Seeking Seemingly Silly Solution for Northerners headed South...

[Minnesota!]

No matter the time of year, my "traveling to MCO outfit" is the same - capri's, t, hoodie, sandals. We live in MN - and for as little as we are outside getting to-from the car when at the airport, I see no need for anything heavier than a hoodie. There is NO WAY I would lug a winter coat anywhere near an airport...

 

[Rpsemont]

We usually leave the winter coats in the car; but I do carry or wear long sleeve shirt, and couple different versions of fall outwear - my favorite being a new "down sweater jacket" relatively thin, easily packable and warm when it needs to be. When you come back home, if its really cold, send one person to get the car and let everyone else wait in the warm airport

 

[DLgal]

Packable coats. They are the best. They smush up and fit inside their own little pouch. We all have one. Hit up a Burlington Coat factory and pick some up.

 

[bumbershoot]

I bring my coat. Planes can be cold.

And once I went to San Antonio during the winter. Tacoma was lovely when I left. The day before I came back, a snowstorm hit. When I got to Seatac my then-boyfriend couldn't get out of Tacoma because it's so hilly and his car was junky. Cabbies were turning down fares, just wanting to go home. I convinced one cab driver to take me home. I had to get cash from the ATM which was downtown, and he wouldn't take me further because to do so meant to go up a hill which he couldn't do with the ice and snow.

I got to walk all the way home.

Thankfully my mom had just sent me money to buy a nice, good, warm winter coat, and I had brought it to San Antonio to show her (this was '98 or so...no digital images to just send off by phone or email then!), so I had it with me. I would have frozen without it.

Just never know what you'll be coming home to! So we bring them.


And, since our very first WDW trip was in the infamous December of 2010...it's not beyond the possibilities that you'll need the coats in Orlando, either.

 

[Mousemom234]

We figure we aren't going to need the coats for too long, so we're usually wearing a late fall/early spring weight jacket. Those are easily squashable, and can be tucked into our luggage before boarding.
If we have our own car, there's always extra clothing in it all winter anyhow. Lately though, it's been cheaper to take the share-a-ride in than park, so we won't need heavy coats unless the weather is so bad the plane probably won't even land

 

[jodifla]

I have to confess that I leave the really heavy winter coat in the car. Our airport has a remote lot, and a shuttle that picks you up at the car and leaves you off inside the parking garage at the airport. I admit that if we, by chance, had a blizzard while we were gone, and it was in the 50's when we left, we might have a problem. This actually happened in 2004. While we were in Florida at Christmas, it snowed 2 ft at home, and it didn't melt. But, I bring a light, packable down jacket to layer in case it gets cold in Florida.

This is what we do as well. We keep them on until the last second, then when the shuttle picks us up right at our car, we throw them in the back when the shuttle driver is loading up our luggage.

We pack hoodies or light jackets for Florida if it's cold.

 

[dis_guy]

Dress in layers. The final coat usually being maybe a lined windbreaker. When we get back, one person picks up the car and goes back to get everyone else.

This is what we do, too. The heavy winter coat and boots stay in the car. This is not a problem as we use a heated indoor parking garage-- just too many bad experiences with getting to the car in a dark, cold, lot with all the doors frozen shut.

I wear a warm long sleeved fleece with a lined wind breaker over the top. In the terminal, the outer jacket along with gloves and warm hat go into my carry-on's large outer pocket. Since we typically fly red-eye flights, the fleece becomes my blanket/cover for the flight. On arrival the fleece slips through my smaller carry-on's handle loops and it piggybacks on the larger wheeled carry-on.

As a pp said, in January of 2012, we were glad to have the warmer jackets along with gloves and hat.

 

[kastoney]

I always stash it in the luggage before checking it in. Then pack it on the way home.

 

[sambisc]

We keep our coats/gloves/hats in the car and dress in layers for the flight (lightweight coats or hoodies over regular shirts) then stash them in our carry on when we arrive at Orlando.

 

[KrazeeK120]

I've only flown once in the winter...it was this past January. I have a "medium weight" shorter coat that I wore with a long sleeve shirt into the airport. I was only outside for a few minutes, so I figured I would be OK.

I was happy to have it at Disney as well, as it was chilly in the mornings and evenings.

 

[maxiesmom]

It depends. If the weather in Florida looks to be fairly warm for the whole trip, I will leave my heavy coat in the car and just wear the inner layer into the airport, and take that with me. One year I was going to leave my coat in the car, and was very glad that I forgot to. That was in December 2010 when Orlando was very cold. I wore my winter coat almost the whole time I was in Florida.

I think some people forget when it says a high of 70 it may hit that for only an hour or two. And once it is dark, it can feel very cold, as the Florida air is so damp. If you don't bring a coat long you may want to be prepared to buy one.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

Ditch coats in the car...the parking lot we use is very good at having a shuttle van at your vehicle with in a matter of seconds after parking. Hope on the shuttle. On the way back while we are on the shuttle we use our remote start to start the car while we drop other riders at their car. When we arrive the car is warm.

Or just take the heavy coat of one person on the trip and stow it in your carry on and have that person go and get the car while others collected the luggage.

 

[keishashadow]

on way down we just wear a Gore-Tex type hooded rain repellent coat (medium weight) since the Charlie Brown shuttle is heated and waiting for us and easily stow it in carryon. Sometimes we just take a hoodie depending on how cold it is forecast.

on way back, we change at the airport into sweatshirt/seat pants or jeans and pull out the coat from carryon after we retrieve out luggage.

Shuttle comes quickly and the car is pulled around, snow cleared and nice 'n toasty waiting for us by the time we pull up to office.

 

[JanaDee]

It depends. If the weather in Florida looks to be fairly warm for the whole trip, I will leave my heavy coat in the car and just wear the inner layer into the airport, and take that with me. One year I was going to leave my coat in the car, and was very glad that I forgot to. That was in December 2010 when Orlando was very cold. I wore my winter coat almost the whole time I was in Florida.

I think some people forget when it says a high of 70 it may hit that for only an hour or two. And once it is dark, it can feel very cold, as the Florida air is so damp. If you don't bring a coat long you may want to be prepared to buy one.

People travel places other than FL in the winter.

 

[bumbershoot]

People travel places other than FL in the winter.

But the original post was about going to FL.

 

[Muhlenberg]

Thank you for all the suggestions. I think what I'll do is use the thin tote bags (like from the grocery store) that I can roll up and put in my carry-on when not in use, and put our coats in those. Then they're easy to carry, stick under the seat or put above our carry-on bags, and keeps the coats clean and "contained."

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

 

[smidgy]

When I fly for work I normally needy winter coat at my destination so I bring it on board with me. I just carry it in the airport and store it in the overhead bin on the plane.

one early december I saw a lot of that. and the last few folks on the plane had to check their carry ons. so not fair..

the overhead is supposed to be for ONE carry on . that's it. not your coat, not your baording bag.

now, AFTER everyone has boarded, I have put my winter coat in the overhead. after making sure everyone else had room for their carry on.

and as a PP has stated, I was SO gald to have my winter coat one early dec. I wore it in the parks quite often, and was still cold!

 

[maxiesmom]

one early december I saw a lot of that. and the last few folks on the plane had to check their carry ons. so not fair..

the overhead is supposed to be for ONE carry on . that's it. not your coat, not your baording bag.

now, AFTER everyone has boarded, I have put my winter coat in the overhead. after making sure everyone else had room for their carry on.

and as a PP has stated, I was SO gald to have my winter coat one early dec. I wore it in the parks quite often, and was still cold!

I've been on a few flights where the FAs have made the announcement that coats could only go into the overhead compartments after everyone had a chance to put a bag up there.

 

[MScott1851]

I used to fly from Alabama to Colorado Springs several times a year, and I would fold up my coat and sit on it. I certainly didn't need it when I left home initially, and didn't want to waste suitcase space on it.