Here’s What a Day at Disney World Can Look Like if You Aren’t Prepared

3. MISTAKE: You’ve hit 7 items on your Disney bucket list today, but you’ve had no water.

And it’s 94 degrees outside, with a heat index of almost 100. An hour ago, you were sweating, but you aren’t now. That’s weird. And you’ve got a bit of a headache. Come to think of it, you’re feeling a little dizzy too. Now you feel as though you might lose your balance and fall. And all of the sudden, through a fuzzy haze, you’re almost certain you see two firemen. You must be dreaming. But alas, it’s no dream, and several minutes later, when you should be experiencing the Flight of Passage attraction for the first time, you’re on a stretcher in the back of an ambulance flying to the nearest emergency room. You, my friend, have fallen victim to heat sickness and dehydration. And instead of spending the next day in the parks at Disney, you’ll be parked in a hospital room, receiving IV fluids and being treated for dehydration.

SOLUTION: While you’re enjoying a day in the parks, experiencing all the magic and fantasy Disney has to offer, be sure you’re also enjoying all the free water the parks have to offer. Ice water is free and available upon request at every counter- and quick-service eatery in the parks—no limit. Dehydration, heat sickness and heat stroke are very real and very serious conditions that can develop quickly, especially when you’re in Florida in the warmer months and mix high temperatures and humidity with extended periods of walking and a failure to take breaks and drink water. Be sure to up your intake of water and see that everyone in your traveling party does so as well—especially children and older adults, as they can become dehydrated more quickly than you can.