We’re super lucky to have really great weather almost 365 days a year in Southern California. It makes for pretty easy planning when visiting local theme parks. Certain days can be warmer than others, and some summer days are down right HOT. Sometimes we even have odd heat waves at unexpected times of the year. When visiting the Disneyland Resort, we love going to California Adventure. Our favorite ways to beat the heat at Disney California Adventure are below.

The Disney Animation Building

Our absolute favorite place to beat the heat at Disney California Adventure is the The Disney Animation Building. It’s air conditioned throughout, and you can sit in the lobby and be entertained by illustrations and short videos set to music and recharge. There have been times we’ve spent an hour or more here with one of our little ones sleeping in the jogger, and the rest of us enjoying the atmosphere.

Inside this building you can attend the Animation Academy’s interactive drawing sessions known as The Secrets of Drawing. Each participant receives a pencil and paper, and you have the opportunity to follow along with a Disney artist as they teach you how to draw familiar character. It’s fun, and gives you the opportunity to give yourself a shot at drawing. The session is free, and is short enough for most children to enjoy as well. Even really young ones!

Also within the Animation Building is Turtle Talk with Crush, The Sorcerer’s Workshop, and Character Close-Up. We’ve always enjoyed Turtle Talk with Crush, which is an interactive show with the turtle, Crush. The Sorcerer’s Workshop is fun to walk through, and has some neat hands-on, interactive features. It’s neat to take a few minutes to check out the Character Close-Up while waiting for a Secrets of Drawing session, or before you leave the building.

Disney Junior Live On Stage

Disney Junior Live On Stage is indoors, and lasts about 20 minutes or so. It’s great for younger children, especially those that love the characters from Disney Junior!

Princess Dot Puddle Park

Don’t let the name fool you, boys will love this area too! Located in Bugs Land, the Princess Dot Puddle Park is a great little water park for little kids to get wet! Bring your child’s bathing suit, water proof shoes, and a towel to dry off. We’ve spend hours here playing.

It’s Tough to be a Bug

It’s Tough to be a Bug is an interactive show in an air conditioned building within Bug’s Land. This show may have a little wait in an cool, indoor waiting area. Be forewarned, this show can be a little scary for some young kids.

Indoor Rides

Indoor rides are always a great place to beat the heat. Indoor rides at Disney California Adventure include Toy Story Midway Mania, Soarin’ Over California, Monster’s Inc, The Little Mermaid, The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror (which I’ve admittedly never ridden!),

The Boudin Bakery Tour

Although it only takes a few minutes to do so, the Boudin Bakery Tour is a nice place to enjoy cool air. It’s pretty educational too! I highly recommend going through it at least one time if you’ve never experienced it.

Indoor Dining

Stopping for a bite to eat inside an air conditioned restaurant is always a great way to recharge. Our personal favorites inside Disney California Adventure are Flo’s V8 Cafe, located in Cars Land, Taste Pilots Grill, located at Condor Flats, and The Ghiradelli Soda Fountain, located at Pacfic Wharf, but there are other indoor dining options as well.

Browsing Gift Shops

Browsing through the gift shops is also a nice way to escape the heat. The gift shops used to be one of my go-to places if both of my first born kids fell asleep in the jogger at the same time. I could easily walk around and browse the shops in the AC while they got their beauty sleep; a bonus for each of us!

Other Stay-Cool Ideas

Other places I would think would be great to cool down would be the indoor show, Disney’s Alladin – A Musical Spectacular. I would think the Grizzly River Run water ride would be refreshing as well. For whatever reason, we’ve never done either, so I cannot give my personal insights, but I’m pretty certain both would be great to beat the heat!

Check out the Park’s official website for more information about the places we’ve mentioned. Where are your favorite spots to beat the heat at Disney California Adventure? Perhaps we’ll see you there!

P.S. You might also enjoy reading our other related post, Planning Your Trip To The Disney California Adventure Park.

The opinions in this article are our own. We do not work for, or with, any brand mentioned in this post, nor do we have any official relationship with them. We’re Disney fans and longtime passholders.