Seeking Winter in Florida Tips

[SheriN]

I've been going back and reading some of the best/worst tip topics and I see that a lot of them are tips for Summer travel to Florida.

What about going during the winter? I will NEVER go in the summer if I can help it so they won't apply to me. As I'm sure they may not apply to others.

So for those people who will only go to WDW during the "cooler" months what advice, good AND bad can you give us?

 

[briarroselynn]

When you say winter.........Our winter is January and February.........These are the coldest months in Florida. Now if you are going in December.....I always wear shorts during the day and then take a sweatshirt or jacket. You can rent a locker for $6 and you will get some of that money back when you return the key. December is usually very nice. I am from Flroda if you havent guessed that yet...I am about three hours away from Disney!

 

[minkydog]

There is almost nothing bad to say about Florida in the winter. The weather is gorgeous, it doesn't rain much, you can swim if the pool is heated.WDW is a lot less congested. DH have talked often of retiring to Florida for the winters and moving back to the Georgia mountains for the summers.

 

[GEM]

My best tip is to be prepared for cold weather, because sometimes it happens. I mean gloves, hats, coats, the whole deal. I don't mean "cold for Florida" - I mean just plain cold.

We've been numerous times in December and January. Some trips we've worn shorts and swam every day. Some trips we ended up bundled up every day. Often, we did both on different days of the same trip. Our pictures from MVMCP one year feature us in shorts, sandals, and tank tops. The pictures from next year's party feature us in coats, ski caps, gloves, scarves, turtlenecks, etc.

One January E night several years ago it was so cold that ice was forming around the boarding zone at Splash Mountain and the CMS were sprinkling salt around to help melt it - and yes, a few brave souls were still riding.

Last December we attended the Candlelight Processional on an evening when it was in the 40s. We took a blanket to sunggle under and were the envy of many. That was a really cold trip, over all. We ended up going to Wal-Mart and buying those disposable hand warmer things and putting them in DS stroller so he could sit on them and stay toasty!

My main message is be prepared for anything! It's no fun to walk around freezing to death - or to have to shell out big bucks you weren't planning on to buy warm stuff!

Dress in layers so you can add or remove things as the temp changes throughout the morning, day, and evening.

And, don't think you can skimp on the sunscreen just because it's winter! The sun is still brutal!

 

[JerJan]

This past January 2005 (the second week) one morning it was 28 degrees! I'm not kidding!! I lived in Orlando during Junior High School and I can remember waiting for the school bus to come while the sprinklers made icicles on the citrus trees in the groves!! It can get VERY COLD in Orlando as a matter of fact it was so cold this past January we never got in the pool once all week!

 

[SheriN]

Wow Ok so be prepared for anything. I know to check the weather online before we leave for any trip will be especially helpful for Florida. I never thought Florida would get that cold, but obviously I'm wrong!

Thanks for the great tips so far!

 

[jtdl]

We were there Feb. 2005. One morning it was cold. There were people with hats and scarves on, I don't think I would take hats and scarves (it wasn't quite cold enough for that, being from Ontario, it was like a cold spring morning) but I was sure glad I brought us each a pair of those little one-size-fits-all, thin, wool gloves - the kind you can usually buy for $1 at Walmart. They are thin enough to not impede finger movement but just warm enough for that kind of "cold" and they don't take up any room.

 

[LilyStar]

Florida in the summer is VERY predictable. You can pretty much wake up every day from May to September and it will be hot, muggy and it will rain around 2pm with it being 95 degrees. Or rather it will DOWNPOUR with the sun out for 15 minutes and then cause the entire outdoors to feel like you were sitting in a wet sauna. You will feel the moisture on your hands.

Florida in the winter very UNpredictable. One day it's 80 and sunny the next day it's 50 degrees and pouring rain. But usually for the most part it's in the upper 60's and low 70s during the day. In the evening you will 90% of the time need a jacket. We went to Disney the first weekend in December last year and FROZE our butts off with sweatshirts and sweatpants on. There was a lovely week in January maybe a month later when it was 85 degrees and I was laying in the sun.

Come prepared with EVERYthing for your visit in the winter. I'm not so sure I've really ever used gloves here except maybe for once. But I would bring sweaters, jackets, a turtleneck, shorts, tanks and t-shirts. If you're a woman and you're going to dress up for dinner, bring panty hose and a nice sweater to wear over the top.

Jackie

 

[Stacy's a freak]

I am hoping for someone to take out their crystal ball and tell me! I guess I'll just have to "pack like a girl"

 

[FSUGrad97]

I live about 45 minutes away from WDW, and the best advice I would give you is to layer your clothes. It usually is cooler in the morning, until about 10 a.m., and warms up during the late morning and early afternoon. Then, at around 4, it will start to cool down. After the sun goes down, it can get really chilly.

As one of the other posters said, December can be warm or cold, and the coldest weather will usually be in January and February. After it rains, it usually will be colder.

We are going soon, and we will pack long pants, shorts, long sleeve shirts, t-shirts, a sweatshirt or two and a jacket. I hate getting somewhere and not having what I need, but there is a Premium Outlet Mall right off of I-4 if you need to pick something up.

Hope that helps!

 

[FWDisFan]

We were there December 04 and it was easily the most difficult trip I had ever packed for! The forecast called for temperatures that ranged from highs in the 40s/50s to the 70s. One day we used scarves, gloves and coats and a day or 2 later it was shorts and tshirts. (It was cold enough that my husband who literally wears shorts and short-sleeves ALL year in Texas had to buy a fleece shirt at AK! I took a picture to document this momentous occasion!!)

I used the vacuum travel bags to minimize space (coats and cold weather gear is so bulky!) Fortunately for us we stayed in a cabin and had a vacuum cleaner in our room to re-vacuum the travel bags for the return home!

Best to be prepared for whatever the weather brings! Layers is always a great idea!

 

[susancl]

As everone has said, winter in Florida can bring any kind of weather. Last January we had, 70's during the day and 30's at night.

 

[mtnprotracy]

We were there in Dec '04. I packed jeans and t's for each day and brought along a heavy sweat shirt and light jacket for everyone. On the last day of the trip, we had to stop at the Nike outlet to buy shorts for everyone. So, this December I'll add at least one pair of shorts for everyone. I'll take the unpredictablility of December...it was the BEST trip we've ever done

Tracy

 

[shades]

We were at DW world 22 Dec 04 - 2 Jan 05. We wore shorts with t-shirt & sweatshirts in the early morning because we knew it would warm up in a few hours. After the sun went down, it got cold almost every night. We had family from Ohio there and it was cold to them! I was freezing during the evenings and ended up buying some Mickey fleece gloves in one of the parks. I spend a lot of time waiting in the gift shops at the end of the rides for my family and I noticed they actually sold out of gloves in most of them within a couple of nights of us being there. During the day, shorts & tees. Plan on coats, gloves (might as well take them if you have them - rather than spend $10-15 each for new ones), & I'm taking a fleece scarf with me this year. Better prepared than sorry! I can't enjoy myself if I'm freezing!

For the rain, we bought really cheap .89 cents each disposable ponchos at WalMart to take with us. We found them in the sporting goods section of the store and they are folded up to the size of a purse pack of tissues. Last year we were caught in the rain at the park and bought the Mickey ponchos. We still have them but hate to take anything in our suitcases we don't absolutely need. These disposable ponchos are perfect! Just be sure to hang them in your shower in your hotel room to dry out over night. I made the mistake once of stuffing 5 of them into a plastic bag and keeping them in my backpack. After cooking in the sun all day and for a day or two - imagine how stinky they were when I pulled them out to use them!

 

[tammie33]

I've worn a hat and gloves at Disneyworld.

We were there in December 2000. The first part of our trip was gorgeous. Shorts during the day, long sleeve shirts and pants at night. Then a cold snap hit. Literally overnight. It was so cold there were signs all over Epcot apologizing for the decor (flowers that died missing everywhere), but that Jack Frost had paid a visit. It was so cold, my hands felt like pins and needles were sticking through them. (I should let you know that I'm from CA and a wimp when it comes to cold anyway). I ended up spending a small fortune on a very ugly hat and gloves at MK in addition to the jeans, long johns, long sleeved shirt, sweatshirt and jacket I was already wearing.

December 2003 was pretty mild for us. No major cold front.

We're going back (in 3 weeks ) and I'm packing a lot of layers. I also bought a cheap hat and gloves to take just in case. I'd rather have the stuff and not need it, then be unprepared (especially with a 2 year old this trip).

 

[littleprissboutique]

We were at Disney Last year (12/26/04 - 12/30/04)

We came in from Knoxville, TN. When we got to MCO I thought we had not left TN. It was so cold... The first day of our trip the temp did not get above 42. It was where that snow storm had just went through the Gulf a few days before... We had to buy my hubby (who never wears anything but shorts...) a jacket and some Mickey pants... He looked like such a tourist! LOL .... It was really cold the first few days, but by the end of our trip it warmed up so we could wear our shorts...


We are going back in Jan, and we are shipping things down to have just in case

 

[leebee]

Make sure you bring a winter jacket and gloves. We were there three times in January and each time we needed the winter stuff (which was no big deal as, being in Maine, we'd worn them to the airport!). I swear I could've sold our raggy winter coats one year for about $100 each! There are cold spells in FL- one year in early Jan it went into the 20's every night we were there, the orange crops froze, and it was reallyreallyreally cold walking around WDW. Better to have it and not need it than to need it and have to PAY for it!

 

[kpk89]

You said it, Leebee! I figure it won't be any trouble for us to be prepared, as we'll be all bundled up to travel from NH! I like the idea of the little "one size fits all" gloves for chilly park mornings. I can take any temp as long as my hands aren't cold!

I'm actually hoping for chilliness, because then we'll get to spend more time at the parks and less at the pool!

 

[hsmamato2]

We were there December 04 and it was easily the most difficult trip I had ever packed for! The forecast called for temperatures that ranged from highs in the 40s/50s to the 70s. One day we used scarves, gloves and coats and a day or 2 later it was shorts and tshirts. (It was cold enough that my husband who literally wears shorts and short-sleeves ALL year in Texas had to buy a fleece shirt at AK! I took a picture to document this momentous occasion!!)

I used the vacuum travel bags to minimize space (coats and cold weather gear is so bulky!) Fortunately for us we stayed in a cabin and had a vacuum cleaner in our room to re-vacuum the travel bags for the return home!

Best to be prepared for whatever the weather brings! Layers is always a great idea!

We're in Ct and yesterday it snowed 4 inches, went down to 28 degrees,and DH was outside doing chores in t-shirt and jeans!