Packing List for January?

[vcgirl925]

I would love to hear a MUST BRING list for what to pack in January. We will be staying for 10 days. We are staying offsite and our room has a washer/dryer.

Should we bother to bring swimsuits or shorts?

If you have another site to link me too that's good too.

 

[canopynut66]

I would love to hear a MUST BRING list for what to pack in January. We will be staying for 10 days. We are staying offsite and our room has a washer/dryer.

Should we bother to bring swimsuits or shorts?

If you have another site to link me too that's good too.

Just was to my 59th trip in September 2011 and have been all different months during these trips and January can be warm and you can wear shorts ot swim and then been there when had to buy jeans and a jacket was so rainy and cold--so since then when we go in January /Feb/ March or early April we take jeans in the bottom of our suitcase and a lite jacket and then if really chilly can just buy a sweat shirt for under the jacket. Would still take swim wear and shorts maybe some capris as well

 

[Taytortots]

Disney World can get pretty cool around Dcember through February. But it can also be warm, and a lot of the same things apply.
I definitely would bring both shorts and pants, a hoodie and T-shirts just in case. I'd pack more pants than shorts, but since you have a washer you should be able to wash the shorts if a weird wave of heat comes. Basically cothes wise you need to cover all your bases.
Suncreen. Typically obvious but some people think since it's chilly the sun may not be out as much. Last year, in very chilly weather, I got a sunburn. My skin is very pale, but just know it can happen and you should put it on everyday.
Rain Ponchos. Many people say they'd prefer an umbrella, but I think, as do many people I know, that rain ponchos are easier. They sell them at Disney but are obviously overpriced. Pick one up for each of the people going at any dollar store. It can rain a lot in Florida, these can be a life saver when it's raining and people are ducking into the shops while you're still heading to an indoor ride.
Comfortable shoes! There is SO much walking in Disney, comfy shoes are a must. And of course if there's a fancy dinner you want to dress up for you can just change.
Here's a few sites with packing lists for Disney-
http://allears.net/pl/pack.htm
http://www.disneyzone.net/packing.htm

 

[Kay1]

I would take a little of everything, from mittens to capris. How lucky you are to have a washer and dryer. That should help a lot.

I hope you have a wonderful time.

 

[RMulieri]

As others have mentioned you will need a bit of everything..Also, I wait till a few days before to pack so I can get a better weather forecast for the time I will be down.It is not easy for those of us who like to pack early, but it keeps me from overpacking

 

[Sandy321]

We went in 2010 for Marathon weekend (and we're going again 2012 )

It was the very coldest I can imagine - sleet hitting me as I was making my way to MK in the half marathon - so yes, gloves, hats, jeans and a fleece jacket - layers work well - I only brought one sweater - and wore it 3 days! Tragically seeing all the plants that were hit with the freezing cold...

I will say that year on the comp/WISH board there were lots of posts telling us to look for the cold - mostly checking weather.com - their 10 day forecast was pretty accurate!

 

[Good Morning Dewdrop]

Our first January trip we NEEDED shorts and I hadn't packed them! Ugh never again. Now I throw at least one pair for everyone into the suitcase.

We've been down there needing jackets and needing shorts. Generally in January we end up layering.

Have a great time!

 

[AmyFarrahFowler]

We've been a couple of times in Jan and it has been pretty chilly both times. No swimming for us.

 

[PoohsFan1]

We too will be there in January (first time going during this month), we have been during March, May, September, June, and December. If the weather is anything like our December trip (first week), then the idea of bringing capris and jeans is a very good one. I have been contemplating this for a while now because we will be going on a Caribbean cruise before heading to Disney, therefore I have no idea what to pack....my guess is pack as if it is going to be cold AND as if it is going to be warm. Have a great time regardless .

 

[Pakey]

We've done 11 January WDW vacations. We are from central California so we are not fond of cold weather.

Two vacations were extremely cold; no swimming on any day at all, hats and gloves were a nice addition.

Two vactions were extremely warm; swimming early every day. Late evenings were cool enough that a long sleeve shirt was nice but not necessary. We never put on a jacket or long pants.

The other vacations have been a combination of weather with at least one day warm enough to swim or go to the waterpark and at least one day where we were glad we had long pants and jackets.

 

[RumpleMom]

In January, I have seen ice on my AKL balcony, worn long underwear under jeans with winter coat, hat and gloves, and was still freezing. We finally gave up trying to walk around in the cold and went to see a movie to get warm.

We had lunch at Paradiso 37 and the sign that shows the temperature of the beer was the same as the outside temperature. Brr!

Another early January, I was in the pool at SSR listening to Christmas music.

You just never know.

The only thing for sure was that we would not be shoveling snow

 

[ZoZo]

Bring a little bit of everything; Florida weather is very unpredictible, so you never know what your weather will be. No matter what anyone tells you ("I've been in January five times, and it's always been cold!"), prepare for everything!!

Bring warm weather stuff (swimsuit, shorts, sandals) plus cold weather stuff (including hat, gloves, warm socks for each person). You'll be kicking yourself if you decide to leave the swimsuits at home, then experience a "warm snap"!

It can get very expensive to try to buy things while you're down there, and it's a pain to spend time to find the things you need. Since you have the luxury of having washer and dryer right in your unit, you can pack a little bit of everything and do laundry!

 

[sharadoc]

Must bring short sleeve t-shirts, long sleeve shirts, turtleneck, sweater or sweatshirt, hoodie and coat; gloves, hats or earmuffs, scarf, bathing suit, shorts, capris, jeans and thermal underwear.

We bring at least one of each and have actually layered everything. 40 degrees, 20 mph winds on January 20; 85 degrees and summy by January 25 in 2009.

 

[mountain man]

Went in January last year, swam a couple of times at night although it was a little brisk.

One thing I learned the hard way. The forecast may say it will be in the 70's which sounds OK. But it may take until late in the afternoon to get to that temp. The bulk of the day could be cooler.

 

[fla4fun]

Our winter weather typically goes something like this:

day one - cold front with lows in the 30's & 40's and highs in the 60's
day two - temps up two or three degrees
day three - temps up two to three more degrees
day four - temps up another two to three degrees lows now 40's - 50's, highs in the 70's (may reach upper 70's)
day five - warmest day (could reach 80), but there may be a chance of rain
day six - cold front with lows in the 30's-40's

The rain can last anywhere from a couple hours to an entire day, depending on how fast the front is moving. It's not hard rain, like our summer showers. It's usually light to moderate rain, and can be just plain drizzly. It can also happen any time of day, not just in the afternoon, and a lot of times the rain comes at night, so it doesn't really affect your touring plans. It's rare for it to get cold and stay really cold for more than a couple days, but you need to be prepared for those couple days or you'll be miserable.

I go to Disney in January, and I typically pack capris and long pants, but I don't take shorts. I take tee shirts to wear, and then a hoodie sweatshirt and a fleece jacket that I can layer together. A scarf and gloves are also part of my list. You could certainly swim, but they only heat the pools to 85 degrees, which is too cool for me.

 

[At World's End]

We have been there the past two January's and it was cold both times. Last time was jsut like fla4fun says. It was cold (30s-40s) in the am, warming around lunch time, then get cold again around dinner time. We always layered: long sleeve T, short sleeve T, jeans, sweatshirt/fleece, sometimes a hat & gloves for my youngest who is always cold.

To minimize the amount of luggage you are bringing, pack items that can do double duty, like thermal PJs in a solid color that can be layered under t shirts. If you are lucky and it's warm enough, guys can wear swim trunks instead of shorts. Consider buying a cheap rolling duffle bag - you will be amazed how much you can get in there. Just watch the measurements so you don't exceed the airline limits.

My biggest suggestion is to think about what it would be hard to find in FL if you really needed it. When we were there in Jan. 2010 during a severe cold snap, we couldn't find gloves to save our lives. DS(4) lost a glove that he had brought from home, and we had him wear socks on his hands so he didn't freeze! You can always find shorts and T shirts if you really need them, but hats, gloves, earmuffs, etc may be hard to find.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

I would love to hear a MUST BRING list for what to pack in January. We will be staying for 10 days. We are staying offsite and our room has a washer/dryer.

Should we bother to bring swimsuits or shorts?

If you have another site to link me too that's good too.

Absolutely! If anything--hot tubs are still hot.

You have to plan for variable weather and you MUST MUST MUST MUST check the weather the night before you leave. Look at the 10 day forecast for a rough idea, but certainly plan for extremes.

One year, I did the Disney marathon and it was absolutely toasty. The following year, it was frigid. And while it was just the half, I kept taking off and putting back on my jacket. It was just too chilly even with the exercise to ditch it.

You just can't tell. It would not hurt to plan to pack some kind of coat, or you may find that you will have some Disney winterwear as souvenirs. Don't forget shorts either as you may find the need to get some Disney summerwear as souvenirs.

January is tricky for vacation packing--especially for such a long vacation when cold fronts can decide to just change their route to hover over Florida or detour some place else.

 

[vcgirl925]

Thanks everyone so much for your responses. We typically got Sept, oct, an nov. and the weather is always perfect for us. We did go once in Jan. and it was bitter cold and rainy.

Basically what you are telling me is i need to pack for every scenario. Because i just don't know what each day might bring. Which equals tons of luggage, even if i only bring a couple pieces of each thing!

Rain gear (ponchos/umbrellas)
Cold weather clothes (thermals, fleece, hats, gloves, pants, warm socks, sneakers, and long sleeve shirts).
Semi warm weather clothes (bathing suit, capri's, shorts, tees, sandals/crocs).
Not to mention two princess dresses!

Good thing we are driving down and good thing we have an overhead storage unit for our mini-van!

 

[Marshay]

We're going the last full week of January, too.

One other thing to bring is a small nearly empty duffle bag or backpack for the parks. Since the mornings will start out cool, you'll be in jackets/layers ...but as the sun shines through you'll start stripping those layers and having a bag (or two) to hold the extras is helpful.

Also, not sure if you take mid-day breaks or not ...but as soon as the sun goes down, it'll start to get really cool again -- and fast!

We learned the hard way...figured we would take a mid-day break so didn't bring extra layers, hat/gloves. As our plans changed we decided to catch 'just one more ride ... just one more show', but by then it was dark and cold and it was a miserable time exiting the park and getting back to our car without the extra clothes. Paid for it the next day with everyone having the sniffles.

 

[sharadoc]

We're going the last full week of January, too.

One other thing to bring is a small nearly empty duffle bag or backpack for the parks. Since the mornings will start out cool, you'll be in jackets/layers ...but as the sun shines through you'll start stripping those layers and having a bag (or two) to hold the extras is helpful.

Also, not sure if you take mid-day breaks or not ...but as soon as the sun goes down, it'll start to get really cool again -- and fast!

We learned the hard way...figured we would take a mid-day break so didn't bring extra layers, hat/gloves. As our plans changed we decided to catch 'just one more ride ... just one more show', but by then it was dark and cold and it was a miserable time exiting the park and getting back to our car without the extra clothes. Paid for it the next day with everyone having the sniffles.

We like string backpacks for this reason. They fold up nicely into the one we're carrying but can be distributed to everyone to hold sweats, hats, etc. if necessary.