You May Get Wet!

Edit by Andy, July 20: I went back and added the Fahrenheit temperatures for our American readers!

When traveling for any sort of holiday, the one thing that takes priority in the trip planning features is: planning for the weather. Yes yes, I can hear the obvious alarm sounding in saying that if you plan a trip to Disneyland and (especially) Disney World, you need to make sure you research the temperatures so you pack appropriately and make sure you follow the forecast leading up to the trip. It’s common sense, after all: why would you pack a bikini if you were going to Antarctica?

Despite taking a plan, flexibility is key when matching wits with Mother Nature in the weather department.

Andy and Cee hiding under a poncho to keep dry.

Most people assume when they plan trips to Sunny California or Tropical Florida that the weather will be sunny and warm for the duration of they holiday. Espescially if you’re like me, who grew up on the prairies in -40 degree Celsius winters – the sunshine is an additional thing to look forward to on a Disney vacation.

Perhaps in a perfect world, we could get the weather we wanted on all of our holidays. Unfortunately, Mother Nature doesn’t always like to work that way so the main thing to do is plan ahead! I’ve done the legwork for you, so here is what the weather specialists say one “should” expect when visiting your favourite Disney Park:

CALIFORNIA
Ah, beautiful California, the Golden State. The assumption here is that the Govenator’s domain would be goregous everyday, just like in the commercials. And while on three of the four trips the temperatures were just like that. Unfortunately there was one trip to Disneyland that Mother Nature hated me.

Winter: December, January, & February
Average High: 21*C / 70*F
Average Low: 8*C / 46*F
Precipitation: 53 mm

Spring: March, April, & May
Average High: 22*C / 72*F
Average Low: 10*C / 50*F
Precipitation: 64 mm

Summer: June, July, & August
Average High: 29*C / 82*F
Average Low: 17*C / 63*F
Precipitation: 1 mm

Fall: September, October, & November
Average High: 26*C / 79*F
Average Low: 13*C / 55*F
Precipitation: 10 mm

FLORIDA
Ahhh Florida, my home away from home. The temperature in the Sunshine State can often be unpredictable (at least that’s what I found when I lived there).

Winter: December, January, & February
Average High: 23*C / 73*F
Average Low: 11*C / 52*F
Precipitation: 59 mm

Spring: March, April, & May
Average High: 28*C / 82*F
Average Low: 16*C / 61*F
Precipitation: 81 mm

Summer: June, July, & August
Average High: 33*C / 91*F
Average Low: 23*C / 73*F
Precipitation: 178 mm

Fall: September, October, & November
Average High: 29*C / 84*F
Average Low: 18*C / 64*F
Precipitation: 94 mm

The Summary
Obviously if you want better odds at having a warmer holiday, Orlando would be your best bet. But if you want better chances at having a dry holiday with no rain, then Anaheim would be safe.

Expect the Unexpected
Now just because these are the average, does not mean this is what you should expect to get. Weather can be a tricky thing, and unless you’ve lived there and experienced a full year of the local weather, it’s hard to find any of the nuances in the weather.

Soaked from a Florida downpour.

For example, my above summary easily tells you that Florida gets a crazy amount of rain in the summertime. This is largely true. However, the rain that Orlando gets isn’t an all day long dreary rain (like I get back home). Instead, you will have a nice, hot, sunshiney day – and then all of a sudden about three in the afternoon, a torrential down pour will occur. And when I say torrential, I mean it. Unless you’re covered by something you will get soaked. Then after about 15 minutes, things go back to normal, and the sunshiney day resumes.

The same can be said of Anaheim. On one of my trips during February, my parents had assumed the weather was going to be miserable (due to being winter). My family had all packed pants and sweaters, expected it to be more than a little chilly. Being the optimistic person I am, I packed one pair of shorts. Of course, the weather was definitely hot most of the time, and I was grateful for my optimism.

Another time however, KP and I went to Anaheim in April. Expecting it to be warm and sunny, we both packed shorts and summer weather. Mother Nature was mean, and the entire time we were there we shivered away until we turned blue.

So when you’re packing your suitcase, make sure you’re prepared enough for the right kind of temperature – but flexible enough that if the weather does change unexpectedly on you, you’re going to be prepared! Learn from my mistakes and experience: Pack an umbrella in your day bag when hitting up the parks in Orlando, and make sure you bring a sweater in your suitcase for Anaheim!

Happy travels!

Sources:
Anaheim Weather: Weather.com – Average Weather for Anaheim California
Orlando Weather: Weather.com – Monthly Weather Averages and Records for Orlando, FL