Those going next week, what's your plan for the cold?

[fla4fun]

I have visited WDW in December and January for years, and have weathered many cold snaps. I would pack a hoodie, a fleece jacket I could layer over the hoodie, a knit scarf and a pair of gloves. I also packed a thin, long sleeved sweater, and an assortment of short sleeve shirts. Then I would mix and match as needed. I could wear the hoodie alone, the fleece alone, or both together. I could wrap the scarf around my head as a makeshift hat, or around my neck. I could add the long sleeved sweater as a layer, or wear short sleeves under a jacket. If it’s windy, I second the suggestion of layering your rain poncho over your other clothes to block the wind.

If you are in the park all day, a locker can be your best friend. That way, you can layer up in the morning, store the heavy gear midday, and layer back up for nighttime activities.

 

[MICKIMINI]

Another vote for layers! Don't forget gloves. I find snug fitting fleece gloves the best and wear a fleece vest underneath a jacket if necessary. We're from NH so our legs don't get cold until it's below zero but you can get pants liners at a sporting goods store. $1.25 store has fleece scarfs and gloves (I just picked up a red/black buffalo check) so if you misplace it so what LOL? Bring either a zip bag or compression bag in your backpack so you can squish it down to size mid day.

A few weeks ago at WDW we had hot, cold and just perfect mid-70's but we planned ahead. Many people were uncomfortably cold and spending $$ on warm tops. You probably have most of these items in your closet so just remember to bring them!

 

[barb969]

if you have a car take an ice scraper just in case. A few years ago we had to wait for the defroster to melt the windshield.

 

[barb969]

Oops

 

[CampbellzSoup]

Take pants and a sweater

 

[Silvermist999]

Do you have one of those packable down jackets? The kind that folds up into a tiny pouch that you can tuck in your backpack when it hopefully gets warmer in the afternoon? We wear those to the airport when we travel in the winter months and they keep you warm enough but also take up minimal space when you don’t need it at the destination.

The cold weather sounds disappointing but has anyone noticed the weather forecast over New Years, it looks like it will be raining every single day and we are going to be arriving then, praying the forecast changes.

 

[isabellea]

We are driving from Montreal on December. Since it will be cold the first day of driving, our plan is to have our light down jackets, pants and hoodies for travel days and cold FL days in addition to shorts and t-shirts. If I can offer a tip it would be keep your feet warm. Nothing worse than cold feet. Cotton socks are the worst imo. Especially when temp is cold and wet/very humid. I would plan on having warm wool socks and even toe warmers for late evenings.

 

[ML_LovesDisney]

Another Northeaster here; we are going NYE week, but still some chilly nights it looks like. We’ve been there when it’s freezing before and I definitely wear my winter coat, jeans, and light gloves sometimes. If it’s windy, you’re going to want to have something to cover your ears as well because I can remember my ears hurting after a few hours in the Disney cold. Like others have said, I plan to pack layers and change midday if needed.

 

[Francisco C]

Dollywood is an excellent theme park which commonly sees temperatures into the 30s at it remains open until Jan 1. Having braved such temperatures last thanksgiving, I agree with many of the above comments. Disney certainly has more indoor attractions to escape the cold. But, spending any considerable amount of time outdoors (parade, fireworks, certain outdoor lines), definitely will want to dress as if it will be 32 degrees. The sunshine won’t help after 5pm. Those who are well prepared may benefit from shorter lines in the evenings. Enjoy!

 

[cjlong88]

We arrive on the 25th and I told my family members to plan for it to be colder than they think and to dress in layers. Glad to see it's predicted to warm up for the second half of our trip. To be honest, though, we are all just excited to get out of the snow and enjoy WDW even if it's chilly. Beats Minneapolis after (what feels like) constant snow and little to no sunlight exposure.

The only thing we are adjusting is the fact that on the 26th we wanted to rent a boat during the day for 30 minutes on 7 Seas Lagoon. Will put that off until later in the week when it's warmer.

It's easy to feel disappointed when the weather doesn't cooperate. But I can only think of one trip of my many where the weather was absolutely perfect. Every other trip we have weather torrential downpours, blistering heat, stuff no one enjoys on any vacation in general. But that's Florida for ya!

 

[gottalovepluto]

Toe warmers and hand warmers. I hate my toes and hands being cold. We used them in March last year one day and it made a huge difference

YES. I love the Hot Hands hand warmers when it’s cold in the parks! They really make such a difference for me. (Can’t speak to the toe warmers, my feet swell if they get warm so I’ve been too scared to try them.)

 

[popy]

Miserable cold, not fun , stay at home .

 

[soniam]

Definitely bring gloves and possibly a hat. Gloves are almost impossible to find in the parks. You can easily buy stuff to add layers, but bring a coat and other warm clothes too.

 

[thanxfornoticin]

Over the years, we've definitely expanded our Disney 'winter wear' collectables during cold snaps - hats, scarves, gloves, sweatshirts!! I'm sure all the warm gear will be out and evident at the fronts of the stores for purchase! So bring your own layers!

 

[Betty Rohrer]

Dollywood is an excellent theme park which commonly sees temperatures into the 30s at it remains open until Jan 1. Having braved such temperatures last thanksgiving, I agree with many of the above comments. Disney certainly has more indoor attractions to escape the cold. But, spending any considerable amount of time outdoors (parade, fireworks, certain outdoor lines), definitely will want to dress as if it will be 32 degrees. The sunshine won’t help after 5pm. Those who are well prepared may benefit from shorter lines in the evenings. Enjoy!

we have also done Dollywood in the cold/snow/ice. dress for the cold not what you want the temperature to be.

 

[gorjus121]

We are planning on bringing plenty of warm clothes and winter hats! lol. We have two dining reservations to get out of the cold for lunch and dinner. Honestly, we are just hoping to be able to get there. I'm worried about flight cancelations with this major storm and freezing temps coming in.

 

[RoyandWalt]

I feel for those of you who will be at WDW during this upcoming cold snap. We have been there several times in the cold, one trip where the high was 48 two straight days. We still went into the parks and had fun, which wouldn’t be the case with a beach vacation.

 

[DisneyMama811]

50 isn't cold that's a gorgeous spring day. even 40 is a fairly warm winter day. I can never get over what people from warm climates think is cold. I love it

 

[SleeplessInTO]

We are wrapping up warm and going for it! Flying from Canada, so we will have our winter coats anyways. Hoping the crowds might be a little less due to the cold and damp in the evenings. But it’s 12C warmer than back home so I’ll take it!

 

[T.G.I.Friday]

I’ve seen it mentioned a few times already, but I cannot emphasize it enough - if you are coming from a cold weather area, do not base your clothing on what those temps feel like at home!!! Take 20 degrees away.

I know cold weather, and I spend enough time outside in the winter to know how to dress for it at home. So when we were planning for Disney in January and saw the temps, I packed for what that would feel like here. Huge mistake. Especially once the sun went down.

I would have rather packed ski gear and not the lighter fleece hats and gloves. A coat with filling and not a fleece jacket. We would have multiple layers on heading out in the evening and were still freezing. No way would 40 degrees warrant that at home.

So my advice is to pack way warmer than you would normally think is needed for those temps.