First week of January, what to expect (Christmas decorations leftovers, hours, crowds)?

[isabellea]

We are booked at RPR January 4-6 then CBR family suite for our last night the 6th (no park day the 7th). I'm not worried about wait times but I would still like to have an idea on crowds so I can have an idea on when we should plan on trying Hagrid, Velociraptor and wand selection/spells. Our first day is our transfer day from WDW to UO and I think we will only hit the parks mid-afternoon so we can have time to look around our hotel and eat lunch. I also have doubts on whether we will do early entry or not.

What about Christmas decorations? Based on previous years, can we expect any leftover decorations?

And park hours? When should we expect to have them available? I would like to book Toothsome one evening for after the parks close if it's not too late.

Finally, where can I find Dole Whip at UO?

Thank you for your help!

 

[spewey]

We're arriving the 31st, and staying on to the 5th, and have similar questions. I've done my research, and based on past years what I am assuming is:

The hours are longer, and crowds MUCH heavier, the week from Christmas until January 1 (Sunday). Normally, decorations come down the day after NY's, hours are reduced and the parks become less crowded as people return home from holiday/go back to work. This year the wild card to me is Monday the 2nd, as for a lot of folks that is their actual day off for New Years, since that falls on a weekend. So maybe things stay up, with longer hours, that day.

Hours usually come out 30+ days in advance, although they are up already for the rest of the year (but not January yet). This season could be a bit different I suppose, as for those whose kids get a two-week Holiday break, this one is as "late" as it gets, at least for us. It starts December 26th with school not resuming until January 9th. Will that mean the first week of January has higher attendance? Could hours be extended? Not sure, unfortunately. Given the weekend we arrive will be crazy busy, I actually hope things fall off starting the 2nd. I'll gladly trade shorter hours for fewer people.

Regardless, early entry, if at all possible, is your friend.

If/when other info comes available, I will post that here.

 

[mom2rtk]

We were there the first weekend of January last year. Christmas decorations were still up on Hogsmeade our arrival day 1/6 and the next day 1/7 but gone the next morning (1/8). Thursday and Friday hours were 9-7 in both parks. Saturday was 9-9 (IOA) and 9-8 (USO).

 

[spewey]

We were there the first weekend of January last year. Christmas decorations were still up on Hogsmeade our arrival day 1/6 and the next day 1/7 but gone the next morning (1/8). Thursday and Friday hours were 9-7 in both parks. Saturday was 9-9 (IOA) and 9-8 (USO).

That's encouraging! On the Universal website, it does say this year's Christmas celebration runs until January 1, including their bit about decorations at the hotels. But, it also says "dates subject to change", so here's hoping ...

 

[mom2rtk]

That's encouraging! On the Universal website, it does say this year's Christmas celebration runs until January 1, including their bit about decorations at the hotels. But, it also says "dates subject to change", so here's hoping ...

I will add we didn't see any Christmas decorations at our hotel (Hard Rock).

 

[Susan2771]

We are also at RPR from the 3rd to the 6th! Looking forward to our trip as I am sure you are all as well. Was also wondering how things will play out with that week part of Christmas break for where we are from and can imagine a lot of families will take advantage of that week to travel. Fingers and toes crossed it won't be to chilly!

 

[spewey]

Well, we're from Canada, so it should be at least a little warmer there - I hope ...

Pre-DD, my wife and I visited UO many times over the Holidays. We saw the gamut of weather - from shorts and T-shirts and riding Bluto at night, to winter coats and actually buying a toque at a cart in the parks.

I think last year it was often in the 80's that time of year - so you never know!

 

[isabellea]

Also from Canada (Montreal) and the kids go back to school on January 9th. We first start at the NASA (Dec 28), then we spend New Year at WDW/POFQ (Dec 28-Jan 4) and finish our trip at UO/RPR (Jan 4-7).

When we spent the 2018 Holidays in FL, we swam everyday and were wearing shorts. Hoping for similar weather this year!! We are driving so I’ll make sure we have clothes to cover a wide range temperature (0-30C).

It will be my kids first time at UO and their tickets are their big Christmas present as they don’t know we added Universal at the end of our trip. I really need to find some Universal-themed items to wrap…

 

[spewey]

Toronto here - we’re flying, first into Nashville for four days to see my father-in-law, then on to Orlando - so packing for us will be tricky, and forecast dependent for sure.

Although she’s a Universal veteran, this will be our daughter’s first Christmas trip, and will also be our big gift, and a surprise. Although as she loves to plan and packs weeks in advance we’ll probably tell her to look in her stocking when we put them up early December, and have a picture of the Royal Pacific Christmas tree placed inside.

 

[ClapYourHands]

We were there Friday 1/7/23 and Saturday 1/8/22. All holiday decorations were down. Crowds were lower than during the holidays, but still higher than we expected. Fortunately we had express, but based on reports of post-holiday January being a slow time, we were surprised by how many were there. I think someone mentioned extended holiday breaks as a contributing factor, but not sure.

 

[PrincessWithABlaster]

We went thus year from 1/4 to 1/9 and we saw some decorations up early in the week with most of them down before we left. It was busier that we were expecting last year. I think our school district wasn’t the only one to have that week off because of the way New Years fell. It was probably weekend-before-Thanksgiving busy. I would expect it to be busier this year with the way the holidays fall.

 

[Susan2771]

We are from Toronto also! Isabellea you have such a lovely trip planned. Isabellea if your kids are Harry Potter fans, there is a store here in Toronto with items you might like if you need gifts. They do ship. Might be nice to buy items in Canadian currency. https://www.curiosasociety.com/ Spewey I hope your daughter is thrilled when she looks in her stocking! Maybe we will all run into each other somewhere along our journeys  I hope we will get a day or 2 of pool temperatures. Also hoping the Canadian dollar starts reversing and climbing up instead in time for our trips.

 

[isabellea]

Thank you @Susan2771 for the HP store referral! I will check it out as both my girls are Gryffindor! I also need to go to TO soon to visit some friends and try some sofa I like at Crate and Barrel (our store closed) so I might stop in person if my kids accept to stay behind at their grand-parents.

Edit: After checking the curiosa website, I also found quite a few HP products online at a local chain, Imaginaire. https://imaginaire.com/en/ They also have stuff from the Minions, Scooby Doo, etc. so I'll go check out one of their store that is close by.