Happy Thursday Main Streeters! Welcome back to this week’s blog. If you have been following along, each week I have been reaching deep into the vault and chronologically following the releases of Walt’s Animated films to find great quotes, life lessons, and inspiration to share with readers. This week’s movie is the 1967 classic, The Jungle Book. This was the first film released post Walt’s passing, and the last movie he was involved in director wise. It was well received by audiences, and we can talk about super fun rides like the Jungle Cruise that have some of the Jungle Book vibes, but to forget about your worries and your strife while visiting the parks in the summer, I decided to tie in this week’s movie to a really important concept to survive summer at Disney Parks. Let’s talk about the Bare Necessities.
There are so many posts in TMSM Fan Nation about Main Streeters coming to Disney for the summer, and many who travel to Florida are not always prepared for the heat and the crowds. The summers are intense, and when it’s hot and crowded you can easily lose yourself in all of the hustle and bustle, and tempers flare, in the words of Baloo, “sometimes you just gotta go with the flow”. Here are a few tips to do just that, and some of those bare necessities:
- Hydrate
Disney sells water bottles at street cars, quick service stops, and other areas around the park. In the sweltering heat, buying water bottle after water bottle can add up and take a chunk out of any budget, but there is a Disney “hack” to help. If you are willing to brave the lines but enjoy the air-conditioning inside of Starbucks locations around the park, you can request a large cup of ice water, and refill accordingly. If you are concerned about the lines, you can bring your own reusable water bottle to the parks, as long as its not glass, and find the nearest water fountain to refill it. The key is to hydrate, hydrate, hydrate.
- Throw some shade
Not in a sassy kind of way, although there have been reports of guests being “that guy” at Disney who is just cranky no matter what. So don’t be “that guy” and make sure to bring hats and sunglasses to the park with you.
- Slather on Sunscreen
I cannot recommend this enough. You don’t realize just how strong the sun is while you visit the parks, but I can promise you I’ve burnt to a lobster red walking around the world showcase in the summer. Avoid that uncomfortable, vacation ruining seared skin, and bring some sunscreen with you.
- Pack a Poncho
Yes the summer is sweltering, but Florida is also notorious for its summer showers. Often you will find yourself at a park and the sky bottoms out with no let up in sight. If you’re a hard-core Disney parker you aren’t going to let some precipitation slow you down. Pack a poncho beforehand. I have seen shops on Main Street and all across the park sell out of ponchos and umbrellas. You don’t want to find yourself in that position if you have fast passes to get to or reservations. If this does happen to you, get creative! I’ve seen some fantastic rain gear made from enormous bags acquired from the shops.
- Dress accordingly
If you are going to Disneybound, which is the idea of dressing like your favorite Disney characters using regular street style clothes; make sure your outfit choices are airy. Think T-shirts and shorts or light leggings that mimic color patterns of your favorite characters. So for example, if you wanted to Disneybound Snow White, find some yellow shorts, a blue tank top and a red bow for your hair, pair with comfortable walking shoes and maybe some red apple accessories. Gentlemen, if you are looking to bound someone like Hades, think gray-ish tank top, blue shorts and some comfortable sandals.
So tell us what other bare necessities do you recommend for summers at Disney Parks? We would love to hear from you!
Erika is excited to be on the TMSM team and where Disney Parks are concerned, you won’t catch her dead on It’s a Small World. If she asks to ride that, this is a clear indication that she is in danger and you must send help. You will, however, catch her performing Random Acts of Disney (R.A.D’s), park hopping with her amazing group of impressively talented and kind friends (usually in some themed attire), hanging out by The Haunted Mansion, and ugly crying during fireworks… then begging for a Mickey Premium Bar to eat her feelings…this is a judgment-free bio.
Otherwise, Erika works for the State of Florida and is actively involved in her community. Erika believes in empowering others and spreading kindness to people from all walks of life. Erika also makes custom designed Disney inspired ears, etched glass, gifts, and accessories. You can check out, like or follow her work on FB, which also links to my shop’s Instagram: www.facebook.com/imagineering.emporium. She looks forward to getting to know everyone and sharing the magic of Disney!
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- Three Limited Disney Rewards for Summer - May 16, 2019
- Walking in Walt’s Footsteps - May 9, 2019