You’ve got your Park Hopper passes purchased, and your MagicBands are charging. You’ve been dreaming of a frosty, delicious Dole Whip and a ride through Tiana’s Bayou. But first, you have to pack. And if you’re thinking about just what you’ll need hair-wise to survive the Florida humidity and crazy rides, these are the products that got our hair through four days at Disney World.
When it comes to how to wear your hair, the short answer is up. It’s very hot in Orlando for most of the year, and you’re going to want your hair up off your neck. Personally, while I was trying all the food and drinks at the Epcot Food and Wine Festival, I also wanted my hair back out of my face so it didn’t get in between me and my snackies. If you’re wondering how to wear it up and look cute, there are so many inspo videos on TikTok and entire forum threads about people’s favorite hairstyles to wear to the parks. So, once you’ve chosen your style, it’s really about having the right products to keep it in place.
As some certified Sweaty Betties who walked nearly 30 miles in the September heat on their trip, rode countless rides, and weathered an afternoon rain shower or two, these products kept our hair looking its best.
01A Pomade Stick To Tame Even The Babiest Of Baby Hairs
As a Florida native and mom of a toddler, believe me, I’ve tried it all when it comes to keeping my little postpartum hairs from frizzing up in the humidity. This product is my favorite way to do just that. It comes in stick form, so you can easily swipe it over your hairline to keep your baby hairs in place, and you can toss it in your bag if you want to touch up later. It never leaves a weird cast on my hair and is totally invisible to the eye, but it lasts all day. At Disney, it kept my hair mostly in place through crazy high humidity and many a rollercoaster ride. — Katie McPherson, Associate Editor, Lifestyle & Entertainment
02A Mini Dry Shampoo To Refresh Before Dinner
When you’ve been in the parks all day and want to head to a sit-down restaurant for dinner, it’s nice to have a few things with you to freshen up beforehand. I kept a travel-size deodorant and perfume sample on me, along with a mini can of this dry shampoo. It doesn’t cake up or leave an intense white cast on my dark hair, and it managed to make my dirty, sweaty hair look a little less offensive at the dinner table. — Katie McPherson, Associate Editor, Lifestyle & Entertainment
03A Cute New Pair Of Ears
I hadn’t been to Disney since I was a kid, but I quickly found myself obsessed with checking out all the different ears in every store. The Dole Whip ones! The floral ones! The special Halloween ones! I wore a pair of ears to Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween party for hours, which was super impressive considering any hat or headband usually gives me a headache in minutes. They were so comfy, and everyone on our trip looked adorable in them — no bad hair days in sight. — Katie McPherson, Associate Editor, Lifestyle & Entertainment
04A Claw Clip That Goes With Everything
I’d love to be one of those cute Disney girlies who can wear their hair down in the parks, but I’m just not. Florida has a special way of turning my hair into a frizzy mess in record time, so I always end up putting it up. This claw clip at least gives me a *little* style, and I got so many compliments on it during our trip. Plus, it’s metal, so it feels super sturdy. — Julie Sprankles, Deputy Editor, Lifestyle & Entertainment
05A Hairspray To Tame Flyaways
This hairspray is one of the best I’ve ever tried — it adds volume at my roots, holds without being crunchy somehow, and is only $7.99 a can. Four days at Disney was truly putting it to the test, but looking back at the photos, I really don’t see a hair out of place from my bun, and this spray deserves a ton of the credit. — Katie McPherson, Associate Editor, Lifestyle & Entertainment
06Some Pretty Scrunchies
The slicked-back bun and cute scrunchie combo is the perfect solution for those of us who are super not used to the Florida humidity but still want to look like we tried. If you have a princess-loving kid who absolutely has to stay on theme, this scrunchie might also actually convince them to wear their hair up instead of letting their Rapunzel locks flow. — Megan LaCreta, Associate Editor, Social
07A Super Cute Mickey Baseball Cap
I had high hopes of embracing the humidity and letting my somewhat curly hair go crazy while at Disney. That idea lasted about five seconds until I left the air conditioning of our hotel and entered the swamp that is Florida humidity. My hair immediately went up into a ponytail, and I put on a baseball hat. Cute and comfortable. — Katy Elliott, Senior Editor, Personal Stories
08A Smoothing, Great-Smelling Hair Oil
Yes, this oil is on the pricier side, but it’s worth its weight in gold — and a little goes a long way, too. It’s my absolute favorite hair product: smells great, doesn’t make your hair greasy, and smooths like no other. I don’t waste any on days I know I’m just going to be sweating profusely while hoofing it around the parks, but it’s a must for less strenuous Disney days or times when you know you’ll be taking advantage of those Memory Maker photos. — Julie Sprankles, Deputy Editor, Lifestyle & Entertainment
09A Bunch Of Hair Ties, Obviously
As someone with long, quite thick, very black tresses, I needed a small assortment of hair ties on me at all times. Because I don’t care how cute your Disney outfit looks with your hair down: You’re going to be tying your hair up at some point in the day, and you’ll need fresh, not-stretched-out hair ties to do it. — Jamie Kenney, Associate Editor, News & Entertainment
There’s no getting around the fact that Disney isn’t the place for elaborate hair looks, but with a little help from the right products, you can definitely keep things in check.
