Disneyland or Walt Disney World in January?

[jiminy.cricket]

Hello! I've been craving Disney for a while but especially over the past year. I always catch a thrill daydreaming about the parks and then fixate on planning fictitious trips. It looks like I will finally have a few weeks free in January 2015 (I would love to visit in the fall, but it probably won't happen), and am looking at the possibility of traveling with a friend during one of them. We are both Disney-holics familiar with the resorts and I'm sort of agonizing over the potential destinations of Anaheim and Orlando for a Disney trip.

Orlando is a familiar "home base" for us, filled with nostalgia. We grew up visiting this area and would be able to easily figure out what we wanted to do and see. Crowds at the parks would probably be low aside from Marathon Weekend. There is much new that we haven't seen in the past several years (The Landing at Disney Springs, resort-hopping, New Fantasyland) and old favorites we could revisit. It might be a good opportunity to check out the Orlando area and the Harry Potter attractions as well. However, Walt Disney World is being reconstructed and refurbished everywhere over the next few years (Disney Springs, Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom) and we would face a learning curve with the new FastPass+ changes.

I have not seen Anaheim for several, several years (shortly after California Adventure first opened) and would love to experience the Disneyland Resort in its current incarnation. This experience would be newer; more novel; exciting. I don't believe there is much construction at Disneyland at this time. However, we would face a car rental, navigating the highways a bit more, a time change with jet lag, and feel obligated to plan and visit the rest of the area while in Southern California.

A third crazy and slightly pricier option is to visit each resort for half of the week! We're just throwing ideas around at this point. We can't choose, so I decided to post a poll on the boards! Which option would you choose and why? Thank you for any feedback or advice!

 

[Sdobek]

Tough question - we almost always go in January and alternate between coasts. Disneyland closes the park really early in January so no opportunity to go back to a park after dinner. Small World and/or Haunted Mansion will also both be down for part of the month getting the holiday overlays removed. There always seems to be a lot of rides closed for refurbishment in WDW in January. WDW has more food options and more to do over a week long stay so I would pick that.

 

[mikedoyleblogger]

I'm a pretty staunch DLR vet but a January WDW trip sounds awesome, since the weather would be so much nicer than a typical hot, wet, sticky summer WDW trip. My thinking is that WDW trips in the dry Orlando winter and DLR trips in the dry Anaheim summer means no one *ever* needs a poncho

 

[jiminy.cricket]

I didn't even think about checking the hours at the parks, or the closures; good point! It looks like we would get a bit more time at WDW if we park-hopped, or even resort-hopped or visited Downtown Disney and the rest of the area. I can definitely see the advantage of saving Disneyland for another time since the climate in Anaheim is dry, and visiting WDW when it's cooler. I also just read that January can be Anaheim's wettest season!


Thank you for all of the votes, tips, and information! Please keep 'em coming!

 

[Crl1817]

WDW based on weather.

 

[DebbieB]

If you haven't seen the new California Adventure, I would definitely do that. Average high is 71 in January, similar to WDW.

 

[mikedoyleblogger]

I didn't even think about checking the hours at the parks, or the closures; good point! It looks like we would get a bit more time at WDW if we park-hopped, or even resort-hopped or visited Downtown Disney and the rest of the area. I can definitely see the advantage of saving Disneyland for another time since the climate in Anaheim is dry, and visiting WDW when it's cooler. I also just read that January can be Anaheim's wettest season!


Thank you for all of the votes, tips, and information! Please keep 'em coming!

Yeah, the rainy seasons are the exact reverse--winter rainstorms in SoCal, summer rainstorms in Central Florida. Neat how that works out.

 

[figment_jii]

I think it's a tough question. From the DLR perspective, some of it depends on what rides you want to see the most and when you are going. January typically sees a fair number of refurbs. For certain HM and IaSW will be down at some point in January to have the holiday overlays removed (usually HM for the first half of the month, and then IaSW for the second half). Splash and/or Grizzly River Rapids also normally go down for refurb. Finally, DLR is prepping for their 60th anniversary next year. The festivities are supposed to start in the spring, so the last flurry or refurbs will probably happen in Jan and Feb. I still think DLR is a great place to go (especially if you haven't seen Buena Vista Street and Carsland), but it's worth knowing that Jan is typically a refurb heavy month. DLR also usually operates on a shorter schedule and entertainment (e.g., fireworks, Fantasmic, Mad T) usually only runs on the weekends.

You can get a sense for what last January was like here:
http://www.wdwinfo.com/disneyland/park-hours.cfm?month=1&year=2014

 

[aacvacation]

Walt Disney World without a doubt! I went this January and it was unreal. Minimal crowds, great prices, nice weather! If you go I hope you enjoy yourself!!

 

[Grumpy4196]

Personally I would LOVE to go back to Disneyland. I am beginning to long for the days of paper Fastpass. This planning everday out 2 mos. ahead of time is not my cup of tea. Unfortunately living in Georgia WDW is just so much more convenient.

 

[disney meema]

Agree with previous post so easy to go to Disneyland with overall planning and no need for planning meals and FP's months ahead of time. I'm in the car headed to Disneyland & California right now : ) Carsland in California adventure is amazing and well classic Disneyland is always fun!
For me personally Disneyland is a California trip with universal studios, sea world, San Diego zoo, Hollywood and the beach. But WDW is all in one place so we love it there too .... I'd pick both if you can swing it.

 

[SplashMo]

Seconding Figments comments. Last February at Disneyland was bad for refurbs / closed rides. With them prepping for the 6oth anniversary it is bound to be the same or worse.

 

[Crl1817]

If you haven't seen the new California Adventure, I would definitely do that. Average high is 71 in January, similar to WDW.

It's the rain, not the temperature. Although with the drought, maybe it doesn't matter. . . .

 

[Mad Hattered]

DLR ...less BS to deal with.

 

[Itinkso]

DLR! When we had APs, we would go every January 2nd for 3-4 days. Less crowds than Christmas week but would still be decorated for Christmas. We always thought it was fun seeing all the Rose Bowl fans, some of whom were experiencing DLR for the first time.

 

[Micca]

Picking one I'd go with WDW for the weather. However, the thought of doing both totally rocks.

 

[Priory]

Is there anything left to refurb at Disneyland? Lol. I feel like everything had a lengthy closure in the past year. However if rumors are true about all dark rides getting the Alice-type makeover for the 60th, that could be a consideration for a Disney fan. Disneyland's abundant dark rides are a huge advantage of that park.

 

[jiminy.cricket]

These are all helpful responses! The idea of doing both coasts in the same week appears less practical with each passing day. There probably is more to do in Orlando, and it might be worth waiting a bit for Disneyland's 60th! That would be an epic vacation. I suppose I'll have to learn FastPass+ at some point, so it might as well be in the off-season. Hmm. It sounds like I'm leaning east right now.

 

[ktlm]

We have done WDW with FP+, and last week we spent 5 days at DL/CA. Now, we are not DL/CA newbies, we have been going to WDW in the winter and DL/CA in the summer for the last 5 years, after we fell in love with DL/CA. At DL/CA last week after dealing with WDW's FP+, I realized how nice it was not to have to plan FP in advance, not to be tied to an app, not to be constantly looking at my phone (only the occasional glance at DL wait times), to be able to pull a FP that kicks in within an hour if we get to an area and the line for a headliner is 40 minutes, but FPs are available for just an hour away which will give us time to do everything else in the area and shop etc. We knew that FP+ had adversely impacted our WDW trip, but we didn't realize how much until we made that DL trip. Dh also thought there was a huge difference now. DL now feels so much more laid back and enjoyable than WDW. If it weren't for the fact that we absolutely love EPCOT, I think it would be quite a while before we went back to WDW.