December Weather

[disneyfanatic60]

Can anyone give me any insight on their experience with weather in early December? We will be there 12/5-9th. I've been there in March, May, August, September, and October so this is a first for us. Should I plan mainly pants and sweatshirts? Is it ever warm enough to swim in the afternoon? We're from Buffalo so swimming in low 70's isn't bad but we like to hang around on a lounge chair and wondering if the air would be too cool.


Michele

 

[Princess Michelle]

The weather in December is unpredictable. Sometimes it's hot, sometimes it's freezing. There have been times it was 90 degrees on Christmas day, I've actually gone to the beach on Christmas Eve before. Then on the flip side, 2 years ago I was at Disney the first week of December and it was in the high 30's, low 40's for a couple of days. Your best bet is to watch the forecast the week before you leave. Typically though you would be fine with shorts and t-shirts during the day and jeans/pants and a light jacket or sweatshirt at night. Maybe also take a light jacket with you in the mornings as they can sometimes be pretty cool. Hope that helps.

 

[A Mickeyfan]

Since you are from Buffalo, you will have no problem swiming in December. When I first moved here (13 yrs ago) from NY, I swam all winter long. Now, even with a solar heated pool in my yard, you will not catch me in there As Princess Michelle has said, December is an iffy month. It can be cold or warm... but even our cold here would be better than your warm in December... I would take a mixture of clothing. Shorts & T's for during the day, pants & sweat shirts for at night. You could always layer your sweat shirts if it ends up being in the 30's or 40's. ... and after this past Aug/Sept with our hurricanes, I wouldn't put anything past our weather

 

[DebbieB]

I've gone the first or second week of December the past 6 years. I've seen highs of low 80's and I've seen highs of 50's. The average is 70's. Watch the forecast carefully. If temps are below 70 during the day, it will get cold after dark. I was glad I had a light winter jacket (denim w/flannel lining) and gloves last year when some evenings were down into the low 50's. They were selling santa hats like crazy. Some trips I was in shorts everyday, other trips l was in jeans most of the time. Very little rain, except for 2002 when a front stalled over Florida and it rained hard for 24 hours straight and then happened again 3 days later. Our best trip was 2001 when it was around 80 everyday.

 

[WDW Poly Princess]

I've had days in December when it feels as hot as May, and days when it's so chilly I wish I'd brought gloves! For the majority of days, though, I start out in jeans and a t-shirt with a sweatshirt on top, and just lose the sweatshirt after the morning chill is gone.

 

[goofy4mickey48]

Hi we were there last year for christmas, i found capris, sandals and a fleece hoody worked for me,I just put the fleece in a locker after a few hours in the morning, and then when the sun went down wore it again! It did get unsually warm, the weather men kept saying it was 10 degrees warmer than usual toward the end of our stay! { it was in the low 80"s}We prayed hard for warm weather before we came! we are coming again this year so i hope we'll get some warm days! But even if we don't i'd rather be cold at disney world than any where else! well, happy planning!!! ...goof
!!!

 

[crow11ad]

I hope the weather will be cold. It will just add to the Christmas experience.

 

[disneyfanatic60]

Thanks everyone. Being form Buffalo, I get the "Winter Experience" more than I particularly care for! LOL! This gal is hoping for nice, sunny, hot weather. Here's hoping...



Michele

 

[Spartan]

I'm a Michigander, so I have similar tolerance for the cold, but I don't necessarily want to experience it when I go to Florida. We've done 2 early Dec. trips, and in 2001 the weather was probably the most pleasant we've ever had with temps around 80 and sunny every day. A little chilly when exiting the water, but not too bad. Last year was different, and in my opinion too cold to enjoy swimming and sitting around in lounge chairs (unless you planned on lounging in your coat). It was still fun to be in the Xmas spirit, and there's so much to do without needing to swim, but we decided to move the trip up this year to try out MNSSHP, to be able to walk around in the evening without coats, and hopefully enjoy the warm and water activities a bit more.

 

[ddisney333]

I hope it is warm. Here in PA it gets cold in December. Low 80's high 70's would be nice for December.

 

[MulanMom]

For past trips in late Nov./early Dec., we tried to pack clothing that could be layered. Leggings were great because they were able to be worn under jeans like long underwear!!! (yes, it was that cold at night one time!) We also layered with a turtleneck, sweater, denim jacket, etc. Other days, we were in shorts and roasting!

For our upcoming trip, which is in the same timeframe, I'm glad we're driving. We can bring some bulky coats with us. It was always a challenge to pack light and be prepared for any type of weather when we went by air.

 

[crow11ad]

I just hope that at least for one of the MMVMCP nights, it's cold and even at the night of Osborne lights. Something magical and Christmas about seing lights and "snow" falling that mixed in with cold adds to the feeling of Christmas.

 

[Princess Michelle]

crow11ad, I'll send my wishes with you that it's a little bit cold. Living here and enduring the unbearable heat all year long I look forward to some cool weather myself.

 

[allicat]

Guess Im in the minority on this thread, but I hope its on the warm side. Here in NJ, its now dipping down into the low 50's in the mornings and only made it up to 60 today. Too cold for me!
When we went on our Dec. 2000 trip, it was in the 80's the whole week and we had a suitcase packed with fleece! People looked at us like we were nuts when we got out of the airport with heavy winter coats!

 

[DebbieB]

I hope it's warm. I've been there both ways and I'll take warm hands down. We went to see Wishes on our arrival date last Dec and it was only in the 40's around 9:00pm when it was shown. I remember waiting in the middle of Main Street with my teeth chattering.

 

[WaltD4Me]

I'll be there Dec. 5th-11th and I'm really hoping the kids get one or two days to go in the pool, but I'd be happy with low to mid seventies during the day and sweatshirt weather in the evenings. I HATE being hot. I wouldn't go to WDW in the middle of summer if it were FREE! (honest!) I went in early October of 1998 and it was so hot and SO MUGGY I could hardly stand it. We would leave our room at 8am and when we opened the door it was like walking into a sauna. I hated it! I had a good time because I was at Disney, but if you can get sweaty soaking wet just from sitting on a bench it's not nearly as good a time to me.
I'd rather it be cold than hot any day. If you are too cold you can always put more clothes on, but when you are too hot there is only so much you can take off! LOL!

Our trip should be interesting. There are ten of us and 5 of them are freeze babies....as in, I'm comfortable and their teeth are chattering and they are rubbing their hands together.

Lisa

 

[crow11ad]

Originally posted by Princess Michelle
crow11ad, I'll send my wishes with you that it's a little bit cold. Living here and enduring the unbearable heat all year long I look forward to some cool weather myself.

Thanx so much. I know when we came back to TX in April from our honeymoon and it was a Saturday night when we came back, it was like very cold here. Go figure. I appreciate the weather wish. I hope everyone gets the weather they want.