12/17-23 trip being planned

[angel's momma]

I have started planning our first trip to wdw for myself, DH, and DD6, who is princess crazy. We plan to go 12/17-23, being in the parks 18-22. We haven't been on a vacation since DD was born, and none of us have ever flown, so we're very excited & somewhat nervous too.

This site is absolutely wonderful! I have learned so much valuable information here this week, thank you!

My main question is about the weather & the type of clothing to pack for that time of year. We are from Illinois.

Any other helpful hints are always welcome.

 

[BadgerBruce]

It's a great time of year to go. You want to pack for anything except for very cold. Last year we went early April & the first several days were hot-mid to upper 80's! A cold front came through & it didn't get out of the 60's for a couple of days. We commonly go mid to late April & normal temps would seem to be low 80's & little rain. Epcot will be especially beautiful when you are there, with the Flower & Garden show starting on the 16th. Hope you have a great trip!! We will also be there during that time.

 

[flowerfairy]

We were there this year 12-13 to 12-20. First day was 80 degrees. The rest of the week highs were anywhere from 50 to 75. At night it was quite cool. One night even got down to 30 degrees. BRRRR!

Take along shorts and tees along with coats and gloves. You may find a need for all.

Have fun! It's a wonderful time of year to go!!

Tina

 

[mazzarafe]

We were there from 12/18-12/23 this year. Well we froze our buns off at night and we are used to cold weather!

I had packed shorts, a few pairs of capris (for me and my 2 DD's) and 2-3 pairs of long pants for everyone. Well the only day we wore anything but long pants was our last park day on the 22nd. We managed to put on capri pants because we were going back to the hotel after dinner so we wouldn't be out when it was very cold. This was our first and only 70 degree day we had. The day we left it was in the mid 70's.

I had packed sweatshirt pullovers for my girls along with sweatjackets and fleece jackets. DH had a fleece pullover and I just my favorite warm Mickey & Minnie shirt to put over my shirt at night. Me and DH also had windbreaker jackets. I not only had the Poly wash us each a pair of pants but I also did a load of them myself because the weather forcast kept changing. "Today will be cold, but warmer tomorrow," it always changed the next day to being cold again. We had a 55 degree high on the 20th. Thank goodness we went to Animal Kingdom that day.

I too, like most had looked at the forcast for the area the night before we left and it only showed our first 2 days in the 60's and the rest in the 70's so I packed for that weather. Boy were they wrong!

At least I think it helped kill some of the germs from hanging around too long, we all only came back with DD's cold she had when we left.

 

[BadgerBruce]

Sorry, angel's momma, I misread your dates!! We have been to WDW in early December 3x. One year we were very lucky & it was mid to upper 70's & sunny all week. The other times we only got a few days in the 70's & some nights were very cold. We went to the Christmas Party & I don't know that it didn't get below 40 by the end of the evening. We did use the pool & made it to Blizzard Beach each trip, so I would pack for all kinds of weather. The parks & resorts look fantastic in December!

 

[hannahryan]

We visited 12/16-12/24/03. The weather was mostly in the 60's (one day 50's and one 70's) during the day and a few 30's at night. We never wore shorts. We almost always needed sweatshirts in the morning. You should check the weather.com the day before you go and then pack accordingly. That's what we did & it worked out fine. Otherwise you may overpack.
Two tips for visiting this time of year: 1. Each day you are there it will get busier & busier as Christmas day approaches...do as much as you can the first couple of days. 2. Stay at a resort that has a jacuzzi...two December trips to Disney we didn't use the pools because of the cool temps. The kids especially would have loved a jacuzzi in place of the pool. Have fun planning!

 

[Oh Kay!]

We were at the World from 12/17 to 12/23. As others have mentioned, it was cold. Definitely check the weather forecast before you leave. Keep in mind, the cold weather clothings and accessories are more expensive, not to mention harder to come by, at the World.

 

[southernwingz]

We were there from 12/17 - 12/22. As others have stated, it was quite cold. What made the cold more intense were the winds. The first day we were there, the wind gusts were between 15 - 30 mph. The other days, the winds stayed between 10 - 15. It was already just plain cold outside, THAT made it so much colder.

I find our Disney pictures quite funny to look at, because you almost wouldn't know we were in Florida, because we're wearing coats, gloves, and hats.

Florida weather is very similar to our Gulf Coast weather. You really never know far in advance what it will be like.

Either way, you'll have a blast!

 

[angel's momma]

Thank you to everyone who replied! We had hoped to pack light, but it sounds like we'd be better off being prepared for anything.