If you have been to DL in January...

[BensWife]

Was it warm enough to swim? I know it can vary from year to year, but I am trying to decide between DLH and PPH. If it might be warm enough to swim, then I would rather be at the DLH for the pool, but if it is really too cold for most people to swim, then we might save the $350 and stay at PPH. So, when you went in Jan, did you swim?

 

[figment_jii]

HydroGuy has a nice thread that details the weather information for DLR:
http://www.disboards.com/threads/detailed-weather-data-for-dlr.1711391/#post-23004158

Personally, I haven't been in January (I've been in December and February) and I wouldn't opt to swim in either of those months (so I'm guessing January would be similar to me).

 

[kirstie101]

The last three years we have been there in January for race weekends and all three times my kids have swam. Last year it was warm enough that I swam too.

 

[Sherry E]

We're supposedly going to get hit with a lot of rain this coming winter -- and if it's anything like or worse than previous El Nino weather systems, it will not be swimming weather. If the rain doesn't come, it's hard to say if it will be a warm January (meaning a toasty 65 or 70 degrees!) or a cold one (meaning 50 degrees in the daytime).

 

[Mysteryincorp]

It's so hard to say. 2015 it wasn't warm enough to to swim, 2014 we were in the pool all day. 2013 we were in sweatshirts. I live locally but we stay at the Disney hotels for a staycation the same week in January.
California's weather can be weird. This summer it even had the nerve to rain, gasp!!!!

 

[disneydreamer74]

We have gone in Jan a few times and both times we felt it was too cold to swim. That being said, I live in the hot desert ( Arizona), so I don't get in the pool unless it's close to 90 degrees. Jan. is my favorite time to go to the parks..so quiet and way less crowded.

 

[beachdreamr1229]

As a So. Cal. resident, I can say January is sort of hard to predict (as is any time from October-April). It's been rather dry and hot the last few years (pictures of me in tank tops for my late-December birthday). But, the weather people are predicting a super El Nino, which usually translates to tons of rain, so even if it's 65-70 degrees outside, it feels colder with rain. I have gone in the winter where I've been bundled up in 3 or 4 layers and still freezing and I've been where I'm sweating to death in a tank top and shorts. Best bet is to watch the weather as your trip gets closer. It looks from your profile like you're in Colorado and I know a lot of people from the colder parts of the country find southern California warm even when we're all bundled up. So, it's all relative. The rain is really more the determining factor. We're suppose to get a ton of it this January (in theory at least), so I'd probably recommend booking PPH. The pool at PPH is fairly nice anyway and has a water slide, so on the off chance the rain doesn't come through for us, you'll still have a good pool, even if it's not as good at DLH.

 

[RemainSeatedPlease]

It depends so much on where you are coming from. I live in a place with whether very similar to SoCal, actually a little hotter sometimes, and I would find January too cold for swimming. However, I won't swim in anything less than 85 degrees, I hate being cold!

 

[mt mommy]

We have been twice at the end of January. One time it was 70's the other time upper 60's. My kids swam both times. Kids don't care at all how cold it is. If there is a hot tub, bonus, they can warm up before heading up to the room to shower! Have fun! January is a fun time to go, low crowds and sunny days.

 

[DLfan4]

we went in Jan 2012. we wanted to try the pool just to say " we were in a pool in January", since we came from cold and snow in January. But we didn't find the time to use the pool, were just too busy. But the next time we go in January we plan to try the pool. the pools are heated, so my advise is to go to DLH and use the pool.

 

[Geemo]

January weather in SoCal is about equal to our home spring/summer weather.
In January my group will be wearing short every day/night, with a light sweatshirt in the evening.

Pool use is a must regardless of the time of year.

One thing we found out on our last trip to DLH, the slide closes every day at 5pm.
You might call the hotel to check the hours of the Monorail slides during the time you're there.

 

[smiley_face2]

We were there for 2 weeks this past late january into february and it was HOT! Even I swam every day, and it was so nice!! When we were there same time of year 2013, we had a cold spell where it was actually hailing!! and pouring with rain! in the 2 week period we did end up with a few days we went swimming but it was nothing like this last year! We go almost every year about the same time, or in late november early dec. some years are hot hot hot, some not so much. Depends on hotel too, Hojo's is too cool for me most of the time, park vue inn is awesome and warm all the time, Disneyland hotel felt too cool to me even in July!
Well that was all helpful then wasn't it?!

 

[az4boys]

We were there January 2013 and it was unusually cold. I don't think my kids swam at all, even in the indoor DI&S pool. I think the best answer is that it just depends...