***January 2022 Thread*** - Kicking Off 2022 with WDW!

[hulagirl87]

While I certainly don't want it to be busy, and would love low crowds, I'm looking forward to just being there. Even if it means sitting on the hub grass or a bench. I just want to hear the sounds and see Disney sights. But still, my fingers are crossed for low wait times

 

[Kbosch]

of course a winter storm heading to the north east right before our flight... just another thing to stress about!!!!!!

Ugh I know! We're thinking about switching our flight to Friday night to try to beat it and then just stay at an airport hotel that night. Gives me one less day to pack!

 

[DaniellePoppins]

I found crowds to be pretty wild, especially for January. My TP sub definitely helped me and they are more accurate wait times, but its still BUSY, especially Festivalcot. To be fair, I got on every ride I really wanted, sometimes with no wait at all, or not something I would consider too much for any particular ride. Worst waits I did were 45 minutes and 30 and they were 15 minutes less than the Disney posted times. I do recommend rope drop and then take some breaks. And have a strategy. If you're going to use Genie/ILL, plan those for later in the day if possible and then rope drop a different high demand area of the park. For example, rope drop with early entry for Slinky Dog. I waited 20-25 minutes. A far cry from later in the day at 90 mins. I did ILL for RotR. Smuggler's run only had a 10 minute wait, which was more like 25, but I still had time to get all of TSL and that done before my Rise reservation.

 

[KTwiegs]

Ugh I know! We're thinking about switching our flight to Friday night to try to beat it and then just stay at an airport hotel that night. Gives me one less day to pack!

im thinking about the same thing but I dont think we can swing it... so much weather checkingggggg!!!

 

[CindysMice]

I’m sorry it’s so stressful guys. I leave in 2 days and that is stressful enough as it is. Fingers (and toes!) crossed for you all!

 

[scrappinginontario]

Just noticed something cool on the weather app I use.

The green plane indicates no weather delays anticipated. Kinda cool feature I’ve never noticed before!

 

[Gary Stocker]

All I can add is I brought 7 pairs of shorts and 2 pairs of jeans and I wish it was reversed as I haven't worn shorts yet.
Maybe 70 on Thursday?

 

[DisneyBelle27]

Just noticed something cool on the weather app I use.

The green plane indicates no weather delays anticipated. Kinda cool feature I’ve never noticed before!

View attachment 641983

Can I ask what app that is? I'm going a little bonkers continuously checking on this weather event as we're supposed to fly out of Newark at 6am on Saturday

 

[scrappinginontario]

Can I ask what app that is? I'm going a little bonkers continuously checking on this weather event as we're supposed to fly out of Newark at 6am on Saturday

WeatherNetwork

I believe you may need to look at the actual airport location to see the airplane icons.

 

[Kbosch]

im thinking about the same thing but I dont think we can swing it... so much weather checkingggggg!!!

We switched, leaving at 8:30pm and hoping we're able to get out just before the snow starts. They still can't decide if we're getting 3 inches or two feet!

Our first day at the parks is the 29th and we were planning on doing AK - but I see a high of 44 degrees that day! Will the animals even be out? I don't even know what other park to do instead lol

 

[JoJoGirl]

Fingers crossed for everyone traveling Friday and Saturday!

 

[CindysMice]

We switched, leaving at 8:30pm and hoping we're able to get out just before the snow starts. They still can't decide if we're getting 3 inches or two feet!

Our first day at the parks is the 29th and we were planning on doing AK - but I see a high of 44 degrees that day! Will the animals even be out? I don't even know what other park to do instead lol

We are doing AK on Saturday also. We leave tomorrow so I’m running around doing things and forgot to check the weather today. Holy moly. Weather channel says 48… not like it’s much better lol. I don’t think the animals come out when it’s that cold so they don’t run the Safari. I bet someone here knows for sure. All I know is what I remember reading in some trip reports.

We are meeting friends for that single day and AK is the only park they havent done so they are set on it. With or without safari and EE. If it wasn’t for them I would totally swap parks. However… now I’m actually thinking as I write this that AK might be dead because of the weather…. Maybe some short waits on FOP? Well, either way I’ll be there lol.

 

[DisneyBelle27]

What a roller coaster of a day!!!

After much thought, we decided to switch our flight to Friday b/c of the impending snow storm. After much nonsense w/having to cancel my whole roundtrip flight itinerary b/c it was booked on points, getting a glitch when trying to do it online, waiting for a call-back, watching the Fri flights I was eyeing disappear, finally getting canceled, rebooking the flight down at an airport actually closer to me, rebooking the return flight, & managing to have to spend more points but no actual extra $$ for the flight I am SO RELIEVED!!!

My BF just booked the Disney Springs Hilton for Fri night, & while we have the added expense of a hotel night, we don't need to spend on an Uber or airport parking to our departure airport b/c my dad can drive us! I will just spend the day working remotely at the hotel (we land around 9:30am), & now we'll be able to walk over to Disney Springs for the evening!

It was a stressful couple of hours but I feel SO MUCH BETTER now!

 

[Kbosch]

We are doing AK on Saturday also. We leave tomorrow so I’m running around doing things and forgot to check the weather today. Holy moly. Weather channel says 48… not like it’s much better lol. I don’t think the animals come out when it’s that cold so they don’t run the Safari. I bet someone here knows for sure. All I know is what I remember reading in some trip reports.

We are meeting friends for that single day and AK is the only park they havent done so they are set on it. With or without safari and EE. If it wasn’t for them I would totally swap parks. However… now I’m actually thinking as I write this that AK might be dead because of the weather…. Maybe some short waits on FOP? Well, either way I’ll be there lol.

Yes. Thinking I might post in the main thread. We have annual passes to the Bronx Zoo so it's not the end of the world if we don't see all of the animals... but I would still like to see a few lol

 

[DaniellePoppins]

Oh gosh I don't envy anyone in the Northeast facing trying to get out this weekend. It doesn't help that no one will commit to just how much we're looking at.

I was at AK last Saturday and it was cold and rainy. I don't remember the exact temps early morning when I was there, park opening for early hours was actually 7:30, but the animals were out. They didn't start running Safari until 8am. I went straight there and did ILL and Genie+ for Pandora rides. I can tell you it was definitely chilly, but animals were out and pretty active.

 

[DisneyBelle27]

Yes. Thinking I might post in the main thread. We have annual passes to the Bronx Zoo so it's not the end of the world if we don't see all of the animals... but I would still like to see a few lol

Oh hi! I'm a Bronx Zoo passholder too! Just registered the other day for my 8th year in a row doing their Run For The Wild 5k! It's one of my happy places, in addition to WDW.


For those worrying about animal activity in the cold - often it makes some of them even more active. Not everything might be out, but I've seen tigers, African wild dogs, lions, gazelles, and others out in the actual snow at the Bronx Zoo.

 

[Kbosch]

Oh hi! I'm a Bronx Zoo passholder too! Just registered the other day for my 8th year in a row doing their Run For The Wild 5k! It's one of my happy places, in addition to WDW.


For those worrying about animal activity in the cold - often it makes some of them even more active. Not everything might be out, but I've seen tigers, African wild dogs, lions, gazelles, and others out in the actual snow at the Bronx Zoo.

Yes! One of our best days at the zoo was when it was like 50 degrees and they were all running around. Wasn't sure if Florida animals were as tough as NY ones.

 

[DisneyBelle27]

Yes! One of our best days at the zoo was when it was like 50 degrees and they were all running around. Wasn't sure if Florida animals were as tough as NY ones.

lmao! I mean, New Yorkers are pretty tough!

If you ever get the chance, I recommend going when there's snow on the ground. There's something particularly special about seeing animals like the snow leopards, tigers, bears, bison in that weather. I've seen the snow leopards frolicking in it!

 

[VicarJT]

We are here now, and have a few days at AKL before heading to POFQ. I can tell you that the people might be a little chilly, but the animals are clearly not finding “cold and rainy” to be any obstacle. They are so much fun to watch.

 

[hulagirl87]

we are in Rochester, but flying out of Buffalo as it was a lot cheaper. Checking the weather now and it says that Saturday will be very cold, but no snow. Fingers crossed we can take off with no problems.