What to Do When It’s Hot at Disneyland

Summer is in full swing at Disneyland Resort and it’s been HOT. It’s true that the majority of your day will be spent outdoors but there are some ways to beat the heat during your visit to Disneyland and Disney California Adventure this Summer.

#1: Free water

As you know, it’s extremely important to stay hydrated while you tour Disneyland. Bringing your own insulated water bottle to refill during the day is a good option, but you can also get free cups of water from quick service restaurants in both Disneyland and Disney California Adventure. Simply walk up to any quick service restaurant and ask for a cup of ice water. By default they will give you the smallest cup, but you may ask for a larger size and the cast member may or may not oblige. Dasani water bottles sold throughout the parks for over $4 a bottle, but honestly I’d rather have a heat stroke than drink Dasani.

#2: Focus on long air conditioned rides during the day

Sure it seems obvious to say “ride the rides with air conditioning,” but I’m saying be strategic about it. Knock out the rides that expose you to the outdoors in the early morning and evening when temperatures are cooler. Some examples of this are Radiator Springs Racers, Matterhorn Bobsleds, Dumbo, Incredicoaster, and any attraction where the majority of the queue is located outside in direct sunlight. Then during the day take advantage of rides and shows like “it’s a small world,” Pirates of the Caribbean, Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room, and Mickey’s Philharmagic where you have long uninterrupted lengths of time in glorious air conditioning. Also, don’t forget about lesser known attractions like Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln and Main Street Cinema.

#3: Use the Disney Vacation Club lounge in Tomorrowland

Disney Vacation Club members can make use of an exclusive lounge in the Star Wars Launch Bay building in Disneyland’s Tomorrowland. There’s plenty of chairs to relax in, and there’s complimentary drinks and snacks. There’s a decent amount of room but there’s not an unlimited amount of space so there may be a wait.

#4: Hang out in the Animation building in Disney California Adventure

This isn’t exactly a secret tip. During hot days you’ll find many families sprawled out on the floor inside DCA’s Animation building lobby. But there are plenty of things to do inside this building besides sit. You can do the Animation Academy, where a Disney artist will walk you through a step-by-step guide on how to draw a Disney character. There’s also Turtle Talk with Crush, and Sorcerer’s Workshop which is full of interactive exhibits.

#5: Take advantage of single rider lines

Wait less in the heat by using single rider lines on any attractions that offer them. This can not only save you a significant amount of time overall, but it also gets you inside the air conditioned rides faster. The attractions that currently offer single rider lines are: Matterhorn Bobsleds, Space Mountain, Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run in Disneyland, and Radiator Springs Racers, Incredicoaster, Goofy’s Sky School, Grizzly River Run, Soarin’ Around the World, and WEB SLINGERS: A Spider-Man Adventure in DCA all have single rider lines.

Plan your perfect Disneyland trip! Check out our Disneyland Crowd Calendar, so you can see how busy Disneyland and DCA will be during your visit. Also check out our Disneyland Touring Plans which show you how to beat the crowds and spend less time in line at your favorite rides. Our Touring Plans can also be personalized! All of our tools are used by hundreds of thousands of visitors each year and are constantly being updated by our in-park team of researchers and data scientists.

Do you have any other tips for beating the heat at Disneyland? Let us know in the comments.