Anyone there right after New Years?

[Mickeefan]

I'd like to know if anyone who was just there right after New Years could tell me about the crowds and lines for rides.

I'm in the beginning planning stages for a trip next January. We'd be arriving at WDW on the 2nd or 3rd of January and staying until Sunday or Monday. What are the crowds like after the first of the year? I know they are bad between Christmas and New Years, but what's it like just after that? Travelling will be myself, my nephew, my sister and brother-in-law and perhaps our parents. Thanks for any help.

 

[vicb]

Not me but one of my friends was there 1/3-1/9 and gave me a full report because we will be staying at the same resort next month. She said the emh evenings at MK were great, really neat to be in the park and rode the mts and buzz many times. All parks were doable crowd wise, especially using fast pass. Soaring had the longest wait times but they did that at park opening so no problem. They went to BB on their warmest day which was arrival day so they got checked in and off they went. Good thing because it was only warm enough to swim the first day or two there then temps dropped. Had ADRs for meals, used most of them. Tried eating at ESPN on Sat. night of football playoffs, big mistake. Long wait! Rode Kalid Rapids in AK, too wet to do their ADR at RFC so decided to ride Rapids two more times, no waiting there.

One tip traveling at that time of year is that many rides close for rehab. Pay attention to the rehab schedule. For example my friend said Buzz was only open the first day they were there then it shut down for rehab, if they hadn't have done that evening at MK they would have missed it.

 

[dixiedizfan]

We arrived at POFQ January 1st and stayed til January 8. Magic Kingdom got to be PACKED on the 2nd; so much so that we ended up leaving that afternoon rather than fight the crowds. All fastpasses were gone by then anyway and the lines were horrendous. January 3rd at EPCOT was also packed, as was the 4th at Animal Kingdom and the 5th at MGM. We had thought the crowds might die down toward the end of the week, but then the marathoners arrived, so crowded buses and parks again! The first week of January turned out to be the most crowded we have ever been there ... and we've been there many times!