A/C being turned up at WDW???

[PiratesCove]

My DH and I have a trip planned for the last week in July. I know it's going to be hot...but I was relying on ducking in to shops, eating inside in the a/c and the like. I keep reading different posts that are saying that even inside the shops, restaurants and rides that it's warm. I'll call off my trip if that's the case. This does not make me happy at all!! :mad:

What is going on?? Does anyone know??

[Wrigley]

We have always gone during late July, and have never had an issue with the air conditioning. We've never noticed a restaurant being warm-except for Pecos Bill. But, that restaurant was crazy busy and doors and windows open so it was understandable. I don't see it as a big enough issue to cancel a trip though.:mickey:

[PiratesCove]

I sound a bit crazy in my first post...sorry. It would take a lot to cancel, I just don't want to be completely miserable while there if WDW is turning up the A/C. We've never gone before in July, so I guess I'm doing what I seem to do best...think the worst of the situation! :blush:

[faline]

I would expect that shows and other indoor venues will still be comfortable despite the heat out of doors.

Disney in July can be very hot, humid, crowded, and draining. Take it easy, keep hydrated, plan mid-afternoon sit down dinners in air-conditioned restaurants followed by swimming/rest breaks back at your resort before returning to the parks in the early evening when temps have dropped at least a little bit.

[divinedi]

I don't think they keep the stores as cool as they used to years ago, I remember going and just walking by the stores you could feel the cold air, but that doesn't happen anymore. Stores etc. are still cool enough, just not cold like they used to be. You shouldn't have any problems.

[StitchFan#1]

I have a small little comment about ac when I go up to the hotel room and im in my wetish bathing suit and into the AC i feel sorta sick and like eww sorry :blush:

[MNNHFLTX]

I don't know that the AC is not being piped into shops, restaurants, etc. at Disney World, as much as it cannot keep up with the hot temps in summer sometimes. For example, a typical shop on Main Street has a totally open-door format. When it's 70 degrees outside the AC manages to keep it a comfortable temperature. But when it's 90+ degrees with crowds of people thronging in and out of the shops it would be difficult, if not impossible, to keep the temp inside at a "cold" level. To be honest, I wish that Disney would do the environmentally responsible thing and shut the doors during the summer months to keep the energy usage down, but that would impede the flow of traffic.

I run into the same problem at work. Fortunately I work on an unit where open doors and windows is not an issue, but on occasion I have to go down to the ER to transport patients and such. With the hot temps lately and with the ER's automatic door constantly opening it is a good 8 degrees warmer down there than up on my unit.

[JPL]

I just returned and will say that the AC is definitely not as cold as it use to be even in some of the rides. I know at the hotel on some days my room was only about 75 with the AC on 65 so they have definitely cutback the level of AC in general. Spaceship Earth was almost unbearably hot in the afternoon. Some of the CS service locations were bordering on uncomfortable during the week. The shops were hit or miss some were extremely warm and other were comfortable.

[DizneyRox]

I wouldn't say it's uncomfortable but it's not as cold as it used to be. It used to be frigid at times, even in July. Not it's colder than outside and a refreshing change from the outdoors, but the feeling doesn't last as long as it used to.

[MNNHFLTX]

What came to mind after my last post was how Americans are sometimes perceived (by folks from other countries) as being obsessed with air conditioning. We have friends from England who have traveled extensively throughout the U.S. and they were always surprised at how cold buildings were kept in summertime. And when we were up in Alberta (Canada) last summer we spoke with tourists from France who were critical of the overuse of AC up there too and in the states. I guess that combined with our love of "gas hogs" on the road and we are seen as being spendthrift with our natural resources.

In any case, I will be in WDW at the end of the summer, so I guess I will be able to see for myself how warm the buildings are being kept now.

[LarryBoy]

I just returned and will say that the AC is definitely not as cold as it use to be even in some of the rides. I know at the hotel on some days my room was only about 75 with the AC on 65 so they have definitely cutback the level of AC in general. Spaceship Earth was almost unbearably hot in the afternoon. Some of the CS service locations were bordering on uncomfortable during the week. The shops were hit or miss some were extremely warm and other were comfortable.

HAs anyone else noticed this recently? Those of us going in July, really hope they improve upon this situation.

[PiratesCove]

I just returned and will say that the AC is definitely not as cold as it use to be even in some of the rides. I know at the hotel on some days my room was only about 75 with the AC on 65 so they have definitely cutback the level of AC in general. Spaceship Earth was almost unbearably hot in the afternoon. Some of the CS service locations were bordering on uncomfortable during the week. The shops were hit or miss some were extremely warm and other were comfortable.

Has anyone else found that SSE was hot in the afternoons?

[DizneyRox]

HAs anyone else noticed this recently? Those of us going in July, really hope they improve upon this situation.
Yep, it's like that RIGHT NOW.


Has anyone else found that SSE was hot in the afternoons?
Yep, it's a little hotter than usual. The AC situation is the same property wide.

[Ed]

One thing to keep in mind about the AC in the resorts is that they are controlled by a sensor in the room that detects when people are present. When it does not detect anyone in the room, the AC automatically goes to a higher temp (I'm not sure how many degrees). The same thing happens if you open a balcony door or a window - no sense trying to air condition the great outdoors.

So when you've been in the parks all day and the room has been vacant, the room will be warmer than the thermostat setting until you have been in the room for a while.

It's all in the pursuit of energy conservation. You can well imagine the annual cost of keeping several thousand unoccupied rooms property-wide at 65 degrees! :jaw:

[VolMickey]

One thing to keep in mind about the AC in the resorts is that they are controlled by a sensor in the room that detects when people are present. When it does not detect anyone in the room, the AC automatically goes to a higher temp (I'm not sure how many degrees). The same thing happens if you open a balcony door or a window - no sense trying to air condition the great outdoors.

So when you've been in the parks all day and the room has been vacant, the room will be warmer than the thermostat setting until you have been in the room for a while.

It's all in the pursuit of energy conservation. You can well imagine the annual cost of keeping several thousand unoccupied rooms property-wide at 65 degrees! :jaw:


Excellent Points! :thumbsup:

[DizneyRox]

Yes, but I don't think we're talking about the resort rooms. We're talking about the shops, attractions and the general resort areas. Busses are cold as ever, I think it's more about the humidity than anything.

[PirateLover]

JPL's description is exactly right, that is the same thing I just experienced. And for the record I don't see any reason why it would be different because it is July- We experienced some very intense temperatures last week, with some days feeling like 110 degrees. On the whole though there IS air conditioning, Spaceship Earth is the only ride I recall being uncomfortable on and it was only during the ascent. Most stores, despite the doors being open, were still cool enough to be a welcomed respite from the heat, even if you didn't feel like you were being blasted by Frozone.

[PirateLover]

Yes, but I don't think we're talking about the resort rooms. We're talking about the shops, attractions and the general resort areas. Busses are cold as ever, I think it's more about the humidity than anything.

Unless you are towards the back of one of the older buses on a hot/humid day- oh man. It was like an inferno on some of those rides.

[Daddy Mouse]

What came to mind after my last post was how Americans are sometimes perceived (by folks from other countries) as being obsessed with air conditioning. We have friends from England who have traveled extensively throughout the U.S. and they were always surprised at how cold buildings were kept in summertime. And when we were up in Alberta (Canada) last summer we spoke with tourists from France who were critical of the overuse of AC up there too and in the states. I guess that combined with our love of "gas hogs" on the road and we are seen as being spendthrift with our natural resources.

In any case, I will be in WDW at the end of the summer, so I guess I will be able to see for myself how warm the buildings are being kept now.

My guess is the the people in from France have not spent exstensive time outside in heat and humidity. The Avg Temp in Paris & London during July is what less than 70 degrees. While the Avg Temp in Orlando is in the low 80's with high Humidity.

Anyway DW has always kept a jacket with her because she gets cold easily. I can't get enough AC.

[buzznwoodysmom]

We were in WDW in early to mid June and thought that the buildings were all kept at comfortable cool temps, but the busses were not always cool. Probably about half of our bus rides were as hot in the bus as it was outside. We were always looking forward to a nice cool bus after waiting for it, and many times were disappointed when we got on to find it the same temp as the outside. I don't know if its Disney's way of cutting back on costs, or if the heat is just too much to keep up with.

[BIGDOG]

ac always work great in october when we go, but I have notice some rides hotter then normal

[JRocker]

We just returned from WDW after a two week stay.
Without a doubt, the AC is on the cost cutting list (among other things...). I noticed that several of the attractions I considered good places to cool off weren't this trip. Small World was the warmest that we experienced. I don't recall any of them being "hot", but there were a couple that I never lost that sheen from being outside.
I don't think we ever experienced that "chill" heading into a shop or an attraction on this trip.
Now the Universal parks were a different story...

[MNNHFLTX]

My guess is the the people in from France have not spent exstensive time outside in heat and humidity. The Avg Temp in Paris & London during July is what less than 70 degrees. While the Avg Temp in Orlando is in the low 80's with high Humidity.

That is probably true. But I think their point was that Americans tend to turn down the thermostat more than they need to to be comfortable. Same with cars--over in Europe small, gas efficient cars are the norm, while larger gas-guzzlers are considered wasteful and environmentally irresponsible. It is different mindset.

[DizneyRox]

I don't know if its Disney's way of cutting back on costs, or if the heat is just too much to keep up with.
It's the former. It's cooler this year than in years past, yet the attractions are hotter.

[dinahvixen]

I am going to sound like the dissenting voice, but I am one of the few people I know who is always COLD. Aside from the energy conservation, I hate being hot and sweaty, then going into a really cold building and since I am sweaty, I'll be freezing in the building. Plus, going into and out of supercold buildings and hot heat outside, is not comfortable for me - so I prefer it when places have a little less AC. But again, I appear to be a rarity.

[egospotter]

If your a rarity, so am I. I always find the temperature difference to be too much. Especially in shows, it feels good for the first few minutes, but by the time the show is over I am freezing. Then you walk outside and it is 30-40 degrees warmer and it feels worse than before!

I do like my hotel room to be nice an cool when I get back at night though - but by then the temp outside has dropped and it's not as much of a change. It doesn't feel like I am going to go into shock anymore. :freeze:

[Dsnygirl]

I guess I am a rarity, too... I was just going to post about how I usually find places way TOO air-conditioned! Don't get me wrong, I don't care for the heat, esp. 95 and humid... but to go from that to 65 (or so) is frigid, and although it may feel good at first blast, after 15 minutes, I'm cold!! Then you walk back outside, and it feel like it's 105!!

I'm all for keeping things cool, but sometimes businesses go overboard and make it colder in the summer months than would be tolerated in the cooler months. Can you imagine working in a building in the winter that is kept at 65(or so) degrees?? Yipes!! :freeze:

Plus, if this helps Disney manage some finances, so much the better... I won't mind being a bit warmer than usual if it helps conserve some energy, etc. But then, that's just me and my :twocents:... I know not everyone would be comfortable that way.

[LarryBoy]

We just got back from 8 fabulous days at the world and I could not notice any change in the AC, and I was paying close attention after reading this thread. I could still feel the AC blasting out of the shops and attractions, and I don't remember being uncomfortable on any ride. In fact one warm morning we were sitting under the Liberty Tree drinking some water and I could feel the AC from Hall of Presidents.