No one thinks too much about the weather on their first visit to Disney World. You’re too caught up in the parks, the rides, the food. It’s easy to think that, based on all the smooth, polished content from Disney Vloggers on YouTube that everything is always sunny in the House of Mouse. When you board the plane on a cold wet miserable Thursday, at the height of a traditional British Summer, all thoughts are on glorious tans, T-shirts and Flip Flops (not recommended for long park days 😊)
The first hint you get of the Florida climate is the minute you step foot from the plane and take the long walk down the tunnel, towards Orlando Airport security. The air is hot, humid and certainly not fresh. It’s got a lot better over the last few years and the actual hall where you wait is now filled with great big fans to keep the air moving. It was not like that on our first visit. We waited for an hour, but the kids were younger then and we were not at all prepared for it. Then there was the wait for the magical express and that first hit of the freezing cold Disney Aircon was like a kiss from the Gods.
I’ve found each year; it gets hotter and hotter. Last years highs were around 35 degrees. Admittedly being tied to the school holiday meant we went at the hottest time of the year, but I recall sitting under a tree, in Adventure Land and doing nothing but sweat. It was 9.30 am!
Hydrate people, hydrate!
It’s not always like that. In 2020 we visited in February, and the weather then was all over the place. One day it was T-shirts, the next we were wrapped in multiple layers, Ugg boots and gloves! Nighttime temperatures in Orlando can hit 10 degrees Centigrade but it was this temperature during the day. 10 degrees in Disney World is very different to 10 degrees in the UK. I can’t explain it, but it felt like we were almost halfway up Everest it was so cold. We went to watch Rivers of Light one night and had to buy blankets from the cast members outside to stay warm!
And the rain! The average rainfall in Disney World during the wettest months of June, July and August is 180mm per month. Compare that to deepest darkest January in the UK where the average rainfall is only 100mm per month. You can prepare for it though. It’s almost like clockwork. Same time every day. Sometimes it can be torrential. Sometimes it can last for hours but most of the time it’s over in no time. It’s almost magical to see the steam rising from the pavements when the clouds clear and Mr Sun shows his face again. Before you know it, everything is dry! Quick note, wet people steam too 😀
If you want to see a couple of examples of the rain we have seen, check out our YouTube channel
In essence, when it comes to Disney weather. Always expect the unexpected. I guess in a way it’s much like the unpredictable UK weather only hotter. Or colder. Or wetter. Or dryer. Pack a hat and suncream but also ponchos, umbrellas and spare socks and shoes!
