Is January no longer a slow time?

[OchreHand]

Hi all,

I'm curious to all who went this month and your experiences with crowds. It seems in years past January was a great time to go because of low crowds. I've been reading some brief impressions from recent trips and the consistent complaint is that crowds were bigger than expected. Even Josh over at EasyWDW says that this could be the busiest January on record. (Middle of his post if you want to see)

I went the week of the marathon and I can tell you that the crowds felt larger than last year. Attendance did level off in the middle of the week (15th and 16th) but on that Friday crowds got pretty crazy as people came in for the holiday. Of course there were several groups as well (tour groups to cheerleading groups)

Can January still be considered a slow time?

 

[MK4ever]

We r here now and it seems very crowded compared to January 2007 and 2008 (last time we were here in January).

 

[lynypixie]

It is starting to scare me. I chose to go in february mainly because of the low crowds, and it seems like it's still high eveywhere.

Fingers crossed that next week will be calm.

 

[TDC Nala]

No such thing as walk on every ride anymore. I went to Epcot and Magic Kingdom last week (Epcot just yesterday). Epcot was not crowded, at least not in World Showcase, I didn't check on any attractions. MK was crowded. 40 minute waits for everything at New Fantasyland in the evening - then in the hour after the fireworks, Little Mermaid was a walk-on and there was a 20 minute or so wait for Belle (better than 40). Afternoon also saw 40 minute waits for Haunted Mansion. Also several very large youth groups in the parks.

 

[MK4ever]

Yes there are many large youth groups here right now. Hoping the crowds this year are due to new fantasyland and will be lower next year.

 

[NHKristy76]

I just spent 8 days in The World and it was MUCH more crowded than I expected...

 

[KRFillion]

The posts from the past week are scaring me. We are going Jan 15 - 24 next year. I have already revised my plans to go to Discovery Cove and Sea World on the Sat /Sun of the MLK weekend so we'll avoid the major crowds I hope!

It is our first visit and I specifically chose January to avoid crowds. I am still hoping it isn't as croweded as March / April might be, just more crowded that what January has typically been in the past.

 

[jrtoastyman]

Just got back, and the crowds were worse than expected, but with the exception of one day at MK, ultimately still very manageable. Our last day at Animal Kingdom was ridiculously light. Rode Everest using a FP, got in the single rider line, and was back on quickly enough that I might have been on the same train I had just left, and this was at 2:30 p.m.

 

[jrtoastyman]

.

that's a whale of a first post

 

[GovieMom]

It's not just January; we went in late October and it was definitely more crowded than we were expecting. Saw soooo many school-aged kids midweek as well.

 

[RMulieri]

Honestly I think super slow times are a thing of the past...Travel has picked back up and Disney has marketed really well..there is only average,moderate and high crowds now.

 

[katmg]

Add me to those nervous for next year. I'm hoping the crowds in New Fantasyland will level off some but it will still be "new" in a year, I'm afraid. We're looking at Jan 2-8 so I know the first part of the trip will be crowded but I was hoping it would die off for the end of it.

I haven't been since the mid 90's so I think I'm in for a rude awakening regardless!!

 

[Rosesq]

We are also here right now. It is busier than last Jan., but still totally manageable and nothing like the busy season. Follow the usual advice- rope drop, park to avoid recommendations and when you see the tour groups, go the other way. Late Jan. still is better than most any other time IMO.

 

[PCFriar80]

We were there 1/8 - 1/17 and the crowds were manageable. We actually did TSM 4 times between 8:45 & 10:15, with a TOT thrown in between on our last full day Wednesday, 1/16. One of the factors to be considered for "more traffic" this year is the fact that the weather has been very warm for January. We've been several times in the past and as the weather cools, the crowds seem to go down. Nothing scientific on my part, just a thought.

 

[MNash87]

We are going next week - Feb.2-6. We are hoping the crowds will not be bad. The Crowd Calendar looks pretty good on the 4th, 5th, and 6th. This is the first time for us to go in February. Usually we go in October, November, or early December.

 

[OchreHand]

What would you say is the deadest time (if it still exists!) -- Early sept?

I wonder if it's still possible to feel like you have the park to yourself or if those days are long gone...

 

[mesaboy2]

What would you say is the deadest time (if it still exists!) -- Early sept?

I wonder if it's still possible to feel like you have the park to yourself or if those days are long gone...

Early September can still see very light crowds. Was at MK and Epcot this last September 9 and crowds at both were practically nonexistent.

 

[andyman8]

This January is significantly more crowded than ones in the past. I think between a sold out far in advance Marathon Weekend, a larger than expected MLK weekend, the extended Winter Break, and the opening of New Fantasyland, this January has been unexpectedly quite crowded. While I think we've seen the most of it, I think the lowest crowds will be seen in the next two weeks.

Like PPs have stated, early September will probably still see low crowds, but January seems to have changed over the years.

But if it's crowded, it's crowded. You're at WDW! I don't really understand the "fear" of crowds...

 

[KrazeeK120]

I was there January 17-20. While I understood that the MLK holiday meant that the crowds would be higher than a normal January day, I was quite surprised at how crowded the parks were. I've been before in March twice and in August once, and the crowds felt no better this trip than on those trips! I was at Epcot Saturday the 19th, and Soarin' had a 90 minute wait and TT had a 100 minute wait!!

That being said, I still had a lot of fun and was able to do what I wanted to do. I appreciated that the weather was warmer than at home!

 

[disneylooper]

We got home last night from our trip to WDW and it was definitely more crowded than we expected. Many tour groups were there.