January trip never been that time of year?

[ness0905]

We are going in January and have only been in spring/fall what is it like? I see some parks are red for high crowds but is it really high compared to may? We are going Jan 22-28 I like to plan and am not sure what to expect. Looking for ride closures but don't see any when do they post those normally?
Thanks for all the help!

 

[Fastpassminus]

I went the 4th-10th of 2010. It was VERY cold, but very uncrowded.

We are going over MLK next year for a quick girls getaway. I have heard crowds on MLK at MK are a little crazy, so I think we will take it easy that day and just do other stuff ( resort hopping, Illuminations )

 

[ms tom morrow]

I went January 25 -31st this year and loved it! Crowds were relatively light, and the weather was great for us. Of course, we came from the northeast so "freezing" to locals was perfect short sleeve weather for us! I think Splash is normally closed during that time frame but we did manage to ride it once. I don't remember if it was the first or last day...?

 

[rwdavis2]

Whether can vary greatly. Even though it's a low crowd level time wait times do not go down a whole lot because they shut down parts of some rides. For example I've seen them shut down 1 or the 2 Space Mtn. tracks. But we always go in January to avoid crowds. Sept. is too hot for us.

 

[TeamSy]

It's sort of best/worst. We used to go in January all the time, and for a while, we LUCKED OUT with barely there crowds and warm weather. However, our last January trip is was SO COLD that it wasn't fun for us. Florida and Disney for us is an escape from the cold New York weather, and it was MUCH colder in Florida while we were there then it was in NY! Instead of Mickey pops they were giving out hot chocolate, and everyone was in their winter coats! After that, we swore of January. We'd rather the heat, crowds, and summer rain then the cold.

 

[drdrowsy]

we went the last week of january in 2014 and again in 2015. 2014 was very cold a few days (highs in the low 50s, i think), 2015 was much more moderate. Our feeling was whatever we lost in ride closures (there tend to be more rides closed at that time), shorter hours and colder temperatures, we more than made up for in lower hotel and travel costs and much smaller crowds. We had one or 2 days in 2014 where the crowds were non-existant, not so much in 2015 when crowds were low most days, but it could still get quite busy in the afternoons. Having a touring strategy helped-- we didn't miss anything and rarely had to wait on any line for more than 20-30 minutes.

but just to be clear-- things still get booked-up (and early!) so be sure to make ADRs and FP+ selections as early as possible

 

[chelseabun76]

I haven't been as many times as a lot of people here, so I can't compare crowds to other years... we were also there the last week of January this year, and there were 2 MK days that I couldn't believe the crowds walking around. Now I think part of this was we happened to hit the park with a few cheerleader groups I think they were.... But when we were walking and it was elbow to elbow and the CM's were trying to get a flow of 2 way traffic going, it felt crazy for a little bit there. Hence why I will never go at Spring Break or Christmas, because the crowds would make me hyperventilate. LOL!!!! Weather was great, we wore pants most days but a few of the days it was plenty warm enough for capris, and we wore tshirts every day and had a hoodie for later in the evening or first thing in the morning and just carried a backpack for me to throw mine and my dd's into when we weren't wearing it. Not hot enough where you feel the need to down 8 litres of water per day, but very very comfortable for us (from northern manitoba where it was -30 when we left home lol). As for ride closures, I know one of the water parks is always closed at that time for refurb., but the other stays open. Others that were down for refurbs that I think normally are since it's the 'cold' months were Splash, and Kali.

 

[sharadoc]

We were always January folks, but we've stopped going at that time of year. In addition to the wild and varied weather in Florida, we've hit bad weather at home that has interfered with leaving or coming home.

Cheerleaders, dance teams and South American tour groups also are there at that time, which can be frustrating if you get stuck in the middle of a group, or stay in the same resort with them.

 

[Tay N Evie's Mom]

We went the end of Jan/early Feb 2014. The weather in Florida was nice- 75-80 degrees. But, we almost didn't get out of Chicago because of the bad weather. We decided not to go again in the winter months because the last few winters in Illinois have been brutal!

 

[DemonLlama]

Splash Mountain typically closes the second week of January and stays down for the month. We usually go in the week before Christmas but changed it up in 2014 and went January 2-8, which turned out to be the coldest trip we'd ever experienced. Bring layers, including warm hats, scarves, and gloves. Those handy feet and hand warmers don't hurt either. Maybe you'll get lucky, but be prepared for a cold front. The humidity in Florida makes temps in the 40°s feel bone chilling, when we'd likely be in t-shirts and a light jacket with 40°s back home.

But the crowd levels as the week wore on were amazing compared to our normal experience of crowds building throughout our stay prior to Christmas.

 

[aimathy]

Our past two trips were in January and overall, they were good trips and the crowds are more manageable. The downside is that last year in particular, it was COLD. We are from the Northeast, so we know cold....and it was only in the 50s for a few of our days there. We were walking around in winter coats the whole time and it was reeeeally cold at night. I would just say that as a warning, because if you are banking on a trip that's warmer than home or you're planning on swimming or walking around in tank tops, just know that there's a chance that that won't happen! We also had a few warm days mixed in (70's) which felt great, so overall, it's just going to be a risk you have to be willing to take!

Splash Mountain has been closed both years while we were there. Other than that, I don't think there were too many other major closures that I can remember. The crowds were decent, but I have to be honest, they were still larger than I thought they would be! We used to go in the off season years ago, and you could truly walk on to rides. I think those days are over! If it's going to be a really low season, Disney seems to find a way to run promotions to be sure that things are filled to capacity anyway.

One thing that was a bit annoying was that towards the end of our trip (so around Jan 11 or so) we noticed a BIG increase in Brazilian and South American tour groups. I can't say that it made things awful, but they were loud, swarmed certain areas and clogged up the works quite a bit at certain times. It was a bit frustrating. Plus, in our resort (we were in Sports), they overwhelmed the rest of the smaller families that were there. So it's just another thing to factor in. On our last day there, a big cheerleading competition was beginning and there were tons of them there too and they were loving the acoustics of the center areas of the rooms. Lol. That was on our very last day, so I don't know what the noise level was at night, but during the day, it was hours of non-stop cheering.

Overall, it's still not a bad time to go. We are going back again this January if that's any answer! I would say just be prepared for the cold in case it dips down. Have fun!!

 

[niffer5150]

it's hit or miss for weather. we've been 3 times. first two trips, the weather was incredible! a little on the cool side but not so cold it makes swimming out of the question. like mid-high 70's for the day, 60's at night. this years trip was less than incredible. it was unbelievably hot the first 3 days with the humidity, then 2 days of nice, then it got so cold disney was selling black knit caps and hot cocoa. one night, epcot was so cold and windy it was utterly empty by 6pm. like demonllama said, absolutely bone chilling.

crowds are hit or miss too. it depends on what the school schedules are, where holidays fall, if tour groups are there, and if there's a special thing going on like the marathon. i'd still say they aren't all that awful if you compare the levels to summer or more peak times. but in exchange, you have to accept a few ride rehab closures, hour cuts, and other small inconveniences. still, i prefer to go in jan. the early close times of the parks forces us to not over do it and the lower cost affords us a few extra days.

 

[disnut8]

it's hit or miss for weather.

Agree with this but you can say that for any time of the year. We once went and it was so cold at the beginning of the trip but then warmed up for the end (my guys were wearing shorts) and then another time we went, it was beautiful at the beginning and snowed (yes, snowed) on the last day. I would suggest you pack layers of clothes and shed what you need during the day. We each carried a backpack (no need to make one person a pack mule) and just stored our jackets/sweatshirts/long sleeved shirts/extra socks in there during the day and then put them back on for the evening. I also carried a small pair of thin wool gloves with me and those were invaluable because once my hands get cold, I'm done for it. Also, thin skull caps are good. None of this takes up much room in a suitcase but it goes a long, long way.

However, the only time you will be able to know about the weather is 10 days before you leave and then you need to check it every day until you pack the car or get on the airplane.

 

[clr055]

I am going January 20-28 in 2016 and appreciate everyone's answers. So basically the consensus is bring all four seasons of clothing because it is a crap shoot on what weather you will get, some Xanax so you don't throttle a tour group and get taken to jail and a sense of humor to handle all of it. Got it!