Just got back today....some thoughts...

[Toby]

Whoever said that the parks clear out after January 2 needs to return there to see that theory go out the window. Not only hadn't people left, every park was mobbed. My husband and I flew down on Jan. 2 and returned today. Granted, the crowds were not like they are at Christmas, but they were big. I have come to the conclusion that the Magic Kingdom will never, ever, be "not crowded" - unless it's 4:00am...Not complaining - we had a great time, weather high 70's - low 80's, friendly people, but no ride was really a "walk-on" that people claim at this time of year. 50 minutes for Peter Pan, at one point....oh well!!

 

[llij]

I'll remember your advice for when we go in a few weeks. I was thinking that the crowd level would be very low. Oh well, we'll just make the most of it!

 

[Jasminesmommy]

End of Sept all rides at MK are walk on. I would think this close to christmad and new years it would still be crowded.

 

[luvmick]

Yes, it seems "off season" is getting harder and harder to come by.But a busy day at Disney is better then a day at work!!

 

[safetymom]

I think it is busier this week because of the marathon. Probably next week will be slower.

 

[Simba's Mom]

Whoever said that the parks clear out after January 2 needs to return there to see that theory go out the window. Not only hadn't people left, every park was mobbed.

That's what a CM told me a few years ago, that the parks clear out right after the first. However, I was there 1/1-1/6, and saw the mobs too. Believe me, I'm eating my words now! That theory is right out the window for me now. Boy, am I sorry!

 

[Pinnie]

I agree with the poster that mentioned the Marathon being run this weekend. I heard from a friend of mine who is a CM that they are expecting 17,000 this weekend to run. That doesn't include the family members and friends that accompany them!

pinnie

 

[Taratink]

Last year we went the first week of Feb and it was not busy. On average there was a 20 minute wait for the popular rides. It picked up late afternoon.
Tara

 

[Selket]

I've been a few times in early January right after New Years and the MK could be rather crowded. Perhaps folks take a 2 week vacation and spend the 1st week with family in FL over the holidays (?) and the 2nd week at Disney. Or maybe they spend the 1st week at home and the 2nd week on vacation at WDW. We also one year ran into a lot of folks who had come down for the college bowl games that were being played in FL and then came to WDW after the games were over.

I would guess the 2nd week of Jan on out is not as crowded until around President's day in Feb. but I've never been during that time frame.

 

[Pats Dragon]

we went one february thinking the crowds would be light and the lines were out the door at most of the attractions at epcot!!!you just never know. The good thing about DW is that they monitor the crowds and expected crowds and there are additional entertainment and extended hours. Have fun.

 

[Daisy Duck 5]

When we were there between Christmas and New Years as the wait for Peter Pan was an 1 1/2 hours so it has died down.

 

[Carrieberry]

NNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[meandtheguys2]

We went the last week of Jan and first week of Feb. last year. Crowds not a problem Carrieberry! Breathe in.. Breathe out!

 

[bizeemom4]

NNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ditto. Plus it's going to be cold and rainy for MLK weekend. My turn.
NNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :jumping4:

 

[n2mm]

There is just no slow time anymore and even if you find it, it's usually a day in the middle of the week. Weekends are crowded 52 weekends a year and MK is always crowded. We go late January or early February; the first 2 weeks of May; late July; and the last 2 weeks of October, every year, and even though we avoid ALL holidays, it is never not crowded. The crowds are always there. We actually made a HUGE mistake this year by doing mid-December for a long weekend (10-13) and will NEVER go in December again. The crowds were the worse I've ever seen them and MGM reached capacity the night we were there--just a reminder to ourselves why we avoid Easter/Spring break and Christmas. We'll be there next week and am hoping the weather forecast gets a little better, but if not, no big deal.

 

[Muffy]

It does sound busy at the parks. Thanks for the report. I'll be there next month and can't wait!

 

[Micca]

We've been going to WDW since the late 70s, and while I do remember some occasions when the parks seemed nearly "empty", I can't say that I recall any days like that in the past 2-3 years(having been there at various times of year). I think this makes the strategies for touring in books such as the UG an important part of planning. There will be big crowds at WDW, but you can minimize their impact on your holiday.

 

[David0454]

can anybody tell if the 3th week of feb 05 is a good time to go. been there 1st week in dec 2001 02 03 04 thank you

 

[Laugh O. Grams]

can anybody tell if the 3th week of feb 05 is a good time to go. been there 1st week in dec 2001 02 03 04 thank you

The 3rd week of February is between the end of value (slow) season and the beginning of the busy season. What you'll get is anyone's guess.
As far as the Marathon, we were there last year with my Bro in Law running the race and the morning of the Marathon, Epcot was absolutely cleared out, I mean noone in sight. It was great because we had our nephews and were able to hit all rides in Future World in a couple hours and Test Track 3 times before we started to see a lot of people.

 

[alloyd1170]

We were there 1/2-1/4 and I too was surprised at how many people were still there. The monorail operator told us that Christmas day they had all 12 monorails running (4 on Epcot loop) and on that day (Mon) they had 3 still running that loop. He also said that the FL kids didnt go back to school until 1/5 so they got to play longer. Plus there seemed to be a lot of foreign tourists there too and who knows what their schedules were like. The wait times werent bad though (I found it better than Presidents Week) since they had everything running, not just a few (like the Indy Cars-they had 3 lanes going vs 2). We managed to ride a few things back to back, and thanks to the extra hours at night for resorts guests we could do more too. At Epcot they kept Test Track and Mission Space open until 9 even though the rest of that area closed at 7. My husband was able to ride those rides several times within an hour. If a line was over 30 minutes, we skipped it or went back later. We used Fast Pass whenever it was available and we just couldnt figure out why others werent doing the same. The wait for Little Mermaid and Buzz was over an hour long, yet we walked right up and got FP for the next show (starting in 20 minutes) / the next time slot (30 minutes). When it was our time, we bascially walked right on, bypassing all those who had been waiting for over an hour (they didnt look happy as a large group breezed on by). Instead of standing in line that long, we were able to squeeze in a few other rides, or grab something to eat. The weather was terrific (mid to high 70s and sunny). Despite the crowds, we all had a good time!

alison