Northerners, how do you typically dress for winter in Disney World?

[Bob Dolewhip]

For those, I just carry a spare taun taun to gut and crawl inside of until I can get back to my resort.

Dying lol

 

[tzolkin]

I grew up in FL but have also lived for many years near Syracuse, NY.

I think people from the north often tend to lean toward this macho "it's -20 where I live so I certainly don't need a jacket in FL" mentality.

In my experience it can be miserably cold at higher temperatures than you would expect because it's damp and windy.

Plus, you're spending more time outside. Yes, I would often think nothing of going out in short sleeves at home if it was 40 because I was usually just walking from the parking lot into work, a store, etc. But, that's completely different than sitting outside for two hours to watch a parade or show at Disney. Sure, I could "tolerate" the damp cold, but I would much rather be comfortable.

 

[NikkiDP]

Light weight layers are your friend! We went in the beginning of January last year and were comfortable in shorts and sweatshirts in the morning and evenings. Most Florida CMs we ran into were baffled that we were in shorts but it kinda felt like a lovely fall or Spring day compared to what January in CT can sometimes be!

 

[Trap]

tee shirt and jeans if lower then 50 at night a hoodie

 

[leahlefler]

We dress as if it is early fall when we go to WDW in the winter (we live near Buffalo, NY). Shorts and short sleeved shirts during the day and a light jacket for the evening - and we bring a pair of jeans for those days that might remain chilly. Pay close attention to the weather! The clothes we take will depend on the forecast - sometimes Orlando gets a really cold snap, though obviously nothing like winter in the northern areas. We had one cold day the last time we went - the other days were in the 70's or 80's.

 

[Gentry2004]

We don't really like the idea of having to carry around a bag of clothes throughout the parks each day. Do the people who bring clothes to change in to just suck it up and carry it around or do you rent a locker?

We do. We carry one normal sized backpack that we take turns carrying. We also store phones, sunscreen, and light snacks in there. We don't bring a change of clothes, just a light sweatshirt or jacket for each person (2 adults, 2 kids.)

 

[kniquy]

I guess we could just bring a change of clothes with us to the parks each day but I'm not too thrilled about carrying that around or renting a locker every day.

I am in MA and we did a NYE trip a few years ago. It happened to be slightly warmer than it typically is so we were fine wearing shorts and sweatshirts in the morning and then putting the sweatshirts back on for the evening. I think only our first day we wore jeans because it was a little chilly. I would not want to bother changing in the park or dealing with a backpack full of cloths or trying to stuff that backpack in a locker.

I guess you could just plan parks in the AM return to resort and change there if you need to wear warmer clothing.

It really is unpredictable. Your only best best is to wait, check the weather right before you leave and pack based on that and what you are comfortable with. Everyone is different -- if the top of me is warm i can go with shorts and sweatshirt no problem. Our cold tolerance is much better than those living in FL so for us high 50's -60's is shorts and sweatshirt weather, whereas a Floridian would be probably bundled in a coat and jeans.

Don't mean to hijack but we're going 11/29-12/4. Does anyone swim that time of year?

It all depends --they do heat the pools maybe to 80 degrees, if you get a warmer day then you could swim. When we went in dec-Jan - the days were in the mid 80's so we could swim no problem, but we were being told that it was much warmer than usual.

 

[DisneyMom93]

I always check the weather app the morning of. If I see it's going to be really cool temps in the evening we will bring a lighter weight fleece. My girls and I usually bring lightweight hoodies anyway for the cold rides, restaurants, and the freezing cold buses. Our preference is the "slub" fabric hoodies. They are very thin but perfect for Disney World. I also pack lightweight joggers, or leggings for me and my girls if it's supposed to be much cooler. (We never wear jeans in Disney.) For normal cool weather we can just wear our shorts. As long as our upper body is warm we are usually okay. We don't wear long sleeve tops. We do tanks and tees, add the lightweight hoodie, and top that off with the lightweight fleece. Layers definitely are the way to go.

My husband usually never wears anything but a tee and shorts, but I will bring a light hoodie or long sleeve tee for him in case it's unusually cold. They usually never leave the resort room. Unfortunately, all this means we will need to bring our string backpacks into the park when it's cooler. Otherwise we don't usually carry those either.

Only once was it freezing in November in DW and we weren't prepared. Now we know. But when we went to DL we found it much cooler at night and always had to wear a hoodie and leggings.

 

[Oneanne]

I'm in the wear layers camp... I usually wear capris or cropped pants day or night and then layers on top as needed. I always do a mid-day resort break and usually change clothing to get out of anything sweaty and/or to adjust for the evening weather.

 

[DisneyHardin]

We had cool nights last year during our trip. What I did was bring a long sleeve base layer shirt (like under armour) in my bag. When it got cold I went in the restroom and put it on under my Disney tee. I was warm enough and I didn't have a bulky hoodie to carry around all day.

 

[acwsmom]

We usually take a mid-day break and come back with jackets and jeans. But if we know we're going to do a full day at one of the parks, we'll go ahead and rent a locker so we don't have to lug everything around.

 

[PlutoTheDog89]

New Yorker. We go every year for Christmas.

In 2009 we arrived and it was 70 degrees and sunny. By the time we got to our room and changed into shorts and t-shirts, it was cloudy out and the temp was dropping. it wouldn't go over 50 degrees the rest of our trip. It was in the 30s at night. 2010 hovered in the mid 50s. It was very nice in 2012 and 2013. Spring-like weather. 2014 was hot until December 27th, then it rained and got cold and rainy for the remainder of the trip. 2015 was hot...VERY hot and humid. Christmas Day it felt like we were melting. 2016 was just hot.

Honestly... you need to prepare for everything. It's early-to-mid April-like weather for the Northeast. It could be mild and in the 70s, it could be chilly and in the 50s/40s, it could be unseasonably hot. Despite what the weather says, it's hard to accurately predict more than 3 days out. A cold front can suddenly hit and you'll be stuck looking for heavier clothes. It happened in 2016. It was hot most of the trip, then a storm rolled in and the next day was 20-30 degrees chillier.

The key is to pack layers. Start with your normal summery stuff: shorts and a t-shirt. I always bring a pair of jeans and some long-sleeve and short-sleeve button-down shirts (for nicer dinners). I bring one neutral-color sweater that I can throw over anything (black, navy, gray), and a comfortable hoodie. I also bring one pair of long, thick socks, and gloves. I have some weird condition where if it's 50 degrees or cooler, I start to lose feeling in my hands—so it's important to keep my hands warm.

If you get lucky and get hot weather, you can wear shorts and t-shirts. If it's a little chilly one day, throw on your hoodie or sweater. A little colder? Wear your hoodie over your sweater or long-sleeve shirt. Remember that coming from the North, it's acceptable to wear a bigger coat on the plane, so you'll be traveling with backup.

 

[ohiotodds12]

Well I am from the north as well and we were there two Decembers in a row, first part of December too. The one year we could wear shorts and a t-shirt and were great. The 2nd year we had gloves and hats on. I am also the person that slept with just a sheet on and it was in the 40's last night with our windows open so don't get cold easily. What was cold at the parks was that any outside rides (think TTA and so forth) when the wind blew on you was REALLY cold, we were so surprised. it was 38 at night and 41 when we were going to the parks. The wind was blowing so we were surprised at how chilly it got. You will kind of have to wait because we have been in the middle of winter and it was 85 too.

 

[Dan Murphy]

Chicago here, used to cold, zero temps, blizzards.

You can see how variable the temperature and comfort can be at that time of the year. I've gone over 15 times that time, early December. It can be 80 during the day, chilly in the morning, cold at night. I have always checked the forecast a day or so before leaving home, just to get the temperature trend. I have been there when it was in the mid 20's at night, all of the delicate plantings throughout the parks covered for frost protection. I have been there when it was short sleeves and shorts during the day, though never at night. I always bring a winter jacket, gloves, ling sleeve shirts. On those cold, biting wind nights, you see lots of guest buying expensive Disney wear to keep warm. Lots of heavy beach blankets sold at Fantasmic.

40's and 50's are a lot colder there than you would think. Lots of water to blow across and send those chills. Also, when at home, you generally are not out walking/standing in the cold for hours. You go from one warm place, home, to another, car, or some place else. Big difference.

 

[jekjones1558]

Check several online weather sites before your trip so you have an idea about what to pack. I am from Minnesota and so am no stranger to cold weather, but 50 at WDW, when it is damp and windy, is really uncomfortable. I have worn a winter jacket, hat and gloves and still been cold in the evening in December. We have done many December trips and temps have ranged from 80s to 30s, so checking the forecast before you go will really help you plan clothing.

 

[willowthedog]

We're from MI and have been a few times over the Christmas holiday/early Jan. The one thing we've found is definitely pack a multitude of clothing. There are some days that can be quite cold. On our last Jan. trip, it was 70 degrees and we went to Blizzard Beach. It was AWESOME! We basically had the waterpark to ourselves. We could've counted the people there and everyone thought we were crazy. The lifeguards were all bundled up. We said, "Hey, it's 10 degrees in MI right now....this is swimming weather!"

 

[Mickey's Best Girl]

I grew up in FL but have also lived for many years near Syracuse, NY.

I think people from the north often tend to lean toward this macho "it's -20 where I live so I certainly don't need a jacket in FL" mentality.

In my experience it can be miserably cold at higher temperatures than you would expect because it's damp and windy.

This 100%. It's not necessarily the temperature. It's the chill that come with the dampness and the wind that'll get you. We learned sweaters won't cut it, you need something to keep the wind away.

 

[kiford]

We've been to WDW in December several times and we've had a bit of everything. We've had days where it's 80's during the day and mid-70's at night. Times when it's been in the high 50's or low 60's after dark but pleasant during the day. We typically expect mid-70's during the day and high 60's after dark but plan for everything from 45-85 degrees. We travel in spring/waterproof jackets with long sleeved shirts underneath then buy a fleece jacket at WDW on the first day (that's my souvenir). We then travel back home with the fleece under the spring jacket as it will be much colder when we return than when we leave home. Then I can use the fleece in the evening or if it gets cold during the day. And I can just use the outer jacket if it rains.

The last 4-5 times, we haven't found it very cold during the day - maybe one day might be but usually we don't need a jacket until evening. We don't generally wear shorts. We both burn easily so we prefer not to expose our legs too much and I'm not that comfortable walking around in shorts. Plus I find the restaurants are too cold for me to wear shorts. We travel in jeans so that we have heavier pants if we need them, but travelling in them saves me taking up space in the suitcase. We then take khaki or linen pants (for me, some light knit pants that are nicer for dinner). Then I have a mix of long and short sleeve shirts, usually cotton or rayon. Lightweight and comfortable. Also items that are easy to layer. So maybe a knit short sleeved shirt or tank top under a loose fitting long sleeve shirt, for example. Good walking shoes which I also travel in. I never wear open toed shoes for walking around except around the pool. Good cotton socks, some short and some longer. It sounds like a lot of clothing, but it really isn't. A lot of the items don't take up much space and I select colours that mix and match (I vet DH's clothing as he is unable to do this) so that I can minimize what I need to take.

If we find we need to change clothing, we go back to the room. We never carry anything with us.

 

[FutureDisneyEventPlanner]

it depends on how the weather is that year. the past two years i was in Disney in December, i work shorts and t-shirts all day, and just threw on a lightweight sweatshirt at night. i'm from SC, but i prefer cold weather. you also have to factor in how much you'll be walking, as opposed to just standing around. hope that helps!

 

[Shellyred8]

We are from MN. We've had Dec trips when it was 50's - 60's and cold and raining and other trips when it was gloriously sunny and in the 80's. So, I would wait to decide what to bring until you see the weather forecast the week before you leave.

If it's not supposed to get above mid-70's for the day, I will wear jeans for the entire day. I then wear a thin cuddle-duds layer under a tee-shirt and when it starts to get warm, I take the cuddle duds layer off and stick it in my bag.

We are going down during the second week of December this year and I'm hoping we get the "gloriously sunny" weather this time around!!

Have a great trip!