Bad Weather and Disney

[qman]

We've been WDW four times (11/03, 11/05, 2/08 & 2/10). During the first three trips we enjoyed wonderful weather, warm but not too hot (70's & 80's) and little for no rain.

During our last trip it was cold, morning temperatures were in the high 30's and daytime temps topped out in 50's (except one day when we got into the low 70's) and we one cold damp day of rain. We had a good time on the trip but I really have a "bad taste in my mouth" from the experience.

Anyone else have an similar experience?

 

[sissy_42]

We've been WDW four times (11/03, 11/05, 2/08 & 2/10). During the first three trips we enjoyed wonderful weather, warm but not too hot (70's & 80's) and little for no rain.

During our last trip it was cold, morning temperatures were in the high 30's and daytime temps topped out in 50's (except one day when we got into the low 70's) and we one cold damp day of rain. We had a good time on the trip but I really have a "bad taste in my mouth" from the experience.

Anyone else have an similar experience?

I have to ask why cold weather would leave a "bad taste" in your mouth? I see your last trip was in Feb of this year. There were record lows all through out the country this winter. I also see you are from Maine. Was it not colder there? I live in Nebraska and temps in the 50s would have been heaven for us in Feb. Heck, even the high 30s would have been great! It's not like Disney can do anything about the weather.

 

[A Mickeyfan]

You can plan everything from when you will go, where you will stay, what you will visit & what you will eat. However, you cannot plan the weather. And by going in Feb, you know it is the winter and it can get cold....If you want a guarantee of "warm" weather, go in Oct & April... they are ususally only warm.. not cold, not hot.. but warm...

 

[Disney_Lover06]

I tell myself a bad, cold day at Disney is still better than a good day at work.

 

[qman]

I'm having a hard time exactly understanding my negative feelings toward the trip. I'm guessing that the wonderful weather we experienced during our previous visits (when it was cold at home) added to the "magic" of the experience.

 

[A Mickeyfan]

I'm having a hard time exactly understanding my negative feelings toward the trip. I'm guessing that the wonderful weather we experienced during our previous visits (when it was cold at home) added to the "magic" of the experience.

That is it.. cold weather can & does (as you found out) happen. If you really don't want that to happen on your next trip, plan to go a different season.. winter is finicky. You were lucky on your other trips. The weeks prior and after your other trips may have had "bad" weather, but you didn't experience it.. Instead of a foul taste in your mouth on the last trip, think pixie dust was sprinkled on your prior trips


sending some pixie dust for you to have on your next trip

 

[ilovejsparrow]

I was there during the rainy week in May last year, and while it was a little depressing I was still in WDW! I'd rather be there than anywhere else!

 

[Eeyore's Pal]

We've been WDW four times (11/03, 11/05, 2/08 & 2/10). During the first three trips we enjoyed wonderful weather, warm but not too hot (70's & 80's) and little for no rain.

During our last trip it was cold, morning temperatures were in the high 30's and daytime temps topped out in 50's (except one day when we got into the low 70's) and we one cold damp day of rain. We had a good time on the trip but I really have a "bad taste in my mouth" from the experience.

Anyone else have an similar experience?

Nope. I'll take cold and driving rain (and we have had that experience more than once) over hot and humid and crowded any time.

 

[GovieMom]

We had a good time on the trip but I really have a "bad taste in my mouth" from the experience.

Anyone else have an similar experience?

We did, and I know exactly what you mean. We had been to The World five previous times, with warm, sunny weather (including two January trips).
Well the third time going in January (this year) was NOT the charm, as that's when they had the freezing temps. As much as I love being at Disney, it's just not quite the same when you have to wear hats, gloves, multiple jackets, etc. And you're STILL cold! We were staying at the Poly for the first time, and the pools stayed empty the whole week! lol Trying to brave the night air to watch Illuminations or Wishes was out of the question for my daughter and me. That experience has left me with the decision to never again go to Disney in the winter (or the summer either; I hate the heat!).

 

[chipsgirl1030]

I tell myself a bad, cold day at Disney is still better than a good day at work.

I say the same thing about rainy days.

 

[tiggermei]

I'm going to stop in and support the OP on this one. I was there during the same time. Yes, we had an atrociously cold winter in the south this year. I've been to WDW in almost every month of the year, including several in February before. We were there for Valentine's Day this year, and when we left we all agreed NEVER AGAIN when it's that cold. We've done 100+ degrees, tons of rain (including serious thunderstorms), lots of stuff. But, we all agreed we'd reschedule a trip if the weather were projected to be that cold again when we were down there. We could not get warm. It was not possible. If you go when it's hot, go to the room and take a swim. If you go when it rains, put on a poncho. Thunderstorms are a little tricker as there is lightning involved, but it's still doable and we don't feel miserable. This cold - bitterly so with a biting wind and very humid air - was not fun in any way. We wore heavy coats, sweats, heavy socks, gloves, hats, the whole bit. And we were COLD! (granted - we're southerners so that probably made the cold worse). Even after getting back to the room at night, it took hours to feel warm in our cores. We wore our coats in the TS restaurants because we couldn't feel warm.

So, "bad taste" probably not since we're going in August again. But, definitely a game changer for us. We check the weather 10 days out and know it can change quickly but generally the weather lasted for a fair amount of time - fair enough that I would definitely have cancelled this trip. We went to see Spectro since it would be our last time before the (we think dreaded) MSEP showed back up -- sorry not fans of that one. But, we were miserable waiting and immediately after it was over, we left the park without finishing up what we'd planned for that night. It was just too cold. As fanatics of MK, that felt like sacrelege but that's how bad that trip's weather was.

We're looking forward to the 100 degrees in August. We'll survive. Just wanted the OP to know someone understood.

 

[DebbieB]

Out of about 30 trips to WDW, I can only recall one where the weather was so bad that it put a crimp on our good time. It was in early December and we stayed at BWV. We arrived Saturday and the temp was only around 50. On Monday morning it started raining hard and never stopped until Tuesday afternoon. Hard rain the entire time, a front parked over Central Fl. My mom was with me and wasn't in good health so we stayed in the room most of the time. We did go out to the Outlets. We had planned to go to MVMCP on Tuesday night and didn't know what to do, weren't sure when it was going to stop. Our alternate was Thursday night and the weather was iffy for that too. Didn't have tickets yet. It stopped raining mid afternoon on Tuesday, the weather channel said it was done. So I went to the BW front desk and bought the MVMCP tickets at full price. Which turned out to be a good move because on Thursday evening it started raining hard again. We were at Osborne Lights at MGM and were about to leave when it started to pour. We left Friday morning and it had not stopped yet.

 

[A Mickeyfan]

I have been at the parks in 110 degree heat and when there was sleet coming down. Me personally, I take the heat. I cannot tolerate the cold. I was supposed to be in Disney over this past Christmas.. FREE.. I was going to stay with a friend who had a room at one of the Values. I saw how cold the weather was and bowed out. I guess I have an advantage since I live only 3 hours away & I don't have to make travel plans. If there is a cold front, I don't go.


As far as anyone who is actually having to make travel plans (which most do) and plan a trip, if you don't like 110% heat, don't come in the summer. If you don't like the cold for the parks, don't come in the winter. Winter can be cold and summer is always hot...

oh and one more thing.. if you don't like hurricanes, when you travel anytime between June & November, take out travel insurance. You never know when one will hit. Just because you came many many times in the summer and never were put out by a hurricane, doesn't mean it will not happen...

 

[MelissathePooh]

I'll be honest, I think there is a big difference in 30 degrees in Michigan and 30 degrees in Florida. We lived in MI for 8 years and loved a 30 degree day - that was light jacket weather. For some reason that same temp feels frigid in Florida - at least it has to us. I think cold in FL seems colder for some reason. Maybe its just a psychological thing about expecting/wanting it to be tropical, but despite the temp it feels "colder" for some reason.

 

[redandblue]

It's the humidity. I am from Michigan and was in New Orleans during a cold front and it was frigid to the bones the humidity is just as bad on the cold end as it is on the hot end.

 

[tarrbear]

Yeah, I guess coming to Florida and being greeted to cold weather can be a bit depressing, but this year, the temperatures were just, crazy! If you told me that in the middle of march we would be freezing our butts of every morning on the way to school, I would laugh at you. But we weren't laughing this year, the cold was just wicked.

We called it the Florida Deep Freeze! Haha

 

[keypooh90]

I've been to WDW 16 times (about to hit 17), and have experienced pretty much every type of weather. We've experienced a hurricane/tropical storm (while at Fort Wilderness, that was fun!), hot and humid, hot and rainy, cool and breezy, and even cold. Once, we were even caught in a cold, driving rain that ended in a deluge and caused our Candlelight Processional show to be canceled. I've never been wetter in my entire life. Did that trip leave a "bad taste" in my mouth? Of course not! Like several PPs, I'd rather be hot and humid or cold and wet at Disney than at home!

 

[qman]

Again to be clear we enjoyed our trip but...

Waiting by the lagoon at Epcot waiting for Illuminations when the temps were in the 30's and the wind is coming right at you...not fun. Illuminations, regardless of the weather...fun. Waiting for the bus to go back to the resort and shivering from the cold...not fun.

Getting home (to Maine) and walking out to the mail box the next morning and thinking it's warmer out here this morning than it was in WDW two days ago...not fun!

 

[missiloveslouie]

Have to totally agree with OP on this one - we get enough of cold up here in the north. It is not something I want to deal with on my all too infrequent vacations. I would never book in winter

 

[BabyRN]

Unfortunately that's the weather. I've only been on one trip and it was April 2008. The day we got there it was drizzly and in the 60's. It stopped raining that night but stayed in the 60's for 2 days. It didn't hit 80 until the day before we came home. I live in central NY, and our temps that week were in the 80's all week. I never would've guessed that the NY temps would have been warmer that FL!