The truth about December weather?

[Hobbes]

So over on the main forum they're discussing weather in December and saying they take hats and gloves-is this cos they have never experienced the average British summer? The temperatures they're discussing are the average summer day here, so will we be more used to it-and not need the winter woolies?

 

[wayneg]

So over on the main forum they're discussing weather in December and saying they take hats and gloves-is this cos they have never experienced the average British summer? The temperatures they're discussing are the average summer day here, so will we be more used to it-and not need the winter woolies?

The 1st time we went at Xmas was 2000. We only took shorts and Tshirts what a mistake, frost on the car some mornings, it was literally freezing. Once the sun got out it was fine and nice for a few hours but late afternoon it turned very cold again. We had to buy fleeces, longs, gloves and hats.
Out of all The Xmas's we have been that was the coldest, some days get warm enough to be in shorts and Tshirts thru until midnight, other days it can be very cold.
All you can do is take clothes for every temp. We take more for 9 nights in Winter than 25 nights in summer.

 

[Goofyish]

We went in December 2005 (15th until 29th) and had a variety of weather and temperatures.

A few days we had the odd little shower and some days it was overcast but dry. Most days were sunny though.

Temperatures ranged from the very chilly to low to middle 70s F.

Mornings tended to be quite cool - I had shorts on and a sweatshirt and it was just about comfortable (DW said it was freezing ).

Once the sun was up it was quite pleasant most days and by midday it was warm enough for shorts and t-shirt.
We swam and sat by the pool on a few occations, but as soon as the sun started to drop the temperature dropped as well. We certainly needed jeans and sweatshirts most nights, and a few nights we had coats on as well!

 

[Hobbes]

Oh bum, looks like I really misjudged the weather-we go the Monday after Thanksgiving, and I'm so used to frolicking oin the sun it never really occurred to me you could be anything other than hot and sweaty there I'm really mardy about cold weather too (Also whiny about hot weather!) so I guess I'd better invest in some hoodies and new jeans.

 

[disneyholic family]

we've gone several times during the first two/three weeks of December...

some years it was warm the entire time....even warm enough to swim..

but one year, it was COLD....really really really cold.....
i remember the kids were all bundled up in their snowsuits, mittens and hats (and this was when we still lived in detroit, not in the tropical climate where we live now).....
it was incredibly cold that year....
but that was only once out of many trips....but frost can and does happen every now and then.....

 

[diddldonna]

Lol we was expecting Late November/December to be cold but we always felt warm 95% of the time. Bit chilly in the evenings but not as bad as british weather. One day i saw someone with a hat and scalf on, we was in t-shirt and light trousaurs and no jacket and was comfortable. Maybe our bodies cope with colder weather easier? but the i don't call anything above 10oc cold.

 

[crabbie1]

Lol we was expecting Late November/December to be cold but we always felt warm 95% of the time. Bit chilly in the evenings but not as bad as british weather. One day i saw someone with a hat and scalf on, we was in t-shirt and light trousaurs and no jacket and was comfortable. Maybe our bodies cope with colder weather easier? but the i don't call anything above 10oc cold.

I have to agree.I think the americans feel the cold a lot more than us brits (especially if they are local).We wore shorts and a t-shirt and just took a sweater for the nights.I did tend to wear 3/4 trousers if we were going to be out late but didn't need a hat or gloves Mind you we did buy a christmas stitch had with big ears and we did wesr that at epcot.Its very comfortable and like all have said take a mixture of clothes and play it by ear.Our wedding day on the 30/11/06 was 80 degrees and I had a meringe on and nearly cooked You are in disney-who cares what the weather is like

 

[jen_uk]

We went last Xmas and it was really warm, we swam every day and I got sunburnt a few times!

 

[gilld]

We went for Christmas a few years back and it was lovely for the first couple of days and the last few, but for about 7 days in between it was absolutely freezing. We needed to buy thick socks, hats, gloves and were still really cold with several warm layers, including anoraks. Most days there was frost and the temperature was around 40F.

It isn't always like this, but it can be, so it's best to take clothing for every eventuality.

 

[granmaz]

It is a good idea to take things to layer. We had unseasonably warm weather last Nov/Dec, just lovely, but followed by a couple of really cold days with a perishing wind and we didn't have warm enough clothes. I had a double layered long sleeved tee shirt, lightweight 'fleece' and windproof lightweigh waterproof with long trousers on.

If you are doing a firework cruise I can tell you it was very cold on the water even though not bad elsewhere.

I am hoping for the lovely weather we had last year but am still preparing for not as good.

 

[KINGBOBOFTHENORTH]

Central Florida is at the mercy of cold front activity in the winter. When one comes it usually brings rain for a day or two but then brilliant sunshiny days behind it. But behind the front is also the wind shift from the north and that will bring cool (and sometimes COLD) wind and weather. As the high pressure system up north drifts further and further east the wind then shifts back to the south and each day gets warmer and warmer and sometimes HOT. It will stay warm until another front comes through. Some years the cold fronts seem to be back-to-back and some years only a few fronts make it through. So in winter you do need to come prepared with some type of winter coat. Gloves and hats are rarely needed. And it's not that Americans can't take the cold weather versus the Brits. It's that us Floridian's can't take the cold weather versus the Brits.......or the Yankees as we call northerners!

BobK/Orlando

 

[HeidiGW]

Bring a throw-type blanket, too. (Or you can pay $30 for cheapy fleece one in a shop.) You will be surprised how cold it gets while sitting when watching shows like Fantasmic! If you don't want to cover up with it, you'll want to sit on it!

Oh, and speaking specifically of Fantasmic!, sit a few rows up and preferrably with the wind to your back, if it is cold. The water mist can be freezing...

 

[Donaldduck66]

We were at WDW last December from the 2nd for two weeks. We found jeans and t-shirts were fine during the day but in the evening, once the sun went down, we needed a jumper of some kind as it did get very chilly. We hardly had any rain though and I'm not sure if the pools were heated or not.

 

[angel659]

I am so excited about going in December, but also a little worried about the weather. We normally go in October which is our favourite time to go. I am not sure if it will seem as magical without the heat and the smell of florida as soon as you exit the airport. I hope it does.

 

[wayneg]

I am so excited about going in December, but also a little worried about the weather. We normally go in October which is our favourite time to go. I am not sure if it will seem as magical without the heat and the smell of florida as soon as you exit the airport. I hope it does.

Oct is our fave time to go also but the Xmas atmosphere more than makes up for the heat, You might be lucky and get great weather but just take clothes for any type of weather, or buy it all there

 

[Goofyish]

Bring a throw-type blanket, too. (Or you can pay $30 for cheapy fleece one in a shop.) You will be surprised how cold it gets while sitting when watching shows like Fantasmic! If you don't want to cover up with it, you'll want to sit on it!

Oh, and speaking specifically of Fantasmic!, sit a few rows up and preferrably with the wind to your back, if it is cold. The water mist can be freezing...

Just remembered how cold whose aluminium benches were in Fantasmic!

 

[Tink2312]

The 1st time we went at Xmas was 2000. We only took shorts and Tshirts what a mistake, frost on the car some mornings, it was literally freezing. Once the sun got out it was fine and nice for a few hours but late afternoon it turned very cold again. We had to buy fleeces, longs, gloves and hats.
Out of all The Xmas's we have been that was the coldest, some days get warm enough to be in shorts and Tshirts thru until midnight, other days it can be very cold.
All you can do is take clothes for every temp. We take more for 9 nights in Winter than 25 nights in summer.

Dec 2000 was the first time we went for Christmas too. We ended up buying full coats, scarves and gloves from the London Fog shop at Belz - the worst bit was the cashier told us the previous week it had been 85 degrees and she had been sunbathing in her garden
Last year when we went at Christmas it was mid to late 70s/ early 80s most days. Hoping for the same kind of weather this year

 

[granmaz]

Just remembered how cold whose aluminium benches were in Fantasmic!

Brrrrr, I remember that too - but it was in late February that time.

 

[wishspirit]

When i went at Christmas it was warm, but not overly hot. We had to wear a jumper in the mornings (with our shorts we looked kinda silly) but took them off mid way through the day. We also got changed into jeans or warmer trousers in the evening. But if we had that kind of weather in the Summer in the UK i'd be pleased!

 

[crabbie1]

Angel-you will stillget the same smell and the humidity hit when you walk off the plane.I remember the first year we went on the 28th novmber and it was snowing in manchester-had to wait for the plane to be diiced -first time on a jumbo I ws nervous enough(virgin use to fly with the airbus from manchester).What you miss in october you will gain this time of year as the magic of christmas is everywhere and like I have said before we felt quite flat when we went in the summer that there were no decorations anywhere-just very hot and humid. I must say it looks to go end of october into december as halloween looks great from all the photos I have seen and then early december the magic of xmas begins.Don't worry you will love it