Tuesday, March 17

Good morning.

Good morning. Happy St. Patrick's Day.

It is currently colder in Orlando than it is in Dublin. Let that sink in for a second.

Today's high is 61°F. That's a full 30 degrees cooler than last Wednesday. Spring break families who checked the forecast two weeks ago and packed accordingly are about to have a very educational morning at the hotel gift shop's sweatshirt rack.

The silver lining? Cold weather at Disney World does exactly what rain does — it thins the crowds. And today happens to be St. Patrick's Day, which means Raglan Road is about to have its best night of the year.

Here's what matters today.

🎯 Top Story

Cold Days Are the New Rain Days — Why Today Might Be the Best Touring Day of the Week

We've talked a lot about rain clearing crowds. Turns out, an unexpected 61°F day in mid-March does the same thing — just without the poncho.

Here's why: most families visiting Disney World right now packed for 85-degree weather. When they wake up and it's 30 degrees cooler than expected, a chunk of them will delay their park day, spend the morning at the resort, or switch to a Disney Springs plan. The families with little kids are especially likely to bail — nobody wants a crying toddler in shorts at 61 degrees.

That means shorter lines for everyone else. And unlike a rain day where outdoor coasters pause for lightning, everything runs normally in cool weather. TRON, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Slinky Dog Dash, Expedition Everest — all operating, all with shorter waits than you'd expect during peak spring break.

The move: Layer up and go. A hoodie and jeans is all you need. Hit the outdoor headliners while everyone else is still deciding whether to leave the resort. By the time the park fills up later this afternoon, you'll already have your big rides done.

Bonus: cooler temperatures mean you can tour longer without overheating. No midday meltdown. No desperate search for shade. Just... comfortable park touring. In March. During spring break. That almost never happens.

Are you a first-timer or a repeat visitor?

⚡ Daily Disney QUICK HITS

St. Patrick's Day at Raglan Road — The Mighty St. Patrick's Festival is tonight at Disney Springs. Live Irish music, traditional dancers, and a special menu. It's one of the best atmosphere nights of the entire year at Disney Springs. Walk-up bar seating is usually available if you arrive before 5pm. Worth the trip even if you don't have a reservation.

Garden View Tea Room Opens Tomorrow — The Grand Floridian's Alice in Wonderland-themed afternoon tea launches March 19. $79 adults, $49 kids. Check the app first thing tomorrow morning — Disney has been dropping fresh reservation batches on opening days for recent restaurant launches.

Magic Kingdom Extended Evening Hours Tomorrow — Wednesday, March 18 is a Magic Kingdom Extended Evening Hours night (9:30pm–11:30pm) for Deluxe and Deluxe Villa resort guests. TRON, Seven Dwarfs, Space Mountain, and more with dramatically shorter waits. If you're eligible, this is your Magic Kingdom power move for the week.

Cookie Dough Brownie Ice Cream Sandwich at Animal Kingdom — If you're heading to AK this week, this is worth tracking down. We had it this weekend and it's the best park snack we've eaten in months. Rich, messy, and exactly the kind of thing you eat standing next to a trash can because you don't want to waste a single bite.

Daily Disney Insider Tip

The Gideon's Bakehouse hack that turns a 60-minute wait into 10 minutes.

Gideon's Bakehouse at Disney Springs is famous for two things: absurdly good cookies and an absurdly long line. Most visitors see the hour-plus standby queue in the afternoon and either wait it out or skip it entirely.

Here's what they don't know: if you show up right at 10am when Gideon's opens, the line is often under 10 minutes. We were there Friday morning and walked in with almost no wait. By lunchtime? Right back to an hour-plus.

The window is tight — you've got about 20-30 minutes from opening before the line starts building. After that, the afternoon crowd takes over and it's the Gideon's experience everyone warns you about.

The move: Make Gideon's your first stop at Disney Springs. Get there at 10am, grab your cookies, and you're out before most people have even finished breakfast. It's one of those hacks that sounds too simple to work — until you're walking past the 90-minute line at 2pm holding a bag of cookies you got in under 10 minutes.

📊 Today’s Crowd Size Snapshot

Magic Kingdom — Moderate-Heavy. The cold is keeping some families away this morning. If you're already here, take advantage — this is the lightest Magic Kingdom will feel all week.

EPCOT — Moderate-Heavy. Festival booth lines will be shorter today. Cold weather discourages the casual World Showcase strollers. Indoor rides like Guardians and Frozen Ever After are unaffected.

Animal Kingdom — Moderate. Cool mornings are actually ideal for Kilimanjaro Safaris — animals are more active in cooler temps. This might be the best AK day of the week.

Hollywood Studios — Moderate-Heavy. The indoor-heavy park picks up overflow from families avoiding the cold outdoors. Rise and Tower will still be busy.

Strategy: This is your outdoor park day disguised as a cold day. Animal Kingdom in the morning (animals love this weather, and so will your wait times), Magic Kingdom in the evening when the late-night hours kick in. Layer up, skip the midday break for once, and ride everything.

🌤 Day Weather Forecast for Lake Buena Vista, Florida

Trend: Today is the bottom. It only gets warmer from here. Wednesday climbs to the upper 60s, Thursday back to the mid-70s, and by Friday you're in perfect park weather territory. Saturday feels like the spring break forecast everyone originally expected. If you're here all week, today is your wildcard play and Friday is your headline day.🎯

Sixty-one degrees during spring break at Disney World sounds like a problem. It's actually a gift — just one that comes wrapped in a hoodie instead of sunshine.

The parks are running. The rides are open. The lines are shorter than they've been all week. And tonight, Raglan Road is throwing one of the best parties Disney Springs will see all year.

Cold never stopped anyone who came prepared. And now you are.

See you tomorrow.

TOP RESOURCES

The Official Walt Disney World Website

D23 - The Official Disney Fan Club

Unofficial fan news — Not affiliated with The Walt Disney Company.