We love Disneyland in all weather! We never want to let high temperatures keep us from enjoying a day at Disneyland Resort. When we dress right and prepare well, we can spend more time enjoying Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park, no matter the weather. With the right planning, Disneyland remains the Happiest Place on Earth even in the hottest days of August. Here are our tips for staying cool and comfortable during hot days at Disneyland Resort.
Disneyland vs Walt Disney World Weather
First, a quick note for any experienced Walt Disney World guests (or anyone coming from humid climates). If you are used to the heat in Florida, you might be surprised by the difference in “real feel” for days with the same temperature. Anaheim is not a humid place. We personally find the dry heat more comfortable than the frequently high humidity of Florida. If you have visited Walt Disney World in the summer and found it too uncomfortable to return, we encourage you to still consider a summer visit to Disneyland. The “heat index” in California might be lower for your summer travel dates, even if the temperatures look comparable.
In our experience, certain techniques for staying cool are also more effective in the dry heat of Disneyland. For example, a shady spot on a hot day in California feels better than it does in Florida (where sometimes only a blast of air conditioning will do). You might also see more people in California using misters to cool down, because they are not already soaked in humid air.
We are also sharing all of this with a quick word of warning. Though the heat could feel different in California than it does at home or in Walt Disney World, stay alert to the dangers of dehydration or other ill effects from the heat. Make sure you are drinking water and taking breaks to cool off. The heat might sneak-up on you if you are used to it feeling a different way. With that in mind, here are our tips for staying cool at Disneyland.
Splash Around with Bears, Frogs and More
One fun way to stay cool at Disneyland Resort is to take advantage of water rides and water features. In 2024, Disneyland Park opened Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, which took the place of Splash Mountain. You will almost certainly get splashed on Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. Over at Disney California Adventure Park, the wettest ride is Grizzly River Run.
Beyond these two water rides, we have also gotten wet while riding Pirates of the Caribbean. We would not characterize that one as a water ride, but even if you do not get splashed, you can enjoy the long cool indoor attraction. You can also seek out the fountain in Mickey’s Toontown or the features at Donald’s Duck Pond. Cast members have actually encouraged us to reach into the fountain and splash around there (just do not try to climb into the CeTOONial Park fountain).
Use Indoor Restaurants and Attractions to Take Breaks
Long indoor attractions like Pirates of the Caribbean and indoor meals are another good chance to take a break from the heat. We emerge from these air conditioned havens refreshed and ready to enjoy more outdoor attractions.
Indoor restaurants that do not require reservations or joining a walk-up list include Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo, The Golden Horseshoe, Plaza Inn (lunch and dinner only) and Red Rose Taverne in Disneyland Park. Disney California Adventure Park has Flo’s V8 Cafe, Smokejumpers Grill and Fiddler, Fife and Practical Cafe.
Seating at those quick service restaurants is limited and on a first-come first-serve basis. If you know you want an indoor meal with guaranteed seating, consider making an advance reservation at somewhere like Lamplight Lounge or the Carthay Circle Restaurant at Disney California Adventure Park. Disneyland Park also has the popular Blue Bayou Restaurant, Cafe Orleans, and Carnation Cafe. Note that the Plaza Inn takes reservations at breakfast only for their character dining meal; lunch and dinner is quick service.
At Disney California Adventure Park, Mickey’s PhilharMagic and any shows at the Hyperion Theater offer a great respite from the sun. You can also enjoy cooling-off with any of the attractions in the cool and dark Animation Building. Across the way at Disneyland Park, take a break at the aforementioned Pirates of the Caribbean, “it’s a small world,” The Disneyland Story presenting Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln, Main Street Cinema and Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room.
Grab a Cool Disneyland Treat
Speaking of Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room, our favorite way to enjoy this classic attraction is while eating a Dole Whip from the nearby Tiki Juice Bar. This is absolutely allowed and even encouraged. Of course, you can also enjoy a Dole Whip outside of the attraction and even outside the parks at Tangaroa Terrace at Disneyland Hotel. One thing we do recommend is making yourself familiar with the mobile ordering process, as Dole Whips are incredibly popular. We have a guide for mobile ordering here.
During the summer, a Dole Whip is our favorite way to recover from the heat—they are practically medicinal in August—but really any cool treat can make a big difference. Other good options include Gibson Girl Ice Cream Parlor in Disneyland Park and Cozy Cone Motel in Disney California Adventure Park.
Bring a Water Bottle to the Disney Parks
You can purchase ice cream in the Disney parks, but you can also get ice water for free. Just stop into a quick service restaurant and ask for a free cup of ice water. Some places will give you one from behind the counter while others will point to a dispenser you may use for no charge.
We will occasionally take advantage of this ice water perk. More frequently, we stop at the many water fountains and water bottle filling stations around the parks to fill our reusable water bottles. We wrote all about that here: Can I Bring Water Into Disneyland?. If you take only one piece of advice on this list, we encourage you to choose this one. We believe that keeping our family hydrated allows us to enjoy long days in the park. We take advantage of our time spent waiting in queues to encourage our kids to drink water. Having reusable water bottles with us means that we can take hydration breaks while in line.
Enjoy the Coolest Hours in Disneyland
One of the many benefits of visiting Disneyland Resort during the summer is that the parks tend to have long hours. They will regularly open at 8am and stay open until 10pm or midnight. With these long hours, you can choose to arrive early, while the sun is low, take a break midday and then return in the cooler evening hours. We already like to arrive early and stay late at Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park, because these tend to be the least crowded times. On hot days, they also have the benefit of being the coolest times.
Should you choose to take a midday break to cool-off, you can take a long lunch at one of the indoor restaurants we already mentioned, or you could even head back to your hotel for a swim or nap. A hotel break will probably work best if you are staying at one of the Disneyland Resort Hotels or at a hotel on Harbor Boulevard. For help choosing a place, check-out Staying Near Disneyland: Book the Best Hotel for You.
Dress Well For Hot Days at Disneyland
Finally, we encourage you to dress smart for hot days at Disneyland.
We like to wear breathable moisture-wicking clothing, and we share what works for us in What to Wear to Disneyland: Part I, Base Layers. Then, we keep our feet cool but protected with closed-toe sandals. We wrote about that here: What to Wear to Disneyland: Part 3, Shoes. Are these the most fashionable outfits? Maybe not, but they help us enjoy the parks long after a nylon princess dress or stylish jeans would send us home. Plus, we know how to add some Disney-themed fun to our practical clothes (How To (Comfortably) Dress Like a Princess in Disneyland).
Our most important “accessory” for Disneyland is sunscreen, and we pair that with sunglasses and hats. If you are concerned that hats and glasses might get lost in the parks, please be reassured that rides have special pockets for securing these items.
Thank you for reading this article on staying cool on hot days in Disneyland.
We hope you have found this helpful. If you are instead anticipating a cold weather visit, take a look at How to Stay Warm in the Winter at Disneyland. We also have an article about rainy days here: Disneyland in the Rain: Strategies for Your Rainy Disney Day. For complete Disneyland planning advice, please see our free Step-by-Step Disneyland Prep, and finally, please consider subscribing to our free newsletter below. Thanks again for reading!