Is January no longer a slow time?

[ladeeesquire]

we were there for two weeks in sept this past year and the crowds were very, very low. Of course, you have to be willing to brave the humidity and that is not always easy.

We were able to visit again in jan12-19 and I was also surprised that the parks were pretty full. The weather, except for one day and one afternoon was gorgeous though. Who wouldn't want to be at wdw on days like those? We had no trouble getting throught the attractions using rope drop, fast pass, etc.

 

[FortForever]

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.

The single rider line is usually like that even when standby times are longish. We don't even bother trying to ride together anymore when we can just hop off and right back on separately.

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.

I absolutely agree. Crowds have increased every year and I've watched slow times become busy times. Just ten years ago, we could go certain times of year and literally get right on any ride with no wait or just a few minutes.

We were there Jan 6-12, knowing our local kids didn't go back to school until the 7th, we didn't want to go before that. I knew it would be crowded when we arrived on the 6th, but was surprised that it stayed that way all week.

Wait times for the best rides were fairly consistently 60-120 minutes. It was insane. I don't remember seeing anything with less than a 30 minute wait all week.

 

[showers2flowers]

We were there from Jan 4-12 and found it totally manageable. Granted, I don't have any basis for comparison, because this was our first visit. But thanks to being there at rope drop and with judicious use of fastpasses, our longest wait for an attraction the entire week was for the Jack Sparrow thing at HS (about 30 minutes, and that was only because DS really wanted to see it. Helpful hint: not worth the fuss ). We went to MK on Wednesday the 9th and walked onto pretty much everything in New Fantasyland for about an hour before heading over to Adventureland for the Pirate's League. We did notice heavier crowds the following night, when we returned for MSEP and Wishes, but it still was quite manageable.

Overall, we hit the heaviest crowds on the 5th in Epcot, which was to be expected since the holiday break for so many schools went through that weekend. The rest of the week, I think we kind of hit the sweet spot between when most kids returned to school and when the marathon crowd really hit for the following weekend. Again, I don't know how this year compared to other years, but I know we wouldn't hesitate to go at the same time again--hopefully next year!

 

[OchreHand]

I actually forgot to factor in the weather -- felt warmer than average. The week of the marathon the temps were in the low 80 which was awesome (except for the runners, of course). So I can see that luring in the crowds.

Good to hear about Sept and now verrrry curious if it still holds up.

Wait times for the best rides were fairly consistently 60-120 minutes. It was insane. I don't remember seeing anything with less than a 30 minute wait all week.

Yah..i saw that Under the Sea ride was at 90min wait on some days. I know it's new, but sheesh. High numbers for an omni mover!

 

[PeterPanic]

Yah..i saw that Under the Sea ride was at 90min wait on some days. I know it's new, but sheesh. High numbers for an omni mover!

I was in WDW on the 14th of January. The marathon was happening. I had heard from someplace that there were 60,000 people there for that alone. Yet, I thought it was the lightest I had ever seen in the past few years. FYI, one thing you have to factor in on the Under Sea ride is that it's a 12 minute brisk walk from the entrance through the queue to the ride, if you didn't stop at all. The sign said 20 minutes when I rode it. I walked the queue almost by myself, no stops and had about a 4 minute wait when I got to the ride itself, so that took care of 16 minutes of that twenty.

Disclaimer: it might not have been 12 minutes, just seemed like it. Anyone that has ever been on the Indiana Jones Ride in Disneyland will understand what I am saying about the length of the queue.

 

[likeadream]

We are here now and it hasn't been too bad... Longest wait today at MK was 20 minutes for Haunted Mansion. We did use fast passes for our favorites though.

 

[JDUCKY]

HUGE Brazilian tour groups in the MK on Sat.

 

[jrtoastyman]

The single rider line is usually like that even when standby times are longish. We don't even bother trying to ride together anymore when we can just hop off and right back on separately.

Fair enough, but even taking that out of the equation, we did not wait for a single thing all day long. It was surreal.

 

[FortForever]

I know what we need to do to put a stop to the craziness.....

KILL THE DINING PLAN!

I place the blame (or credit. Depends on whose view
point) squarely on the head of whoever thought up the dining plan. It has taken Disney guests down a dark path.

I'm imagine that some people think free dining is a good value. I would also think that most people know the dining plan is not a financially favorable choice, yet buy it anyway in the interest of simplicity.

People LOVE pre-paying for their food! Disney struck gold with this one. Guests will pre-pay for their food even at inflated prices. And then thank Disney for letting them do it!

Whether they get it "free" or pre-pay for it, people love having food included in their vacation package. The like not having to budget for it themselves. It's bringing new people in droves now that they can have an all inclusive package vacation. Marketing genius.

Since launch of the dining plan, the parks have gotten more crowded every year. Not only that, but forget about getting in at a table service place without reservations six months in advance. Dining plan has messed it up for all of us.

 

[Yoshi]

I didn't go in January this year but did go in January in 2010, 2011 and 2012. In 2010 it wasn't that crowded but 2011 was much more crowded. Not nearly as crowded as peak season but still not empty either (45 - 60 minutes for the headline rides standby, except Toy Story Mania that was almost 2 hours standby). 2012 wasn't as crowded as 2011 probably because it was the 2nd week of January vs the first week in 2010 and 2011 but still more crowded than I was expecting. If I did go back in January, it wouldn't be until the 2nd week.

 

[Timandalicia]

The fifteenz have filled in the empty space between the lucky domestic travelers who get to go on off-peak times. The way we get through it is 2 ways. We ask the girls where they are going tomorrow, then we don't go there. Also, naturally the busy Parks in January and February are the ones with the shows that night, and extra magic. We go to Epcot in Fantasmic night. If we want to go to Fantasmic, we just go over there after our day at Epcot. Disney moves the crowds where they want them in winter. Learn this and keep experiencing your walk-ons at Space Mountain.

 

[Sammie]

Disney marketing has pretty much eliminated the slow times. Plus the weather is getting milder and milder every year its going to be 83 tomorrow.

 

[jenben8426]

We went to MK today. It was a mad house. We did it today because of the electrical light parade only being shown twice this week--so I'm sure that is why so many went there, but there is no way that it was a 2 crowd that was predicted. We didn't even see that many kids from tour groups--most were families just like us. Using ride max we did great and got on all the rides we wanted to do today with never waiting in line more than 10 minutes, but holy cow it was packed walking around. It took us over two hours to get out standing in line for the ferry. I'm hoping the rest of the week goes much better.

 

[Josh125]

It took us over two hours to get out standing in line for the ferry. I'm hoping the rest of the week goes much better.

The monorail was down, just in case no one told you that.

 

[jrtoastyman]

Since launch of the dining plan, the parks have gotten more crowded every year. Not only that, but forget about getting in at a table service place without reservations six months in advance. Dining plan has messed it up for all of us.

I'm actually on board with you with the general sentiment that the dining plan is bad, but let's not overstate it. I just returned from a trip where I made numerous ADRs within weeks of my departure, and even changed several of them during my trip. I think the only 2 meals that I ate that I got the ADR more than a week out were at BOG. Perhaps other times of year it's a bigger issue, but in January, you can still obtain and move ADRs pretty freely, with the exception of a handful of really in-demand places...

 

[CountyMounty]

We just returned, this is our fourth year in a row of going in January and it was the busiest one yet. Of course now being very familiar with how to tour the parks it was still very manageable but all the walk on rides are a thing of the past, the only walk ons were at rope drop or very late (ie road space mountain three times walk on after Wishes) We have gone in early May or January every time and I can not imagine what it is like to try to go during the busy times, crowd level 5 days stress me out any more I do not think I would enjoy it that much but its just because I have been lucky enough to go during the off peak times so much.

 

[MommytoaSweetie]

We were there Jan 16-23 and definitely found it more busy than our past winter visits. I was assuming that based on New Fantasyland being open and MLK, but it still surprised me a bit to have them constantly adding in an hour at the end of the day because it was so busy (although we appreciated it). We also felt that FastPass lines took muuuuuch longer than we were used to... not sure if that's preparation for FP+ or not, but it was a bummer to us. Not that it all wasn't manageable, but I still preferred the true slow days of the past.

 

[whiporee]

If you're looking for a culprit, look in the mirror. If you're here, you're part of it.

Because of websites like this all of the mysteries are gone from WDW. People scout the slow times and come then. Disney offers discounts -- we publicize them around here -- people jump on them and then the parks fill up. I was just there and it was a lot more crowded than I would have thought it would be looking at the parking lot. I drove a cab in Orlando in the late 80s, and you'd die this time of year if you worked the Mouse. Maybe you still would, but I had to wait for every step there I took. I was confused, because we planned it for what I figured would be a slow time.

And then I realized when I was a kid, there were two resorts. Now there are a thousand WDW resorts, with Disney doing all it can to fill all those rooms. It's the new normal as far as WDW is concerned. But if the OP is looking for a slow time, try post Thanksgiving, pre Christmas. That's when Orlando dries up to the extent it dries up at all.

 

[Stitch_lover_Sith]

So we went to Orlando for the marathon and with how far we had to travel made it our main vacation. The few days between the marathon and presidents day weekend were ok crowd wise. Busier than in the past but still could do what people in the group wanted to. Also noted that there were crap load of Brazil Tour Groups. Now the 19th this was bedlam, made the mistake of trying to go to MK. As former CM I knew what signs to looks for. The park closed due to capacity to deal with this they did some crazy stupid things. we picked a line and stood in it being last park day of Vacay we were just killing time for Fantasmic. After our line I forget what ride we did, we then wanted to get some food before our BTMR fast pass.
Went to Pacos Bill, had to wait in a 20-30 minute line to order, could not find a seat because you can only do that after you have food in hand. Ordered our food using the new Next Gen order area, had RFID room key. Then waited about 10-15 minutes for food. Then went to stand in the waiting for a table line. We had my Dis Grandma in Wheelchair, so had to wait extra long for a table we could wheel her to. By the time we were seated our fries were cold and burgers only luke warm. Once the CM(in charge of seating) thought we were done eating we were then herded out of the restaurant. We could barely use the restroom without a hard time.
Now to be honest I have worked that park during a capacity day and know just how many people are there. but Disney REALLY pissed me off with how it got handled. The cast members were rude. Word for word conversation with one. Pushing Grandma, CM "Wheres your food?", Me "The rest of our party is waiting for it.", CM "Well you can't come here until you have food in hand", Me "ok where can we wait because I could not get chair to serving counter?", CM "I don't know, I guess here outside the line", me"Ok". Then four different cast members told me that I could not wait there and that I needed "Food in Hand" to get this far into the restaurant.
After this experience I will never go to a park when it is anywhere near capacity. I can only imagine that it got worse after we left. On the other hand went to Hollywood Studios and had a great time at Fantasmic, somehow got the Character Meet and Greet after Show. And to those who think I may have gotten it due to squeaking the wheel, I emailed Guest Relations after getting home on the 22nd.

 

[Herfnerd]

We were there 1/18-1/23 and it was much, much busier than we had anticiapated. Yes, it was MLK weekend and we took that into account but was not prepared for the number of BTG's and college cheerleader/dance teams.