How bad is MLK Weekend?

[singingpixie]

We are looking to go in January, and I'm finding much cheaper flights later in the month around MLK Weekend. Normally I would avoid holidays like the plague, but touringplans.com doesn't seem to show much of an increase at all. What have your experiences been?

 

[Disneyhappy]

This past January I would say the crowds were light on Friday and moderate on Saturday and Sunday. They started to thin out a bit on Monday and by Tuesday it really thinned out. DH and DS went to the MK EMH on Sunday night and they said it was extremely crowded. (But aren't they all crowded anymore?) The MK on Saturday night was not too crowded but it was freezing outside with "real feel" temps in the mid 20's. Overall, it is a better time to go than during the heat of summer and major holidays. FL temps vary a lot in January. Other than how cold it was, there was nothing about our experience that would make me say, "never again!"

Edited to add that I will be returning MLK weekend in 2007 for a girl's weekend again. No parks - just pure pampering at the spas. I'm glad you are finding better airfare for that time period because I think it is still high from PHL. Good luck!

 

[singingpixie]

Yeah, I'm being really picky with the flights- I want to be in orlando by noon at the latest, and want to fly non-stop, preferably out of dulles (there are three airports in the DC area, Dulles is the closest, National isn't too bad but getting to Baltimore for an early AM fight would be torture), and I'd also like a participating airline. Later in the month I've found one that meets all of that criteria for $207 including taxes and fees... not too bad! it's at least $50pp more earlier in the month.

 

[singingpixie]

What do you consider "moderate" crowds, by the way? Any example wait times? Thanks!

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

We were in the parks the Wed, Thur, Fri and Sat before MLK day in 2005. Crowds were very light - we never waited more than 10 minutes for anything. We had a BLAST at MK EMH because it was empty! (But MYW ticketing and EMH were brand new at that time.)

The downside was weather. Friday poured rain all day and Saturday was cold mist all day. Yuck! The people who went the week before us had GORGEOUS weather, so it's a crap shoot. I wouldn't hesitate to go in January again, I just wouldn't put pressure on myself to go to the parks all day if the weather was gross.

 

[gigi1313]

historically we are last week in august wdw'ers so we're spoiled by low crowds and we went in january and were pleased w/the crowd level... it was busy but not insane... we walked right on soarin' first thing in the morning... long lines at the gate at mgm to get in (but we did not arrive at opening, it was about 10am) but once inside the only ride that had a line was the great movie ride and that was about 40 mins... everything else was nearly walk on (even ToT @ 10:30) and the indiana jones theatre was not nearly full in the afternoon... mid-day friday @ mk dumbo was only about a 20 min wait... it's worth going then, esp if you can get good airfare

 

[PaulaSue]

We went this year and it was fine in my op. (our first time ini a long time) We have season passes to Hersheypark and it was no busier than there, maybe even less with us getting up early and doing the BIG rides first before the crowds.