IT WAS IN THE POOL!Florida right now.
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News Disney World Faces Rare Hard Freeze - January 31 2026
- Thread starter wdwmagic
- Start date
StaceyDoss
New Member
Don't say that!!!
We're Wisconsinites that hate the heat but we don't want to freeze!!! We have park tickets that we need to use - is it really going to be miserable?!?!!
StarWarsGirl
Well-Known Member
- In the Parks
- Yes
Looks like a frightened turtle...Florida right now.
StarWarsGirl
Well-Known Member
- In the Parks
- Yes
I am going on Sunday to DHS, and I approve.
Though, honestly, my plan is to spend most of the day just looping Star Tours.
Minnesota disney fan
Well-Known Member
Is there someone you trust to check on your house? or can you get a house sitter to take care of things? I know what you mean about worrying about pipes and things freezing if you leave. We live in N.Mn. and usually go to Florida in March, which can still be way below zero up here. We do the best we can to keep things from freezing and ask our family to check on the house for us.
I have never been to Florida when It's that cold, but I have been when I was miserable with a sudden burst of colder weather. I only brought shorts and no jacket one time when it was supposed to be over 70 degrees. The temp ended up dipping and staying there. My husband brought one sweater and he let me wear it and I still froze. There is something about the humidity in Florida that makes the cold seem colder, if that makes sense. Have a great time if you decide not to change the dates.
Alice a
Well-Known Member
My dad is theoretically coming to stay at the house to petsit. I feel bad asking an almost 80-year old man to do all the freeze stuff, though.
When it’s really cold, the pipes have to be run full blast every hour, hot and cold, in multiple rooms, especially overnight, in addition to dripping, and space heaters have to be turned off/on etc.
Most of our pipes are outside of the house. Pipe insulation only goes so far.
Historic homes are lovely, but houses built 200+ years ago in a sub-tropical climate were built to stay as cold as possible.
Fun note, our house is so old, it’s built with tall ship timbers. You can see them in the attic.
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Figments Friend
Well-Known Member
MickeyLuv'r
Well-Known Member
I've been there when it was this cold. One of the unexpected things I recall was scraping the car windshield with a leftover plastic credit-card style (expired) hotel room key.
When I have reported this type of cold on the forums, some folks tried to tell me WDW doesn't get frost. It does.
The pools are often open but limited to hours. In the morning, plumes of steam came off the pool.
Layers are good. It is also helpful to pack/wear double socks, double gloves (knit kind), and hats. One trip, we made good use of windbreaker jackets paired w layers. Though thin, when paired w layers, they help quite a bit.
Btw, the Figment spirit jerseys for the festival are great this year. The China pavilion also tends to have fun spirit jerseys this time of year for the new year. A third option is the Norway pavilion's collection of Helly Hansen, which qualifies for the AP merch discount.
When I have reported this type of cold on the forums, some folks tried to tell me WDW doesn't get frost. It does.
The pools are often open but limited to hours. In the morning, plumes of steam came off the pool.
Layers are good. It is also helpful to pack/wear double socks, double gloves (knit kind), and hats. One trip, we made good use of windbreaker jackets paired w layers. Though thin, when paired w layers, they help quite a bit.
Btw, the Figment spirit jerseys for the festival are great this year. The China pavilion also tends to have fun spirit jerseys this time of year for the new year. A third option is the Norway pavilion's collection of Helly Hansen, which qualifies for the AP merch discount.
Rare Extreme Cold Watch Issued for Walt Disney World: Wind Chills Could Drop to 7F Degrees
Rare Extreme Cold Watch Issued for Walt Disney World: Wind Chills Could Drop to 7F Degrees
Rare Extreme Cold Watch Issued for Walt Disney World: Wind Chills Could Drop to 7F Degrees
www.wdwmagic.com
If you're daring the frigid temperatures, and you're not from the North and already know what to do, here are some tips:
- Footwear: of course, no sandals, nothing 'open.' Boots would be best, otherwise your thickest sneakers. Also, thick thigh-high socks.
- Pants: If you have thermal full length underpants with a loose over-pants, that would be best. Otherwise a thick single layer like denim.
- Torso: layers, layers, layers. Try out at home whether the layers will fit over each other. You should have a skin-hugging long sleeve shirt. Over that, a light pullover with long sleeves. Over that a thick winter coast. The layers are important for indoors, too, because, if you can't remove the layers while indoors, you'll be uncomfortably warm.
- Head: your torso layers should ideally be hooded with a drawstring that clamps down the hood to the head. Otherwise a thick ski cap that ideally pulls down to be a full ski mask. Even if you're just going from building to building, you have to survive the frigid wind in between. Ski googles over the eyes helps your eyes from painfully drying out. Or, if you can manage to get your full ski mask over sunglasses, that will do... except maybe at night.
- No weakest links. If you're travelling with others, the least prepared of your group will slow you down. Have a kid that refuses to wear all those layers? Well, gratz, you'll be spending the whole weekend in your hotel room. Have a ditzy relative who thinks they don't need a hat? They'll be ruining your time constantly complaining about the cold. Everyone in the group needs to be prepared.
- Make sure everyone has their own backpack to stuff winter gear into and take out again as you go from attraction to attraction. It all won't fit into one family sack.
ToTBellHop
Well-Known Member
You know what never experiences a hard freeze? Living with the Land. That would be my jam.
Forgot to add:
Gloves. Duh.
Keep in mind the scary 7 degrees is for wind chill in the middle of the night. Actual lows overnight are just a little below freezing. This is why blocking wind on exposed skin is a priority.
Also keep in mind that even though the weekend is frigid. The nighttime lows for the rest of the week are also pretty cold.
Dress like this is a ski trip. Don't forget your ice skates for the water parks!
If you're at WDW and are missing these things, you could go shopping at Disney Springs, or, get an Amazon order that has overnight or 2 day shipping.
I plan to buy out all the winter coats from the in-park stores and resell them at a steep mark-up.
Gloves. Duh.
Keep in mind the scary 7 degrees is for wind chill in the middle of the night. Actual lows overnight are just a little below freezing. This is why blocking wind on exposed skin is a priority.
Also keep in mind that even though the weekend is frigid. The nighttime lows for the rest of the week are also pretty cold.
Dress like this is a ski trip. Don't forget your ice skates for the water parks!
If you're at WDW and are missing these things, you could go shopping at Disney Springs, or, get an Amazon order that has overnight or 2 day shipping.
I plan to buy out all the winter coats from the in-park stores and resell them at a steep mark-up.
The Florida legislature is planning on banning all paper* straws.
So, welcome to Snowball Earth!
*Seem paper straws 'work' by having a waxy film full of microplastics.
Adding to @MisterPenguin 's list:
Carry a lip balm in your pocket, reapply often. Two good ones: Aquaphor and Nivea.
Carry a lip balm in your pocket, reapply often. Two good ones: Aquaphor and Nivea.
DisneyFreak
Well-Known Member
Had ice on the windshield this morning all the way down here in Babcock Ranch, FL (Southwest Florida near Fort Myers).
Or bring some entrepreneurial spirit into the mix to pay for your AP!! “Buy 6 PB&J sandwiches, get a free winter coat!”
Disney Analyst
Well-Known Member
That’s only -12. Wear some long underwear, a toque, glove, scarves, and grab a winter jacket.
You’ll be fine! Maybe pack some ski’s?
Minnesota disney fan
Well-Known Member
I can definitely understand your not wanting your 80 y/o Dad take care of all that's required. That's a lot to do with the pipes, Wow. My grandparents lived in an older house and they left water running in one sink (not a lot but a good dribble). That kept his pipes from freezing. We have used this technique too and it seems to work, but we do not have a big historical house to contend with. I hope you find a way to keep the pipes running so you can go on your trip.
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