With “feels like” temperatures consistently over 100° and heat warnings becoming a more regular occurrence, we’re keeping track of how Walt Disney World adjusts operations to mitigate risks for Cast Members and guests during the hot summer months. Back in June, Disney PhotoPass rolled out large umbrellas for Cast Members in many locations. Now, we spotted another weather-related adjustment over at Magic Kingdom.
Extreme Heat Parade Adjustments at Walt Disney World
Recently, Walt Disney World has adjusted parade operations for the Disney Adventure Friends Cavalcade due to the extreme heat. While visiting Magic Kingdom today, we noticed that costumed characters were moved onto the floats for the 11:30am parade. We understand that this is in an effort to enhance performer safety as temperatures climb.
As far as we could tell, the adjustment was only at the 11:30am showtime, with costumed characters on the ground during the 10:30am showtime. It’s possible that there is a temperature cutoff to trigger the adjustment that wasn’t reached for the 10:30am showtime. According to a Weather Underground station near Walt Disney World, the mercury temperature had reached 90° by the time the 11:30am Disney Adventure Friends Cavalcade was rolling down Main Street USA.
Here’s a before/after look at the adjustments made between the 10:30am showtime and the 11:30am showtime. As you can see, the costumed characters hitched a ride on the floats, while the princesses and other “face” characters walked the parade route.
Walt Disney World has also been making some adjustments to the Disney Festival of Fantasy Parade, but those have been less consistent. The parade has also faced some issues with floats in recent days, making operational changes difficult to track at the moment.
With extreme weather continuing to ramp up and impact outdoor activities, we’ll keep an eye out for more adjustments at Walt Disney World.
As always, keep checking back with us here at BlogMickey.com as we continue to bring you the latest news, photos, and info from around the Disney Parks!
