Beat the Heat At Disneyland - Running Around With Lindsey

Happy Monday! I hope all of you had a great holiday weekend. A large majority of my weekend was spent enjoying time with my family- drinking coffee and hanging out. The other portion of my weekend was spent putting together some travel quotes from some amazing vacations!

As all of you know, I love anything Disney and Disneyland is my absolute favorite vacation destination. That being said, visiting in the summer time months is a little different because you have to get a little creative with ways to stay cool while visiting the parks. Today I am going to be sharing with you my top 10 ways to beat the heat at Disneyland.

Arrive At The Parks Early-I would highly recommend arriving early at the parks so that you can enjoy some of the outdoor rides without the midday heat! You will also avoid some of the crowd and hopefully get on rides a little easier and faster. Not into getting up early? See #2!
Utilize Max Pass– I am working on a blog post regarding all the amazing benefits of the Max Pass and why I think it is totally worth the investment. But, for now I will say that Max Pass definitely cuts down on not only the time you wait, particularly on the rides with an outside waiting area but also on the time spent standing in the sun deciding what to do next.
Stay At The Parks Late– Like option #1, this option allows you to escape the heat and take advantage of the thinning crowd. If you can head back to your resort or hotel in the afternoon to cool off in the room or take advantage of the pool, that is even better! Most weekends, the park closes at 12:00 A.M. which allows for plenty of time for enjoying dinner and/or a nighttime show before heading back to the room.
Water Rides, Water Rides, Water Rides-At the Disneyland Resort you have access to not 1 but 2 water rides. The only issue? Everyone is thinking the same thing! I would highly recommend getting in line early in the day, booking a Fast Pass for later use so that you aren’t stuck waiting in a long line or heading there during one of the nighttime shows when the line is a little bit shorter. Water rides not your jam? See option #5!
Indoor Rides-If you are like me and not necessarily a fan of getting wet, there are plenty of options for indoor rides that provide a nice air conditioned break from the heat! In Disneyland, head over to the Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean and It’s A Small World. In California Adventure, venture over to Soarin’ or The Little Mermaid ride. It is definitely advisable to get a Fast Pass for Soarin’ since it usually fills up quickly!
Stay Hydrated!-I know, I know! It is common knowledge to stay hydrated but the distractions are real when you are running from ride to ride and you may just forget to take a sip of water here and there. One of the best solutions my family and I have found is to bring our own water bottles. Not only does this save money but it also gives us the option to sip on our water when we are waiting in line. Another great option is that any counter service restaurant will give you a cup of ice water for free, just ask! ** The water bottles that we take to the parks are Contigo and we have great luck with them staying cold for a really long time.
Made In The Shade-If you do get to the point where there are no Fast Passes left, you may just be stuck waiting in line. The following rides offer the shadiest waiting areas: Disneyland- Star Tours, Pinocchio’s Daring Journey, Snow White’s Scary Adventure, Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, Jungle Cruise, Space Mountain, Indiana Jones, Alice in Wonderland and Pirates of the Caribbean( this one depends on exactly how long the wait time is!),Haunted Mansion ( again this one depends on the wait time). California Adventure- Monster’s Inc. and Grizzly River Run
Dine Indoors!-I will say that this one is a toughie depending on the day because everyone has the same idea! A large majority of the restaurants that offer indoor dining will usually have full tables, sometimes with people simply wanting to beat the heat and not necessarily enjoying a meal or a drink. The top options for Disneyland are- Rancho Del Zocalo, Café Orleans, Plaza Inn, Alien Pizza Planet and Red Rose Tavern. California Adventure- Smoke Jumpers Grill, Starbucks, Garden Grill and Boardwalk Pizza and Pasta and Lamplight Lounge. In both parks, both of the ice cream parlors do have indoor dining as well!
See A Show or Learn to Draw!-This one is a great option but does require a little bit of outdoor waiting in some cases. Frozen is currently playing at the Hyperion Theater in California Adventure and it will DEFINITELY help you cool off. Once inside you can enjoy an amazing show and relax for just about an hour. California Adventure also offers a learn to draw class and Turtle Talk with Crush in the Disney Animation Building. Disneyland offers the opportunity to enjoy some old fashioned vintage movies on Main Street, Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln, and 3D showings of different shows throughout the year at what used to be Captain EO’S theater in Tomorrowland.
Go Shopping!-When all else fails, go shopping! The fun part is, is that you don’t even need to spend money to enjoy the air conditioning, take a look at the amazing décor and variety of themes in the stores located throughout the entire Disneyland Resort.