Advice for those of you with Nov/Dec trips booked

[6loversofdisney]

I had never gone to Disney during this time if year. I had gone in March, May, August, September but never November/December like I did last year. I was not prepared and want to share my story. I am an organized, prepared list maker who gets the dining/fast passes she wants. With that said, I was not prepared for the unseasonably cold weather we had while there. It was 32 degrees as we sat and watched the Christmas parade. Someone said we should have bought coats but coats/hats/gloves for 6 is a large extra expense that could have been easily avoided had we packed them!

 

[Robo]

Agree completely.

Clothing in Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb.

There is no simple answer that takes all situations into account.

"Layers" will be the most versatile clothing to bring.


We're from the midwest and have learned to EXPECT ANYTHING as the weather goes in off-season Orlando.

We always pack winter AND summer-wear.

In Nov/Dec/Jan/Feb we have even worn LONG THERMAL UNDERWEAR (after sundown)... we now pack it for any off-season trip.

Typical day:
Cool outside at 7am.
Wear shorts and Tee's.
Over that add a thin nylon wind-breaker
We put our "chilly-wear" and RAIN ponchos in a back-pack.

(Rain ponchos are REALLY cheap in hunting section of discount retailers.
You can buy BIG THICK ones to allow covering large jackets... more later.)

"Chilly-wear" is a nylon cotton-lined warm-up suit with zipper legs and a cotton-lined windbreaker.

We buy OVER-sized in these so they can easily be put on OVER other clothing.

After standing in the sometimes chilly "early-entry" lines we can usually take off the wind-breakers.

We always rent a locker at the park(s) and leave our "chilly-wear" in the locker 'til sun-down.

If it looks like rain (in Florida? Who'da thunk?) we take the Ponchos.

Much later, if its a warm night, we're just fine in the shorts.
If it turns windy/cool... we can visit the locker and choose which level of "chilly" OVER-WEAR to add to our clothing.

If it turns really COLD (windy 30's-40's not unheard-of at certain times of the year) we can make a restroom trip and slide-on the long underwear... OR... we can even add the final outer-layer of the RAIN ponchos (with their HOODS)... OVER everything else.

That trick (along with ear-muffs and gloves) has allowed us to "comfortably" stay and enjoy Fantasmic! or IllumiNations when others (less-prepared) have been "frozen-out."

Consider the difference in what you will be doing at
WDW compared to the way you spend your time outside
while at home.

At home, you might be used to walking from a car, up a
sidewalk a certain distance, and then, walking inside a heated building.

So, you don't usually simply stand still outside,
waiting in the same spot for 45-60 minutes at a time.
You will be doing that kind of thing at WDW, if you
want to hold a spot a bit early and then watch
IllumiNations or MSEP and/or Wishes.

My wife and I are naturally "warm-blooded" and hardly
ever wear a coat at home in the winter until the
temperature gets to be constantly below 30 degress...

but STANDING outside at night at WDW for the evening
events, if the temp is in the 40's or lower (plus it
can be damp and windy,) can chill you to the bone
after about 15 minutes.

 

[margot31]

The weather during that time can be a little unpredictable. I have a photo from when my husband came home from deployment (in dec) and it was int he 40's-50's and a few days later on christmas night we were in t-shirts and flip flops.

 

[ArwenMarie]

Yeah, you have to bring a little bit of everything in the winter months for sure. I actually hate packing when we go in the winter! The summer is so easy.

 

[AtlantaDisneyDreamer]

Speaking of Florida winter weather . . . .

How does Disney handle opening rides like Splash and Kali? I was thinking about our Fastpass selections and wondered how smart it is to fastpass rides like that in the winter.

I was thinking that they typically keep them open unless the weather drops below x degrees, but not sure. Any other ride closures on cold days?

Anyone ridden these water rides on really cold days?

 

[Happy_2_B]

Agree completely.

Clothing in Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb.

There is no simple answer that takes all situations into account.

"Layers" will be the most versatile clothing to bring.


We're from the midwest and have learned to EXPECT ANYTHING as the weather goes in off-season Orlando.

We always pack winter AND summer-wear.

In Nov/Dec/Jan/Feb we have even worn LONG THERMAL UNDERWEAR (after sundown)... we now pack it for any off-season trip.

Typical day:
Cool outside at 7am.
Wear shorts and Tee's.
Over that add a thin nylon wind-breaker
We put our "chilly-wear" and RAIN ponchos in a back-pack.

(Rain ponchos are REALLY cheap in hunting section of discount retailers.
You can buy BIG THICK ones to allow covering large jackets... more later.)

"Chilly-wear" is a nylon cotton-lined warm-up suit with zipper legs and a cotton-lined windbreaker.

We buy OVER-sized in these so they can easily be put on OVER other clothing.

After standing in the sometimes chilly "early-entry" lines we can usually take off the wind-breakers.

We always rent a locker at the park(s) and leave our "chilly-wear" in the locker 'til sun-down.

If it looks like rain (in Florida? Who'da thunk?) we take the Ponchos.

Much later, if its a warm night, we're just fine in the shorts.
If it turns windy/cool... we can visit the locker and choose which level of "chilly" OVER-WEAR to add to our clothing.

If it turns really COLD (windy 30's-40's not unheard-of at certain times of the year) we can make a restroom trip and slide-on the long underwear... OR... we can even add the final outer-layer of the RAIN ponchos (with their HOODS)... OVER everything else.

That trick (along with ear-muffs and gloves) has allowed us to "comfortably" stay and enjoy Fantasmic! or IllumiNations when others (less-prepared) have been "frozen-out."

Consider the difference in what you will be doing at
WDW compared to the way you spend your time outside
while at home.

At home, you might be used to walking from a car, up a
sidewalk a certain distance, and then, walking inside a heated building.

So, you don't usually simply stand still outside,
waiting in the same spot for 45-60 minutes at a time.
You will be doing that kind of thing at WDW, if you
want to hold a spot a bit early and then watch
IllumiNations or MSEP and/or Wishes.

My wife and I are naturally "warm-blooded" and hardly
ever wear a coat at home in the winter until the
temperature gets to be constantly below 30 degress...

but STANDING outside at night at WDW for the evening
events, if the temp is in the 40's or lower (plus it
can be damp and windy,) can chill you to the bone
after about 15 minutes.

Good thing to post, OP. We have gone several times in December, and we bring pretty much all the cold/rain weather gear Robo suggests. Robo pretty much covered all the bases, but wanted to add our tweaks as maybe it will be helpful for those living in warmer climates. We do thin 'performance wear' from Eddie Bauer instead of long underwear to put under the outer layer of active wear- but it's the same principal. We do the whole layering thing when we have park days planned without a mid afternoon break- and also take advantage of the lockers. Now that we live in the desert southwest- we also bring a regular jacket/coat to wear with gloves and a skull cap for days we plan to just visit the parks in the late afternoon into the evenings just to be on the safe side when the forecast warrants it. We got it all out, and it's now enough for an extra suitcase, but it's worth the effort. It has been in the 80s some days, and in the 30s some nights- it's very unpredictable- and like the OP, we got caught 'off guard' on our first trip and haven't made the same mistake since (unlike the OP we went to the Disney store in what was then DD and bought all the stuff- wasn't cheap...). As the Boy Scout motto says- Be Prepared.

 

[mla2177]

I am going to be there Nov 11th-17th. It shows high 70's to low 80's as the high. I was planning on shorts and Tshirts and packing hoodies for at night. Is that a bad plan?????

 

[margot31]

I am going to be there Nov 11th-17th. It shows high 70's to low 80's as the high. I was planning on shorts and Tshirts and packing hoodies for at night. Is that a bad plan?????

I think so far that could be a good plan, but make sure you check the weather reports before you leave so you can make sure. It is still too early to tell right now.

 

[Robo]

Speaking of Florida winter weather . . . .

How does Disney handle opening rides like Splash and Kali? I was thinking about our Fastpass selections and wondered how smart it is to fastpass rides like that in the winter.

I was thinking that they typically keep them open unless the weather drops below x degrees, but not sure. Any other ride closures on cold days?

Anyone ridden these water rides on really cold days?

Splash's "splashes" are adjustable, so they can (if they choose to) turn off 90% of the water that really
gets guests wet.

Kali, they have been known to not open until the temps rise enough.

 

[jtwibih]

We were there the week before Thanksgiving last year and it was quite cold several days that week. Luckily we were prepared but it still shocked us. With the clouds and wind, it made for few tough days.

 

[Disneylover99]

Speaking of Florida winter weather . . . .

How does Disney handle opening rides like Splash and Kali? I was thinking about our Fastpass selections and wondered how smart it is to fastpass rides like that in the winter.

These rides are not great fp choices during the winter months.

 

[SaintsManiac]

I live in south Louisiana and the weather is so unpredictable. We are packing things that we would normally wear during February Mardi Gras. Thankfully we are flying Southwest, so one suitcase will hold all winter gear. Heck, when we went in April 6 years ago it was cold the first day and hotter than Hades the last day.

Thanks for the locker tip, Robo. We recently canceled our stroller rental and were trying to figure out where to stash everything

 

[AtlantaDisneyDreamer]

Splash's "splashes" are adjustable, so they can (if they choose to) turn off 90% of the water that really
gets guests wet.

Kali, they have been known to not open until the temps rise enough.

Thanks! You always have helpful info, Robo. Do you know what the base temps are for opening Kali (it is one of my DD's favorite rides and I know she will want to ride it if she can)?

 

[Robo]

Thanks! You always have helpful info, Robo. Do you know what the base temps are for opening Kali (it is one of my DD's favorite rides and I know she will want to ride it if she can)?

It's up to whomever is managing the attractions at that time.

Look at it this way, if they have Kali closed due to cold... your DD does NOT want to be riding it.

 

[Princess Mulan]

As a survivor of multiple winter trips, I agree that layers are best. The key is performance wear (such as UnderArmour tops and bottoms) and windproof (not just wind-resistant) outer layers. Here's what I pack:

UnderArmour long-sleeve "underwear" tops
UnderArmour long "underwear" pants
The NorthFace Venture jacket (windPROOF and waterPROOF) for warmer temps
The NorthFace Apex Bionic jacket (windPROOF and rain-RESISTANT) for cold temps
The NorthFace Venture pants (windPROOF and waterPROOF) pants to layer over shorts or jeans
Long cotton scarf to protect neck and face (cotton is thinner and more suitable for Florida than wool)
Ear Warmers earmuffs or headwrap
Thin knit gloves
Thin knit cap

All of these items are thin and easily packable.

 

[Spoiledraf]

We avoided the water rides when picking FP. But fortunately for us is was unseasonably warm two years ago the first week of December and we were in short sleeves the entire visit. But we had back ups if we needed them!

 

[Mickey's Best Girl]

I am going to be there Nov 11th-17th. It shows high 70's to low 80's as the high. I was planning on shorts and Tshirts and packing hoodies for at night. Is that a bad plan?????

We were there these dates last year (left closer to Thanksgiving) and there were a few days toward the end of our trip we were VERY cold, the wind and chill from the humid Florida air was not a good combination. We were in the parks in pants and sweaters and had to go back to the room because it was just too cold in the parks. If we even had a light windbreaker jacket it woud have been doable but the wind was whipping through our clothes and we just couldn't fathom putting out $60+ for jackets for one day of bad planning.

And we know cold, we're Canadian.

 

[trekkie68]

Great tip, we were there last November and weren't necessarily prepared for the few cold nights we were hit with, this time (we go back in 2 weeks) we'll have more warm clothing and jackets packed!

 

[Sherrkel]

We usually vacation in late February, and it can be unpredictable. As much as I could have used a light pair of gloves on a couple of nights during some of our trips, I just refuse to pack them. I want to leave it all behind in frigid New England! If it really got that bad, I'll just pick up a pair of Mickey gloves lol.

 

[lorenae]

I haven't been there since 2003(!), but we went in January and I was cold all of the time except for brief afternoons when I was in the direct sun. My kids (13 and 10 at the time) were swimming each day. At Fantasmic!, we were all a bit cold but I had brought those "stretchy" gloves, hats, and sweatshirts. We got soaked at Kali, so went back to our room to change as we all got cold even though it was a relatively warm day.

This year, my GS and I are going the week following Thanksgiving. We'll bring shorts and Ts, jackets, jeans, gloves, hats, and everything in between I think!

Layers are a great way to go, since we'll be starting at 8 AM some days and try to make illuminations at least once. I'm renting a car, so except for MK days, I can stash some things in the car and if we get really cold, we can go back to the car.