Hello everyone! and my 1st question!!

[tracydcp]

It's my first time posting on this board so just wanted to say hello and ask the first of many questions! We are in the initial planning stages of a trip to Florida in Jan 2009. It will be myself, DH and DS who will be 4 when we go. We are going with my SIL and FIL who have been to WDW several times but not in January. Our main reason for picking January is the weather - I don't want the heat to be too much of a problem for my son, as I don't know how he would cope with it being really hot. Also I've read that the crowds are light at this time of year.

Now on to my 1st question! I've noticed that there is a half marathon in January and next year it is the 11-13th - does anyone know when it will be in 2009? Is it always around the same time in the month, if it is then we would be better off going the last two weeks of Jan to avoid this as I've heard the park gets extremely busy.

Many thanks in advance, I look forward to chatting to you more! I recognise several names from the DLP board as we're off there again in November!!


Tracy x

 

[disneyholic family]

It's my first time posting on this board so just wanted to say hello and ask the first of many questions! We are in the initial planning stages of a trip to Florida in Jan 2009. It will be myself, DH and DS who will be 4 when we go. We are going with my SIL and FIL who have been to WDW several times but not in January. Our main reason for picking January is the weather - I don't want the heat to be too much of a problem for my son, as I don't know how he would cope with it being really hot. Also I've read that the crowds are light at this time of year.

Now on to my 1st question! I've noticed that there is a half marathon in January and next year it is the 11-13th - does anyone know when it will be in 2009? Is it always around the same time in the month, if it is then we would be better off going the last two weeks of Jan to avoid this as I've heard the park gets extremely busy.

Many thanks in advance, I look forward to chatting to you more! I recognise several names from the DLP board as we're off there again in November!!


Tracy x

I don't know anything about the half marathon, but it seems that events tend to be scheduled at about the same time every year.....so if the 11th - 13th is a weekend, then it would be a weekend at about the same time the following year.....but how busy is extremely busy?....there can't be that many half-marathoners who come to WDW?....

 

[fizz13]

Hi tracy,
Firstsly welcome to our happy community I have been at that time of year twice when the marathon is on and i can assure you it really doesn't impact the parks very much at all crowd wise, if you are driving to the parks on the mornings of the runs then this can be a problem as certain roads are closed to allow runners to pass safely, and you may see a few runners going through Epcot or MGM but i never noticed it affecting lines, this is by all accounts a very good time of year to go. It is cooler without being cold (we have been to the waterparks both times, although the lifeguards thought we were mad ) and while the parks aren't dead there is a big difference from summer. I would relax and enjoy it, you will be fine

 

[tracydcp]

Thanks for your replies. Maybe I got my info wrong about the marathon making the park busy, I'm sure I read it on here quite a while back! Still never mind, it's nice to hear from someone who has been while it was on and that it doesn't flood the park with runners!!

Thanks again

Tracy x

 

[UKDEB]

Hi Tracy and welcome to the UK boards.

We'll be taking our third January trip next year and it's quickly becoming our favourite time of year to go. It's great to get some sun to beat the post-Christmas anti-climax. We have been very lucky with the weather, though - apparently some years see frosts and freezing cold weather. We've tended to have several days of unseasonably warm weather (in the 80s) followed by a cold snap for a few days and, even when it's been hot, you don't get the balmy evenings.

The marathon weekend is later next year than when we've been there previously (in 2004 and 2006). When we booked for next year, I'd expected it to be the previous weekend. The Holiday crowds will have a much greater impact on your trip than the marathon weekend. Depending on when Christmas/New Year falls, January can be surprisingly busy right up until the second week. I'd always been led to believe that the parks were mega-crowded until New Year, and then dead immediately after, but that hasn't been our experience. This time we fly out on Thursday, 3rd January and I'm expecting sizeable crowds right through to the following Sunday, 6th.

In 2006, we'd forgotten all about the marathon and had planned to go to Epcot on the Sunday (where I think they start and/or finish). When we arrived at the parking lot toll booths, cars were 20 deep across the plaza (I've never seen anything like it). We decided to go to another park, so I don't know whether or not the park itself was busier than normal due to the event.

 

[Goofysmate]

Tracey thought i would say to you

 

[tracydcp]

Thanks for your replies and welcomes .

We probably wont go till the second half of the month anyway so we should be ok by the sounds of it regarding the marathon.

The lull after Christmas and the New Year is quite depressing isnt it, so it will be good to have something to look forward to straight after. And as far as the weather, as long as it doesnt rain every day it will be fine. I'm not very good with the sweltering heat, I prefer it a bit cooler

Thanks again ladies

Tracy x