What to wear in December

[Tigger6987]

Hello,

I was just wondering for all of thoose who have been in December what do ya'll wear to the parks? We have a trip planned for Dec 10-18 and I'm a little concerned about the weather. I was thinking layers so we could always take some on or add some, and I don't really want to be hauling my winter coat around with me throuout the parks. I was thinking about it because there's some good sales going on right now on long sleeves and such, becuase it's summer time. Thanks for ya'lls help in advance.


Krystal

 

[SnipsNSnails]

You just never know sometimes it's warm and 70's other times it's freezing! We head to FL every other year for Christmas and I've worn capris before. This last year we were in MK on Dec 26th. It was freezing! My boys had jeans, long sleeves, sweatshirts, and jackets. I put a second pair of socks on my youngest, my parents bought them a second sweatshirt in MK, and then I purchased blankets to wrap them in as well. MK was doing brisk business in blankets, coffee, and hot chocolate that day. Definately bring layers, just in case, several! And I would have loved a pair of knit gloves although my pockets were fine. I staid pretty warm in my long sleeves, sweatshirt, and jacket but it was cold!!

 

[21hearts]

We do jeans and a t-shirt with a jacket (usually needed in the morning & evening). Sometimes the kids just do a long sleeve t-shirt and are fine. It just depends on the day. We're from two hours south of Orlando so to us anything below 70 is really cold.

When are kids were babies we could put blankets around them in the stroller.

 

[Melmac]

I see you are from Texas and I am from Canada so our idea of cold may be a little different

However, when we went in December a few years ago, I dressed in layers, as you were thinking. I did wear sandals for the whole trip and my DH refused to wear pants (he only wore shorts because we weren't at home in the freezing cold)! If it were in the 50s, we would have a sweatshirt or fleece jacket and a t-shirt and I would either have jeans or capris on. Anything warmer than that was just a light long sleeve shirt and capris or shorts.

If you are planning a MVMCP, I would plan on warm clothes for that night. I wore jeans, fleece jacket with a long sleeve shirt, socks with my sandals and my mittens I had packed. You have no idea how many people asked me if they could buy my mittens! It was probably in the 40s and my short-wearing DH was freezing too.

You could also get a locker if you do bring a heavier jacket and it gets too warm to wear it later.

 

[Havana]

We have been to WDW the past 5 years over Christmas week. Some years Tshirts and shorts. Other years sweaters, gloves, mittens and scarves!

 

[cruisingkat]

I have to agree with the others. I hate packing for FL in winter - have to bring clothes for all kinds of weather (summer, fall, and even winter). One year FL had a cold spell and did get snow. And even when it is warm, the temp can drop over 20 degrees in the evening and after being in the hot sun all day, you really feel the cold.

 

[RIDisneyFan]

Definitely dress in layers, and pack some warm clothes! We were there Dec 1 -7 2010, and it was cold! The day before we got there it was 85 degrees; the day we arrived it was in the 60's. They had a record low of 36 one night while we were there. Daytime temps varied from 50's to low 70's.

 

[MoonFaerie]

Pack for everything. We wore everything from shorts & tees & sleeveless dresses to really wishing we had brought our jackets because jeans and sweatshirts weren't warm enough.

ETA: That day we were freezing, the temps were in the upper 50s, IIRC.

 

[petals]

I love the way in Florida 50 is considered cold. I'm from Ireland and that is normally our summer temperatures and we find that warm!! Plus I should add that's a good summer for us normally it's raining and cold

 

[Mickey'sApprentice]

December is USUALLY not bad.

We FROZE in both January and December 2010.


We were a little more prepared the 2nd time.

We took:

long pants and shirts
a warm fleece hooded cardigan (bought at WDW - there will be some available for $$ in most sizes.)
hooded wind breaker
hat
gloves
scarf
Sneakers instead of sandals or other open shoe.

On the very coldest night, I wore all of the above, plus a long, lined, BLACK rain coat.

Yes, I admit the hat looked a little dumb with the hooded cardigan and jacket. If I were doing it again, I would purchase a knit boggin style skull cap. I didn't have the hat, gloves, and scarf on the first trip, and my pockets couldn't quite keep me warm enough.

You are really doing a lot of walking, and you'll warm up some.

Keep in mind, it may be 70-85 degrees so you need to be prepared for sunny and warm as well. That is why we love Disney and keep returning in December and January.

After 2010 though...we are going during warmer weather in the future.

One more thought: you never think about this until its too late...black is not a popular clothing color at Disney. My long BLACK coat made me stand out! I looked like I belonged at the Haunted Mansion!! Try to keep the clothes festive if possible, put PLEASE Disney is about comfort over fashion. Wear black if you must. I did.

 

[DebbieB]

You really have to watch the forecast before making your final packing decisions, no sense packing everything if it's going to be warm all week or cold all week. If it's a big range, plan on layers. I've gone the first full week many times and there were trips where I wore shorts everyday and trips where I didn't wear them at all. If the daytime high is below 70, it will get cold after dark. There were trips where I brought my winter coat and was glad to have it for the evenings. Other trips, a light jacket was enough. There's really no blanket answer.

 

[hthrbells]

We did jeans and tshirts during the day, and had a few nights we had to add a sweatshirt! Perfect weather!

 

[Mickey'sApprentice]

You really have to watch the forecast before making your final packing decisions, no sense packing everything if it's going to be warm all week or cold all week. If it's a big range, plan on layers. I've gone the first full week many times and there were trips where I wore shorts everyday and trips where I didn't wear them at all. If the daytime high is below 70, it will get cold after dark. There were trips where I brought my winter coat and was glad to have it for the evenings. Other trips, a light jacket was enough. There's really no blanket answer.

Be careful!
The weather changed on us at the last minute!!

Do keep in mind that there are washeterias at WDW. On our 1st trip that really caught us unaware...we ended up in the laundromat at AKL one night in the middle of the trip. I had brought both pants and shorts...and the shorts were never taken out of the suitcase.

Oh yeah...on the coldest night...I wore 2 pairs of pants. I felt like the younger kid in the Christmas Story movie that night.

 

[DebbieB]

Be careful!
The weather changed on us at the last minute!!

Do keep in mind that there are washeterias at WDW. On our 1st trip that really caught us unaware...we ended up in the laundromat at AKL one night in the middle of the trip. I had brought both pants and shorts...and the shorts were never taken out of the suitcase.

Oh yeah...on the coldest night...I wore 2 pairs of pants. I felt like the younger kid in the Christmas Story movie that night.

That happened to us one time in mid November. A cold front went through on the second day and it was only in the 60's the rest of the trip and we were not prepared. It was not predicted to be that cold.

 

[Carmen NC]

May I suggest layers and umbrellas or ponchos - jeans, or even long shorts (capris or bermuda shorts), short and long-sleeve shirts, a hoodie or some sort of jacket. We went early December 2 years ago and got caught totally off guard with both chilly temps and rain (and I'm not talking about the afternoon type rain showers). We had to buy clothes to keep warm. Then having to walk across the SSR resort to get to our room in the rain didn't help matters since we had taken the ME to the resort.

It is my favorite time of the year to go. May I suggest resort hopping to the Grand Floridian (unless you're staying there of course). We went to see the life size gingerbread house, the decorations and were pleasantly surprised to also get warm chestnuts and cider as we entered the resort. It just made it feel like the holidays.

 

[si-am]

We usually go in December, and I have to agree with everyone else: you just never know what to expect. I've worn shorts and tee-shirts everyday because of temps in the 80s... and have spent some trips freezing with wind chills in the 30s.

My typical plan for an outfit consists of jeans and a short-sleeved shirt for every day, with a sweatshirt/hoodie to layer on if I need it. I also bring one heavy coat and a few pairs of shorts. That way I'm kind of prepared for anything.

 

[mom2rtk]

Pack it ALL! Be prepared for ANYTHING!

We were there for the big cold snap last December. 2 days as we entered the park, it was in the 20's.

I had seen the forecast and threw our winter coats in at the last minute, but found it too depressing to even think of wearing my winter coat in the parks. Layers were our friends. I had picked up some thermal underwear the day before leaving and that was a huge help.

I had 2 secret weapons:

1) chemical handwarmers. LOVE those things. One in each glove, one in each shoe. We did both of those park days WELL into the evening. One night til 8:30, the other one we stayed til 11:30 for MVMCP. We would have bailed without the handwarmers.

2) the Mickey Santa hats they sell in the parks. Those things don't breathe a BIT. I hated that in Dec 08 when we bought them during balmy December temps, but they were AWESOME in the bitter cold.

My trip report from Dec 10 is linked in my signature if you want a taste of what the cold was like.

How bad could it be? We're going back again this December.

 

[Ro Z]

Dec 2010 during the day was warmish....sometimes needed a hoodie. At nite cooooooooold. I am from Mass and it was warmer at home than in WDW! One nite I wore a collared shirt (really wish I brought a turtleneck!) a sweatshirt, a hoodie, and a fleece. I almost couldn't zip my fleece! It was low 40's. I had to wear gloves to drink my frozen margarita at EPCOT!! Check the weather forecast that will help with your packing. BTW Disney rolls out the cold weather clothes when needed but you will pay top $$! DS tried to 'man' it out but had to break down and buy a sweatshirt, and it wasn't very heavy. $65+ tax

 

[Tistal]

You won't know what to pack to wear for that week until it's close to time to pack. We went last year that week and it was bitterly cold; the highs were at warmest I want to say about 40 the whole week (coats, gloves, jeans, hats). There was one night at least that it dropped down to the teens. We went the same week the year before and it was beautiful 75-80 and sunny every day.

 

[mwatson011]

Ok, now that you are terrified of a blizzard, let me say we went the 2nd week in December '09, and we swam in our resort pool nearly every day. However, the days we didn't swim, we wore jackets. You know, the nice, expensive ones they sell in the parks to those unsuspecting guests that think FL is warm all the time...