Anaheim can get hot. On days when cloud cover is sparse and the Santa Ana winds stay home, you need a place to cool off. Speaking from experience, you don’t want a sunburn to ruin an otherwise awesome trip to Disneyland.

Here are my top six favorite places to stay cool in the parks:

6. Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln

Often overlooked, this 15-minute show is great if you’re looking for somewhere to get off your feet for a bit. The show starts with a short film about President Abraham Lincoln’s upbringing, followed by highlights from his most famous speeches told by Honest Abe himself (in animatronic form, of course).

While it’s not the most riveting show (I actually have fallen asleep in the past), it’s relatively long, you get to sit, and it’s in an air conditioned theater. Not bad when the weather is pushing 100°.

5. Grizzly River Run

The Grizzly River Run is a ride of chance. Will you be soaked at every turn, or will you leave the ride unscathed? You never know!

The uncertainty is why I rank this water ride lower than its Disneyland counterpart. When I want to cool off a maybe is just not enough for me.

4. Ice Cream Parlors

Ice cream is my favorite meal, so whenever it’s warmer than freezing you’ll find me at one of the three ice cream parlors in the parks.

Gibson Girl Ice Cream Parlor

Gibson Girl is located on Main Street, right next to the Carnation Cafe. It serves up three sundae classics – the Chocolate Chip Cookie Hot Fudge Sundae, the Strawberry Sundae, and the Firehouse Dalmation Mint Sundae – along with classic floats, cups, and cones. Don’t forget the rainbow sprinkles!

Clarabelle’s Hand Scooped Ice Cream

On the end of Buena Vista Street you can find the home of The Kitchen Sink – any of their five sundaes served in a souvenir kitchen sink bowl. If that’s too much for you, they also have hand-dipped ice cream bars and ice cream by the scoop.

For those of us who are 21+, you can give the Beer Float or the Mich-Helado a shot. These alcoholic ice cream floats might be the kick you need to make it through a long day.

Ghirardelli Soda Fountain & Chocolate

Also in California Adventure, on the Pacific Wharf you can find ice cream with an extra treat: a free chocolate sample! At Ghirardelli’s, you receive a chocolate square as soon as you walk through the door that you can nibble on while you are waiting in line or save for a sweet snack later.

Unless you get the Earthquake Family Favorite (meant for 4 people), your sundae will look a bit smaller than the other two parlors. Don’t let that stop you – what these sundaes lack in size they make up for in flavor. This location has a larger variety of ice cream flavors to put in your sundaes and shakes, including Ghirardelli Chocolate and Black Cherry Vanilla.

3. Splash Mountain

This one is obvious, but I include it with a caveat – get a FastPass. The line for Splash Mountain stays around 90 minutes in the midsummer heat, but a FastPass can cut that way down.

One thing I like to do for this ride is to grab a clear plastic bag from one of the shops. That way, I can put any phones or wallets inside and spare them from the splash zone.

2. Princess Dot Puddle Park

While most adults won’t appreciate getting soaked through without a change of clothes, kids and the young at heart (including me!) love the Princess Dot Puddle Park. Two play areas make you feel like you’re the size of a bug.

On one side, you can try to avoid a jumping fountain, while on the other side there is a steadier stream coming from an oversized water faucet. (Watch out – it leaks just like a normal sized hose would.)

If nothing else, it helps to dip your head or hat in the cool water on your way from Car’s Land to Hollywood.

1. Disney Animation

My all-time favorite place at the Disneyland Resort is the Animation Studio in Hollywood Land. Not only is it air conditioned, but there are so many things you can do.

In the main lobby of the building, there are screens surrounding the room which show clips from Disney animated movies, along with the sketches and storyboards that the final characters were based on. There are couches where you can sit back, relax, and take in the sights and sounds of Disney animation.

If you aren’t someone who likes to just sit around on vacation, there are other things to do here as well. Turtle Talk with Crush lets you talk to a gnarly turtle. In the Sorcerer’s Workshop, Lumiere can help you discover your Disney personality. You can even meet Anna and Elsa from Frozen.

But the reason the Animation Studio is my favorite place in the park, above everything else, is the Animation Academy. Every 30 minutes you can learn to draw a new character from a Disney artist. They have classics like Mickey and Minnie, new heroes like Baymax and Hei Hei the rooster, and everything in between.

Recently I got to draw Edna Mode as part of Pixar Fest. They added a whole bunch of new Pixar characters to the lineup!

 

And there you have it! Six places at Disneyland and California Adventure to cool off from the California heat. Where are your favorite places to go?