Weather in January for people from cold areas

[Knriehl85]

We have went the past two years the end of January. We haven't wore anything heavier then a hoodies over a tshirt. I do take winter hats and gloves tho. But both years we did go swimming. We are from Michigan the first year we went to Disney was two years ago. School was cancelled most of the week we were gone because it was like -20. So 50 felt like a heat wave!

 

[unrequited23]

The last time we were at Disney our schools were closed due to negative temperatures. The mid 60's to low 70's did not feel as warm to me as I thought it would. We only had two days that we wore shorts/capris. Some days we had long pants, long sleeve shirts, hoodies and gloves.

 

[nene0182]

I’m from ND and while I’ve never been in January, I froze when we went in Feb and March. Really though I think it depends on how you tolerate temperatures in general. Even living in a colder climate, I seem to get colder faster than the rest of my family. So it make sense that I was freezing in 50/60 degree temps in Florida when I’d be freezing in 50/60 degree temps back home.

 

[cjlong88]

I love it when it's cooler and you get to roam WDW in a sweatshirt! When I visited last January the weather was crisp, not a cloud in the sky, low 60s. But I will say it felt much cooler than that, especially in the shade. I'm from MN and I run outside all year, even in December and January when the temperature is often in the teens (and sometimes a harsh wind chill) and even with that kind of tolerance, I still feel more comfortable in layers when visiting WDW in the winter months.

 

[MickeyMouse3!]

From the mitten state....we've been to FL a few times in January. I would suggest watching the Florida weather just before leaving, and pack accordingly. Altho 50 degrees may seem warm coming from 10 degree weather, it can still feel chilly at night. I would be in shorts and a sweatshirt, while my wife would probably be in jeans and a winter coat.

 

[Disnsyncey]

For those of you who live in a colder place (like Utah, where I’m from, or Idaho or some other relatively cold place), how is Florida weather in January? When we went in January this year to Disneyland, we weren’t as warm as we thought we’d be. But is Florida warmer? We’ll definitely be doing Splash at night (and Jurassic Park, Bilge Rat Barges, and Ripsaw Falls at Universal at night) when the lines are shorter but I don’t know what exactly to wear.

Heck, I went to Disneyland in June one time and I was FREEZING

But yes, layers! Imagine standing outside in a particular temperature for a parade.....and then doing it for a few hours....and if the layers are too much, lockers!

 

[CheshKAT]

We are from Southern Ontario, Canada. Our last trip was Jan 1-11, 2018. The weather was quite cool. There was even one night of frost. We saw evidence of the damage to many plants the next day. Fortunately we came prepared. Key words here are "layers and hot beverages. and a nice Mickey throw." That definitely helped us stay in the parks later into the evening. We would have loved a nice 60-80 degree vacation but that didn't work out. We still had a wonderful time. We'd pick a chilly Disney over a stay at home any day.

 

[Heather07438]

We come from cold temp area too and often don't bother with coats until the weather hits below freeze. But at WDW we get cold in the mornings and evenings. Probably due to length of exposure and because we're tired.

Layering works very well. We try to pick stuff that gives alot of warmth without alot of weight/bulk so we can put it all in 1 backpack during those 75f afternoons. Light jackets and scarves usually do the trick.

 

[disneygirlsng]

We are from Southern Ontario, Canada. Our last trip was Jan 1-11, 2018. The weather was quite cool. There was even one night of frost. We saw evidence of the damage to many plants the next day. Fortunately we came prepared. Key words here are "layers and hot beverages. and a nice Mickey throw." That definitely helped us stay in the parks later into the evening. We would have loved a nice 60-80 degree vacation but that didn't work out. We still had a wonderful time. We'd pick a chilly Disney over a stay at home any day.

That overlapped some with Marathon Weekend 2018, that was definitely a cold one!! The amount of clothes I had on for the 5K and 10K was crazy. Though my profile pic is from a couple days after you left (the 13th I believe), I had a tank top on at the end of the full haha

 

[nkereina]

We are from Buffalo, which is notoriously cold and snowy, and have been frozen even in mid-November in Florida before. I agree with PPs that Florida cold is different, likely attributed to the humidity. Layers are best, but don't shy away from bringing things like hats, gloves, etc. Even if the forecast doesn't seem too bad, it can change so its best to come prepared. Its also worth noting that even if its due to get up to 70 as a high, that won't happen until 3-4pm. In the morning and the evening, it can be much cooler than that as the day works its way up to the high temp. Sun also helps warmth, but daylight hours are shortest in January.

 

[CheshKAT]

That overlapped some with Marathon Weekend 2018, that was definitely a cold one!! The amount of clothes I had on for the 5K and 10K was crazy. Though my profile pic is from a couple days after you left (the 13th I believe), I had a tank top on at the end of the full haha



Yes, it did get nicer as the week went on. It didn't help that it poured rain most of the day on our first couple of days there. Some of the family got sick but we still had fun.

 

[North of Mouse]

The only thing you can be about 99.9% sure of in January weather at Disney is no snow - anything else has and can happen. We were there (actually Dec.) in 2010 and it was cold 28*, icy and windy. Disney lost lots of plants - the last year I knew of them having so many beautiful poinsettia 'trees' and plants out everywhere. I slipped and nearly fell hard on the Fort dock at MK it was so icy.
Anyhoo, my point is be prepared for anything no matter what anyone has experienced in the past (we were bundled in layers, hats, gloves and still were cold). Maybe you'll experience one of the balmy Januarys.

 

[revdon64]

I've been in January where it's in the low 30s in the mornings/evenings. But it's also been in the 70s/80s in the afternoon (sometimes in the same day lol). The temperatures can vary quite a bit. One thing I mention a lot is that even if you are from a colder area, many people don't spend a whole lot of time outside at once like they do in the parks. So even if say 50 degrees doesn't sound cold, it can feel a good bit colder when you are outside in it for hours.

This. All of this.

We're from New Jersey and we were there in mid-January of 2006 and it was warm and sunny in the 70's every day.

And then we were there in mid-January of 2018 when it never hit 70 and we regretted not having warmer jackets in the evening.

Took a Disney Bahamas/Cozumel cruise in late January 2020 and we could barely swim in the Caribbean or sit on the deck of the ship because of the cold.

In short your guess is as good as most weather forecasters. The Nor'Easter hitting my state today will bring either 16" of snow or 2' of rain depending on where you live.

 

[hp_lovecraft]

We are from Maine, and go every Dec or Jan.
In short, pack a sweatshirt, and even a small blanket, and keep an eye on the forecast.

Most days are warm, and most evenings are mild. But there is usually at least 1 night when the temps drop down to the 40s, and people panic because they arrived with just a tshirt, shorts, and sandals. If unprepared, it can really turn your day into a miserable experience, especially if you end up having to buy $60 sweatshirts for everyone in the group!

Just watch the forcast, and pack as needed. If you don't want to go through bag check, wear the extra clothes through security, then put in a locker, or rent a stroller just to hold stuff (we do this all the time).

Personally, we look forward to the cold nights. The cold doesnt bother us, and those are the nights when they let you ride Splash Mtn, or Kali over and over and never have to get off. And you get special attention at the pools since.... only your kids will be there. Water is heated

 

[gharter]

We've been there in January and February with it in the 30s and 70s. In Iowa our winters frequently hit 10-20 below.
I still find it funny to walk around when its in the 50s and we have a light to medium coat on. You see many of the locals with the full winter coat.

 

[gharter]

The only thing you can be about 99.9% sure of in January weather at Disney is no snow

True, but we have been there when it was real snow. That's not fair as we headed to Florida to get away from our snow.

 

[avassar]

We're from Idaho. On our last trip, Dec/Jan 2017-2018, my kids swam during the first week and then we all wore stocking caps, gloves, coats, and scarves during the second week. We're going back in 10 days and expecting the same. The humid, damp cold is different from what we're used to. Gloves, hats, and scarves help make the cold more bearable!

 

[DisneyOma]

We've been in March and froze our butts off, sadly. Was expecting better, warmer weather (we are from MA) and we didn't pack enough cold weather clothing. Of course I found a nice fleece sweatshirt in the car after the trip that I didn't know was in there during the trip! And of course I bought a pricey sweatshirt at WDW to keep warm. Oh well, live and learn!

Have also been between Xmas and NYE, and it was colder than average then too! Maybe it's just my bad luck

 

[MickeyWaffles]

Upper Midwest here.

Been in January many times. Sometimes it’s 80. Sometimes it’s 45. Sometimes it’s hotter than 80 and colder than 45. Weather can be all over the place.

We had a trip where one day the high was 81 and another day the high was 49! At night it was in the 30s.

It is not reliably warm. Sometimes it’s warm. Sometimes it’s cold. We usually pack layers for all scenarios.

 

[Dug720]

As others are saying, January can be all over the map. Marathon Weekend is (usually - not this year, thanks COVID) in January and it's been anywhere from literal snow to being hot enough they shortened and closed the marathon course. A weather app is going to be your best friend - and even then, plan for potential temperature swings.