9. Use rides and queues to your advantage

Image: Disney

Most guests will do just about anything to get out of the mid-day heat at Walt Disney World, and that usually means heading straight for air-conditioned restaurants and rides. Unless you’re trying to outsmart crowds, there are a few tricks you can use to get the most cooling power out of your ride choices.

For one thing, stop worrying about getting wet. Ditch that silly poncho you’ve been saving for Splash Mountain and embrace the opportunity to get soaked. Kali River Rapids is a particularly good choice since it will leave you absolutely drenched. Now, here’s the trick: instead of just wandering around with all that water steaming in the Florida sun, opt instead to head straight into a long air-conditioned queue.

I hate waiting in line and will usually jump through any hoops necessary to avoid long attraction waits. On a hot day, however, long indoor queues are your friend. The combination of being damp from a water ride then heading into air-conditioning might be just the recipe you need to cool down. Even if you’re totally dry, a long wait indoors might provide just the break you need to miss the hottest part of the day. Soarin’ is an excellent example of a good queue to pick since it’s entirely indoors and the trivia app for the ride makes the wait fly by like a breeze.

You don’t just have to head inside for a ride either. Enjoy some of Disney’s indoor walking attractions, like the Festival Center for the Epcot Food and Wine Festival or Walt Disney: One Man’s Dream to get a little extra mileage out of that glorious a/c.

10. Don’t wait until you’re dying to visit First Aid

We cannot gush enough about the unsung happy place which is Disney parks First Aid stations. Most people assume First Aid is just for emergencies and treating scraped knees, but the First Aid stations at Walt Disney World are equipped to deal with all sorts of unusual guest emergencies. The nurses who work there are some of the nicest cast members you’ll meet. We’ve talked before about how they keep a number of OTC medications and convenience items stocked for urgent needs, but one of the best ways a visit to First Aid can help your vacation is by making sure you don’t drop from heat exhaustion.

Heat-related distress is pretty common at Walt Disney World. It’s easy for both kids and adults alike to overdo it and not realize they’ve passed from dehydration into danger until it’s too late. If you start feeling less-than-magical due to the heat, head to First Aid. If you just need to be rehydrated, the nurses will make sure you get the necessary water intake and rest in the air conditioning for a bit. They also can provide ice packs to help you cool down, and they even have a space designed for guests who need a physical or mental health break to recover.

If you’re experiencing the telltale signs of heat exhaustion (fatigue, confusion, dizziness, nausea, cramps, etc.) or even worse, heat stroke (red, hot, dry skin, rapid pulse, shallow breathing, lack of sweat, etc.), they can diagnose you quickly and get you the necessary medical attention you need. Our advice? Don’t wait until that point. If the park is packed and all our other tricks for cooling down aren’t working, just stop by First Aid and take the time you need to recover.

What are some other unorthodox hacks you can try to cool down at Walt Disney World?