Holiday Time at Disneyland Resort is just around the corner and, with it, some colder weather. Dressing for the weather is probably the best way to stay warm and dry at Disneyland, which is why we wrote What to Wear to Disneyland: Part 2, Cold or Wet Weather. We encourage you to start with that detailed post, but we also wanted to follow-up with a few extra tips for protecting yourself from the cold at Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park. Here are our five best tips for staying warm during your winter visit to Disneyland Resort.
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Bring Something to Sit On
We are starting with what might be a less obvious tip. If you plan to enjoy a parade or show in the parks of Disneyland Resort, you may find yourself sitting on the ground for a long period of time. The cold from the ground can seep upward and into you! If you have the room to carry or store it, consider bringing something to sit on and protect yourself from the cold ground!
Maybe you made sit-upons in scouts. You could also consider an outdoor blanket with a waterproofing.
…and for Kids in Strollers to Cuddle Into
Little ones in strollers will already have a nice place to sit (just remember strollers are not allowed everywhere, like some viewing areas for nighttime spectaculars), but you can also help them stay cozy in their stroller. We love stroller muffs, also called foot muffs or bunting, because they stay attached to the stroller and do not get kicked-off and left behind like loose blankets.
We have used and loved our three-season stroller muff from Skip-Hop for many years, but Skip Hop does not appear to make them anymore. This product looks like a similar alternative.
Plan Meal Breaks for Warm Food at Indoor Disneyland Restaurants
Aside from warm clothing, a warm meal is probably the most powerful way to fight the cold at Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park. We recommend taking some time to stop at an indoor restaurant: it is hard to take a break from the attractions, but a good meal gives us the energy and comfort we need to keep experiencing more.
Some of our favorite stops in Disneyland Park include Blue Bayou for table service and Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo or Red Rose Taverne for quick service. At Disney California Adventure Park, the table service restaurant, Lamplight Lounge will give you a great view of the action even while you take a little break, and Fiddler Fife and Practical Cafe is an easy quick service place to grab a warm beverage and take a break.
Enjoy a Lengthy Indoor Attraction
If the cold is really starting to get to you, head for one of the lengthy or drop-in indoor attractions. These have the added bonus of rarely having a long standby queue, so you should be able to go inside and get warm quickly.
Good options for this in Disneyland Park include it’s a small world,” The Disneyland Story presenting Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln, and the Main Street Cinema. Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room is also a nice choice, but you will have to wait outside for the next show to start, so time your visit well! Disney California Adventure Park has a cluster of cozy and leisurely indoor attractions around Hollywood Land at Mickey’s PhilharMagic, the Hyperion Theater (if anything is happening there) and everything in the Animation Building.
Dress in Layers to Stay Warm in Disneyland
Yes, this is a reiteration from our previous post, but we could not leave it off of this list, because it is that helpful. Dressing in easily-packable layers will make the biggest difference in staying warm and comfortable throughout your winter visit to Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park. We have a whole bunch of examples of great clothing choices in that previous post, so we are putting the link to it here again. In case they are helpful, we have also added a few photos here of layering combinations.
To be prepared for the coldest days at Disneyland, we bring a down jacket, knit hat and light gloves. This is enough to keep us cozy but should take-up minimal space in a suitcase.
We think the synthetic or natural down jackets from Columbia with reflective linings are fantastic.
For slightly warmer days, sometimes an insulated vest can take the place of a jacket. It can be packed away and then zipped-on over a sweatshirt or light pullover to keep in all that core heat. In place of a hat, we used our Cricut Maker 3 to add some glitter to a fleece ear-warmer headband. Now we have a cozy “tiara” to keep our ears warm in Disneyland!
For cold AND wet days at Disneyland, we pair a rain shell-type jacket with an insulated vest for cozy and versatile layers. We might even pack some lightweight rain pants. With these, we can keep on riding while everyone else runs for cover!
Thank you for reading! We love a crisp winter day at Disneyland, and we hope that you will be enjoying one soon!
Do not forget to read our previous post, What to Wear to Disneyland: Part 2, Cold or Wet Weather for more detailed layering advice and clothing suggestions. We also have a post on 5 Things We Bring to Disneyland for a Wonderful Day covering things like power banks. Our overall planning advice can be found in Step-by-Step Disneyland Prep.
Our series on what to wear to Disneyland will continue and we are going to share our tricks for packing light by offering tips for doing laundry during your visit. We encourage you to subscribe below so you do not miss any of it.