Top 12 Spots To Cool Off At Walt Disney World

By Soarin’ Diva

Let’s all face it, it gets really, really hot at Walt Disney World. My family tends to be the kind that takes on a Disney park from open to close. That’s not so bad in the morning and evening, but those afternoon hours can get pretty brutal during hotter months. Many of you like to take that time to head back to your resort and either take a nap or hit the pool, and those are great ideas, but we love to squeeze in every minute inside the parks that we can. We believe in getting the most out of the tickets that we can.

Through the years, we have found our favorite spots to hit in each park during the peak heat to attempt to cool off and recharge. It’s really not that hard to figure out that the absolute best place to be is an indoor venue with air conditioning. Allow me to fill you in on our top picks for cooling off while taking a break and possibly even a short snooze.

*DIVA TIP: Note with Disney’s phased reopening, some attractions are not available at the moment, you will want to check the Attractions page to a full list of what is open during your trip.*

Magic Kingdom

1. Hall of Presidents located in Liberty Square. Designed to give a glimpse into the history of our nation’s presidents, past and present, the Hall of Presidents hosts a large venue with very comfortable, cushioned seating and of course, air conditioning. It doesn’t even matter where you sit. Each seat has a great view if you aren’t into taking a short nap and It’s actually a very interesting show. I have been known to immediately doze off as soon as the lights dim, however. When you are on the go as much as we are while at Disney, your batteries tend to drain, especially if it’s muggy and hot out. That short break with the lights low and the air flowing is just what my body needs to energize sometimes.

2. Mickey’s PhilharMagic in Fantasyland. Your break in this venue is much shorter than the previous one, but again, the seats are very comfortable. You may not have time to actually take a nap during the show, but you can definitely zone out for a few minutes while the cool air flows around you.

3. Country Bear Jamboree in Frontierland. The seats are not as comfortable as Hall of Presidents or Mickey’s PhilharMagic, but the air conditioning works. You also have a little longer to rest your achy feet than you would in Mickey’s PhilharMagic. On top of that, you can sing along with the bears to some knee-slapping tunes and have a good ole time.

4. Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover in Tomorrowland. Despite the fact that this one is ‘mostly’ an outdoor attraction, it’s probably one of my favorite ways to cool off and rest. You can prop your feet on the seat opposite of you, sit back and relax as PeopleMover whooshes you around Tomorrowland on a tour of the attractions. At a speed just fast enough to whip a cooling breeze through your hair, it’s hard not to relax and enjoy yourself on PeopleMover.

5. Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress in Tomorrowland. A lot of people aren’t fans of this attraction, they find it old and dated. We actually love it in our family. Regardless of whether you like it or not, it’s an indoor venue with nice seating that lasts long enough to get a good break from the heat.

EPCOT

1. The American Adventure in the American Pavilion. Much like Hall of Presidents, The American Adventure has a venue with extremely comfortable seating and air-conditioning. The show gives you a bit of history about the United States of America with Animatronics, which is interesting for you history buffs. Most importantly, though, the show is long enough to get in a good powernap!

2. Living With The Land in the Land Pavilion of Future World. I’ll be honest, this one is not as air-conditioned as the shows, but it is a very relaxing boat ride through a greenhouse that teaches you a little about the various edible plants at EPCOT. I’ve never managed to nap on this attraction, but it’s still a great spot to relax and cool off.

3. Disney Pixar Short Film Festival in Future World. An indoor venue with fairly comfortable seating, this short film festival is a great way to see a few Pixar shorts while cooling off and resting your feet. It could actually be long enough to take a short, short nap.

Hollywood Studios

1. Muppet Vision 3D in Grand Avenue. This is a cute, short show featuring none other than the Muppets. It also features nice seating with cool air. You could nap in here for sure!

2. For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along. Cushioned seats and air-conditioning again make this a great spot to cool off and relax. I’ve never been tempted to sleep in this attraction because…it’s a sing-along, who can sleep with a bunch of kids singing Frozen songs? But it’s all good, it cools you off and you get a little break from walking so much.

Animal Kingdom

1. Finding Nemo the Musical in DinoLand. Despite the fact that the seating here is some of the most uncomfortable in Walt Disney World, something about this show relaxes me to the point of being ready to absolutely knock out. The show is adorable, I actually love it, but it seems I’m always ready to fall immediately asleep as soon as the lights go out and the show begins. I don’t know if it’s my exhaustion kicking in since we usually hit Animal Kingdom a few days into our vacation, or if it’s the air blowing and cooling me off, but I get this way every single time I see this show.

2. Festival of the Lion King in Africa. One of my top favorite shows in all of Walt Disney World, this is in an indoor venue with air conditioning. Again, the seating here is very uncomfortable and I’ve never actually been tempted to doze at this show, but it gives your body a little break while you enjoy air-conditioning and amazing vocals.

These are my family’s top places to cool off and relax at each of the four Walt Disney World parks. Do you have any that I didn’t list? Let us in on your secret if you do, I’m always looking for more ways to take breaks in the heat of the day.