How cold does DL feel for a Utahn?

[disneylover102]

Only 9 days until we leave for DL! Yay!!!!! I’m from Utah so I’m used to the cold. Still, how cold is DL at night in January? Should we bring a change of clothes for the nighttime? There’s no way I’m wearing jeans all day at Disneyland but maybe in the evening? (We will be going on Splash Mountain many times at night but we will only do Grizzly River Run in the daytime probably.)

 

[Geemo]

1. Here you will find the forecast for January 2020 from weather underground

2. Local news station weather report with 7-day forecast

3. NOAA weather for Disneyland

Evening can get cool.

 

[Pamela M]

I would atleast bring a sweatshirt and a light jacket and long pants for the evening. Prepared to get wet on Splash Mountian. I've gone on it and gotten a little wet and I've gone on it and gotten soaked.

 

[Cal-Pie]

We are hardy Utahns, but we found out just how wimpy we are during a cold snap at DL last March. Our days were mid 60s. I wore jeans and long sleeve t-shirts most days because it was overcast. We all had sweatshirts for evenings, but we still froze. The night we watched F! it was 55° when the show started. By the end we were all huddled together shivering. I would definitely bring a heavier jacket/coat if you'll be doing evening shows! I know most people wouldn't say California is humid, but as a Utahn, I think you'll really feel the humidity and it will feel colder than you think.

 

[LP and Minnie]

We are hardy Utahns, but we found out just how wimpy we are during a cold snap at DL last March. Our days were mid 60s. I wore jeans and long sleeve t-shirts most days because it was overcast. We all had sweatshirts for evenings, but we still froze. The night we watched F! it was 55° when the show started. By the end we were all huddled together shivering. I would definitely bring a heavier jacket/coat if you'll be doing evening shows! I know most people wouldn't say California is humid, but as a Utahn, I think you'll really feel the humidity and it will feel colder than you think.

Agree! I’m in Idaho so very familiar with cold weather and still find Disneyland to be chilly in the winter esp. once the sun goes down and you’re walking outside for hours. I’d definitely wear jeans and a sweatshirt and a bring a warmer coat for 40-50s at night there.

 

[vharris2828]

Yes the humidity is what gets you. I’m in Utah!! Evenings can be surprisingly cold. We usually do fleece and a warm jacket and light mittens. Hats of a hood also maybe not a bad idea. For our younger two we have a blanket to put over them in the stroller. Usually a T-shirt and maybe a light sweatshirt during the day. Im all about ponchos for splash mountain and trying to stay dry. Even though I’d ride it over and over

 

[bcla]

I'd suggest layers. And of course fast-drying synthetics if you're going to be doing Splash Mountain.

 

[James From Utah]

Have a fun trip. It will be in the mid to upper 60s during the day and 40s at night. It's going to feel warmer than that to you because you'll be used to highs in the 30's. When we go during the winter, we're fine with just a t-shirt during the day but we wear hoodies after dark.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

Layers are key! There is a big difference between feeling the cold when you are walking briskly between rides and feeling it when you are sitting for long periods waiting for shows (especially by the water, e.g. F! and WOC). Even eating outside can be chillier than you'd think after you've been used to moving around a lot. If you've been wearing sandals during the day, switch to shoes with warm socks at night. And be watching this forum closely right before your trip. If there is unusually cold/wet/weird weather in the parks, you'll most likely find a thread or two going on here discussing it!

 

[SirBill]

Only 9 days until we leave for DL! Yay!!!!! I’m from Utah so I’m used to the cold. Still, how cold is DL at night in January? Should we bring a change of clothes for the nighttime? There’s no way I’m wearing jeans all day at Disneyland but maybe in the evening? (We will be going on Splash Mountain many times at night but we will only do Grizzly River Run in the daytime probably.)

I am from Denver Colorado, very similar in climate...

When I went out for the opening of Rise of the Resistance in Florida, the low temperatures were almost exactly the same as the forecast for late next week (46F).

I was out around 3:30am three mornings in a row, The first day I brought a warm jacket and a sweatshirt under it, along with a warm hat. But I was a bit warm the rest of the day, so the next few days I wore a light jacket over a T-Shirt along with the warm hat for waiting for the morning openings, and I was pretty comfortable. I also brought gloves and hand warmers but I ended up not using them. For pants I just wore jeans.

You could wear a light jacket and maybe have a shell jacket you had the option to add over it, along with a warm hat. The hat probably helped more than anything.

I'm also out for a few days in Disneyland myself starting on the 17th, so I plan to dress pretty much exactly the same for early mornings and late evenings... will bring a sweat shirt just in case, but to start with I'm going out in the morning with a light jacket, jeans and a warm hat.

 

[Disney_Alli]

Being Canadian we thought we’d be fine during a December trip a few years ago. But most days ended up having a high just above freezing and with a few days of drizzle we quickly realized that we had not brought sufficient warm clothing and were all incredibly thankful for the Roots Canada mittens we’d originally brought along as photo props for rides.

 

[Susie63]

We visit from Canada in Jan/Feb and find the evenings to be cool and damp after the sun goes down. We bring a bag every day and rent a locker. Best $ we spend at the resort. We take light gloves, toques, and down puffy coats for really cool evenings. $10 for a locker seems cheap in comparison to buying warm clothes at DL. We also take Crocs for the water rides and then stuff those back in the locker after we ride.

 

[disneylover102]

For a 9 PM and a 8 PM closing, should I bring a change of clothes or not? The days it closes at 12 I’ll definitely bring extra clothes but with those early closings, I’m not so sure.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

For a 9 PM and a 8 PM closing, should I bring a change of clothes or not? The days it closes at 12 I’ll definitely bring extra clothes but with those early closings, I’m not so sure.

Will you be doing water rides right before closing? Will you be going out to eat afterward in DTD or going right back to the hotel for the night? If you'll be hanging around DTD for a while or closing out the park taking photos or shopping on Main Street, then I'd bring at least a pair of sweat pants or a hoodie. If you think you'll be wet from a ride, then definitely bring a set of warmer clothes to change into. If your hotel is really close by and you'll be going straight back, and if it isn't too chilly, then maybe you won't need to change. But if you're really wet, that hike from Drench Mt. can feel a lot longer than it is at night!

 

[vharris2828]

The earlier nights

For a 9 PM and a 8 PM closing, should I bring a change of clothes or not? The days it closes at 12 I’ll definitely bring extra clothes but with those early closings, I’m not so sure.

the earlier nights you’re probably good with just a nice warm jacket. Although I agree, maybe a pair of dry sweats is smart too. I guess I’m crazy (from denver, live in Utah) but the last few times I have been in California in Jan or feb evenings are cold because they are humid cold. I almost feel like it’s worse because it’s like a wet cold. I would die in just a sweatshirt I like the idea about a locker!! Just stick a nice warm puffy coat in there for evening. Columbia is having a really good sale right now on rain jackets too! That paired with a fleece keeps you dry on the wet rides at night.

 

[Disney Lvr of Old]

WE are from Buffalo and needed to layer even on the 9pm close days. When you are moving through the crowds and getting where you are going it's fine. it's the 20-30 minutes standing in line that chills you. We were in winter coats and hats. Even with MP we were huddled for warmth in line in the evening. February 2019 President's week for time frame.

 

[rwatson626]

Is it shorts weather during the day Jan/Feb? It would feel weird going from shorts during the day to jackets and gloves at night.

 

[Disney Lvr of Old]

Is it shorts weather during the day Jan/Feb? It would feel weird going from shorts during the day to jackets and gloves at night.

We only wore shorts a couple days but always brought layers. I packed badly; thinking I wouldn't need warm gear. Luckily my son had his winter coat because it was 10 degrees when we left Buffalo. I was wearing 4 layers of my summer clothes at night. IT rained a lot when we were there as well which really impacted the temp.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

OP: Tonight the temps were in the mid to low 50's F. Highs during the day were in the mid 60's. We arrived at 6 pm and stayed until just before midnight. I was wearing jeans, wool socks, a turtleneck, a light fleece quarter zip, a packable down jacket (800 fill), and a wool hat. For me, this was comfortable as long as I kept moving. Had we done F! or WOC, I would have worn an extra layer or a longer coat. DH wore jeans, long sleeve t-shirt, wool socks, and a Gore-tex jacket and was fine.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

Is it shorts weather during the day Jan/Feb? It would feel weird going from shorts during the day to jackets and gloves at night.

We only wore shorts a couple days but always brought layers. I packed badly; thinking I wouldn't need warm gear. Luckily my son had his winter coat because it was 10 degrees when we left Buffalo. I was wearing 4 layers of my summer clothes at night. IT rained a lot when we were there as well which really impacted the temp.

It can be shorts weather in Jan./Feb. or it can be rainy and cold. Last winter was unusually wet and cold for Southern CA (See this thread discussing the strange weather and how to deal with it at DLR: Can we chat rain?), so lots of people were caught unprepared. As I said above, start checking this board the week before your trip to see if there are any threads discussing weird weather in the parks. If the weather is unusually hot/wet/cold/etc., there should be a thread or two discussing it! For example, there was a serious winter storm that came through at Thanksgiving. And we had an ongoing thread here warning DISers and advising how to deal with the rain in the parks: Rain.