January weather?

[heidiboo]

Right now we have a trip planned for Jan 5 thru 11. I'm concerned about the weather being too cool. Has anyone been in January before and can tell me about the temperature?!

Thanks.

 

[Robo]

Right now we have a trip planned for Jan 5 thru 11. I'm concerned about the weather being too cool. Has anyone been in January before and can tell me about the temperature?!

Thanks.

Clothing in Nov.-Feb.

There is no simple answer that takes all situations into account.

"Layers" will be the most versatile clothing to bring.

Consider the difference in what you will be doing at
WDW compared to the way you spend your time outside
while at home.

At home, you might be used to walking from a car, up a
sidewalk a certain distance, and then, walking inside a heated building.

So, you don't usually simply stand still outside,
waiting in the same spot for 45-60 minutes at a time.

You will be doing that kind of thing at WDW, if you
want to hold a spot a bit early and then watch
IllumiNations or MSEP and/or Wishes.

My wife and I are naturally "warm-blooded" and hardly
ever wear a coat at home in the winter until the
temperature gets to be constantly below 30 degress...
but STANDING outside at night at WDW for the evening
events, if the temp is in the 40's or lower (plus it
can be damp and windy,) can chill you to the bone
after about 15 minutes.

We're from the midwest and have learned to EXPECT ANYTHING as the weather goes in off-season Orlando.
We always pack winter and summer-wear.
In Dec/Jan/Feb we have even worn LONG THERMAL UNDERWEAR (after sundown)... we now pack it for any off-season trip.

Typical day:

Cool outside at 7am.
Wear shorts and Tee's.
Over that add a thin nylon wind-breaker
We put our "chilly-wear" and RAIN ponchos in a back-pack.
(Rain ponchos are REALLY cheap in hunting section of discount retailers.
You can buy BIG THICK ones to allow covering large jackets... more later.)

"Chilly-wear" is a nylon cotton-lined warm-up suit with zipper legs and a cotton-lined windbreaker.
We buy OVER-sized in these so they can easily be put on OVER other clothing.
After standing in the sometimes chilly "early-entry" lines we can usually take off the wind-breakers.
We always rent a locker at the park(s) and leave our "chilly-wear" in the locker 'til sun-down.
If it looks like rain (in Florida? Who'da thunk?) we take the Ponchos.

Much later, if its a warm night, we're just fine in the shorts.
If it turns windy/cool... we can visit the locker and choose which level of "chilly" OVER-WEAR to add to our clothing.

If it turns really COLD (windy 30's-40's not unheard-of at certain times of the year) we can make a restroom trip and slide-on the long underwear... OR... we can even add the final outer-layer of the RAIN ponchos (with their HOODS)... OVER everything else.
That trick (along with ear-muffs and gloves) has allowed us to "comfortably" stay and enjoy Fantasmic! or IllumiNations when others (less-prepared) have been "frozen-out."

 

[DisneyDeb83]

We have been in January on three separate occasions. There have been trips where it was in the seventies during the days and it was very comfortable to even go swimming. Then we had other trips with days that started out near freezing and only got into the 40s. You really never can tell, so I suppose you have to be prepared for anything. I always bring my winter coat and usually end up using it at least one day, while my DH and DD rarely even wear a sweatshirt and think I am ridiculous for wearing it!

 

[spacemountainmom]

Layers are key in January. I'm from MN and usually travel in January so you have to understand that I'm generally leaving below zero temps so FL feels pretty darn good. I've seen people walking around in parkas, hats and gloves while I was wearing a sweatshirt. It's cool in the mornings and evenings in FL so I usually have a sweatshirt layered over a t-shirt. I generally wear capris so I stay pretty comfortable all day. I do have jeans and shorts with me in case the weather warrants.

My kids and husband tend to wear shorts during the day and will change in to pants for when we go out in the evening.

We generally have run into temps in the 70's-80's in Mid-January. However, one year there were temps in the 40's the week before and after we visited.

It sucks for packing, but my advice is that you need to be prepared for pretty much anything.

 

[AmyB2006]

LOL, see my post on the February weather question.

It's all the same, like pp said, Nov-Feb, even March, is a toss up.

It all depends on cold fronts. If a cold front has gone through, it CAN be cold. 50s to 60s during the day, and colder at night.

If it's been a while since a cold front has gone through, it could in the 80s during the day. It will get cooler at night though.

So like already said, you're better of layering. Watch the weather forecasts so you know whether you'll need actual jackets or maybe just a sweatshirt/sweater.

Our weather down here is all based on cold fronts during the winter. If we don't have one, it's like 80 something during the day, and humid. Nicer and cooler at night.

The only time we have cold weather is when a cold front goes through, and then it's cold for the first day or so and gets progressively warmer until another cold front goes through.

 

[DOOM1001]

You might get a high temperature of 85 or a high temperature of 45 with lows in the 20's but more than likely it'll be somewhere in the middle,say a high of 72 with lows in the 50's which is near perfect.

 

[heidiboo]

Thanks everyone! Guess it's just a "toss-up"!

 

[mrsR123]

Having visited in that timeframe five of the last eight years for the marathon weekend, I can agree with the PP's. I've seen everything from mid 80's to sub-freezing where the flower beds had to be covered up for several nights of our stay.

Plan for layers and double check the weather about a week out. You're going at a great time; have fun.

 

[ibcrazie4dizney]

yes, jan- cool morns, sweat in afternoon, then shivering at night. a few years back, I remember a really long cold, I mean cold, spell. ended up having to pay a fortune for dgd's mittens in mk. actually saw people wearing socks on their hands!

 

[MiramarQE]

Welcome to Florida in the Winter!

Take a look at the Weather Channel 10 day forecast just before you leave.

Agree with all on the layering - and the variability - but the fronts coming through during the winter down here are predictable a couple of weeks in advance - you should know if it's going to be a little warmer/wetter or a little cooler/drier.

Of course, if a front comes through during your trip you get to have BOTH warmer/wetter and cooler drier!

 

[epcotty]

January can be cold, if the forecast is cold for part of the day bring some extra clothes and get a locker

 

[DisneyMom11121213]

We went last January during Marathon week. It was HOT. I packed jeans and sweaters. Kids were comfortable in jeans and a tshirt. We even went swimming at our resort. The next week my cousin went with her family and it was cold. Better to pack a variety of clothing than have to purchase jackets while down there!

 

[MinnieGirl33]

Here's a site where you can see historical weather patterns for specific sets of dates http://www.wunderground.com/tripplanner/index.asp

 

[LSUfan4444]

65 can be shorts and a t-shirt during the day in the sun with no wind, and can feel like 40 if it is humid, windy and in the shade, at night.

Anyone who lives in the south will tell you the same thing every winter and summer, it't not the temperature, it's the humidity.

It makes 90 feel like 110 and 65 feel like 50. Look at the humidity and wind chill (or "feels like") and that will be your best determining factor, but regardless of what the forecast says, pack to wear layers, expect to carry some if you get warm, never leave the bathing suit at home, nor the gloves and skull caps.

Pack in layers. Wake up and put on the weather, go outside, see how it feels, and dress accordingly for that day with the ability to add or remove layers 10-15 degrees either way.

If you pack for layers, you will not need a heavy coat and a few pairs of shorts won't make or break your packing strategy.

Personally, I always tend to bring more shorts than I do jeans / pants for a few reasons. If it is cold and I am wearing pants, I won't be sweating as much so they will not need to be washed daily. Two pairs of jeans and a pair of khakis could get me through an entire week probably with just one washing. That + 4-5 pairs of shorts and that is all I need. If I am wearing shorts, it is warmer so I am probably sweating more so I won't really be able to get the same use out of them.

Never leave anything at home if you are going anytime from October - April unless you don't mind buying something new at WDW.

 

[brndnhtchns]

Winter in Florida is hit or miss. Call me obssessive for wanting to go Disney but I used to check the weather there weekly. Sometimes they have frost (30deg F) and sometimes its warm (70-80deg F). I just reccomend pants and maybe a jacket or sweater. Overall just check the forecast the week prior. I hope its warm then as we are going 1/10/14-1/18/14. Less clothes for the plane and more weight room for Disney memorbilia!

 

[Radiorox]

Ah. Our Floridian weather... love it, hate it. Winter is weird, you can go from upper 70s/feels like 80s to 40s with one good rainstorm.

Pack for everything. Keep in mind that even if 50s and 60s doesn't sound cold, the humidity makes it feel less and you will feel it to the bone. At night, I do some sort of nylon material jacket.

I'm a RD person so I am up by 7-7:30 and on Disney transport by 8:30. During that time, it's chilly. For me, I do a sweat shirt and jeans. Under that a regular T-shirt.

I always head back to my resort for a late lunch/early dinner so I am able to check the weather and take the layers I need.

 

[BeerMe]

They don't have blizzards but just about anything else is possible

 

[middlesista]

I agree with what everyone says. Especially to check advance weather. We have gone in January past few times and truly only two days that were pool days last trip and we are from New England and use to cold. Getting away from the cold is one of the reasons we do go in the winter...just keep our fingers crossed that flights do not get delayed on the way down - not as worried about fights getting delayed on way back

 

[heidiboo]

Thanks everyone! I may be switching this trip to May!

 

[plumsiren]

Anyone who lives in the south will tell you the same thing every winter and summer, it't not the temperature, it's the humidity.

The South? Hah! It's exactly the same way in New Jersey!