11 Tips for Surviving Hot Theme Park Days

Theme parks can be magical, but they don’t always feel magical when you’re visiting on a hot day. The heat can make you uncomfortable, tired, and cranky, ruining an otherwise great experience. If you’re not careful, you can suffer heat exhaustion, sunburn, and other heat-related injuries, which can wreck your day at the park — and potentially the days following. 

I visited Six Flags Fiesta Texas in San Antonio during a 100-degree weekend in late August. It was hot, but we had a great experience with short lines and a water park to cool off in.

This guide offers tips for making the most of your day at the park during peak heat. Here’s how to beat the heat and still have a great theme park visit.

Why Visit a Hot Theme Park?

Visiting a super-hot theme park may seem like a poor choice, and sometimes it is. If you or anyone in your group doesn’t deal well with the heat, it probably makes sense to choose a cooler day to visit. 

But avoiding the heat doesn’t always align with theme park plans. Maybe you’re visiting during a school break, could only get off work on particular dates, or are celebrating an event such as a summer birthday. 

Visiting in the heat when other guests might decide to stay away can offer an advantage. Although your mileage may vary, I’ve found that tough weather days, whether rainy or extremely hot, are sometimes the best times to visit theme parks for thinner crowds. 

When I visited Six Flags Fiesta Texas in late August, the crowds were nonexistent, making for a fantastic experience. With 100-degree days and the school year underway, getting through the park was a breeze — although there were no actual cool breezes.

We never waited more than 20 minutes for a ride and easily enjoyed everything we wanted to. While my husband knocked out some of his favorite thrill rides, my kids rode their new favorite boardwalk ride countless times with absolutely no line — they just got off and right back on again.

Tips for Thriving on a Hot Theme Park Day

Preparing for a hot day at a theme park can help you stay ahead of the heat and enjoy your day. Use these practical tips to keep cool and stay safe.

1. Get a Season Pass if You Can

Season passes are a game-changer for frequent park visitors. With a season pass, you’ll save money if you visit often enough, but you’ll also gain flexibility. That can come in handy when you’re trying to navigate a park on a hot day. 

I love having passes that let me cut uncomfortable days short without feeling like I have to get my money’s worth from a park visit I’ve paid for on a per-day basis.

Season passes may also offer a discount on food and drinks, which can help you stay fueled and more comfortable on hot days.

2. Visit Early or Late and Take Frequent Breaks

Timing is everything when you visit a theme park on a hot day. Arriving early in the morning allows you to enjoy a few attractions before the crowds and heat settle in. Mornings are usually the best time to visit theme parks and hit popular rides with shorter wait times. You’ll have more energy early in the day to tackle rides as well. 

When the heat is at its worst at midday, you can take a break. Consider leaving the park to return to your hotel, maybe visiting the pool to relax and recharge.

Taking breaks on a hot day is essential, as the heat can drain your energy faster than you realize. Finding air conditioning, whether it’s an indoor attraction, dining option, or gift shop, can help you cool down quickly. You can plan your day to involve an indoor activity for the middle of the day, such as catching a show inside or eating lunch at a sit-down restaurant.

If air conditioning isn’t easy to reach, look for a shaded area, ideally benches under trees or a canopy where you can take a breather. Even a 10-minute break in the shade or air conditioning can affect how well you deal with the heat for the rest of the day.

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A midday break can also help you cut down on food costs. Theme park food tends to be costly, so you can pop out to pick up or make lunch to refuel as you cool off.

To beat the heat at Six Flags Fiesta Texas, we visited gift shops, the German-style Sangerfest Halle food court, and rides with indoor queues, such as Bugs’ White Water Rapids — and the water park was the ultimate cooldown.

Evening visits can also offer an advantage, especially if you’re returning refreshed after a pause. 

Temperatures drop when the sun sets, and guests who’ve been there all day may start heading out to grab dinner or shuffle kids off to bed. While they’re leaving, you can enjoy cooler temperatures, nighttime shows, and shorter lines than you’d probably experience in midday.

3. Stay Shaded With Hats and Sunscreen

Sunburns can strike in minutes and quickly make for an uncomfortable day at the park. They are painful, can make you feel hotter on an already hot day, and can still hurt for several days as your skin heals.

My skin burns quickly, so I’m always sensitive to sun exposure. On a hot day at a theme park, you can almost always find me in the shade or on the way to it. If I have to stand in a sunny line for more than a few minutes, I’m probably getting out of it and returning after the sun heads down. 

But sun avoidance can only go so far, and you’ll undoubtedly walk in the sun as you go around the park. I always wear a hat to theme parks and apply sunscreen regularly.

Lightweight hats can offer shade and breathability, and wide-brimmed hats have additional coverage for your neck and shoulders. Broad-spectrum sunscreen is a must, and it’s not a one-and-done situation — you’ll have to reapply, especially after water rides or sweating a lot. I always keep a travel-sized sunscreen with me when I visit theme parks.

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If you didn’t bring supplies, you can buy a hat or sunscreen at most park gift shops.

4. Dress Smart for the Heat

Comfort is key when spending hours in the sun, and the right clothing can make a big difference in how you feel throughout the day. Wearing lightweight and breathable fabrics, especially moisture-wicking materials, can keep you cooler than heavy or synthetic fabrics that may trap heat. Loose-fitting clothes allow air to circulate so you don’t feel overheated.

Wearing a swimsuit can offer comfort and time savings if you visit a theme park with water attractions. Swim shorts and rash guards can double as park wear, and long-sleeve swim shirts can help with sun protection, too. It also makes jumping right into water attractions easy without wasting time in a hot changing room. As a bonus, swimwear dries quickly, whether from pool water or sweat, to help you stay cool.

My family took this approach at Six Flags Fiesta Texas, where the Hurricane Harbor water park entrance is within the main park. Wearing rash guards and swim shorts, we took a midday break in the lazy river and waterslides to cool off, then returned to regular rides feeling refreshed.

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Instead of renting a locker at the water park, carry a waterproof bag with you for essentials such as your phone, wallet, and sunscreen.

5. Get Unlimited Drink Cups To Stay Hydrated

Some theme parks offer refillable drink cups for free or discounted refills all day or all season.

These cups aren’t helpful if you prefer to drink water. If that’s the case, you should bring a water bottle — when permitted — and refill it throughout the day. If you need cooler water or are having trouble finding a water fountain, you can ask for ice water at theme park restaurants.

I got all-season unlimited drink cups at Six Flags Fiesta Texas. These allowed us to refill our cups at no additional cost throughout the park, including self-serve options. While I’d prefer my family to drink water, I know they will put down more liquid ounces from a soda fountain. Although plenty of sodas were available, we also had our choice of Powerade, lemonade, and sweet and unsweetened tea. Some locations had unsweetened sparkling water.

6. Use In-Park Transportation To Save Energy

Walking around a large theme park can be exhausting, even when you’re not in the heat. Many theme parks offer transportation within the park, such as trains or gondola rides. These can give you a relaxing way to move from one area to the next without over-exerting yourself in the heat. 

You can plan your way around the park with transportation stops so you don’t have to walk back and forth across the park in the sun. You’ll get to rest, cool off, and still keep the fun going.

At Six Flags Fiesta Texas, I rode the park train with my youngest while the rest of our family rode a rollercoaster. It was a nice way to see the park and enjoy the breeze.

7. Have a Plan for Long Lines

Some rides have longer wait times than others, and sometimes, those lines are outside — maybe even in the sun. Monitoring wait times, using single-rider lines, and strategically taking advantage of fast pass systems can help you cut down on long lines. Hitting popular rides early or late in the day when temperatures are cooler may also help with wait times and how hot you feel while waiting in line.

I hopped out of a Star Tours line at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in May because the queue looked longer than I’d ever seen it and snaked so far we’d have to wait in the direct sun for at least 10 minutes. We came back after dark and there was no line — and no sunburn or sweating either!

8. Know Your Limits

The heat can drain you even if you stay out of the sun, take breaks, and stay hydrated. While it’s easy to get caught up in the fun of the day, don’t try to power through when you’re struggling with the heat.

Listen to your body and know when you’ve had enough. Watch for signs of heat exhaustion, such as feeling overheated or dizzy. Be ready to take breaks when your body says it’s time, then head to a shady spot or air conditioning to cool down. It’s better to sit out an attraction than try to push through and exhaust yourself.

Also, watch your pace. You might want to cram every experience possible into your day, but this can quickly cause you to burn out. Pace yourself and accept that there’s only so much you can do in a day, especially when you’re making your way through the heat.

9. Embrace Water Rides, Splash Zones, and Indoor Queues

Even when a theme park doesn’t have an associated water park open, water rides and splash zones can offer relief. Look for these rides during the hottest parts of the day so you can cool off and have fun at the same time. Log flumes, river raft rides, and designated splash zones are perfect for getting refreshed. 

Even in parks with limited water attractions, you can look for rides with shaded and indoor queues. At Walt Disney World, for example, many rides have lines primarily indoors with entertainment along the way, or they start with a shaded area leading to the indoor queue as you get closer to the attraction.

10. Make the Most of Park Apps

Park apps can be useful for navigating the park, such as checking wait times, finding shaded rest areas, and finding the nearest water refill station. 

The app may offer real-time updates on ride wait times to help you plan your day and avoid standing in long, hot lines during the hottest part of the day. You can skip ahead to rides with shorter waits.

Maps are also essential for finding services such as restrooms, water, first aid, and restaurants where you can cool off. If you enable location services, the map can tell you where you are in relation to services and give you directions and walking time estimates for reaching your destination.

Park apps that offer mobile food ordering can quickly connect you with refreshments and save time during peak dining hours rather than standing in a long, hot line. You can queue up your order and find a nice, shaded spot to relax while you wait to pick up your food.

11. Pack Light but Smart

You might want to pack for every possibility for a day at the park, but carrying around a heavy bag can wear you out and make you feel hotter. Packing light with just the essentials is the way to go. 

Bring sunscreen, a portable phone charger, and a cooling towel. Depending on the park’s rules, you may also want to bring a reusable water bottle and snacks to tide you over between meals.

Final Thoughts

Visiting a theme park on a hot day can be intimidating, but don’t let the heat deter you. It’s still worth it if you’re prepared. You can enjoy a day at the theme park without letting the heat get the best of you by arriving early, taking frequent breaks, and taking steps to stay cool and comfortable. Of course, knowing your limits is key, and it’s good to pace yourself and skip attractions if needed to stay healthy on a hot day.

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