Northerners, how do you pack for a Disney vacation in the winter?

[DreamIsaWish]

I was there Jan 2-8. The start of the trip was much warmer than other Jan trips I've had...wore skorts and capris, with short sleeved tees. But, by the end of the week, I thought I was going to freeze to death. Fri and Sat nights were brutally cold. Sat night, as already mentioned by AnalAnnie was 'feels like 28'!!! I had a sweatshirt on, but I was frozen while waiting for the bus at DS!!!
I'm flying down in a week. I'll be flying in jeans, turtleneck, sweatshirt and flannel lined windbreaker...I'm from central Mass, so no telling what the temps will be when I leave and when I head home! I'll be taking capris with me and a few skorts, short sleeved, and long sleeved tee shirts, and socks. No sandals for me when it's winter time. The mornings can be chilly, then it warms up, then as soon as the sun goes down, it gets chilly again.

We were there the same week and totally agree about the huge swing in temps! But we brought a whole bunch of layers to put on and take off. By evening we had three layers in addition to the base t-shirt. My daughter wore gloves all day.

So my advice is definitely (1) bring layers and (2) bring knit gloves. In the evenings I was wearing: t-shirt, light hoodie, heavier sweatshirt hoodie, light/medium jacket plus knit gloves. Without all the hoods, I would have needed a hat. We left the mouse ears in the room those days since we'd be wearing hoods instead of cute mouse ears. I would also advise Epcot in the cooler evenings. The queues there are all indoors!

 

[memakwed]

Pack according to how you would are at home. My mom brings her winter coat and gloves, pants,capris. I on the other hand wear a sweater and sneakers and pants to travel. Then when there do shorts tees and capris. I like being cool so I wear shorts even in winter in the house. Wear what you'd wear for the temp. at home. You know what you will be comfortable in.

 

[TXHauntedMansionFan]

when you get on a plane in the morning and it 10 outside you step off in fl and it is 50 it feels like the middle of summer

It's funny you mention this as we got to experience the inverse during a Sept trip to Disneyland one year. The temp when we got on the plane in Dallas was 105 and when we got off in LA it was 68. It was freezing; it actually was the night that I proposed to the missus and we're both wearing long sleeves and jeans in the pic we have!

 

[bumbershoot]

I can see that many of the people responding here weren't there January marathon weekend 2010 (sleeting at the start of either the half or the full marathon, not sure which since I wasn't there...they called it Disney On Ice) or Dec 10ish plus a couple days that same 2010 year, or January marathon weekend 2014 and we froze for a day or so Feb 2012, too. Dec 2010 the morning we hit Wizarding World for early entrance we did Flight of the Hippogriff outdoor coaster 14 times in a row. It was 28 stinkin' degrees (not "feels like"). I remember looking at that temperature VERY well. The Hogwarts house scarves that seemed like such a ripoff at $30+ apiece 2 days prior were purchased. $100 in scarves right there. 2014 was sick and wrong cold for a couple days, then the day of my son's Mickey Mile it was 80. Oh I forgot...5K day January 2015 it was 33 when I got to my volunteer spot, and by the time DS and DH got to their corrals it was 31. That was awesome. And a month later for the Princess 5K it was colder, but I heard that they actually handed out space blankets and had heaters out for that...not for the January 5K, though!

So when people talk about Florida winter always being 70 during the day, I laugh. Y'all haven't experienced 35 degrees at night with the wind whipping across the lake while trying to watch Illuminations without breaking your teeth from your jaw chattering. Shudder.

How do you dress/plan for a long day at a park where the temperature may be in the 70/80s during the day but go down to the 50/60s at night?

Not very different than at home.

But when REAL winter weather hits in Florida, it gets nasty.

Layers for sure and don't forget a bathing suit. I know it sounds crazy but swimming in a luscious, warm pool is fabulous on a cool evening.

Nothing crazy about it.

But if it's 50, you want to keep your hair out of the water, or if it gets in the water you want it still in the water. Because wet hair hitting your neck outside in the 50 degree weather can make you very cold!

Keep in mind that 50/60 degrees feels different in Florida than it does in other parts of the country. Due to the humidity it feels "colder" at those temperatures there, so while I may walk around outside in a t-shirt and shorts at 60 degrees, in Disney I would probably wear a pair of leggings and a sweatshirt or jacket over my t-shirt!

YES.

I'm from MN and I wore shorts basically every day in Disney in December. One day I changed into jeans before we went back to the park in the evening, knowing we'd be there until really late and it was a slightly chilly day. Another day I wore a light zip up shirt in the morning but by early afternoon I was down to tank top and shorts. We got there at 7 am that day and it was still dark, so that's probably why it was chilly still in the morning.

I did have an older woman on the bus tease me (light heartedly) saying she could tell I wasn't from Florida because I "wasn't dressed appropriately". She was from Fort Lauderdale, lol. I felt great though!

Maybe someday you'll hit the temperatures others on the Dis have experienced, and then you might possibly have different clothes on, or wish you did.

Side note, it was about 33 degrees yesterday, I wasnt the only one in my neighborhood out in jeans and a T-shirt clearing the melting snow from our driveways. So its all relative to wear you come from and what your acclimated to.

OK, so do the same, and stay outside for 12 hours. Occasionally get in an open convertible and drive 45 degrees to simulate Test Track, drive a bit slower for 7dwarves, etc. Really feel what it feels like to be at a themepark in that temperature. And don't forget that the restaurants aren't going to be warm, because their AC hasn't quite turned into heat yet! (sat in air-reach of the doorway at former-Cat Cora's one of those cold Januarys and thought I was going to die of the cold...wow was that cold)

A caveat about the "true northerner" thing. Back home, you usually don't sit outside on a curb or a bench for an hour waiting for evening entertainment to start. Unless it's a sports game and then you actually would dress warmly, maybe even bring a blanket, because sitting still you would get cold. That's what you can't forget at WDW in winter. In December waiting for MVMCP at MK on Main Street, we two Chicagoans thought we were warmly enough dressed for the evening's temps in the low 50s. But an hour of sitting on a cold concrete curb under the fake soap snow blowers and we were freezing.

YES YES YES.


Our first trip was Dec 2010. Got there just at the end of Nov. Oh it was lovely. 70 degrees. Each day it started dropping. We had packed for the first week of weather b/c that's what we could find out. Then it hit the 30s and that one lovely 28 degree morning... We had no clothes for it. DH is not a small guy and I was rather plus sized at the time, and we had budgeted tightly and couldn't just run out to Lane Bryant and Casual Male to buy a new wardrobe. We were NOT warm, the whole time. (we did swim three times though) Then on our departure day, we were bundled up in our flying clothes, and it was 80.

 

[Lalalyn]

We've been the past two years at the end of January and have been in everything from shorts and short sleeved shirts to pants, fleece, windbreaker and hats.

We are 8 days out from our next trip and it is showing a high of 59 on our arrival day! I'm waiting another few days to start packing. But looks like lots of layers with only a couple of pairs of shorts each, mostly pants.

 

[goofyernmost]

I am from the Nutmeg State, and used to the cold. I almost never keep a coat on, have been known to wear my flippies to run an errand in Winter, and hate a hat. With that said, four years ago, I froze! My DH and I both wore our hoodies, and I have my mittens, and had to buy my special pink Minnie Ears hat. Cold is cold, and that breeze blowing in off the water can really go through all your layers. The WC can be very uncomfortable if you are there on a windy cold day, and evenings are much worse.



Yes. We were standing in line for the Candlelight processional and though I was going to turn into an icicle. The evening parade in the MK sent me in to buy a hoodie. I agree, if you are not moving and it gets cold, you get cold.

OK, I will admit to generalizing, I have also been there on days when I needed a jacket, but, those days were few and far between and that is after 34 years of winter trips to WDW. I have never gone in the summer. Normally speaking those of us that came from the north can handle cooler temperatures with very little problem then those that come from a warmer climate. Especially if when you left home it was 22 below zero and you get to Florida and it is 48 degrees. The altering factor is if the wind is blowing from the north or not. That can make all the difference in the world. So like I said, if you come from the far north the chances are that you were wearing winter clothing when you left for the trip, so you have that with you. Otherwise a lightweight jacket or hoodie or regular sweat shirt will probably be sufficient.

 

[goofyernmost]

So when people talk about Florida winter always being 70 during the day, I laugh. Y'all haven't experienced 35 degrees at night with the wind whipping across the lake while trying to watch Illuminations without breaking your teeth from your jaw chattering. Shudder.

Honestly, to me it is just a fireworks show and if it were that cold, I would be in my hotel room and not standing outside to watch something go boom. I have been there, only once though, when a sudden storm whipped in with torrential rain, high winds blowing the rain sideways and lightening all around. No warning, no indication it was coming (nighttime). There was no reason to run for shelter because by the time you made three steps you were already as wet as you were ever going to get. It didn't last long, but, it didn't have too. Just for reference, a relatively full park will not fit into the stores on main street USA.

 

[baildrk]

OK, so do the same, and stay outside for 12 hours. Occasionally get in an open convertible and drive 45 degrees to simulate Test Track, drive a bit slower for 7dwarves, etc. Really feel what it feels like to be at a themepark in that temperature. And don't forget that the restaurants aren't going to be warm, because their AC hasn't quite turned into heat yet! (sat in air-reach of the doorway at former-Cat Cora's one of those cold Januarys and thought I was going to die of the cold...wow was that cold)

It was almost 40 for the last week where I live and people were driving with their windows down like it was spring, its all relative to what you think cold is, 45 degs in florida is going to be different than 45 degs in MN. I will say come to Minnesota on a winter day where the temp is 10 below zero and windchill is well into the -20's. The school district we are in won't even begin to think about delaying school until the wind chill reaches -30 so cold to me isn't cold to someone else. See how you feel about that 45 degree day in florida, feels like heaven.

 

[momof2gr8kids]

We packed with layers. I had kids wear a lighter hoodie and a heavier hoodie and pants on the plane as they take up most of the room in suitcase. (Then they could use one of the hoodies for a pillow!) We were there for 10 nights and planned to do laundry so we packed 2 pants, 2 long sleeve shirts, 4 tshirts, 4 shorts or capris, 2 hoodies, a hat and mini gloves. I think mini gloves were $7 at the resort gift shop, so make sure you stop by and get some pairs from your dollar store before leaving.

We were the only ones in the hot tub one night when it was 50 when a couple of other people joined us and said hey you must be from Canada too. Yep! lol

 

[Pmlocke]

Three years ago we had temps at 18 below zero when we left Detroit Metro Airport. Two years ago it was 10 below and last year, zero. I did then what I always do. I change into shorts in the terminal bathroom so I am ready for the heat. Three years ago when we arrived at the resort the temp was 64. I was met by staff wearing what I would refer to as arctic gear. I'm not kidding. Winter coats, gloves, scarfs, hats and leggings. For me, I was in heaven. We are talking an 80 degree change. I always find it amusing when I am approached by someone working down there. They always remark, "You must be from Michigan". I guess we in Michigan don't fear mid range temps. My wife and I were in the pool when the temp was only 64. The life guards were dressed much like the staff I described earlier. I asked one of the lifeguards, "How do you expect to save me from drowning wearing that much clothing"? He replied, "Sir, the water is only 4 feet deep. Stand up". My wife and I love to travel in the winter because it gets us out of the frigid north and I don't like slogging through the parks with temps in the 90's and humidity to match.

 

[ILoveMyDVC]

Having a light pair of gloves can be the difference between tolerance and enjoyment. Scarves of different fabrics are still in fashion - having one can block the sun or enhance warmth.

 

[Minnie Quinn]

Check the forecast before you go... I went 2 years ago in February (from NJ). I bit the bullet and didn't wear a coat to the airport because I was going directly to the park and didn't want to carry a coat around. Unfortunately we were in Florida for the "Winter of 2015"...both days of it. Ended up buying gloves and a scarf...and wishing I had brought my jacket. Day 1 and 2 were like that. Day 3 was tee shirt weather. Day 4 was beautiful.

Dress in layers for the day because even if you aren't there during a cold spell, when the sun is down or early morning, it'll be cold. Tee shirts with a jacket over top...when it warms up, just tie the jacket or sweatshirt around your waist.