Treats at Disneyland for other ideas, but the Dole Whip available at the Tiki Juice Bar in Adventureland  has reached iconic status among fans and is hands down our family's first choice.  
Strategies and tips to help you beat that heat at Disneyland
 


​Insider Tip: Enjoy your Dole Whip and the lovely air conditioning while watching the show in the Enchanted Tiki Room. The line for the Dole Whips is shorter on that side and we love to watch this Disneyland classic.

Stay Hydrated

Strategies and tips to help you beat that heat at Disneyland
​Everyone is aware of the need to stay hydrated but it can be easy to forget when there is so much to see and do.  Bring a water bottle with you to the park (plastic- not glass). At last check a bottle of water was $2.79USD!! We buy a flat of water from Target and then just fill our water bottles at the hotel in the morning. 
Strategies and tips to help you beat that heat at Disneyland
Strategies and tips to help you beat that heat at Disneyland
​
Our favorite water bottles are the Platypus.  They are BPA free and  collapse as you drink them so they take up less space in your bag. 
​



​Any counter service restaurant will give you a FREE cup of ice water if you ask.  This is a great option to quench your thirst. If you can’t drink it all before your next ride just use it to refill your own water bottle.  Honestly this is the best deal in the parks and one you should take advantage of as much as possible.  If you don’t like the taste of tap water then bring a bottle of water enhancer in your bag.
Strategies and tips to help you beat that heat at Disneyland

Plan Pool Time

Strategies and tips to help you beat that heat at Disneyland
Most hotels in the Disneyland area have some kind of pool.  It can vary widely from a small rectangular pool to an elaborate pool with waterslides or a splash zone.  My kids are water babies for sure and we make sure to schedule some pool time in the afternoon when the sun is at it's hottest and we all need a break from the parks.  
​

Tools for Cool

There are some tools that you can bring with you to the parks that can really help you stay cool as you walk around in the heat.
Strategies and tips to help you beat that heat at Disneyland
Spray Bottle Cooling Fans 
Bring your own or spend the money to get the Disney ones.  Basically a spray water bottle with a battery powered fan attached.  These do really work to temporarily cool you down.  The Disney ones will run about $20USD so if you are prepared or looking to save some money then bring one from home.
Insider Tip: use ice from your drink to refill your fan with COLD water. If you use the Disney ones don’t fill them up all the way, they can get heavy.
​
​Cooling towels
 I know several people recomend these towels specifically for Disney and for good reason.  They really do work.  These were a life saver on our last 2 trips that both occurred in California heat waves. Look for cooling towels in your local sports stores or online.   
If you are Canadian click here to find them on for Amazon.ca
Strategies and tips to help you beat that heat at Disneyland

Heat Traps

​There are some places in the parks that are just SO much hotter than anywhere else.  In Disneyland, that would be Mickey’s Toontown.  In keeping with the theming of a cartoon land there is almost no greenery.  I find it hard to describe the heat here on a hot summer day.  The same applies to Cars Land.  There is lots of pavement and cacti but not a lot of shade.  Hit these early in the morning before the heat builds or for Carsland late at night.  Night in Carsland is cooler and really atmospheric with all the neon signs, but Toontown will be closed for safety to prepare for the fireworks.
 
If you enjoyed this post, you may be interested in some of our other posts.
Maxpass at Disneyland - a Step by Step Guide
Odd Things to Pack for Your Disneyland Vacation
Review - Docking Bay 7 - Galaxy's Edge
All photos by Jennifer and Kim Stuart
Thoughts?  Questions?  What tips do you find work for you to survive the heat?
1 Comment
Lynda
10/1/2019 07:46:35 pm

RIP Bugs Life Land in DCA... That splash pad was FABULOUS on hot days (and it was a shady area, in general), but it's all gone now. :(

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Find Us on YouTube

    Picture

    Follow us on Pinterest

    Mouse & the Magic

    For Canadians

    Categories

    All
    60th Anniversary
    Adult Disneyland
    Alaska
    Allergies
    Amazon
    Animal Kingdom
    App
    Batuu
    Best Of
    Blue Bayou
    Cabanas
    California Adventure
    California Adventure Dining
    Canadians
    Castaway Cay
    Castaway Club
    Christmas
    Classic Snack
    Counter Service
    Cove Cafe
    Cruise Ship Tour
    Cruising With Kids
    DCL
    Dining
    Discount
    Disney
    Disney +
    Disney At Home
    Disney Characters
    Disney Cruise
    Disney Cruise Dining
    Disney Cruise Line
    Disney Cruise Planning
    Disney Dream
    Disney Fantasy
    Disney Food
    Disneyland
    Disneyland Classic Snack
    Disneyland Dining
    Disneyland Hotel
    Disneylife
    Disney Magic
    Disney Movies
    Disney Plus
    Disney Springs
    Disneystyle
    Disney Style
    Disney Wonder
    Disney World
    Disney World Dining
    Disney World Planning
    Disney World Resort
    Downtown Disney
    Drinks
    Epcot
    Fall
    Family Travel
    Fantasmic
    Fastpass
    Fireworks
    Frozen
    Galaxy' Edge
    Galaxy's Edge
    Good Neighbour Hotel
    Halloweentime
    Holidays
    Hollywood Studios
    Hotel
    Hotel Review
    Information
    Kids
    Kids Clubs
    Magic Kingdom
    Maxpass
    Money Saving
    Oogie Boogie Bash
    Packing
    Pandora
    Parade
    Photopass
    Photos
    Pirate Night
    Planning
    Pre Schooler
    Pre-schooler
    Quick Service
    Quick-service
    Reviews
    Rides
    Secrets
    Shopping
    Silhouettes
    Souvenir
    Souvenirs
    Spring
    Starbucks
    Star Wars
    Summer
    Tableservice
    Table Service
    Tiana's Place
    Tickets And Passes
    Tips
    Transportation
    Tritons
    Vancouver
    Walt Disney World
    Winter

    Click to set custom HTML

    RSS Feed

    Archives

    September 2021
    August 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    February 2021
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016

Mouse and the Magic Copyright © 2016. This site is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or in any other way associated with the Walt Disney Company. For official information concerning Disney, visit Disney.com
  • Home
    • Contact >
      • Disclosure
      • Privacy Policy
      • Instagram
      • TikTok
  • Blog
  • Disneyland Resort
    • Dining and Hotels
    • Planning and Tips
  • Disney World
  • Disney Cruise
  • Disney Life