Crowd level at the Fort...

[ilovedisneymm]

Our past trips have been in the later half of January. This current trip is on the books for Jan 15 - Feb 11 and I'm considering changing it (not sure if it is even available at this point) for Jan 4 - Jan 29.

I am wanting to change the dates for a few reasons, the main one being it seems like time just stands still from xmas until we leave (last year Jan 14ish). Were not doing anything other than "waiting" and I don't care to start up home school with the kids for two weeks just to pull them out of their routine just two weeks after. I would rather just take off after xmas break and dive back into our routine in February.

The way i see it, the only problem is i would run into two busy times Marathon weekend & MLK weekend instead of just one busy weekend (MLK) with our current schedule. It was very very loud MLK weekend and I'm not sure how that compares to Marathon weekend. Can someone compare the two for me?

This will be our fort/park schedule......

with the Jan 15 - Feb 11 trip...

Jan 15 - Jan 25 stay around the Fort, take things nice and easy and avoid busy times at the parks with MLK and rollover from that.

Jan 26 - Feb 11 park days!

with the Jan 4 - Jan 14 stay around the Fort, same as above, take it easy first two weeks.
Jan 15 - Jan 29 park days!

The problem with the second schedule is now we have two busy weekends instead of one. But how does Marathon weekend compare to MLK at the FORT not worried about the parks???

 

[ilovedisneymm]

More follow up questions....

I called and have a second reservation from Jan 1 - Jan 12 & second from Jan 12 - Feb 11....I am going to leave them as two separate ressies until we finalize our schedule and merge them into one.

I'm shocked that Jan 1 - Jan 5 was even available!! Wohoo!!!

The parks were much busier last Jan trip than before. I assume free dining was offered making the parks reach larger crowd levels than normal. Does anyone know when the free dining was offered for Jan 2015? When will the free dining schedule come out for Jan 2016?

Also, what about annual park holder FP options? With AP holders can you only make your FP selections up to 30 days in advance verses the 60 days for base tickets? Also from that 30 day mark how far out can you make those selections...10days...14days...what is the limit?

Thanks!

 

[ruthies12]

The only question I can answer is the free dining one- I don't think they normally offer free dining in January. If I recall correctly they offered a room only discount or the stay, play, and dine package the last two Januaries that I was there.

 

[bama_ed]

I can speak to the Marathon weekend impact.

The weekend (Thurs-Mon) does produce a bump at the Fort. Prices are a little higher and the Preferred and Premiums are pretty full. I didn't get back to the Fulls this past year. The Tent/Partials were the usual - mostly full for 1500, not so much at all for 2000.

I think the impact in the parks is measureable but not great. 22,000 people finish the Half Marathon by breakfast on Saturday and about the same number on Sunday morning by lunch. Some folks might head to the parks after they shower up and run with the families that cheered them on but their impact is later in the park day.

The place I noticed the Marathon crowds the most was trying to eat out at dinner time at a Table Service restaurant. Many runners (and their families) are in a celebratory mood on in the evenings so they want to eat out probably even more than usual. I had booked a dinner on Saturday night at Raglan Road in DTD (the Irish place) WAY in advance. About a month before arrival I checked online for other locations that night to celebrate the Half. Pickings were slim so I kept what I had.

You can check the crowd calendars http://www.easywdw.com/category/calendar/01-january-2015-crowd-calendar/ but the park crowds that weekend were not bad at all compared to the prior weekend which was on the end of the New Years holiday. It ranged from 3-5 which was STILL less than the estimates for the next weekend (MLK).

I'd like to try January into early February some day soon.

Bama Ed

 

[garneska]

Agree with Bama ed. Ilovedisneymm, last January I walked by your site but you were always gone. I left on MLK weekend and was there the week before the marathon. I do think MLK weekend is loud at the fort. Marathon weekend is not loud, also parks are not super crowded. I do agree make sure if you want to eat out you have adrs and get them in advance. They will be difficult to change. I don't think you will find it too crazy on marathon weekend. MLK will be but you are already aware of that.

As for annual passholders and fp+ you can still book 60 days from your fort ressie assuming your ticket is linked. You can also link an ap voucher and book fp+.

Hope that helps and will try and see you in January. We don't have our stay booked yet not sure how long we will stay but we still love January at the fort.

 

[ilovedisneymm]

Thanks Ed & Kris.

Looking over the crowd level I think we are going to be fine with a early January - end of January trip. I so loathe the waiting from xmas until leaving. This last trip felt like an eternity after the holidays until we hit the road. We are pretty content with not hitting the park until the last two weeks of January anyway. Also plan to spend some time outside of Disney on MLK weekend during the day.

I'm positive that if we stayed on another loop other than 1500 & 2000 the noise level on MLK weekend would be much less. Considering changing to another loop or even a loop closer to the docks. This would mean an upgraded site, less sand, less noise but it would also mean higher cost, and less "active children". Our two sure had the very best time playing with all the camp kids and their scooters, not to mention the small open forest area that is between the sites within the inner 1500 loop. That is a gold mine for small kids to play!!! Typing this all out, I know that I will just deal with circus that MLK weekend brings as my kids will most likely have the time of their lives with all the new kids coming in You don't get that kind of kid interaction as much in RV loops like you do in the tent loops.

Bonus, both my kids upgraded to big kid bikes a couple weeks ago and we plan to bring their new bikes plus the two older bikes for others to use.

I agree Kris, January is our favorite time too! We will be around this next trip and would love to meet you and Mallory