Disneyland January 1-6

[jkattk]

I'm planning a trip around January 1-6, 2013. How bad can we expect the crowds to be? I've read that the decorations will still be up, does anyone know if any holiday shows or tours will still be going? How about the temps that time of year? Any hope of using the hotel pool? How cold will it potentially be to ride the water rides (my son's favorite ride at Disney World was Splash Mountain...)? Anything that would be good to know for that time of year - we are first time visitors to Disneyland.

 

[Sherry E]

I'm planning a trip around January 1-6, 2013. How bad can we expect the crowds to be? I've read that the decorations will still be up, does anyone know if any holiday shows or tours will still be going? How about the temps that time of year? Any hope of using the hotel pool? How cold will it potentially be to ride the water rides (my son's favorite ride at Disney World was Splash Mountain...)? Anything that would be good to know for that time of year - we are first time visitors to Disneyland.

The crowds will probably start to subside a bit after January 1, so that people can get back to work for the rest of the week.

I think that the holiday parade will still be happening all the way through January 6th. The holiday fireworks should also still be happening, along with the snow on Main Street and the nighttime Winter Castle lighting. The Reindeer Round-Up should still be open. Everything should really still be going on through January 6th except for possibly Santa. Both holiday ride overlays (Haunted Mansion Holiday and It's a Small World Holiday) will still be happening. Santa appears in 5 spots between the 2 parks and 3 hotels during the season, and he may leave at least a few of those posts by the time New Year's Day hits, but I'm not sure.

As for weather - well, it could be rainy. That happens a lot in January. It could also be quite chilly - down to the 30's at night, for example. That doesn't mean that this will be the case, but it has happened and it could happen.

 

[pharmama]

The crowds will probably start to subside a bit after January 1, so that people can get back to work for the rest of the week.
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I wouldn't count on this thus year. Because Christmas and New Years are on tuesday, many school winter breaks don't start until dec 22 so the two week break goes thru 1/6.

 

[longtimedisneylurker]

I wouldn't count on this thus year. Because Christmas and New Years are on tuesday, many school winter breaks don't start until dec 22 so the two week break goes thru 1/6.

Agreed. Our break goes through January 6.

 

[Sherry E]

I wouldn't count on this thus year. Because Christmas and New Years are on tuesday, many school winter breaks don't start until dec 22 so the two week break goes thru 1/6.

I was talking about people who have to work. I said "...so that people can get back to work for the rest of the week." I know that there are some school breaks that extend to that time, but there are also many people who have to get back to work right after New Year's.

If New Year's Day were closer to the end of the week, then a lot of offices would stay closed the entire week. In 2013 New Year's Day is going to be closer to the beginning of the week. I know a lot of people who will not be taking off that whole week. They will be back in the office on Wednesday. Sure, there are always exceptions, but I'm mainly talking about crowds dropping off a bit after New Year's in comparison to what they will be in between Christmas and New Year's. The crowds drop off a bit after New Year's.

This past New Year's Day 2012 fell on Sunday and many school breaks ended after January 8th. People still had to go back to work regardless of what the schools were doing.

 

[AnneUCSB]

Agreed. Our break goes through January 6.

I am in Nor Cal and my kids also don't return to school until Jan. 8. I imagine it'll be pretty crowded.

 

[longtimedisneylurker]

People still had to go back to work regardless of what the schools were doing.

True, but people who work and have children tend to take time off from work (if they can) when their children are not at school. I think there will always be that group of people that thinks, hey, my kid is off school still after New Year's, why don't we just take some extra time off and go to Disneyland for that week once the crowds have died down? These people will part of the post-New Year's crowds. Then there are also all the locals who are still free to visit Disney and want to see the decorations before they're gone: kids accompanied by a non-working parent or relative, winter "camp" groups, unaccompanied teenagers with free time, and then at night everyone else local who had to work during the day. I suspect it will still be pretty busy.

 

[NWT]

I have been there twice during that time period. It is crazy busy Jan 1st, and still busy for the week after, but not as bad as the 1st. They keep the holiday stuff up for the first part of January. If I recall correctly, I believe there was still a santa parade, but did not see him around the parks other than that.

Both times we went, it was cooler, jeans and a sweater, and even mitts, coat and a hat in the evenings, especially if it was a damp/rainy day. I live in sub-arctic, so I like the cooler weather, but I even found I got a chill in the evenings. Unless your pool is heated, I doubt you will enjoy it much. Usually you will just find us crazy Canadians and a few people from Alaska sitting in the hot tubs at night. lol

Splash Mountain is our favorite family ride. We especially like going on it in the evenings, because you basically just walk on. I found we really did not get that wet, and sometimes not wet at all.

 

[jkattk]

Well we are from Minnesota, so my son considers anything from about 65 degrees up to be swimming weather

 

[chippy87]

Yea I will be going from the Dec 31 to Jan 4... I also want to know how crowded the parks are predicted to be on January 2 and 3?

 

[disneychrista]

The craziest week is between Christmas and New Years. It will calm just slightly the week after New Years but will still be very crowded.

 

[Judy from Boise]

We were in that time frame last year, and it was crowded because after 1/1, they lift the AP blockouts, so many AP holders come back that have been blocked for the last 3 weeks. With that said it was still a lot of fun with great weather.

 

[disneymum58]

I believe that the Deluxe Pass which is blocked from December 22 - 31, is not blocked starting Jan. 1. I'm thinking this might add an increase of people. Some might also be there to ride Thunder Mtn. before it goes down for 10 months.
We will be there and make the best of whatever crowd level we find ourselves in.

 

[larina]

Weather wise, we went in May and December last year and it was actually warmer and sunnier in December than in May. Mostly due to fog in May.