Top Tips for an Orlando Summer

July and August are a busy time for Brits in Orlando. We typically see a flood of new arrivals from Gatwick, Heathrow, Manchester, Newcastle, Edinburgh and other points around the UK.

It is the annual Summer Pilgrimage, a veritable tsunami of tourists from good old Blighty, all ready to have fun and enjoy the Theme Park Capital of the World to the max.

But hold on a minute, this is July and August in the sub-tropics, and just charging around willy-nilly in this climate is the recipe for disaster. We’ve already seen it in parts of Mediterranean Europe, and it is happening in whole regions of the US, too.

It is a general heatwave that is causing major complications for all those who work and play outdoors and, while Central Florida isn’t directly in the crosshairs now, it is still something newcomers need to be aware of.

But Florida has air-conditioning, right?

This is true, but the power of good A/C only goes so far and, when so many of Orlando’s attractions are outdoors, it isn’t going to come to your rescue all the time.

The good news is that there is usually an air-conditioned refuge not too far away, and you will need to seek them out at regular intervals, as just standing in the shade outside isn’t going to do it!

All the theme parks feature indoor shows and other attractions, and it is worth making a note of them to ensure you get a regular cool-down, especially in the afternoon when the thermometer can easily hit 35C and feel even hotter.

So, make a note of the following attractions at each park, and try to make sure they are on your To-Do list at some stage, as most also provide an extended break from the sun:

Magic Kingdom: Mickey’s PhilharMagic, Space Mountain, Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin, Monsters Inc Laugh Floor, Pirates of the Caribbean, Journey of the Little Mermaid, the Haunted Mansion, it’s a small world, Hall of Presidents, Peter Pan’s Flight and Country Bear Jamboree. And don’t rule out the old-fashioned Carousel of Progress, which provides a great sit-down in the air-conditioned cool, while the character meet-and-greet of Pete’s Silly Sideshow is fully indoors and offers a welcome break.

Epcot: With this park, it’s easier to say what isn’t indoors, and therefore a cool hangout. The Food & Wine Festival kiosks are all al fresco, as are the concerts at the America Gardens Theatre, but otherwise it is pretty much all under cover. That means you only need to worry about being out in the sun as you go from pavilion to pavilion and try not to wilt in between!

Disney’s Hollywood Studios: Again, this is a park that has most of its rides and shows inside, hence it is a good one for hot days. The Indiana Jones Stunt Show isn’t air-conditioned, but it IS under a big roof, and there are fans to keep the air moving. Otherwise, the only real area to watch out for is Toy Story Land, where two of the three rides are relatively in the open and there isn’t a lot of shade.

Animal Kingdom: While the lush foliage and clever theming look like they should keep things pretty cool, this is a HOT park for the most part. Shows like Festival of the Lion King and Finding Nemo are in fully air-conditioned theatres with a good sit-down guaranteed, as is It’s Tough To Be A Bug, while Dinosaur! and the two rides of Pandora are equally well chilled. The Kali River Rapids water ride is also a quick way to cool off, as most riders risk a good soaking!

Universal Studios: Happily, this is another park where most attractions are inside. The only ones to watch out for in terms of risking too much sun are the Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit coaster and Kang and Kodos Twirl ’n Hurl. The street shows can also leave you a bit exposed to the elements. The Hogwarts Express is a great way to get from one park to the other without having to do all that walking in between!

Islands of Adventure: Again, Universal has tucked many of the key rides indoors, albeit the Hulk and VelociCoaster rides, Dr Doom’s Fearfall and the Flight of the Hippogriff and Hagrid’s coaster in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter are all fully exposed. However, there are also the Jurassic Park River Adventure, Popey & Bluto’s Bilge Rat Barges and Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls water rides to cool, you down, quickly.

SeaWorld: This park has a lot of its attractions outdoors and it’s a big one to have to get around when it’s hot, hence you should pay special attention to the following for the air-conditioning: Turtle Trek, Wild Arctic, the queue for Manta, most of Journey to Atlantis and anything in the Nautilus Theater (which hosts seasonal entertainment). The Infinity Falls raft ride is another one that offers an instant cool-off! Beware the Sesame Street Land with young children - there is not a lot indoors here.

It’s the humidity, see?

Why Orlando is so hot is easy to explain. Florida is basically a big, wet, flat marsh with hot bodies of water on either side, and these provide masses of moisture daily from May to late November.

This translates into lots of thunderstorms that typically arrive in the afternoon, pour down for an hour or so, then move on, leaving the sun to come back and turn the place into a sauna. The humidity can easily top 90 per cent in the hottest months, and that is why the actual Heat Index is higher than the mere temperature, sometimes by another five or six degrees.

Don’t worry, though, if you see a two-week Orlando forecast that just shows “Thunderstorms.” While there WILL be heavy downpours at times, they are rarely prolonged and they don’t usually stop much of the theme park action.

The only other things to bear in mind are to use a really high factor suncream (ideally SPF 50 or above) and drink lots more water than you usually do at home during the day. Sunstroke is one of the most common ailments in the theme parks in the summer, so just make sure you stay fully hydrated.

PS: Don’t be fooled. An Orlando summer typically lasts until October, so you can’t think you can dodge the heat during the autumn half-term holidays!

Be sure to look up our Weather page for more details about what to expect month by month (but don’t forget those are also average temperatures, and they can definitely be hotter at times).

What are your best tips for Florida in the summer? Let us know on our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages… and don’t forget to interact with us on Pinterest and now TikTok too!