We love sharing the good stuff in this space. The food finds, the hidden gems, the little moments that make a Disney World trip feel like something you will talk about for years. But every once in a while something comes up that matters more than any churro recommendation or resort review, and this is one of those times. If you are visiting Walt Disney World or Universal Orlando Resort this week, or if someone you love is there right now, please read this before you head out to the parks today.
Central Florida is under a Heat Advisory for the second day in a row. The National Weather Service issued the advisory for Orange and Osceola counties, where the theme parks are located, running from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday July 10. Feels-like temperatures are expected to reach 110 degrees Fahrenheit. Wind gusts between 40 and 55 miles per hour and heavy afternoon storms are also in the forecast alongside the heat, which means today is genuinely complicated weather from multiple directions at once.
What Yesterday Looked Like
Thursday brought its own version of brutal. A massive Saharan dust plume arrived in Florida earlier this week, carried across the Atlantic by trade winds from the Sahara Desert. The dust brought dry air that suppressed the afternoon thunderstorms Central Florida normally relies on to break the summer heat, which meant the temperature had nowhere to go and the feels-like readings climbed past 110 degrees with almost no relief. The dust also degraded air quality in ways that hit harder for anyone with asthma, respiratory conditions, or sensitivities to particulate matter. Guests reported itchy eyes, scratchy throats, and persistent dry coughs throughout the day.
Friday brings the storms back but that is a complicated kind of relief. Heavy rainfall and lightning alongside extreme heat and high winds is its own kind of difficult to navigate, especially at a theme park where so much of the experience happens outdoors.
Why We Are Taking This Seriously
Theme parks are not kind to extreme heat. The miles of pavement and concrete, the large crowds, and the long outdoor queues create a heat island effect that makes conditions feel significantly more intense than whatever the official temperature reading is at a nearby weather station. Guests who spend a full day walking several miles around the parks in these conditions are putting real demands on their bodies, and heat exhaustion can develop faster than most people expect, especially for children and older guests.
The warning signs are worth knowing. Heavy sweating, weakness, nausea, lightheadedness, and cold clammy skin are all signals that the body is struggling. If those symptoms appear, getting into air conditioning immediately and hydrating are the most important first steps.
Friday has another heat advisory beginning at 11 a.m. and ending at 8 p.m. https://t.co/CvcbV8wNDo
— Orlando Sentinel (@orlandosentinel) July 10, 2026
What We Are Telling Our Disney World Community Today
Drink water before you feel thirsty. Wear lightweight, loose, light-colored clothing. Apply sunscreen and reapply it throughout the day. Keep a poncho or rain jacket accessible for the afternoon storms. Plan your day around the indoor attractions during the peak heat hours between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m., and give yourself permission to take real breaks in air-conditioned spaces rather than pushing through.
At Disney World, attractions like Pirates of the Caribbean, the Haunted Mansion, Soarin' Around the World, and any of the resort's indoor shows are exactly where you want to be in the middle of the day right now. The early morning and evening hours are your best windows for outdoor time this week.
The magic is absolutely still there and a Disney World trip in the summer is still worth every bit of the effort. We just want everyone in our community to come home from their trip feeling good. Today is a day that rewards the guests who planned ahead and stayed flexible.
Please stay safe out there and check in with us later to let us know how your day went.
