What to Pack/Carry to Parks in Mid January

LeeAnn

DIS Veteran
Joined
Jun 7, 2000
Going to WDW in Mid January for 4D/3N. We are only taking carry on bags so we are very limited with space.

What do we pack?
How to dress? shorts/ pants?
Do we need jackets in the park? Don't want to carry too much in the parks.
 
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As of right now, you need to be prepared for everything. Shorts to winter coats. Temps with lows of 30 to highs in the 80’s are allpossible in WDW all winter (from Nov-March)

You’ll have to watch the forecast and adjust as the trip approaches.(making final adjustments on the day of travel)

On average, typical is probably pants with a lighter shirt for days in the 70’s with a sweatshirt/jacket for early day/late day lows in the 50’
 
we go in Jan every year. I always take thick leggings, t shirts, a long sleeve shirt to wear under shirts and a sweater. one year it was 28 during the day, the next year it was 85 degrees. you never know.
 
We brought a fleece throw on our December and November trips and it was really nice to have. We'll be doing that again next month.
 


I think layers are the key. What I found that worked last time was having a jacket that could work as a windbreaker/rain jacket. In early mornings or evenings I would wear the wind breaker over a light zip up hoodie and a long sleeve shirt. We have gone in January for the last 12 years and have never needed a winter coat. That's not to say that type of weather is not possible, its just never been necessary for us. I've always been able to make do with light layers.
 
Weather in the winter months in FL can be very unpredictable.

It can be 80 or it can be 50. A light jacket is a must have especially in the early morning/evening hours when the sun goes down.

Days before you got check the forecast so you get a better idea of what the weather will be like when you go.
 
Going to WDW in Mid January for 4D/3N. We are only taking carry on bags so we are very limited with space.

What do we pack?
How to dress? shorts/ pants?
Do we need jackets in the park? Don't want to carry to much in the parks.

I have been to WDW, and Florida in general, quite a few times between December and February. I have found that the majority of the time the weather is anywhere with highs in the 50s-70s, although I have seen higher and lower on occasion. I wait until about 1 week before when I can start seeing more accurate temperatures to decide what to pack.

As the others said, layers can be key. If the temps for my January 2018 are similar to what I saw when I was there in January 2017, I will basically pack mostly long pants/leggings with short sleeve tops. I will take a jacket and sweaters to layer as needed.
 


Going to WDW in Mid January for 4D/3N. We are only taking carry on bags so we are very limited with space.

....Don't want to carry to much in the parks.

You’re going in full-on wintertime to a place that can be between 28 and 85. (I’ve experienced both, and they are sometimes one day after the other. It can easily go from 50 to 80 between 8am to 1pm)

Best of luck with carryon and not wanting to take much to the parks.

Me? Having experienced a few wintertime trips where we froze, I’d pay the $30 to check a bag and I’d bring a backpack or two into the parks.
 
You’re going in full-on wintertime to a place that can be between 28 and 85. (I’ve experienced both, and they are sometimes one day after the other. It can easily go from 50 to 80 between 8am to 1pm)

Best of luck with carryon and not wanting to take much to the parks.

Me? Having experienced a few wintertime trips where we froze, I’d pay the $30 to check a bag and I’d bring a backpack or two into the parks.

It's more expensive to buy warm clothes at WDW than to pack them and pay for checking a bag.
 
It's more expensive to buy warm clothes at WDW than to pack them and pay for checking a bag.
Exactly. I ended up paying $12 for a single pair of warm socks one year, and wished I'd packed more warm clothes. Super expensive at WDW; $60+ for a single sweatshirt. I'd pony up the checked bag fee and bring one extra bag with gloves, hat/earmuffs, knee socks, warm jacket, windbreaker, etc. Better to pay $30 up front than be faced with possibly paying hundreds of dollars later.
 
I see no reason to check a bag.

Heavy coats and hoodies as well as boots, gloves, hats, and such I just wear onto the plane, then undress! My down filled jacket can compress into almost nothing as well. We go every January but our flight is direct and under 3 hours. We carry little to the parks as well but check the forecast, stay on site and park hop a lot, meaning if the weather calls for cold temps at night we head back to the resort first. We go often enough though that we aren't concerned about "losing park time" returning to the hotel.
 
You’re going in full-on wintertime to a place that can be between 28 and 85. (I’ve experienced both, and they are sometimes one day after the other. It can easily go from 50 to 80 between 8am to 1pm)

Best of luck with carryon and not wanting to take much to the parks.

Me? Having experienced a few wintertime trips where we froze, I’d pay the $30 to check a bag and I’d bring a backpack or two into the parks.

This exactly, having gone for a week surrounding the marathon every year for the past 10 years, we have learned to be prepared for every possible weather condition in January. I myself have had to purchase those expensive Disney gloves and hats (which they actually ran out of at MK one night) due to forecasts drastically changing from when we left home. There is also a huge difference in temps once the sun comes up, now I pack for 30s-80s for that week, and rent lockers when necessary, although we have done backpacks as well depending on our plans.
 
Thanks your input. I didn't think I needed shorts and tees but I will bring couple in case. I had planned on warmer clothes. I wondered what to with with extra clothes if I layered. I didn't think it would all fit in a back pack.

For a short trip, I figured it would be easier not have wait for a checked bag. I could get to WDW faster. Still haven't booked flight (last min trip) and some airlines charge for carry on so it wasn't save money. It's for convenience.

Last time I went in Jan was 30 years ago. We were in jeans and jackets. I was think along the same but wasn't sure.

I will bring a little a bit of everything but mostly warmer items. Does that sound correct?
 
Best thing is to check the weather right before your trip. The sun is stronger in Florida so 71 will feel like 80. But when the sun goes down 56 will feel like 50 so you will need to dress warmer at night. And dress in layers since you will be in and out of rides... especially at Epcot since you in the rides longer then the MK ones.

If the forescast is for 55-70 long pants to capris During day, higher then 70 shorts or capris with a zip up sweatshirt over a short sleeve shirt. If it will be windy then that will feel colder.
 
It’s totally possible to pack for winter in a carryon. We’ve done it for other trips (including three weeks in Europe, although we did do laundry). Lose your bag once on your way to a remote lodge in Belize, and that’s enough to never let your bag out of sight again.

We’re going for 8 days in January, carry on, no laundry. Our plan:

Wear on plane: jeans, t shirt, warm sweatshirt, sneakers

Pack: flip flops, 1 extra pair sneakers, 1 more jeans, 1 shorts, 7 shirts (depending on weather that week, they will be a mix of short/long sleeve), light pullover/sweater, warm jacket, baseball hat/beanie/gloves (I get cold!). Makeup

Things we skip-
- toiletries: I use what the hotel provides, bringing only those things they don’t provide. I am also choosy about what to bring- 1 lip color, 1 eye shadow palette, etc.
- options/variety- I don’t need 12 outfits for an 8 night stay. I pack enough for 8 days, and be sure to bring items that I love and will want to wear
- snacks- we’ll do grocery delivery there
- dressy clothes- were at Disney. No need to change for dinner.
- accessories- no need to accessorize each day. 1 purse, 1 set of jewelry. Pick items that all work together.
 
This has all been very helpful as I'm going at the same time and was trying to decide what to pack. We were there in early February last year and wore jackets or fleece in the morning then swam very comfortably in mid-70s weather in the afternoons. You never know what you're going to get!
 
Florida in the winter CAN be anything from truly cold to truly hot. Pack for every weather you can think of.
As far as carrying into the park, I find that my magic band, my wallet, my phone, my car keys, maybe a portable phone charger, and I am set at ANY time of the year. I'm at Disney World. I'm ready to have fun. I don't want to lug a lot of stuff around.
 

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