Orlando gets HOT during the summer, that’s no secret, but surviving a theme park day in said heat is much harder than it seems.
The heat tires you out even if you’re just sitting down watching your kid’s soccer game or sitting by the pool, so spending a day in Epic Universe, a park with little-to-no-shade, when it’s 99 degrees outside? That’s a challenge. But it’s something I do almost EVERY day, so here are my tips to making sure you stay alive and thriving on your HOT park day!
Stay Hydrated!
Staying hydrated is something we talk about ALL the time here at AllEars, but it’s true that if you don’t stay hydrated, it can quickly become a BAD day. Thankfully, Epic Universe makes it much easier to stay hydrated than other parks thanks to their Coca-Cola refill stations ALL over the park.
Not only are these located inside at pretty much every quick service location, but you’ll also find them around most outdoor kiosk locations. You can check the Universal Orlando app to check out where ones are, but you’re usually no more than a five minute walk from one. You can refill ANY water bottle with ice AND cold water! Much easier to get yourself to drink water on a hot day when the water is actually cold, so I can’t recommend it enough.
Going Inside Where You Can
Epic Universe doesn’t have a ton of shade, that much is true, but there are places you can go to get out of the heat. I personally walk through indoor restaurants or merchandise locations as shortcuts when I can on super hot days (although it does end up with me looking at more merchandise than I care to admit).
This also applies for when you’re in line for attractions too. While most of them are covered, if you’re willing to split up with your party, going into the single rider line often gets you out of the sun quicker!
Taking Breaks
I know, I know, it sounds overrated, but taking breaks when you need to is a BIG part of surviving the day. Since I’m in the parks so much, I can usually tell what my limit is and how to avoid it, but the hotter it is, the quicker that limit can sneak up on me.
If you head to a quick service location at off-peak times, you can take a seat at a table in the AC to cool off (but I try to make sure I’m not taking a table from someone trying to find a spot to eat), or you can walk inside a merchandise location to browse for a bit and get your body temperature back to normal. Personally, if the line isn’t too long, I also like to hop on Fyre Drill in Isle of Burk to get soaked with water — that’ll cool you off too! Sometimes your body won’t signal to you that you’re hungry or thirsty until you’ve cooled off, and making sure you keep your body fueled is also important so you can stay ahead of those cues!
Wearing The Right Clothes
It’s also important to make sure you wear clothes that are comfortable, but that will also keep you cool! Wearing lighter colors often keep you cooler than darker colors, and wearing moisture-wicking clothing can also prove to be very helpful.
Sometimes this looks like wearing lighter colored leggings instead of black leggings or jeans, wearing shorts instead of pants, or maybe something flowy that allows for air to move instead of something of a tighter fit. Whatever will keep you cool but ALSO make you feel comfortable walking around all day is the key!
Be sure to stay tuned to AllEars for all the latest Epic Universe news and beyond — we’re here to help you make sure you’ll have the best vacation possible!…