Last minute January trip: reasons NOT to?

[megs1313]

Sort of on a whim, we are thinking about a trip mid january. There are some really decent resort and flight deals and we have some airline points that we can use that will make the flights basically free for our family of 5. It looks like we can have a 10d/9night stay at CBR for right around $3K. It seems like a pretty good deal to me.

BUT, I haven't been endlessly researching and planning for this, so I'm wondering if I'm missing something like: closures? refurbs? large crowds predicted?

So, is something up this january that is making everything so cheap? Help me out!

 

[mountdew1]

Jan is just a slower time of year. Lots of kids just had Christmas/NYE vacation, so families won't take a trip. The parks do tend to close earlier at night, and WDW does tend to do refurbs in Jan, particularly water rides. I think this is the first year in many that Splash isn't closing down for a month long (or there abouts) refurb. It may get cold (I've been there early Jan when it has hit freezing).

 

[Selket]

Negatives? Hmmm...looking at the ages of your children they are probably big fans of swimming and it could be really very chilly so the pool could be hard to do. The weather when I've been in December/early January has been quite variable so you really don't know. Might be sunny and 80!

I'd go in a heartbeat - lol! You might actually get lower crowds - which seems to be an elusive thing these days.

 

[luvmarypoppins]

If you go and are from a snowy area I would factor that into the trip, such as not making an adr closer to your arrival time and keeping money in the budget for food and an extra day at a resort if your flight gets delayed/cancelled outbound.

We have done Feb. once and it was really way too cold to swim when the kids were younger. We are going Dec. 12-17 just dh and I.

Also stock up on all the meds you need to take since its cold/flu season. I guess its ok that your kids will miss class for a week or if you homeschool it really doesnt matter.

I think you will have a great time!

 

[megs1313]

If you go and are from a snowy area I would factor that into the trip, such as not making an adr closer to your arrival time and keeping money in the budget for food and an extra day at a resort if your flight gets delayed/cancelled outbound.

We have done Feb. once and it was really way too cold to swim when the kids were younger. We are going Dec. 12-17 just dh and I.

Also stock up on all the meds you need to take since its cold/flu season. I guess its ok that your kids will miss class for a week or if you homeschool it really doesnt matter.

I think you will have a great time!

I do homeschool, so no worries there. And i'm from TX, so snow is unlikely. Thanks for the well wishes!

 

[SweetMissy]

We went this past January and it was the coldest we had ever been. MIL felt the need to buy hat and gloves for everyone on our 2nd day there, lol. Even during the day was chilly. But being from NY, it was doable. We also homeschool, so that's another plus! I say go for it!

 

[GEM]

We go for several weeks in January every year. Crowds are low, weather is generally very nice. It can be really cold, but that's unusual. It does happen, though, so be prepared for it, just in case. Last year, the first part of our trip was HOT. The last part was cold and wet. It's a great time of year for the hot tubs, though.

 

[Micca]

The only thing I could think of was the missing school issue, but you've addressed that. Go for it!

 

[CarolynFH]

One of the reasons that you can get such good hotel and airfare deals is that January is NOT a busy time for WDW & Orlando, relatively speaking, of course. So they lower the prices to encourage folks to come!

January is our favorite time to go, despite the unpredictable weather!

 

[snowybelle]

We went mid-January of this year and we FROZE. And we are from Minnesota. (I mean, it wasn't as cold as MN, but it was not the Florida weather we were used to. We did not pack well for as cold as it was.) I was especially sad because it made my favorite attraction in all of WDW -- Splash Mountain -- a pretty miserable experience. We also ended up retiring before fireworks because we were just too cold and tired.

But crowds were fairly low, so that was nice!

 

[Accident]

Avatar opening this summer.

Jan hasnt been slow in 4 years, but above might help that next year.

Parks not staying open very late lately so if slow, really early close times.

Many Schools dont go back until jan 9, so xmas crowd will linger until mid jan and probably holiday decor as well.

Water rides tend to close down (i heard weather related but none scheduled so maybe not this year) if that is a must.

 

[twinpines]

op- are you looking at DAL to MCO for $44 on southwest? I was SHOCKED when I saw that.... Sooo tempting! But we are passing this time. We went in January 2015 and it was chilly in the morning; but warmed up by mid day.

 

[megs1313]

op- are you looking at DAL to MCO for $44 on southwest? I was SHOCKED when I saw that.... Sooo tempting! But we are passing this time. We went in January 2015 and it was chilly in the morning; but warmed up by mid day.

YES! I told DH about it and our friends were taking advantage of it and he just booked it! Flights for all 5 of us are paid for with points! It's insane!

 

[janicept]

Only negative for me is the colder weather at that time but you never really know. Have fun.

 

[wollydoodle]

I would going to say ADR'S if you like to do particular table service restaurants, but I think it might be fun to see what you can get last minute and try something new and different!

 

[magicwdw]

We go every January and it is now our favorite month. Everybody touched on what to expect - lower crowds and variable weather. We always go for 7 or 8 days and most days are fine weather-wise (highs around 65 to 70 and lows around 50), but there is the occasional day or two where it's colder (and also a day or two that might be warmer). So excited that Splash will be open.

 

[Hoosier Mom]

We've gone in January 2010, 2012, 2014.....and the only thing we've noticed that each time it was a bit busier as far as crowds, but still very short waits. We usually only use fastpasses for Test Track, Buzz Lightyear, and Big Thunder Mountain. We've gone swimming all of those years except 2014. 2014 was really rainy and chilly for our week. My son and I had a fleece that we put under our raincoats, and my husband purchased a sweatshirt. We love January trips. We are headed there this January. I'm hoping the Pro-Bowl doesn't affect the crowds too much. And this year, we may even try to ride splash mountain for the first time ever. I'm wondering if I might want some cheap ponchos though. I don't like being wet for the rest of the day. Not sure how much splash there is on splash mountain.

 

[Wood Nymph]

We've gone many times in January. We love the low airfares and the Disney resort rates at very low, too. The parks usually close early with MK often closing at 8pm. We have gotten some freezing cold weather, so cold that Florida has announced frost and freeze warnings. But it is also less crowded. Usually the warmest we would get in mid January would be in the low 70's. The nights are usually chilly. Just bring warm clothes and you'll be alright.

 

[cindyfan]

Are you going over the Martin Luther King weekend? If so that will be VERY crowded. And just curious, does your $3k included tickets or dining? If so, that is a great deal. What promo did you use?

 

[megs1313]

Are you going over the Martin Luther King weekend? If so that will be VERY crowded. And just curious, does your $3k included tickets or dining? If so, that is a great deal. What promo did you use?

No, we're arriving after MLK day. Our package is the 5 of us (3 adult price, 2 child) 9 nights/10 days at CBR in a standard room with base tickets for $3,150. With free airfare, it's a pretty good deal. It's the gift of magic package discount.