How do you pack for December?

[SamRoc]

Having the washer/dryers in the VWL will be great for our trip 12/24-12/31, but I was wondering if the weather can change that much at that time of year. I checked weather.com and it said in the 70s for the next 10 days, but not sure if we should bring heavy or lightweight jackets for nightime, sweatshirts, shorts....very confusing! We are flying and not renting a car,so we can't bring to much. Thanks!

[DebbieB]

I would watch the forecast carefully, weather can vary dramatically. We were there last week, Thursday it was about 85, yesterday it was only in the low 60's. Some days this coming week are only in the high 50's. If it isn't at least in the low 70's, I wouldn't bother with shorts. You probably will need a heavy jacket for night. Last year temps were only in the 60's during the day (first week) and I was glad I brought along a light winter coat and gloves for the evenings. I would bring 2 or 3 sweatshirts, they are easy to wash if needed.

[Happy Birthday Cat]

The washer/dryer really does make a difference. We pack a couple of items for cold and a couple for hot and do a lot of laundry. We have now gone three years in a row this time of year and every year we have been able to swim on some of the days and have to literally bundle up on other days.

HBC

[arminnie]

but I was wondering if the weather can change that much at that time of year. Thanks!
The answer is yes it can change in an instant. Thursday night at MVMCP it was hot even at night - I had on capri pants but wished I had brought shorts. By Saturday it was cold at night. You really do need to plan for everything in December - layering is the answer.

[mikesmom]

I agree you need to do layers. We were there one year the first week of January. One day it was in the 60s. One night it actually dropped to 30 degrees and stayed pretty crisp the next day. If we hadn't had extra clothes we would have been miserable. We pack t shirts, of course, but then add sweatshirt as it cools, with a jacket on top of that if necessary. A knitted hat doesn't take up much room packing and will be very welcome if it turns cold.

[walter]

You could be warm or in our case, several times wet or even cold. Purchase light cotton gloves before you leave home, for the cost of a pair of gloves on site is around $8/pair. Lined pants, long underwear, sweaters/sweatshirts may not be out of the question.

[o.t.4disney]

We stayed at SSR last week and I think that I over packed. Most of the week was in the 70-80's. I wore shorts and short sleeve shirts. I figure any temp. in the high 60's is shorts for me. Since SSR is close to Downtown Disney we walked there at night. I brought a sweatshirt just in case. The washer and dryer surely did help. I just put away clothes that I never even wore. Good luck.

[Deb & Bill]

Last year in January, we went to Blizzard Beach a few days at the beginning of our stay. It was very warm - in the 80's. Even got a slight burn/tan going. Towards the end of the stay, it got rainy and cold, we even needed our winter coats. The morning of the marathon and the 5K race, it was very cold.

Bring two sets of clothes for about 2 or 3 days, plan on layering the clothes. So the short sleeve shirt you plan for a warm day, you can wear under the sweatshirt or long sleeved shirt. Bring a pair of jeans or sweat pants and be prepared to wear them more than once before washing.

With the washer and dryer handy, you can wash as you need.

[SamRoc]

Thanks everyone for the great advice. I didn't even think about bringing a hat and gloves, but they are definetly going in the suitcase now. Having always gone in April we knew it would be warm then, but this will be our first December trip to Disney, so we want to be prepared.

[Doctor P]

We never go in December without our winter clothes to wear. We have had some very nice 70/80 degree days, but in the 30's at night is not rare and you must be prepared or be VERY uncomfortable.

[PamOKW]

LOL!! You haven't been reading my tag. ;) "The two most important items for keeping warm are a hat and gloves."

Weather can change quickly and dramatically. My first Christmas trip the temps were in the 80's and even 90's in early December. My dad threw in a light golf jacket. Luckily the rest of us wore our winter jackets to the airport. It wasn't "cool" it was frigid! A layer of ice even formed on the windshield early Christmas morning. My poor father was frozen and had to layer with several new Disney sweatshirts.

Next Christmas trip -- beautiful weather a nighttime low of about 50.

A few layers, and the all important hat and gloves are the essentials. A lot of the activities take place at night outside and it can get pretty darn nippy!

Have a fabulous trip!!

[NMW]

Last DEC we mostly wore shorts, tee-shirts, and sweatshirts on top (in the morning until it warmed up). There were a few nights that we wore polartec jackets and pants. There was one morning we were boarding the boat to MGM in shorts and sweatshirts and the boat CM's had on winter coats, hats, scarves and gloves. I mean heavy stuff. The CM looked at us and said "You're from the NorthEast aren't you"? I think it's a matter of perspective. My 5 year old looked at the CM's and asked me why they had winter clothes on when it was so warm. We landed in Newark airport with like 9 inches of snow when we came home! :flower:

[Cruelladeville]

Packing for a December trip isn't a bit like packing for April, we go at both times of year, and we were shocked when we first did Christmas. I seriously was planning to "mug" a woman wearing a winter coat! Planning how to do it passed the time until I got indoors! So 2 years ago I wore a down jacket, hood, and gloves and I was still chilly--the thermometer read 60, but there was a big wind, and I have never been that cold in Michigan during a snowstorm!! This was on Christmas Day--I brought coffee to the lifeguards to help them stay warm! Yet, on Christmas Eve, we wore shorts over to MGM to see the Osborne Lights, and swam in the pool during the day. Go figure. Bring jeans or sweats for evening wear, shorts for the day, and your winter gear in case it really cools off. Also bring your ponchos--we watched Illuminations on New Year's Eve, and it began to pour after the finale. It rained so hard there was over 2 inches of water on the bridge back to BCV, and my poor sandals never did get dry. :boat:

[PamOKW]

To give you an idea of how things can change -- temps have been mostly in the 80's. Here's the Weather Alert for Orlando that was posted tonight:

WIND CHILL ADVISORY FOR TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY MORNING
UNTIL 8:00AM EST
Urgent - Weather Message National Weather Service Melbourne FL 400 PM EST Mon Dec 13 2004

... Wind Chill Advisory For Tuesday Night And Wednesday Morning...

The National Weather Service In Melbourne Has Issued A Wind Chill Advisory For Coastal Volusia... Indian River... Martin... Northern Brevard... Okeechobee... Orange... Osceola... Seminole... Southern Brevard... Southern Lake... And St. Lucie Counties.

The Combination Of Temperatures In The Mid 30s To Around 40 And Gusty North Winds Will Result In Wind Chill Values In The Lower 30s Late Tuesday Night And Early Wednesday Morning.

People Traveling Or Those With Outdoor Activities Tuesday Night And Early Wednesday Morning Should Plan To Take Along Extra Layers Of Clothing.

Hat/gloves/Polartec take up very little room in the suitcase and can be sold for 10x their cost when the weather changes dramatically. ;)

[rocketriter]

Layers, layers, layers. I've swum at WDW that month, and I've worn a parka. Be prepared for anything and you'll take everything in stride.

[PamOKW]

Oops! Forgot to add that the more warm clothes you pack, the better your chances of never having to use them. ;)

[PamOKW]

At 7:30 this morning the temp in Lake Buena Vista is 35F with a windchill of 31. The hat and gloves might come in handy. ;)

[bobbiwoz]

A dear friend from Tampa called last night reminding us to bring warm things! Here it's 19 degrees, so no matter what, it's going to be better in Florida.

Bobbi :flower:

[mrmom456]

Packing for December depends on what part of the country you are from. When we were there Dec 03 we thought it was cool, to cool to go swimming because some of the days remained in the 50's. Then we observed several children who were swimming (at POP Century) and they were more than comfortable (they were from Montana) and they were not going to miss the opportunity to swim while in Fla. While we wore light jackets, they (and thier families) were in swim trunks. I guess it all depends on your tolerances.

[spiceycat]

remember you can box some things and UPS to your DVC resort - I would send it out a couple of days before you leave.

just in case you need the warmer stuff quicker than you though, they would be there when you arrived.

[kathleena]

::yes::

I agree. The weather can change so quickly. You need to bring a variety of weather clothes.

Regardless of what the daytime temps are - when the sun goes down, it cools off fast. Not like in the warmer months when it still stays warm/hot. It chills.

We were there 12-1 to 12-8 and it was chilly two nights and really cold one day. I think I was the only one in MGM in short sleeves and shorts. But, I'm from Maine, so I was stubborn.

[bobbiwoz]

The weather channel is talking about Siberian air making it's way across the US and into the deep south, the high on Monday is in the 50's low maybe 32 or 30, now that's cold! That's also the night of our Illuminations Dinner and Dessert, and we picked the date months and months ago!

I can't even decide to leave my bathing suit home, HOPE for warmer than predicted weather, that's my plan!

Bobbi :wizard:

[Poorman]

The weather is very unpredictable; we were there Dec. 5-10 and I wore shorts all week, even at night. We had the week with 80's every day. Several years ago my husband and I were there for New Year's and it was in the 30's at night so warm jackets were a must. If you don't want to pack a lot of heavy winter clothes you can always buy "Disney stuff" :D :D :D if it does get cold. I think the norm is 60's and 70's this time of year. Have fun and enjoy all the Christmas decorations and shows. My favorite was Illuminations; the Christmas part is awesome. I watched it 4 times!!! We're going back the end of January; hope to have some more nice weather!!!

[beccasmom]

We've visited several times in December (once for the Disney Cruise) and have experienced a lot of varying conditions - 70's (wonderful!) and 30's (ugh.....that's what we have at home! :rolleyes: ) One year it was actually colder in Orlando than in Philadelphia. The advice to keep tabs on conditions before you travel is a good one!

[kweaver]

Anyone going down this weekend is going to need some warm weather clothes! It's already cold in Atlanta (lows in the 20s...with snow and a low of 10 forecast for Sunday).

Chilly night in Orlando on Sunday and Monday...but the other days look good!

[PamOKW]

Looks like roller-coaster weather ahead. Weather Bug is showing an igloo in their forecast for Monday night with temps in the 20's (40's during the day). But the forecast for the end of next weeks shows 70's.

[SamRoc]

Sorry I missed reading your Tag before Pam, now I know what you mean! I have been checking the weather in Florida and its pretty cold there at night. But it has to be better than here in NYC. I think we got into the high 20s in the past 2 days! When I first started this thread, I really wasn't even considering bring a coat with us, just sweatshirts. But we will be taking all of our layers with us and definelty throwing those hat and gloves in the suitcase!

[LindaBabe]

We were at MVMCP on Tuesday night the 14th. It was so cold a polar fleece jacket with another jacket over was not enough - the men wound up buying blankets which we huddled under together for the parade and fireworks - then we bailed! What a waste of 35$ tickets.

[Muushka]

We were at MVMCP on Tuesday night the 14th. It was so cold a polar fleece jacket with another jacket over was not enough - the men wound up buying blankets which we huddled under together for the parade and fireworks - then we bailed! What a waste of 35$ tickets.

Cool! You are from NY and you thought it was cold! I was practically called a wus on another thread because I thought it was cold that night also. I really did think temps in the 30s and winds at 15 mph was cold. We stayed that night till 11:45. I was surprised at how many people stayed.

[eileenfk]

To give you an idea of how things can change -- temps have been mostly in the 80's. Here's the Weather Alert for Orlando that was posted tonight:

WIND CHILL ADVISORY FOR TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY MORNING
UNTIL 8:00AM EST
Urgent - Weather Message National Weather Service Melbourne FL 400 PM EST Mon Dec 13 2004

... Wind Chill Advisory For Tuesday Night And Wednesday Morning...

The National Weather Service In Melbourne Has Issued A Wind Chill Advisory For Coastal Volusia... Indian River... Martin... Northern Brevard... Okeechobee... Orange... Osceola... Seminole... Southern Brevard... Southern Lake... And St. Lucie Counties.

The Combination Of Temperatures In The Mid 30s To Around 40 And Gusty North Winds Will Result In Wind Chill Values In The Lower 30s Late Tuesday Night And Early Wednesday Morning.

People Traveling Or Those With Outdoor Activities Tuesday Night And Early Wednesday Morning Should Plan To Take Along Extra Layers Of Clothing.

Hat/gloves/Polartec take up very little room in the suitcase and can be sold for 10x their cost when the weather changes dramatically. ;)

Cool.
I leave in a few hours, and was just trying to decide if I wanted to wear my sweat pants on the plane (because they are comfortable to sleep in) but was hesitating because I didn't want to be too hot when I got to Florida.
I am glad I checked the weather (and read this post).

- Eileen

[manning]

An old open secret. Dress in layers and include a light wind breaker.