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Credit: New York Post, XIf you have a Disneyland vacation planned in the immediate future, the ongoing heatwave will prove to be a double-edged sword. On one hand, you will have to deal with dangerous levels of overwhelming heat, but on the other, you will notice a massive drop in crowds as the local crowds have died down in order to attempt to avoid the excessive heat.
A powerful ridge of high pressure is building over the Great Basin, causing a heat wave to bake large portions of California. This weather pattern is similar to the one that brought record-breaking heat to the state in early July.
Due to the ridge’s location near Barstow, Southern California residents are experiencing intense heat. The ridge is weakening the sea breeze, pushing hot temperatures closer to the coast and raising concerns about fire weather in the hills.
This heat wave setup is somewhat typical for early autumn months in California, but it could bring some of the hottest weather in years to certain parts of Southern California.
Temperatures soared above 100 degrees Fahrenheit along portions of the California coast early Friday, making conditions unbearable even past midnight. Officials warned that the extreme heat would persist through the weekend.
Nighttime temperatures varied from the upper 80s to over 100 degrees along the coasts of Santa Barbara, Ventura, and Los Angeles Counties, according to the National Weather Service.
“The heat is a big issue with the excessive heat warnings and heat advisories that are going to continue as we make our way into both Sunday as well as Monday afternoon before we get a little bit of relief finally coming into Southern California by Tuesday,” reports KTLA meteorologist Kaj Goldberg.
A record-setting temperature of 112 degrees was recorded in downtown Los Angeles on Friday, surpassing the previous high of 111 degrees set in 2020, according to the National Weather Service.
Due to the extreme heat, officials warn of a heightened risk for serious heat-related illnesses, particularly for children, the elderly, individuals without air conditioning, and those engaging in outdoor activities.
The heat has been so excessive that it is even causing power outages.
This left thousands of people without air conditioning or refrigeration during one of the hottest days of the year.
Nick Rosado, who lost power for 24 hours at his home in Mission Hills, had to store his expensive medication on ice.
“That one-month supply costs me $1,300,” he said.
In the San Fernando Valley alone, thousands lost power during the heat wave, with some resorting to hotel stays.
“Our neighbors’ house reached over 100 degrees inside,” said Charissa Clark of Mission Hills. “It was 115 outside, and that was around 8 p.m.”
Crews from the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power were working as fast as they could, restoring power to about 50,000 customers. However, the wait was difficult to endure. Los Angeles City Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez also experienced a power outage overnight.
“In this heat, even a few hours feel like an eternity,” Rodriguez said.
She urged residents to report outages to DWP, as some can go unreported, and crews need to know the extent of the impact to prioritize their response.
City officials also encouraged residents to reduce power usage to ease the strain on the grid. Suggestions included setting thermostats to 76 degrees or higher, unplugging appliances, and delaying tasks like laundry during the hottest parts of the day.
With this level of heat, visiting the happiest place on earth doesn’t seem to be too happy of an option.
Both Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure are, of course, primarily outdoor theme parks. While some attractions like Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion, Space Mountain, and more are indoor, there are outdoor sections of the queue that many guests will have to deal with on nearly all rides.
Waiting in the beating sun during a dangerous heat wave is certainly less than ideal, and could even leave some guests with heat stroke.
On X, Brian Clark shared a screen shot of the Disneyland app wait times yesterday, a Saturday, which should be one of the more busy days of the week as Disneyland Resort’s guests are mostly local. Based on the wait times, it looks like the parks were and still are a ghost town.
“Here’s know how hot it is.
I have a park rezzie for today and I am in a hotel room literally across the street trying to decide whether or not to no-show.
Even these wait times (including a 0 minutes, which I have literally never seen) cannot persuade me to cross the street.”
Here’s know how hot it is.
I have a park rezzie for today and I am in a hotel room literally across the street trying to decide whether or not to no-show.
Even these wait times (including a 0 minutes, which I have literally never seen) cannot persuade me to cross the street. pic.twitter.com/tgdY5xyjew
— BRIAN CLARK (@brianrobclark) September 8, 2024
Brian seems to live near Disneyland Resort, but it appears that these incredibly low wait times are still not enough to get him to visit Sleeping Beauty Castle. Jungle Cruise had a shocking 0-minute wait, and a ton of other rides were at a measly 5 minutes, which is likely a walk-on; some of those rides included “it’s a small world”, Jessie’s Critter Carousel, Jumpin’ Jellyfish, King Arthur Carousel, and more.
Theme Park IQ shared photos of the park, “A look around Disneyland at 2pm on a Saturday with 100 degree weather…”.
A look around Disneyland at 2pm on a Saturday with 100 degree weather… pic.twitter.com/DmVhZitI2F
— Theme Park IQ (@ThemeParkIQ) September 7, 2024
While low wait times are enticing, the heat is very dangerous at the moment, and guests visiting Disneyland should be careful, especially since a recent report from California’s insurance department revealed that between 2013 and 2022, seven extreme heat waves led to nearly 460 deaths, 5,000 hospitalizations, and 344 adverse birth outcomes, impacting almost the entire population of California.
If you do decide to visit Disneyland Park or Disney California Adventure, ensure you are keeping very hydrated, stay indoors when you can, and if you want more shade while walking or standing in lines, bringing an umbrella with you could help provide more shade in areas where there is none.
Would you visit Disneyland Resort during this ongoing heatwave?