{"id":4508,"date":"2024-07-30T18:04:32","date_gmt":"2024-07-30T18:04:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/secondstogo.net\/wordpress\/?p=4508"},"modified":"2025-01-11T20:31:15","modified_gmt":"2025-01-11T20:31:15","slug":"disney-world-in-winter-six-things-to-know-before-you-go","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/secondstogo.net\/wordpress\/disney-world-in-winter-six-things-to-know-before-you-go\/","title":{"rendered":"Should You Go to Disney World in Winter? 10 Things to Know Before You Go"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Lower temperatures and shorter lines, it sounds like the perfect Disney World vacation, but before you decide to do Disney World in the winter, there are six things you should consider first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Orlando Winter Weather<\/h2>\n\n\n\n


While average temperatures from November through February are in the seventies during the day, nighttime lows dip into the 50s, making any after dark events a little on the cool side. If you\u2019re thinking you won\u2019t be out at night, you might also be interested in knowing that it isn\u2019t uncommon to have days where the temperatures plunge, and highs reach only into the low 40s. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In December and January of 2010, for example, there were at least two days in each month when the temperatures struggled into the 40s. Daytime highs in the 50s have also been common over the past decade for these two months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re used to winter cold and snow, temperatures like these might seem like a welcome breath of fresh air, but it\u2019s important to keep expectations realistic. Understand that it is possible to have some cold days at Disney World in the winter and plan to pack for cooler temperatures during your Disney World vacation planning.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. The Pools Are Heated, but that Doesn\u2019t Necessarily Mean Warm<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Disney reservationists will tell you not to worry about cooler temperatures, because the pools are always heated. What they don\u2019t tell you is that the average temperature is lower than your body\u2019s own natural temp. That can make for a chilling dip if air conditions aren\u2019t right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even on beautiful sixty- or seventy-degree days, it\u2019s not uncommon to see the pools basking in blissful uninterrupted sunshine. After all, a dip in an eighty-degree pool will still lower your body temperature below that of the air, which isn\u2019t always welcome on a cool day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Expect Ride Closures When Visiting Disney World in Winter<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Unless you\u2019re traveling during a holiday period (Christmas, Thanksgiving or Presidents day week), expect ride closures during a trip to Disney World in the winter. With fewer people in the parks, it\u2019s the best time to take care of maintenance or overhauls. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is good news, however. Disney often rotates the closure of certain rides. For example, Splash Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain were never down for refurbishment at the same time as this would leave this area of the park without a headliner attraction. We expect the same rotation no that Tiana’s Bayou has replaced Splash Mountain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beyond refurbishments, cooler temperatures can also wreak havoc on ride systems, resulting in closures due to mechanical issues. After paying for an early morning ticketed event to enjoy the new Toy Story Land a few years ago, we woke to highs in the 40s on the morning we were scheduled to attend. When we arrived, we found Slinky Dog Dash, the headliner attraction of the event, closed due to ride system failures. We spent the morning watching an empty coaster run the track in testing, unable to ride. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Likewise, we arrived at Animal Kingdom in the afternoon to find that waits in the Lightning Lane line for Expedition Everest were 45 minutes long as that ride had been down most of the morning as well. We experienced similar closures during a separate trip when temperatures plunged. So, if your visit coincides with a cold snapl, don\u2019t be surprised to see several rides go offline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Are Disney World Crowds Lower During the Winter? Not Always<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Savvy vacationers have learned to travel to Disney World in the winter to avoid the larger crowds associated with summer visits. However, in recent years, Disney has worked hard to establish a schedule of weekend winter events to draw more people to stay at Disney World resorts. Cheer competitions, marathons, EPCOT festivals, and other activities attract large numbers of guests who hit the parks on Saturday and Sunday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, you can always schedule your trip Monday through Friday to avoid the higher weekend crowds, but this approach requires a little bit of Disney savvy as well. Keep in mind that many people use school holiday breaks to take a Disney trip, and it just so happens that winter months are chock full of them. Expect much higher crowds at Disney World during these winter holidays:<\/p>\n\n\n\n