OK it’s too late to influence my upcoming trip down from the Great White North, but the question did occur to me: which theme park offers the coolest temps by virtue of either shade or abundance of AC-blessed attractions?
And the counter-point, which theme park will crush unacclimated guests with the scarcity of shade/AC?
AK is always Africa hot no matter the day no matter the temperature elsewhere.
IMHO -
Epcot = Coolest…most places to duck inside to explore, ride, shop
AK = scorching hot with little to no reprieve!
See this is one that piqued my interest because when you think lush surroundings, you’d think AK and expect an abundance of shade… but I heard that oh, no, not the case.
Indeed, you’ll sweat mightily when you stand before Jafar.
Lush = humid
True.
Presuming I didn’t mean “lush” in reference to guests patronizing certain lounges…
Hottest to least hot for me would be…
AK
HS
EP
MK
Ok shade vs humidity are 2 totally different things. HS has VERY few places to cool down. Even a lot of restaurants have outdoor seating only. TSL has like 4 umbrellas total. Yikes. I always have a meltdown there it seems.
Epcot is surface of the sun hot while walking pretty much anywhere bc you are almost always completely exposed. There are quite a few places to duck into and chill though so it’s doable if you’re willing to seek them out.
AK is surprisingly hot and humid, but I find there are plenty of shady areas to not get blasted by the sun so it doesn’t bother me as much.
MK is the best for multitude of close options to escape both the sun and the heat.
Interesting.
And where do you think the Universal parks would fit in that ranking?
I wonder if queueing v. browsing/walking plays a big role in this.
I always hear about ppl wilting while lined up for SDD and JC but not any of the AK attractions.
I actually find Epcot probably the most tolerable because most of the time you are only in the heat when walking between Pavilions, otherwise you are in AC. Sure, it is hot going from The Land to The Seas, but then you are in each AC cooled building for 1-2 hours before moving on.
MK you are also in and out of AC, but for shorter stints at a time…plus, some queues still have you standing outside in the sun and/or humidity.
I agree about Epcot being the most manageable for challenging weather of all kinds
TSL is pretty much the surface of the sun.
We were FREEZING in AK when the temp was like +18 (wearing hoodies & pants). No idea what was up with that. We were chilled to the bone!
Those are definitely 2 of the worst queues in WDW. I think BTMRR rounds out the trifecta.
I’ve found World Showcase in EP to be really hot if it’s a hot sunny day, in the afternoon after a busy morning, and you’re just walking around the lagoon, doing mainly rides (with young kids, not doing movies or AA), just passing by the countries without exploring inside the stores. Lots of concrete. It’s a long stretch from Norway clockwise around to where you can go back to Future World (pre-Remy). So, don’t do what I’ve done (years ago), take time to go into the pavilions whether to shop or see the shows as a way to enjoy some AC.
@OBNurseNH it’s so funny y’all agree. Yeah most of the attractions are indoors with a/c but I feel like there are just so many long treks from place to place there so you just get blasted with sun or rain. And so much of Epcot is wandering the promenade around WS.
Which I have yet to do properly. So there you go.
This is true…although, I find it not as bad there because of the expansive water that you get a little breeze to help.
Unlike AK, which is humid stagnant air that makes breathing at times a chore! 
Watch your tone, Mister. You’re skirting dangerously close to that line…
Depending on the temperature and humidity levels, mostly I’d rather just stay outside. Going in and out of the air conditioning makes the heat that much more unbearable for me. If I’ve acclimated to it, it’s more tolerable. Lots of water is necessary in either case. Unless it’s 100 degrees F and 100% humidity. Then I’m 100% inside.