How is late January?

[jwag1579]

We have been to WDW many times but we usually go in September but for our next trip we are planning on going the last week of January. It’s just my wife and I going, we are doing 5 nights but only 2 park days and plan on just resort hopping and going to Disney springs the rest of the trip. So for those that have been how is January? I know the weather will be much cooler than September but how are the crowds?

 

[roller99]

I went MLK weekend a few years ago. I would assume that is the more crowded weekend of January after New Year's, and I felt the crowds were much more managable compared to my spring break and October trips.

 

[T.G.I.Friday]

Crowds will be higher than September, but not as high as Spring Break or major holiday weeks.

We’ve been several times over MLK week, and the two things that I wasn’t quite prepared for are how early it gets dark and how cold it gets when it gets dark. The early dark always made it feel later than it was and kind of threw me off.

 

[CarolynFH]

January after MLK weekend is our favorite time to go. Relatively low crowds, variable weather - pack layers! And low DVC points costs for us.

 

[jwag1579]

We will going about a week and a half after MLK day so hopefully the crowds will be low

 

[Simba's Mom]

January after MLK weekend is our favorite time to go. Relatively low crowds, variable weather - pack layers! And low DVC points costs for us.

Yes-do pack layers! I've gone 3 times in late January-first time I froze! I'd brought 2 pairs of long pants and paid $50 for a pair of sweatpants at WDW. But the second time, the weather was beautiful, I thought. Wore long pants, but I was prepared for it. Only needed a jacket in the evenings (the first time I was bundled up constantly-the weather never reached 60 degrees. The third time was in the 80s-thank goodness I'd thrown in some shorts the day before we left home, because I only wore long pants one day. And I never needed my jacket. Also, follow the weather report when you pack!

 

[disneyfan123]

We love going at that time of year; not only to escape the Canadian winter but also because it’s usually lower crowds and the weather has always been good for us (we’ve done 4 January trips in the past 15 years and are heading back this January/February).

 

[peabody58]

Late January is becoming our favorite time to indulge. Crowds manageable, fairly good weather and low DVC points. Perfect for just DW and myself, but this Jan we he'll have both our daughters/SILs with us at AKK in a 2 BR SV.

 

[Sweettears]

It’s not a bad time but not my favorite. As PP stated it gets dark way earlier than you would expect and once it does the temp drops pretty quickly. I’m from the Midwest so it’s not a total shock but add in the humidity and it’s pretty darn chilly. Having said that, if you’re ok with the weather and bundling up at WDW go for it. I found crowds to be much more manageable. Another factor is to prepare for early closing hours at the parks.

 

[motherdaughtercruisers]

DM68 is considering a January trip for us (I’m 31F) to visit the parks (not the first week but hoping to catch a low crowd time). Years ago, we went in April and I thought the crowds were perfect. I remember being able to double ride Expedition Everest. This was before LL and genie+, maybe 2013. The weather was slightly chilly in the morning, but perfect throughout the day. We may have needed a light jacket at night too, but I don’t remember it. I remember many many years ago that we went during spring break and we were taken by surprise how cool it was in March.

My question - is this the best time to go for the lowest crowds/most affordable accommodations? I’m hesitant to go in January, but she is a stubborn bird and once she sets her mind on something you better darn well do it. Yes, I’m hesitant, but if someone knowledgeable says otherwise, I will gladly accept the facts! My fear is that she is misremembering that it can and does get cold in Orlando, and that even though the crowds may be down, the weather may dampen her spirits. (And yes, I know it doesn’t get cold like in the northern US and it won’t snow or anything, but she gets grumpy when she is cold and I just like the path of least resistance. )

Additional info - We are not constrained by school or work, so we can go anytime of year. We also live close enough to drive (although not close enough to drive down on a whim - ~12 hours), so airline prices will not need to be taken into consideration. Also, we are thinking we’d like to stay at the Contemporary or Boardwalk.

Any input is very much appreciated!

 

[hertamaniac]

I've lived in Orlando area for almost 20 years so I can comment on the weather. This past January I had some yardwork done and the high that day was around 75 degrees. The next day in the AM it was below freezing, windy and bone-chilling cold. We do get hard freezes (usually in January) and it is a wake-up call to remind us we are not impervious to cold spells.

That being said, I would always target a staycation to WDW in January/February. We do resort only stays now and haven't been in the parks since 2019.

 

[motherdaughtercruisers]

I've lived in Orlando area for almost 20 years so I can comment on the weather. This past January I had some yardwork done and the high that day was around 75 degrees. The next day in the AM it was below freezing, windy and bone-chilling cold. We do get hard freezes (usually in January) and it is a wake-up call to remind us we are not impervious to cold spells.

That being said, I would always target a staycation to WDW in January/February. We do resort only stays now and haven't been in the parks since 2019.

This is very helpful! Thank you! I think I just need to make sure to be very clear with her that the weather could be very similar to what we experience in TN.

 

[sheilafri]

I love that time of year. But you have to be ready for a range of temperatures. I have a lined, wind-proof rain jacket that I use but I tuck magic gloves and a hat in the pockets for morning and evening chilliness if it happens. I usually end up tying the jacket around my waist during the day. The parks aren’t empty, but I find there are usually manageable wait times, and we just look for less popular attractions during the height of the day. I hate the heat and crowds and I’m not tied to a school schedule, so I do not go from May to September.

 

[Pens Fan]

We were there for nine days at the end of Jan last year and absolutely loved it. The weather was perfect for us, but we are from PA and weren't at home shoveling snow so were very happy. If you live in a warmer climate you might have a different perspective. There were plenty of days in the 70's but mornings and evenings could be cool. However I'm going to defer the to person who's lived in Orlando for 20 years above for advice on the weather!

We were quite pleased with the crowd levels. They probably weren't the lowest you'll find, but it definitely wasn't busy. We were originally only going to be there for 4 nights, but ended up getting bumped from Vero Beach for 5 nights due to some maintenance issues with only a week's notice, and they extended our stay at Riviera. We were pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to make ADR's last minute or even walk up. We plan on going back again next year at the same time for a week.

The one negative for us, staying at Riviera was the skyliner was down the entire time we were there. They didn't announce the closure until after we'd made our reservations and by then everything was booked (we are DVC) so we just stuck with it. I will say though that with one exception on our last day we never waited more than 10 minutes for a bus the entire trip. I don't know if they prioritized the skliner resorts to keep folks from complaining, or we just got lucky.

Overall it's a great time to go, and we realized that Festival of the Arts is now our favorite of the Epcot festivals. The food was better than any other in our opinion and we loved seeing all the art work and meeting the artists. Such a fun event!

 

[motherdaughtercruisers]

I love that time of year. But you have to be ready for a range of temperatures. I have a lined, wind-proof rain jacket that I use but I tuck magic gloves and a hat in the pockets for morning and evening chilliness if it happens. I usually end up tying the jacket around my waist during the day. The parks aren’t empty, but I find there are usually manageable wait times, and we just look for less popular attractions during the height of the day. I hate the heat and crowds and I’m not tied to a school schedule, so I do not go from May to September.

Thank you! I know this is very specific, but you seem to be very knowledgeable about this time of year, so I figured I would ask (if you don’t mind!). The marathon is from Jan 3-7 and MLK is Jan 15. Do you think the crowds will be better between those two (Jan 8 - ~12) or after MLK (Jan 16 - 31?)? Or does it really make a difference?

 

[motherdaughtercruisers]

We were there for nine days at the end of Jan last year and absolutely loved it. The weather was perfect for us, but we are from PA and weren't at home shoveling snow so were very happy. If you live in a warmer climate you might have a different perspective. There were plenty of days in the 70's but mornings and evenings could be cool. However I'm going to defer the to person who's lived in Orlando for 20 years above for advice on the weather!

We were quite pleased with the crowd levels. They probably weren't the lowest you'll find, but it definitely wasn't busy. We were originally only going to be there for 4 nights, but ended up getting bumped from Vero Beach for 5 nights due to some maintenance issues with only a week's notice, and they extended our stay at Riviera. We were pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to make ADR's last minute or even walk up. We plan on going back again next year at the same time for a week.

The one negative for us, staying at Riviera was the skyliner was down the entire time we were there. They didn't announce the closure until after we'd made our reservations and by then everything was booked (we are DVC) so we just stuck with it. I will say though that with one exception on our last day we never waited more than 10 minutes for a bus the entire trip. I don't know if they prioritized the skliner resorts to keep folks from complaining, or we just got lucky.

Overall it's a great time to go, and we realized that Festival of the Arts is now our favorite of the Epcot festivals. The food was better than any other in our opinion and we loved seeing all the art work and meeting the artists. Such a fun event!

My mom will be delighted to hear this!! Haha. Thank you so much for the info!! Greatly appreciated!!!

 

[CarolynFH]

Do you think the crowds will be better between those two (Jan 8 - ~12) or after MLK (Jan 16 - 31?)? Or does it really make a difference?

In our experience, crowds tend to be lower from around Wednesday after MLK day through the end of the month. They are a little bit higher between the marathon and MLK because people start arriving toward the end of the week for the long MLK weekend.

Let me add that when I refer to crowds, I mean how crowded the walkways are in the various parks. Disney can easily control the number of staff working, the number of ride vehicles, etc., therefore standby lines for the various rides may not be much different from when the walkways are more crowded.

 

[motherdaughtercruisers]

In our experience, crowds tend to be lower from around Wednesday after MLK day through the end of the month. They are a little bit higher between the marathon and MLK because people start arriving toward the end of the week for the long MLK weekend.

Let me add that when I refer to crowds, I mean how crowded the walkways are in the various parks. Disney can easily control the number of staff working, the number of ride vehicles, etc., therefore standby lines for the various rides may not be much different from when the walkways are more crowded.

This is perfect! Thank you so much for your help!!

 

[Mickeystar3864]

My family will also be traveling in late January/early February. hoping the weather cooperates and the crowd levels are manageable. I am feeling a little anxious about the Skyliner being down during this time frame since we are staying at a Skyliner resort (and chose it because of the Skyliner) I wish this was something Disney would announce ahead of time.