What clothes to pack - are buses enclosed?

[SuzyHla]

Please excuse a newcomer's silly questions, but I haven't been to WDW in 24 yrs (there was only MK) and my husband has never been. We're leaving next Wed. the 20th -- trying to plan what to pack, etc. based on weather forecast.
Are the buses that are used for transportation "open air" or enclosed ? We're aware that the temp in evenings will be chilly. How about the boats / ferries ? Will they be cold to ride at night?
I hate to dress in the mornings for a chill and then have to strip down and carry jackets on our arms the rest of the day ! Any other solutions to this ??
Thanks so much for your help ! AS you can see from all my posts, we have so much to learn . . . but look forward !
[BTW, where can I find some translations for all the abbreviations that are used by you guys ?? (It's like working in medicine again ! haa haaa)] Suzy

 

[Jordan's MOM]

Hi SuzyHla,

Get ready for a wonderful week! When we were down last month we wore jeans and t-shirts all week with DS wearing shorts a couple days. He even swam twice! We could have used sweat shirts or jackets a couple mornings or evenings but did not return to the room during the day and did not want to carry a jacket all day. You will want to take a couple sweat shirts and a jacket just in case. The weather can do anything. Take a little of everything. We took way too much. We bought matching t-shirts there and we all wanted to wear them all week. Light enough to rinse out in the sink at night. Don't forget a poncho. We had one full day of hard rain!
The buses are great. Much like a big city bus. Enclosed with heat and air. The monorail is also enclosed and the boat had seating in both open and closed areas. We sat outside on a beautiful afternoon and enjoyed the ride as much as any disney ride! Transpotaion is great. Have fun.

Jordan's mom

 

[SueM in MN]

Boy, will you ever have a lot to see! Everything has changed a lot since you were there last.
You already got the scoop on transportation, so I'll give some more advice about clothing.
All the parks do have lockers for rent where you can stash your jackets and then come back later in the day to retrieve it when it's cooler outside.
We have also taken a small backpack to stick the jackets in as it warms up. If the backpack is empty when you are coming into the park, it will be fast to check for the security checks. It won't get too heavy if you only have jackets in it and it is much handier to carry around purchases than lugging around individual bags.

 

[Kermit]

Just a suggestion. I would definitely make sure that you can tie your jacket around your waist comfortably before you wear it into the parks. I know some people get lockers, and some people put up with being a little chilly occassionally, but I like to be warm, and I like to have my jacket convenient any time I'm cold, even if it's in the middle of the afternoon in an air conditioned building.

 

[snuggles]

Welcome to the Dis. I'm going to move your post over to our Tips board. I think they will have lots of info for you there. Thanks for posting.

 

[MichaelH]

SuzyHla, you can find the abbreviations on the WDWINFO main page, look for Forums on the left side of the page and the first link under there is for the abbreviations.

You will have so much fun at WDW. My wife and I went on our honeymoon there in '95. That was the first time I had been since '78 and I believe that they had just started building EPCOT.

To answer some of your questions, yes the buses are enclosed and the boats at EPCOT also. My wife was down in Orlando on business and the temperatures were in the upper 60's to low 70's. That was in early February. I hope you have a great time.

Also, if there are rides that you really want to ride and the standby line or the fastpass line is to long. Remember you can do the singles, although you will not get to ride together. My wife and I do this a lot, but since your husband has never been and it has been so long for you you may not want to do this. Just an idea.

Have a wonderful time. You will be like I was, so much had changed since I had been I did not know where to start.

 

[SuzyHla]

Thanks so much, everyone, for the terrific info !! Now, I'm even getting butterflies and am so excited about going. You've helped so much ! Suz