How to “do Disney” on a COLD Day + a GIVEAWAY!
Google search “how to do Disney” and you’re gonna get a gazillion hits — 80% of which advise you on how to get through a Florida theme park experience whilst coping with —
unavoidable rain or
the merciless heat of our summers (i.e. March through November — especially in the month of June)
But is anyone talking about the less obvious (but no less potentially disaster-making) cold ?!?
Now, I know, Floridians have a very different definition of “cold”. When we first moved to Florida from just-slightly-north in 2017 we mocked the locals for donning their jackets in 70-degree weather. But within a year, after we’d acclimated to the unyielding heat and humidity, we were eating crow. To a Floridian, anything below 50° is cause for breaking out the woolens, but even down here we have our yearly bout of sub-freezing temperatures — and when you’ve booked a Disney vacation between December and February, you’re going to wish you’d prepared for it. So stay with me, ‘cause you ain’t never had a friend like me. I’m about to give you all of our tried and true methods for not having a winter-miserable time in the Most Magical Place on Earth.
Here are our our Top 10 Tips for Doing Walt Disney World in the Cold:
Tip #1: Before you ever leave your hotel room, make sure you’re wearing layers — you don’t have to put on your Sunday clothes: a tank or t-shirt plus something long-sleeved, in addition to a jacket or hoodie. If the weather is forecasting highs in the mid- to upper-70’s, chances are the day’s low could be anywhere between 40° and 60°. Even if you’re used to shoveling Northeast snow six months a year, you’re going to experience an hour (or more) of some fairly chilly conditions. Sure, it’ll be sunny a good portion of the day (they don’t call us The Sunshine State for no reason), but when (not if) you find yourself in the 10:00 AM or 3:30 PM shade (and especially after the sun sets), you’ll wish you had another layer or two (or three). Trust me.
Lauren, modeling the art of layers.
Tip #2: If you’ve forgotten to pack some warmer things, you’re in luck: Disney pulls out all the stops in their merchandising department; they’ve got anything and everything a chap can unload. This is your time to shine in that spirit jersey or Minnie Mouse themed denim jacket you’ve had your eye on. You can even find some cute leggings or (in a pinch) some fleecy pajama bottoms if all you packed were shorts. (Hey, legs get cold too.) Go ahead and splurge, you know you wanna. It’s the souvenir that keeps on giving, even after you’ve returned home.
Monorail Orange, Walt Disney World
Tip #3: If you’re staying off property and heading into the Magic Kingdom for that early morning rope drop, avoid the Ferryboat and make use of the Monorail’s deliciously warm interior. Air moving across the Seven Seas Lagoon is chillier than the winds of the Caspian Sea, especially once the ferry gets moving and you’ve got a 45-feels-like-20 breeze blowing across your skin. Granted, you’ll miss the magical view of steam rising off the water, Cinderella Castle gleaming in the distance, but it may be worth it to you to keep warm for just a few minutes longer because it won’t start to heat up in the park until the sun dispels all those shadows.
Seven Seas Lagoon on an early January morning
Tip #4: Speaking of shadows, avoid them. Everything the light touches will be so much warmer! On hot days you look for shade, but on cold days, when at last you see the light, embrace it. It’s your BFF.
delicious hot tea service at Be Our Guest restaurant, Magic Kingdom
Tip #5: You can finally justify trying Disney’s warm food and drink offerings! Soup du jour, hot hors devours, here are a few of my personal favorites:
Hot coffees can be found at any Joffrey’s and Main Street Bakery in Magic Kingdom.
The best grilled cheese and comforting, creamy tomato soup is at Woody’s Lunchbox, Toy Story Land in Hollywood Studios.
If you’re able to indulge in a table service meal, go ahead and splurge (calories-wise) on the Canadian Cheddar Cheese Soup at Le Cellier Steakhouse in Epcot, or the rich, velvety French Onion Soup at Be Our Guest in Magic Kingdom.
Order a nice hot cuppa Twinings at almost any table service meal. Many dining spots will bring your favorite flavor (Early Grey anyone?) and a fresh pot of hot water, along with lemon, honey, and/or milk.
Canadian Cheddar Cheese Soup (top) and French Onion Soup (bottom)
Tip #6: Dealing with cold is a lot like like dealing with the heat, and my biggest tip on hot days is the same as on cold days: take shortcuts through the shops! Strolling down Main Street can be magical, but you’ll avoid the chill (and the morning crowds) if you opt for a stroll through the Emporium instead. Towards the end of the day, the Emporium crowd picks up, so less crowded (yet still toasty warm) routes include The Vault on MainStreet or deeper into Magic Kingdom at Sir Mickey’s and Momento Mori.
Tip #7: Stay off of wet rides. This may seem like a no-brainer, and you may be the girl who loves the sea, but the last thing you want is to slosh around in damp clothes on a chilly day. Stay dry folks. That’s the gospel truth.
Splash Mountain at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom has had its last day of service before refurb and re-theming with a forecasted re-open date some time in 2024
Tip #8: Alternate indoor rides and outdoor rides. Biting wind bites even harder when you’re going faster, so if you’re gonna zoom at 60mph on TestTrack, or go whipping through the cold air on the “wildest ride in the wild-er-nessss”, at lest take a break afterward and enjoy an indoor journey with Figment or the singing dolls of It’s a Small World (respectively).
Big Thunder Mountain at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom
Tip #9: Pack your park bag with care. Here are some items I’ve found invaluable on a chilly day in the parks:
lip balm to avoid chapped lips when the wind is lashing lusterly
tissues for the inevitable runny nose
a scarf and/or lightweight gloves when blue skies and sunshine aren’t guaranteed
campfire materials — kidding …. this was Chris’s suggestion; please don’t bring flammable materials into a Disney park. I do recommend those nifty Hot Hands warmers for use in pockets especially after dark and you’re just standing round waiting for fireworks to begin
Yeti (or other insulated mug) with warm drink of choice (hot tea, coffee, etc.)
Tip #10: Don’t let it slow you down! If you’re not local, the cold never bothered you anyway, right? You can likely enjoy (at least somewhat) lower crowd volume ‘cause those of us acclimated to Florida heat will opt stay home. You can reap the benefits from our thin blood.
Expedition Everest at Walt Disney World’s Hollywood Studios
Now that you’ve read thus far — and if you’re a true and faithful Disnerd — you no doubt found yourself humming or singing a song or two. That means it’s time to announce our inaugural blogpost GIVEAWAY. Here’s how to WIN:
Find all the Disney movie song references within this blog post, and send your list of answers to Lauren [at] MagicalWishesTravel [dot] com.* Hint: there are 14 references (1 entry into our drawing per correct answer)
Share the link to this blog post via social media (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, etc.) and include in your e-mail a link to or screen-capture of your share(s) (1 entry per social media share)
Leave a comment below telling us what you think of our website, what your favorite tip was, or just let us know what you had for breakfast this morning. We’d love to hear from you! (1 entry per comment)
The Prize: Magic Kingdom original park map jigsaw puzzle from the Walt Disney World Vault Collection! One lucky winner will have this super fun, nostalgic collectable, shipped straight to their front door, all the way from Mickey’s back yard. **
Winner will be chosen, at random, via drawing one week from today, at 12:00 Noon EST, on Monday, January 30, 2023. Winner will be notified via e-mail and announced on our social media platforms. If winner does not claim their prize within 48 hours, an alternate winner will be drawn.
* Partaking in this giveaway, by sending your answers via e-mail, you are agreeing to enroll in receiving out Newsletter — no worries, we’re not out to spam you, nor give your e-mail to anyone else (per our Privacy Policy). We promise to send only the best travel tips and adventure-filled content (with a travel promo or two) about once a week, and you can opt out at any time.
** Winner agrees to provide their shipping address or valid P.O. Box upon being selected.
