Packing tips for first-timers in Cali

Stephluva

Earning My Ears
Joined
Apr 21, 2008
Super excited to be going to D23 in September followed by a few days in the parks afterwards. This will be our first time in California and first-time visiting Disneyland! We've been to Disneyworld many times and are very used to the weather down there (aka, surface of the sun hot). With the weather being a bit different, we're just not sure what type of clothing to pack or if there are any other weather necessities we would need? I know in order to prepare for Florida weather, we need flip flops, shorts/tank tops, ponchos and umbrellas. Just how much does this differ from what we need for California weather in September? Any help would be appreciated, thanks!!
 
Bring something warm for evenings. It can be chillier than people realize. One of my first DL souvenirs was a sweatshirt.
 
You won't need the ponchos and umbrellas. Average rainfall in Anaheim in September is only 1/4 of an inch. Daytime temperatures should be in the 80's with low humidity. (80's in Anaheim is very different from the 80's in humid Florida.) The evening temperatures can be in the 60's so you may want to pack a sweater or hoodie.
 
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You won’t need anything for rain. Like the previous posters mentioned the evenings can get cool even though the middle of the day can be surface of the sun hot at times (but without the humidity that central Florida has). Definitely bring a light jacket/hoodie/whatever. You’ll need comfortable shoes for walking, but don’t worry about having a backup pair for weather like in FL. Enjoy your trip! I grew up in the area and miss Disneyland so much.
 


Shorts, tee shirts, comfortable shoes and a light sweatshirt/jacket for the evening. I wish we had rain in Sept.
 
Agree that rain gear isn't really necessary but bring a jacket. It can get cold at night, especially if you're waiting for World of Color or Fantasmic.
You might also need more sunscreen than WDW and I recommend proper shoes for walking over flip flops.
 


What to pack?

Along with the items mentioned above, I recommend sunscreen and patience….

Have a nice trip
 
We learned to stay 'flexible' . Comfortable "closed toe" shoes help as the strollers can be a hazard. Sunscreen / packable hat.

Former AP. Last time we went was in mid Sept for my 60th B-Day and it was windy and 98 degrees. Fire season = Yup. Light layers and cooler nights. Depends upon the desert winds.

You can always rent a locker for 'extras', but a new DL sweatshirt is always fun.

Have a great time...
 
Our weather is so weird all year so you really never know, but September is more likely to be hot than cool … 80-90 not unlikely in September (and October). As other say, night can be cool. I would pack it all so you have options!
 
it's pretty much FL minus the humidity and rain, so no ponchos or umbrellas, but everything else is about the same. And a sweatshirt for the night. Most of the time, September is one of the hottest months of the year. It's usually dry heat and if you're really unlucky, there will also be a strong, hot wind that makes everything feel like a giant outdoor convection oven.
 
A dollar store poncho while likely not needed for rain, can actually come in handy if you want to be on the rail in the wet zone for WOC in the cooler evening. It can also come in handy for GRR if you have people that don't want to be soaked, or are riding GRR before a dining reservation or something else where you will will sitting inside. Not fun if you get off that ride looking like you just fell into a swimming pool with your clothes on, and then go inside somewhere.

Expect cooler in the mornings and evenings and hot in the afternoon. Last October, we wore shorts and short sleeved shirts, and I don't recall ever getting to the point in the morning or evening that I wanted anything else. I remember thinking it was really nice in the morning and evenings and a little hotter than I would like in the afternoon (cooler than most of our October WDW trips though). I did wear long sleeves to OBB, but that was costume related. I would think September would be similar to the first part of October. I have had times in June where I have wanted a sweatshirt at night. It may depend somewhat on where you are from and what you perceive as cold. You may not need a sweatshirt or jacket at all--- but if you are in a tank top without sleeves at all, you might. I balance whether I want to carry around a sweatshirt all day when I may only need it once it starts getting dark, with my cold tolerance. Last October, I decided I would just use the cold as an excuse to buy a sweatshirt (which I have done in June in the past), but it never got to the point that I felt like I wanted long sleeves.

Sunscreen is a must and we always use body glide on our feet to avoid any blisters. I'm blister prone and I haven't had a blister at DLR or WDW since we started using it years ago.
 
Definitely what's been said before. Our first trip there, my hubs didn't trust me when I said it can get chilly in the evenings. We ended up purchasing a jacket (wind breaker style) in Frontierland. It gets chilly some evenings. During the day, it ended up being put in the locker, until early evening, when it was pulled out.
 
Pack like you are going to WDW in March during a heat wave.

Minus the rain gear (although you may appreciate a UV blocking umbrella).

It will be warm to hot. Not sure how this year will play out, because our summer has been atypically cool so far. That could bode well for a mild September or it can swing wildly the other way and be in the 90s. September is often our hottest month. It has also been a BIT more humid than usual this summer, but nothing at all like Orlando.

Pack shorts/capris, tees, comfy sneakers, a lightweight hoodie or jacket, and ONE pair of pants/leggings in case of cool nights (which are less common in September). I'd recommend at least SOME quick dry style shirts in case it's REALLY HOT. You'll want to do water rides.

Check the weather NO MORE than 3 days out from your arrival. That's when it will actually have a chance of being accurate, but beware our weather predictions for temperature are often not too accurate. They can be off by 5-10 degrees.
 
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In my experience, September always tends to be pretty hot. Our hottest trip was in September one year when it hit around 115 degrees (though that isn't normal, thankfully.) Still pretty warm though. If you're lucky, you may need a sweatshirt at night but I doubt you'll need much more.
 
Thanks for all this great info! Seems like we're looking at a dry heat, which is waayyyy better than the humidity of central FL. My husband is very excited at the idea of slightly cooler temps while walking the parks at night 😂
 
In DL it feels SIGNIFICANTLY cooler the second the sun goes down. I like it but my wife always complains! Anyone prone to feeling chilly should have a sweatshirt handy.
 
I've seen it rain and rain hard in the fall. Not sure if you need to be prepared for it, as when it happened while we were there nearly every store and stand in the park was selling disposable ponchos. They obviously have a stock of them ready to sell if it rains. However, I'm sure they would cost a lot more than you could find at a dollar store or discount store.
 
We always travel only with a carry-on and a backpack so I like to pack one or two less shirts than I need an buy a souvenir one while I’m there. Thanks for starting this thread we are heading to DL in a week and a half 😊.
 
I think another thing that surprises WDW vets coming to Disneyland/SoCal is how much is outside. Shaded or unshaded, many QS restaurants have outdoors or non-air conditioned seating. And more ride lines are outside than at WDW. With less rain and humidity it isn't needed as much. Same with other destinations in SoCal -- almost everything is geared toward the outdoors and mild weather.

We take sweatshirts and get one locker to put them and extra snacks into. The sweatshirts go into the locker mid-morning once it warms up and we get them back out after dinner and put in the souvenirs we bought during the afternoon shopping.
 

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