What to pack?

[njtinkmom]

Hi all. We are going home for our 1st trip to Kidani on the 22nd of November - yikes it's only 11 days away! I have never been to the world at this time of year and I am not sure what to pack. Shorts or pants or both? Short sleeves, long sleeves, sweat shirts - who knows? Flip flops or sneakers? Decisions, decisions...... Any help would be greatly appreciated! I am starting to freak a little or a lot!

 

[lisah0711]

Subscribing because I am thinking about packing, too.

We usually go to WDW in January. I figure the weather will be similar. Might be warm enough to swim. Might be cold enought to need a jacket and gloves. Or anything in between. It makes packing a challenge. Luckily with DVC we have a washing machine and dryer.

I bring two pairs of jeans, one black, one blue. One pair of capris. Two or three long sleeve shirts and two or three short sleeve shirts. A bathing suit and shoes to wear to the pool. Those double as my "extra" pair of shoes.

On our last trip to WDW in 2008 it was cold. 40's in Orlando seems a lot colder than 20's at home -- I think it's the moisture. We have to bring our winter jackets anyway. If we are lucky they stay in the front pocket of the suitcase, if not, they are there to use.

The item I was really glad I had that last trip was a fleece vest. I wore it with my long sleeve tshirts. When it warmed up, I could push up my sleeves and unzip the vest. When we were inside or in the shade I could be warm again fast.

The other thing is that you do need is a hat for the sun and sunscreen still so be sure and bring those.

I try and tell myself I can either live without it or buy what I need but that is hard. I also try and tell myself pack what you think you need and take out half -- that should be about right!

Looking forward to hearing what other people have to say! Happy planning!

 

[DenLo]

Hi all. We are going home for our 1st trip to Kidani on the 22nd of November - yikes it's only 11 days away! I have never been to the world at this time of year and I am not sure what to pack. Shorts or pants or both? Short sleeves, long sleeves, sweat shirts - who knows? Flip flops or sneakers? Decisions, decisions...... Any help would be greatly appreciated! I am starting to freak a little or a lot!

Well the temperatures in Orlando can really vary this time of year. The average is probably 79 for a high and a low of 52. But it be as high as 88 or as low as 69 for a high and the lows 39 to 62. I would say you'll probably get some days in the upper to low 80's and some nights in the upper 50's to low 60's. I would expect it'll be more like Indian summer day than a true summer day.

That sounds like you should bring clothes for layering. Maybe one or two pair(s) of shorts or zip off pants, sweat shirts, and even a light jacket to wear with or without the sweatshirt. That way you can wear the jacket over short sleeves. You'll definitely need to check the weather forecast before getting dressed.

 

[njtinkmom]

Thanks for the answers! I guess I will be packing as much for this 4 day getaway as I did for my 8 day trip over the summer! Seems like I will need 2 sets of clothes one for day and one for night! UGH!!!! Well seeing Disney decorated for Christmas will be SOOOOO worth it. Maybe the little bit of chill at night will make it seem even more holiday like!

 

[DenLo]

Thanks for the answers! I guess I will be packing as much for this 4 day getaway as I did for my 8 day trip over the summer! Seems like I will need 2 sets of clothes one for day and one for night! UGH!!!! Well seeing Disney decorated for Christmas will be SOOOOO worth it. Maybe the little bit of chill at night will make it seem even more holiday like!

We can only hope that you'll need two sets of clothes, otherwise it might be cold during the day!

 

[danielle782001]

We are arriving on Nov. 24th...DH thinks I am crazy for packing so much of a variety of things and he thinks I am packing way too much...I kept reading that we need to be prepared for any kind of weather so that is what I am doing...But he thinks it is all too much...What to do

 

[Starr W.]

For all of you posting, start watching the weather forecast on Accuweather.com. They do a 15 day forecast, and you can get a base line on what to pack, then you can start refining it as it gets closer and more accurate. But then again I won't actually pack my bags until the day before we leave.

This will be our 4th Thanksgiving, and we always have weather appropriate clothes and I can't over pack because we just do wheelie carry-ons. And trust me it was really cold in 2006, but we had our long underwear with us(we are skiiers) along with our mid season polartec jackets and hats/gloves.

 

[mdhiggin]

Yep. Don't pack until the day before you leave, and check the weather forecast then. It's not as reliable the further you are away from the time.

 

[DebbieB]

Yep. Don't pack until the day before you leave, and check the weather forecast then. It's not as reliable the further you are away from the time.

I agree. I would have both ready but make the final decision right before you leave. This time of year can really vary. We got caught one time in mid-November, brought mostly shorts and a cold wave hit and we needed sweatshirts & jeans especially for night.

 

[Starr W.]

Yep. Don't pack until the day before you leave, and check the weather forecast then. It's not as reliable the further you are away from the time.

But it starts you on the right path to making your packing list and then I adjust accordingly as the days go by. I start with a basic list, then add or subtract long/short as the week goes on and the weather forecast gets more reliable.

I also compare Accuweather/Weather.com and the local Orlando TV stations forecasts before I actually start packing. It's worked well for us, we also go MLK weekend and have had the appropriate clothes, so I don't need to buy the Mickey blanket and wear that at the park(I've seen that more times than I can count on our Nov/Jan trips).

I'll probably tweak the suitcases Friday afternoon before we leave.

Long underwear and convertable pants are my secret weapons.

 

[Jason@dvcstore]

The weather in Orlando has been changing daily.

Overnight was chilly for Orlando last night. Today's high is 75 and the low is 54.

Hopefully, when you are here it is 77 and sunny everyday.

Jason

 

[dopeygirl76]

This will be our third time traveling to WDW at this time of year - late nov - early Dec and for our first trip I really overpacked. Now that we have washer and dryer, I do take less. I am a warmer person so capris are good for me - I will have one pair of jeans on our travel day and will use them if necessary. DH does not like to be cold so I will take him at least two pairs of jeans plus the ones for travel day. I take short sleeve shirts and a couple of zip ups hoodies each. For our girls I do the same zip up hoodies and capris - they mostly live in their costumes anyway!!!

 

[thesupersmartguy]

Always pack for cold and warm weather during this time of year.

 

[KYCruiseCrazy]

All of you people that live in the frozen tundra during the fall/winter will think Orlando is summer to you. We went for Christmas in 08' and it was awesome weather, except for 1 day. While it was sleeting at home in Kentucky we were running around WDW in shorts and t-shirts. You always have to consider what you are coming from. The locals will always tell you that 54 degrees is cold because they are acclimated to warmer weather. If you live in GreenBay, WI then 54 degrees in January is like the tropics.

 

[penguins1]

We are leaving 11/28 and I have been keeping my eye on the Accuweather forecast. It looks like they are predicting a cool down starting 11/27 and continuing the next few days that the forecast stretches to.

I am not worried yet but the closer we get to leaving, more and more cool days are being added to the forecast.

We are from Texas so 60 is chilly!

 

[andijean]

Alright, maybe I shouldn't have used the suggestion above about accuweather. I just looked and it isn't looking good for our time there. We are there Nov 24-Dec 2. BUMMER! I am hoping it is not accurate that far out b/c that is definitely not pool weather. This just gives me something else to fret and think about. Grrrr! Like I needed another thing.