4 or 5 days in January???

[lb2000]

We are DL APs and we are planning a trip to WDW in January 2016. We to to DL several times a year and live in Southern California. I have 3 girls who will be 13, 12 and 10 when we travel. We can't plan a super long trip and just want to get a WDW experience. I am looking for some advice on what are the must sees and must dos. I am torn between 4 or 5 park days. I am not going to buy water park tickets since it might be too cold, but if it's warm, we may buy a one day pass. One of the water parks will be closed in January, so if we get to go at all, it will be Blizzard Beach, I think.


Do I need to get the park hopper add on or can we just do one park each day?

Should I do 4 days or 5 at the parks?

Any advice at all would be greatly appreciated!!

 

[myrheille]

I would do five park days at least - 2 days at MK and 1 in the three others. (The one time we went in January it was way too cold for swimming or water parks, plus I think the water parks are better suited for longer visits. With five days, you'll have time to see most of it, but not all of it!) Park hoppers are not necessary - we like them because we take mid-day breaks at the resort, but with older kids like yours I don't think that's necessary, and there's plenty to do in every park for at least one day.

January is a great time to go, you won't waste much time waiting in line! Enjoy!

 

[gototheleft]

Skip the water park and do five days! We have used park hopper and have also vacationed without it. If you are a planner- skip the park hopper.. if you like to do things on a whim... get the park hopper! Have fun!

 

[ariane37]

I would definitely do 5 park days and skip the water parks You'll have enough to do in each park that you won't need PH; if you have them you might feel like you have to use them. On your 5th day you can go back to whichever park you feel you need/want a 2nd day in; many will say it'll be MK but who knows, could be any of them, especially since your kids aren't small. The only benefit I see to getting PH is that you could then return to 2 parks on your last day, but you'd have to feel the $ was worth it if you only hopped that one day.
We'll be there for 5 days in Jan., too

 

[danceintherain]

Definitely 5 days. We've been limited to 4 during our last few trips (military tickets) and I hate it. If the tickets we're such a good deal, I'd plan at least 5 days in the parks every time.
I wouldn't bother with park hoppers for a first trip. There's enough to do in each park for a full day, and if for some reason you get your fill, it's nice to have some down time.
That said, AK closes really early in January, so if you think you'll be late night park tourers, you may want to be able to hop on that day, and on your last day to revisit favorites.

 

[ilovedisneymm]

Your traveling a great distance and don't plan to return anytime soon......Go for 5 and I stronlgy suggest park hoppers. We go in January annualy and didn't do park hopper the past trip with 10 day tickets. Our 2016 trip we will be adding the hopper back as it just gives you so much more freedom and flexibility and it really adds back the "magic aka element of surprise" that FP+ seems to take away.