Before you say “as little as possible,” let’s give this some thought. 1. Always dress appropriately, if you’d wear it to the beach or the club it probably isn’t appropriate for a family theme park. 2. Somethings wearing as little as possible actually isn’t the most comfortable option: I know I’m speaking as someone with slightly larger than ordinary thighs, however do you really want your unclothed thighs sticking to everywhere you sit on vacation? I didn’t think so. When you go to ‘Ohana and leave with a food baby, do you want all the world to see it? Moving on…
Wear loose clothing
This might not seem like a big deal, but wearing loose clothing actually helps a lot when the heat and humidity is way up. Even wearing light colored clothes that cling to your body can really add some extra insulation that you definitely do not want while you’re out in the parks experiencing a Florida summer. For me, this means lots of dresses, or shorts with loose fitting tank tops.
If you normally wear fitted or ribbed tank tops to the parks, opt for something looser and maybe even with a lighter fabric next time– you’re sure to notice the difference. I have a bunch of shirts in my closet that I do wear in the summer at home, but I bought them specifically for visiting Walt Disney World, and why not use your next trip as an excuse to go shopping?
Over pack
Over packing isn’t something I’d usually recommend, but packing a couple of extra outfits (as well as socks and underwear) is never a bad idea when visiting in the summer. If I go back to the resort at all during the day in the summer, chances are I’m going to change clothes. It doesn’t make sense to go back to the room and freshen up, only to stay in or put back on sweaty clothes you’ve already worn all day. When the weather is cool this is totally fine, but when it’s not, well… I’d rather just start fresh, literally. Pack a couple of extra outfits, and be prepared to potentially change in the middle of the day a few times during your trip.
Wear contacts if you can
If you don’t wear glasses, or you do but you don’t wear contacts, you can skip this point. If possible, I would suggest wearing contacts as much as possible while in Walt Disney World. Glasses get sweaty and feel gross on the bridge of your nose when the weather is really intense, and they also get dirty easily and can be difficult to keep clean once you’ve experienced a thunderstorm or any kind of water attraction. Choose contacts if you can, so you won’t need to put up with these glasses struggles in the first place.
Light colors!
This point should be obvious, but just in case you haven’t thought about it, be sure to wear light colors to the parks. Dark colors attract the sun, which is probably not what you want in the middle of July or August.
Figure out a solution to chafing/blistering before your trip
Whether it’s chub-rub, or blisters on the sides of your toes from your sandals, or something else altogether, figure out a solution to the problem before you go to Walt Disney World. Dealing with painful blisters and chafing is definitely not how you want to spend your vacation. Do what you have to do, and invest in biker shorts, BodyGlide, baby powder, Band-Aids, Moleskin, etc, before your trip and enjoy a pain-free vacation while you’re in the parks.
Give yourself shade
This is wear hats and sunglasses come in. Even if you’re not a hat person, wearing a hat in the summer in Florida is never a bad idea. Sunglasses are also important to help protect your eyes from the sun, which will be shining brightly for most of the time you visit in the summer. While not clothing related, I’d also suggest prepping for how much sunblock you’ll need ahead of time.
Put comfort first
If you’re trying to decide what to wear, because say you want to wear sneakers, and it comes down to an outfit with shorts that makes sense with the sneakers or a dress that you know will be much cooler– go with the cooler option. If you’re just going to a park for dinner before going back to your room, then wear whatever you’d like, however if you’re going out and looking for all-day comfort, make just that your goal when choosing an outfit. Everyone else is well aware of how hot the parks are, and no one will judge you if you appear to sacrifice style for comfort… or if they do, you’ll never see them again anyway so who really cares.
