I’ve been going to Disney Parks my whole life. While I’m now a proud Orlando local and enjoy going to Disney World every chance I get, I grew up as a West Coast girl with Disneyland near and dear to my heart.

If you’ve ever been to Disneyland or are planning a trip, you might have noticed something on the packing list you might not see for Disney World — warm clothes!. I’m begging you (BEGGING YOU) to add it to your Disney World packing list. You’re about to argue with me about how different the weather is and how hot Florida is, but let me tell you my story of a night filled with regrets, starting right on my way to Magic Kingdom.

When I moved to Florida, it was in the middle of summer, and it was HOT. Being from Las Vegas, Nevada, I’m totally used to the heat, but the humidity kicked my butt. Whenever I would tell someone I’m moving to Florida, they all just said it was hot, which, well, it is. It’s more than just hot through.

I was heading to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party to check out some new snacks (which you should totally check out by the way), and the minute I got onto the ferryboat, I knew I was in trouble. This was in November, when Florida was having a random cold spell, and while I was wearing pants and a jacket, I realized they weren’t going to be enough. It was only 5 PM, and after checking the weather (which didn’t look that cold, by the way), I needed to grab a new jacket and pants pronto.

Into the Emporium, which is your magical spot for almost everything you’ll need at Disney World, from family favorite souvenirs to extra t-shirts when you spill Casey’s Corner cheese on yourself (uh, no, I’m not speaking from experience), and baseball hats when that Florida sunshine is sunshining a little too much. It’s also home to sweatshirts and sweatpants!

If you’re walking around and notice everyone’s wearing the exact same sweatshirt, more often than not, they probably forgot that Florida can get chilly and needed to buy a sweatshirt. Between you and me, sometimes I purposely “forget” my jacket so I can buy a new one, and I had the exact same intent during my Very Merry Christmas Party.

In the Emporium, I find a sweatshirt in my size, easy peasy. There were so many options, I actually enjoyed finding one I’ll wear forever. Next, I headed to the pants, and uh, we did not have the same luck. There were a few types of sweatpants, but all the common sizes were already sold out, with everyone having the same idea.

Of course, sweatshirts can sell out too, which has happened to me if I wait too late in the night to buy an extra layer (aka don’t want till you’ve claimed your spot to watch Happily Ever After in front of the castle), but there are enough stores across Magic Kingdom that you can usually find a jacket if you search hard enough.

Pants? No go. The Emporium and maybe Star Traders will be your best bet for sweatpants, but when I checked, I couldn’t find anything. This isn’t the first time I’ve had this problem either.

After a massive rainstorm started in Animal Kingdom and soaked through shorts, I was desperate for a new pair of bottoms and could not find a single thing that would either fit me, match my outfit, or didn’t cost an insane amount to wear once. I ended up in wet shorts the rest of the day (and I use a wheelchair, so I promise they won’t “dry in the sun” like we tell ourselves when we don’t want to admit we’ll be in wet shorts all day) and now keep an extra pair of running shorts in my backpack. But pants? Nope, not on my list.

My word of advice: pack pants. Yes, bring a raincoat and sweatshirts or jackets, too, but you’ll likely be able to grab those in the park if you forget. Pants and shorts are a lot harder, especially because an oversized sweatshirt might be fun, but oversized pants involve pulling up your bottoms all day, which doesn’t sound fun.

I know it can make your backpack bulkier and harder to carry, which is annoying, but you’ll be thanking yourself later when you don’t have to shell out a ton of money to buy them, or be sad when you can’t buy them at all. When my family went to Disneyland, which is known for getting chilly at night due to the gorgeous California weather, we would bring an extra backpack and keep our jackets in there, which we would store in a locker throughout the day. When it got colder, we would go back and grab them, and we were set for the day.

A jacket isn’t a bad thing to keep on you during the summer in Florida, either. It will be far too hot to wear it outside, but Disney World loves to crank up the air conditioning for you inside restaurants. During a visit in May, I started shivering in Sci-Fi Dine-In in Hollywood Studios and shed a tear while drinking my milkshake.

Florida weather is also unpredictable. My Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party in November was freezing, but two days earlier, when my coworkers were there, it was shorts and tank top weather. Now, as I write this a few weeks after my Christmas party, it’s back being hot, and I spent the morning back in shorts. Bringing layers is always a good idea, and if you’re someone who gets chilly when they get wet from the rain, it’s not a bad idea to have some backup clothes, either.

If there’s one thing I leave you with, please pack some extra pants! Pretty please. As a Disney World local, I’ve seen it all, and Orlando can get a lot colder than you’re expecting. I’m not saying y’all from the north will need your winter parkas, but throwing in an extra sweatshirt can never hurt. Make sure you keep following Disney Food Blog for more tips and tricks for your next Disney World vacation.

THE ULTIMATE DISNEY WORLD PACKING LIST

What’s your number one item you won’t go to a theme park without? Tell us in the comments.