The best things to do in Orlando when it’s TOO hot!

It’s hot, muggy, and sunny pretty much the entire year in Orlando with the exception of November-February. While going on water rides, indulging in cool treats, and hiking in air conditioned line queues & shops can help a bit, sometimes it’s just too hot to have much fun.

In fact, I’ve found myself leaving Disney (but never Universal for some reason) after just a few hours on numerous occasions due solely to the intensely uncomfortable conditions. Islands is my favorite park to visit during the summer months as there are a number of fabulous water rides which will really cool you down for a while.

While it’s best to plan your visit during the milder fall-winter season, we all know that this is not always possible due to work, financial, or family concerns. Fortunately, I have discovered numerous ways to beat the heat while still enjoying my vacation! After 3 years of living through the brutally hot & humid Florida summers, plus endless trips to the parks over the last 2 decades, I’ve compiled my guide of the best ways to stay cool no matter how much the thermometer climbs past 90.

First off…

*Avoid planning back-to-back park days, especially during the dead of summer. On my first trip, we planned 5 days of back-to-back park days! You really need a day off in between park days to cool down, give your feet a break, and simply relax & rejuvenate. Spend this time cooling off in your resort pool or seeking out air conditioned indoor attractions (more on that in a bit).

*Consider a fastpass. Fast passes are a better value during the hot season. They are too pricey any other time of the year in my opinion.

*Alternatively, you can ride as a single rider and cut down your wait time tremendously. This really helps when the line is in the direct sunshine as the case for Hagrid’s Motorbike Adventure and many others. As a recent example, the new Ministry ride at Epic had an average 3-5 hour wait during our early June visit. We got on as a single rider in 45 min!

*Get to the parks right at opening. It’s always a little bit cooler and less crowded in the morning hours. The more crowds, the hotter it gets. Consider booking a stay at one of the on-site theme park resorts. At Universal, you will get 1 hour early admission to Islands of Adventure. I also like to explore the parks more after 7pm when the sun starts going down and the crowds thin out. Look at the difference at Universal at early admission vs. hours later!

*Come prepared to deal with the heat. Wear light loose clothing. Refill your water bottles (for free) at the Coke Freestyle stations throughout the park. Consider wearing a camelbak for easy water access. Have sunblock & sunglasses on hand. A mini water spray mister fan works wonders. An umbrella is great for sunny queues. A cooling workout towel works wonders (find one at any sporting goods store). Also pack cool light snacks (pretzels, fruit snacks, PB&J, crackers). Go on water rides mid-day.

*Consider planning a day at one of the overlooked water parks. Summer is a great time to take advantage of a unique Disney or Universal themed waterpark. We often pass up on these because the main parks offer so much more bang for your buck.

Options include:

• Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon: Tropical themed, known for its’ surf beach.
• Disney’s Blizzard Beach: Unique ski resort theme, known for its’ chairlift ride.
• Universal’s Volcano Bay: Tropical themed with a unique volcano and great lazy river.

*Be sure to plan at least one day at Islands of Adventure. With several amazing water rides, Islands easily beats Universal for me during the summer months. I love all the water rides. Plus, there are some amazing coasters here including: the Hulk, the new VelociCoaster, and Hagrid’s Motorbike Adventure (the best coaster in any of the parks).

3 Universal water rides not to miss: The ultimate summer cooldown

Dudley Do Right’s Ripsaw Falls: Cartoon themed log flume ride with 2 huge drops in the Toon Lagoon section of Islands. You’ll get drenched on this one! Lots of fun twists and curves to keep kids and adults interested! I totally love this one: sometimes I go on 2-3 times. T

he line is so stuffy so you will be looking forward to that final drenching drop. On a side note, this one is a tough squeeze for tall people. Mike is well over 6 feet and he couldn’t comfortably fit in the seat (he now sits this one out unfortunately).

Jurassic Park: This is one of my old-school favorites that I never miss out on. It’s such a trip down memory lane to hear the theme music as you travel around Isla Nublar in company of animatronic dinosaurs. The ending 85 foot drop is pretty scary. I recommend sitting in the front seat if you want to get totally soaked. Check out that splash in my picture!

Popeye & Bluto’s Bilge Rat Barges: This is the most fun water ride if you are visiting with a large group. There are 12 seats so the line moves pretty fast even though this one gets busy. It’s similar to a whitewater adventure with unexpected twists, turns, and drops as you make your way down the rushing river rapids. You will get totally soaked on this one probably more so than any other water ride.

You can check out my full guide to the most fun water rides for more details. Unfortunately, Disney is much more limited in terms of water rides which is why I usually plan Universal for summer trips. Tiana’s Bayou Adventure (formerly Splash Mountain) is basically your only choice.

My best tips to cool down during the hot afternoon hours

Really, how do you cool down when the forecast calls for 90, sunny, and humid? It seems impossible, but it is doable if you come prepared and take breaks throughout the day. Drink plenty of water, visit air conditioned shops in between rides, save water rides for mid-day, splurge on cool refreshing treats, use an umbrella, and avoid lines in direct sunshine mid-day.

*Take advantage of complimentary ice water at any food stand. Drink up to prevent heat exhaustion. Avoid too many dehydrating drinks like soda and coffee. Sometimes I wear a camelbak for easy access. Update: Coke Freestyle stations with free water are now available throughout the parks. You can also purchase a refillable pop deal for $18.99.

*Focus on cooling snacks like fruit bowls, salads, smoothies, wraps, rice bowls). Avoid fried and fatty foods.

*Splurge on a cool treat. Numerous ice cream shops can be found throughout the parks. For anyone needing a vegan treat, Dole Whip is a delicious naturally dairy-free frozen treat available at Aloha Isle at the Magic Kingdom. And, of course, Butterbeer (which tastes kinda like a frosty butterscotch/cream soda drink) at The Wizarding world of Harry Potter is the ultimate summer cool down. Check out my summer treat guide for more refreshingly cool splurges at both parks.

*Save water rides for the afternoon. I recommend spending the morning hours waiting in line for any rides with a hot outside queue. The hot afternoon hours are best spent enjoying water rides or cool indoor attractions like live shows, 3D movies, and any rides with air conditioned queues.

*Save your shopping for the mid-afternoon hours. Although it’s tempting to rush right into the shops as soon as you enter the park, it’s best to take a break and browse the shops during the hottest part of the day. Many times, I visit the huge Universal Studio stores at Citywalk after park closing so I don’t waste time!

Also, if your time at the park is limited due to the temperatures, you will want to know just what is worth squeezing into a small time frame. I wrote a comprehensive guide to what I believe are the best things to do at Universal Studios to help you plan your day.

Take advantage of indoor dining during mid afternoon hours

There are lots of fun themed restaurants within all the parks. Most of the time, we eat a full breakfast at our resort, snack during the day, and wait to eat a big dinner until the park closes. On really hot days, we might stop in a sit down restaurant or walk over to Citywalk to bask in the AC of Hard Rock Cafe. One time, we booked reservations for this cave themed restaurant called Mythos at Islands. It was a really hot summer day and we definitely appreciated the much needed AC break!

Three Broomsticks: This is a Harry Potter themed cafe at Islands of Adventure which serves British themed pub fare. Go light with a potato leek soup and salad combo, and definitely order a frozen butterbeer on the side.

Mythos: Underwater grotto themed restaurant at Islands of Adventure. You will find a diverse menu of Mediterranean & Asian fare. The Pad Thai is excellent. Mythos was rated the world’s best theme park restaurant many years.

Liberty Tree Tavern: 18th century colonial themed restaurant at the Magic Kingdom featuring a buffet of Thanksgiving favorites.

Louie’s Italian: Great pizza place at Universal Studios. Grab a jumbo slice for just 12 bucks and do treat yourself to the amazing garlic knots! Be sure to stick around for the awesome Blues Brothers show.

Be Our Guest: Super popular Beauty & the Beast themed restaurant at the Magic Kingdom. Reservations required for dinner.

Cool down with a show!

There are so many great live entertainment opportunities within each park. Many tourists skip over them in favor of the rides. I admit that I did too on my first few vacations. If you have been to Disney/Universal one too many a time, you may want to check out a few of the amazing shows! Shows in the AC are even better on a hot summer day. My recommended picks:

Horror Makeup Show at Universal. I love this show! It’s so creative, educational, and fun all at the same time. Being a big horror buff, I really enjoyed learning more about the industry. You can learn how Hollywood does some of your favorite horror and makeup special effects in a nice cool air conditioned setting. As a horror movie fan, I really found this one interesting. The best half hour break from the heat in my opinion!

Mickey’s Philharmonic 3D show at Magic Kingdom. This is an oldie, but a goodie. Although the tech is a bit outdated, this show features tons of great Disney songs and fun special effects.

Hall of Presidents: Old time classic featuring realistic animatronics of every President. It’s 25 min long so a great break from the heat.

Monsters Inc Laugh Floor at Magic Kingdom. Get ready for big laughs as you enjoy a fun comedy show with Mike Wazowski and gang. Not only is this one of the more overlooked attractions at Disney, but also a great opportunity to relax in the air for a half hour.

The hottest & coolest queues

I recommend saving rides with cool indoor queues for the middle of the day. There are a number of really cool dark inside waits (like Hogwarts Castle) where you can trade in the hot sun in exchange for a gloomy ambiance for a few hours.

Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey: The best HP themed ride also features the best queue at any theme park. The super cool dark waiting area takes you through the Hogwarts Castle with tons of cool special effects including talking portraits, moving newspapers, the sorting hat, and cast appearances via holograms. Even if you don’t want to go on this ride, I recommend the walk through queue. Located at Islands.

The Mummy: This is an awesome themed movie ride with an awesome queue. It’s so cool, dark, and mysterious, and even a bit spooky, and (almost) as much fun as the ride itself. I finally got around to seeing the movies recently so the ride was even more fun for me on my most recent trip! Located at Universal.

King Kong: Skull Island: Fun ride with really cool special effects. The queue is dark with lots of cool special effects. Located at Islands.

Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment: This is a really amazing ride at the new Epic Universe park, definitely one of the hidden gems. The special effects are insane, both on the ride and while waiting in line. I loved the queue just as much as the ride! Definitely a cool escape mid day! This ride is similar in nature to The Forbidden Journey.

Ministry of Magic: The long awaited new Harry Potter ride at Epic is fantastic, although it comes with a very lengthy wait which can be hours long with delays. Fortunately, much of the wait is inside and the queue is air conditioned. Lots of stuff to look at during the long wait including a cool floo powder exit.

Hogwarts Express: A themed Harry Potter train ride takes you in between Universal & Islands. The entire waiting area is inside King’s Cross or the Diagon Alley train station, so a nice cool escape!

Other fantastic air-conditioned queues/attractions include:

• Men in Black (Universal)
• Space Mountain (Magic Kingdom)
• It’s a Small World (Magic Kingdom)
• All the shops in Diagon Alley (Universal) and Hogsmeade (Islands)
• E.T. (Universal), Escape to Gringotts (Universal)
• Pirates of the Caribbean (Magic Kingdom)
• Toy Story Mania (Magic Kingdom)
• Under the Sea (Magic Kingdom)
• Mario Kart (Epic)
• King Kong (Islands)
• The Haunted Mansion (Magic Kingdom)

On the other end, the absolute worst queues during the hot summer season include

• The Flight of the HIppogriff (Islands)
• Hagrid’s Motorbike (Islands)
• The Simpsons (Universal)
• Seven Dwarfs Mine Train (Magic Kingdom)
• Jungle Cruise (Magic Kingdom)
• Aladdin’s Magic Carpet (Magic Kingdom)
• Stardust Racers (Epic)
• Mine Cart Madness (Epic)
• Ripsaw Falls (Islands)
• Popeye & Bluto’s (Islands)
• The Hulk (Islands)

My favorite indoor activities

On your day off from the parks, you will have no shortage of fun attractions to check out around Orlando. Many of these are located in easy to get to destinations like Disney Springs, Citywalk, and International Drive. Some resorts even offer free shuttle service (i.e. Universal to Citywalk). Fortunately, most of these attractions are indoors, and thus, perfect on really brutal days where the parks are out of question.

Play mini golf in the dark at Putting Edge

This city is home to some beautiful mini golf courses. That being said, it’s way too hot to enjoy these courses in the dead of summer. The only course I would consider is Pirate’s Cove which is considerably shady. For those who can’t take the insane heat, Putting Edge is a unique glow in the dark mini golf course featuring 18 holes. It’s a bit overpriced, but a fun way to kill an hour or 2. I love all the colorful artwork!

Enjoy arcade games at Dave & Busters

Anyone who loves old school arcade or carnival style games will love the diverse variety of games offered at this popular entertainment destination. Test your hand at fair favorites like the goldfish bowl or clown toss, challenge yourself to modern faves like Guitar Hero, or go really old-school with Skeeball.

I’ve been coming here for years – I love putting away my phone and just having nostalgic fun. Plus, there is a full service restaurant, a huge bar, dozens of flat screens, thus making it an ideal place to beat an entire afternoon of heat.

See your favorite celebs at the Hollywood Wax Museum

The first US wax museum, Potters, opened in St. Augustine in the 1940’s. Today, you can find a wax museum in pretty much any American vacation destination. They tend to be a bit overpriced, however, if you are looking to escape the heat for a bit, it may be a worthy addition to your itinerary.

At Icon Park’s Hollywood Wax Museum, you will see many political, historical, and entertainment figures. Combine it with the Icon Ferris wheel for a discount. I especially loved the Grease scene: it’s one of my favorite movies!

Soar high above the city on the Icon wheel

At one point, the Orlando Eye (now the Icon) was the largest Ferris wheel in the world. Although it no longer claims the title, it’s still a great activity for anyone seeking something cool to do outside the theme parks. You will soar 400 feet above the city in an enclosed air conditioned gondola as you gaze upon the entire metro.

Pretty views include vistas of lakes and preserves, and even a glimpse of Universal & Disney on a clear day. When combined with the wax museum and a restaurant, you have a nice little day out away from the parks. I’ll admit, it’s not the most scenic Ferris wheel I’ve been on, but it’s a great add on activity if you will be in the area.

Shop for everything Disney (at a bargain)

You literally cannot drive down the street anywhere without running into a touristy Disney gift shop. A hot summer day is the perfect opportunity to go bargain hunting for souvenirs. Compared to the theme parks, the merchandise at these off property shops is pretty affordable, with everything available from Disney mugs, to beach towels, to picture frames, to clothing available.

Note: there are tons of these gift shops along I-drive. Also, I recommend checking out Disney’s Character Warehouse Outlet at the Orlando Premium Outlets.

Hit the mall

There are a number of great indoor malls where you can cool down in the AC for a bit. While the city is most well-known for their fantastic selection of outlet malls, it’s a bit too hot to stroll around outside during the summer season.

I recommend The Mall at Millenia, one of the largest in the state with over 140 shops. Besides great stores, there are lots of great chain restaurants here including The Cheesecake Factory, PF Changs, and Brio Tuscan Grill. The Florida Mall, with over 200 stores, is another great choice as one of the state’s largest. Fashion Square is yet another idea. Basically, you won’t run out of shopping options.

Enjoy lunch at a themed restaurant

You will find no shortage of over-the-top themed dining options. Most of the time, I support local businesses, but here I like to indulge in a fun themed dining experience at least once. In addition to common vacation chains like Hard Rock Cafe, Margaritaville, and Bubba Gump Shrimp, there are number of interesting local options.

These include Raglan Road (an Irish pub featuring live step dancing), Sanaa (an amazing African/Indian restaurant which looks out unto the Savannah at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge), and Toothsome Chocolate Emporium (a whimsical steampunk themed restaurant which serves crazy desserts).

Go bowling at a hip alley

Bowling doesn’t have to be a boring smoke filled affair. This city is home to several trendy modern alleys including Splitsville Luxury Lanes at Disney Springs. Not only is the decor super swanky, but the food menu is super cool too with everything from sushi to grilled salmon to Chicken fried rice on the lineup.

Of course, they also offer all your favorite comfort treats including nachos, pizza, and various fried apps. Frozen drinks, draft beer, wine, and specialty cocktails are also served. There is also a really cool retro themed alley at Cabana Bay resort if you are staying there.

Check out the indie coffee scene

Although you can always find a Starbucks (they even have several locations within the Disney parks!), there are also loads of great independent shops. Drunken Monkey is a eclectic funky independent shop which serves the best vegan soups (the broc cheese is incredible!). CFS is a colorful shop which serves great food. Check out my top coffee picks for more info.

Explore a local museum

There are a ton of great museums to take advantage of on a hot afternoon. The Orlando Science Center, Cornell Fine Arts Museum, and The Orlando Museum of Art are great places to start. One of my favorites, The Morse Museum of American Art in Winter Park, features the largest collection of works by glass artist Louis Tiffany, known for his stained glass windows and iconic lamps. I could stay in here all day!

This was one of my first activities I checked out outside the parks and still one of my favorites. Definitely explore a bit away from the strip malls and common tourist attractions!

Stroll around CityWalk or Disney Springs (at night)

If you do plan on venturing to either of these entertainment complexes, definitely wait until the sun goes down. Yes, it will still be miserably hot and humid with temps still hovering high above 90. However, it’s a bit more comfortable without the sun shining in your face on top of the heat.

On an exceptionally hot day, we sometimes stop for a long lunch at a Citywalk restaurant to escape the heat for a bit: it’s not too long of a walk from Islands. Here are some of my favorite spots in each entertainment district:

CityWalk: Hard Rock Cafe, Margaritaville, Vivo Italian Kitchen, Toothsome Chocolate Emporium, Voodoo Doughnuts, Universal Studios Store, Hollywood Drive-In mini golf.

Disney Springs: Raglan Road, Erin McKenna’s Vegan Bakery, Splitsville Lanes, AMC, Ghirardelli Soda Fountain, Joffrey’s Coffee, Sprinkles Cupcakes, Planet Hollywood, The Lego Store.

You can check out my Springs activity guide and my Citywalk entertainment guide for more details on each.