January 2024…499 days?

[landryfam]

Few questions…

We can still call to book reservations for January 2024 correct? Is the 499 day mark from day of check in or check out?

Never been in January. How full is the campground usually for the 2nd week (1/6-1/13)? Multiple families booking different site types, curious if super important to book asap or if some wait still have chance to get a site later on.

January tent camping? Opinions… too cold or perfect weather? Anyone know measurements of the tent pad, able to fit multiple tents? Have pictures of your tent setup or January experience?

Thanks!

 

[Teamubr]

We were just at the Fort the 2nd and 3rd week of January this year. You should be able to book 499/500 days from your arrival day.

Your arrival weekend is typically a RunDisney weekend. The Fort (and parks) will be busy until Monday, but it clears out nicely after that. Weather will be a mix. Cool at night (a couple of mornings were in the 40s) and 60-70 during the day. We only used the A/C once or twice in the 2 weeks. We ran the furnace/heat pump or an electric heater every evening/night.
Lots of people tent camping then, including people in the site next to us, who were there from Canada for a month.

Take things to stay cool and warm.

j

 

[wdw_dine_junkie]

January weather is always a crapshoot in FL. We usually go the last of January and this year it was below freezing one night, cold and rainy most of the week. You just have to book dates that work for you and hope for the best, it could also be 60s-80s and sun shining all week, thankfully more chance of that. But be prepared for either.

 

[Teamubr]

Our own @snowmedic regularly tent camps at the Fort that time of year. He has a great setup. He is from Vermont, minutes from Canada so Florida cold doesn't bother him.

Here was the setup for the people next to us and also answers the question about having multiple campers and a tent on the same site. They also had a pickup they pulled the TT with. If it fits...

j

 

[bama_ed]

I'll pile on here also.

We've been several times in early January for the Marathon week and were also there this past January for the 3rd week of the month.

First if you're planning to arrive Saturday Jan 6, 2024, that will be the Half Marathon morning race with the Full on Sunday Jan 7, 20224 (estimated dates if the past pattern holds). The Fort gets reserved up pretty early with folks hoping to snag a race spot months later when its registration opens. Also your departure date Saturday Jan 13, 2024 is the Saturday leading into Martin Luther King day on Monday the 15th which is a popular 3-day weekend time for folks at the Fort and WDW. So THAT weekend will book up pretty quickly as well.

Personally I would not wait. The Tent sites might be available for a while after the window opens but Full and Preferred (which have the tent gravel pads) book up pretty fast it seems. There are no standard pad sizes as some sites have small ones (1501, 201) and some are huge (in 2000 loop) so difficult to say if multiple tents will fit. Best advice there is to reserve a Tent site and request 2000 loop for example.

As others say, weather can be all over the place. I stood on Epcot Boulevard one dark morning waiting for a Half Marathon to start and it was in the high 30s. Beautiful days have been in the 70s (which felt wonderful in the sun). So you have to be prepared for just about anything.

The ACTUAL booking window starts 500 days from ARRIVAL (which equates to 499 nights-same thing). So using my calendar calculator, your booking window opens August 24, 2022 for a January 6, 2024 arrival. And yes, you would have to do this by phone.

Bama Ed

 

[landryfam]

My calculations were correct…plan to call 8/24
We plan to book premium which is type we stayed on our last 2 trips (week before Thanksgiving 2016 and Mardi Gras 2019). Original plan was for extended family trip in mid December but with current pricing we decided to move to January. Never been in January. Have some in college so will still be on break, some with kids who will have to miss school, some that have never been to Disney, most never to the Fort, and some with large family and overall cost may be too much to swing. I’m hoping Christmas holiday crowds will be gone and trying to fit our time in between those January events. Gathering details to share with as many options available to help everyone meet their family’s needs.

Thank you all for the feedback!

 

[bama_ed]

I will add that, having been on marathon weekends, the Sunday (actual marathon day) event is out of the Magic Kingdom by the regular opening time. And the MK park itself is still decked out in all its Christmas decorations. The decorations are left up until the Marathon weekend is over and then it all starts coming down quickly (starting Sunday night). So if you (or anyone else) wants to see the MK all decked out, you will want to hit it on Sunday.

Bama Ed

 

[landryfam]

I will add that, having been on marathon weekends, the Sunday (actual marathon day) event is out of the Magic Kingdom by the regular opening time. And the MK park itself is still decked out in all its Christmas decorations. The decorations are left up until the Marathon weekend is over and then it all starts coming down quickly (starting Sunday night). So if you (or anyone else) wants to see the MK all decked out, you will want to hit it on Sunday.

Bama Ed

Ahhh thanks for that tip!
Christmas is our favorite time there. I’ll pass this info on

 

[morrik5]

My calculations were correct…plan to call 8/24
We plan to book premium which is type we stayed on our last 2 trips (week before Thanksgiving 2016 and Mardi Gras 2019). Original plan was for extended family trip in mid December but with current pricing we decided to move to January. Never been in January. Have some in college so will still be on break, some with kids who will have to miss school, some that have never been to Disney, most never to the Fort, and some with large family and overall cost may be too much to swing. I’m hoping Christmas holiday crowds will be gone and trying to fit our time in between those January events. Gathering details to share with as many options available to help everyone meet their family’s needs.

Thank you all for the feedback!

Check out the 1100 loop which is Premium, a short walk to Meadows Trading Post and has a bus stop at the end of the loop. We like it personally.

 

[friendofeeyore]

We always preferred Jan or Feb. The weather was perfect in Feb. Nice days cool nights & no rain.

 

[cinderellagirl2280]

Just a heads up that have have just changed that booking policy.

 

[Brocktoon]

Just a heads up that have have just changed that booking policy.

Yep ... I was just going to post the same, as the news is breaking this morning. The new policy will probably have a much larger effect on the campsites than any of the room reservations

 

[Teamubr]

Here are the details.

Disney World Shortens Advance Booking Window for Hotel Rooms

Starting today, Disney World has shortened the advance booking window for room-only hotel reservations. Previously, the window was 499 days from the current date. Reservations so far in advance were only available to be made by phone. Now, Disney is shortening the booking window for room-only reservations to however far out their current annual product is. For example, right now, dates are only available through the end of 2023. When 2024 dates and prices are released next spring, the booking window will then follow to the end of 2024. Here’s the announcement:

 

[bama_ed]

So basically the 500 day rule is CAPUT! and now we all have to wait for the time in the current year spring when "packages" became available for the next year - which is also the time the on-line booking tool became able to handle room-only reservations for the next year. At least that's how I understand it.

Does that mean when the "annual product window" release will remain in spring and those guests wanting a January reservation will get at most 6-8 months advance notice to secure that reservation? Or will the roll-out of the "annual product window" occur sooner in the current year? I hope that's the case.

I always thought that 16-17 months (500 days) was too long a time period. And 6-8 months is too short. I think a year out from arrival is appropriate IMO (and nobody asked for it). Even for international visitors, a year is enough time. A simple rolling "one-year-in-advance" arrival rule would be sufficient. And with the limited modification rules now in effect at times (especially surrounding the arrival date itself), a shorter but consistent window rule would be fundamental and predictable.

In the current process, this change eliminates the need for calling before the rollout which means fewer calls to paid Cast Members in Reservations which lowers labor costs.

Bama Ed

 

[Teamubr]

So basically the 500 day rule is CAPUT! and now we all have to wait for the time in the current year spring when "packages" became available for the next year - which is also the time the on-line booking tool became able to handle room-only reservations for the next year. At least that's how I understand it.

Does that mean when the "annual product window" release will remain in spring and those guests wanting a January reservation will get at most 6-8 months advance notice to secure that reservation? Or will the roll-out of the "annual product window" occur sooner in the current year? I hope that's the case.

In the current process, this change eliminates the need for calling before the rollout which means fewer calls to paid Cast Members in Reservations which lowers labor costs.

Instead of spreading out calls for key times, they are now guaranteeing the system will crash when all the Spring Break, holidays, race weekends and any other hard to get time all open at once.

Lovely

I agree. One year seems reasonable. Many places are at a rolling 1 year. We'll see if Disney changes how they "drop" the reservation on the web site. The current model (once a year) is certian chaos.

j

 

[StormyCA]

Well, that's interesting! We do a package so have always booked in what they are referring to as 'Spring' which in actuality is usually early to mid June. I know, that's 'technically' still Spring, but very late Spring. I've never had a problem getting my dates, but then I get right on there on 'opening day' and I've never tried to book during a 'peak' or 'event' season.

Wondering if they're trying to level the playing field so that guests 'in the know' can't book out lodgings way in advance thereby decreasing the periods of availability for people booking packages.

I also think this brings WDW more into alignment with DLR's booking window.

 

[landryfam]

Yep. Hadn’t been back on the thread in last few days and just called this morning. She couldn’t give me a date to share with the rest of my group “we are telling people spring or early summer for 2024”.

Now I wait and stalk the site lol

 

[StormyCA]

Yep. Hadn’t been back on the thread in last few days and just called this morning. She couldn’t give me a date to share with the rest of my group “we are telling people spring or early summer for 2024”.

Now I wait and stalk the site lol

The opening date this year for 2023 packages was June 8. The opening dates for 2021 packages was June 18. If they’re using the package dates now to open room only ressies, start haunting the site in late May ‘just in case’.