May go in January... What to do after parks close?

[BeckWhy]

LoL! Parks close around 7ish (9 at the latest). Besides Pleasure Island (under 21 and not much of bar/club people) what is there to do in the World?

 

[jerseydizdreamer]

Although I've never been in January, the week I normally go (the Saturday after Thanksgiving until the first Saturday in December)usually has reduced hours as well, at least during the week. But I've never had a problem finding ways to entertain myself, so let me share a few of them!

Shop 'Til You Drop: Head over to Downtown Disney, where you'll find all kinds of shops to explore and food to devour.

Games People Play: If you have passes which include admission to this huge "arcade is so the wrong word" arcade, hit it. You'll find lots of family fun... I have yet to see anyone get on board Buzz Lightyar's Astroblasters and not have, well, a blast.

Clown Around: Sure, it's pricey, but try and take in Cirque du Soleil. You've never seen anything like it... and probably never will again!

Pleasure Island: I know, I know, you say you're not club people. But try The Adventurer's Club for a very fun, very "non-cluby" evening. The entertainment here is completely unique, and you're sure to walk away with a smile.

Under The Boardwalk: Ok, not under it, but on it. The Boardwalk has all kinds of fun things to do, including shopping, eating and the dueling-pianos fun of Jellyrolls.

Dinner & A Show: Take in the Polynesian Luau, the Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Review.

Explore: I love picking a resort or two to visit in the evenings, and explore to my heart's content. Some in particular lend themselves to nighttime visits. The Animal Kingdom lodge is just gorgeous at night. If you like wandering around checking things out, the resorts are a lot of fun in this regard.

HOpe any or all of this is a little help in your decision!

Richard

 

[blanq]

Richard's list is a great one, and includes many of the things we like to do during those periods when park hours are reduced. I'll add a couple more.

Mini Golf: We like to have dinner somewhere in the Boardwalk loop, and then walk over for a couple of rounds at Fantasia.

Movie: DTD has a great movie theatre complex.

Kitchen Sink: Head over to Beaches and Cream for their famous Kitchen Sink.

Jiko: Take a bus to AKL and have a wonderful meal at Jiko. When you are done with your meal, explore the animal viewing areas.

There is so much to do at WDW, besides the parks. Reduced park hours provides a great opportunity to explore all that WDW has to offer.

Linda

 

[Harambe]

Hello! We are January travelers, too! Lots of good suggestions already. One thing we love to do is have a resort night (gives me time to do laundry. LOL!). If it is warm enough we hang at the pool. Each resort has a decent arcade, and we stop in there. Then we browse the resort shops (deluxe resorts usually have a handful of shops). We also enjoy a nice laid back meal at a restaurant right at our resort, then head up to our room for some TV. Sound boring? Maybe - but if you plan it smack-dab in the middle of your week, you'll be gald you did!!!!!

Also - I know that a lot of folks complain about EE - but the off-season is the time to use it!

 

[jann1033]

lots of great suggestions so far but how about the campfire at Fort wilderness and (here i go again) the hayride at FW. We are trying the adventurers club this time ,definitely not the club types either, but that one sounds like fun (plus it's in the Pass!) and we also like to just sit around and people watch at our resort one night, get coffee and dessert and just relax...It Is vacation time!

 

[CindyAnn]

Sadly, we manage just fine with the reduced hours in January because it lets us sleep. Some evenings I just can't believe how early we crawl into bed at WDW! I was going to suggest one of the dinner shows - the Luau at the Polynesian or the HDDR at Fort Wilderness.

 

[tjkraz]

I'm with CindyAnn. If you're used to traveling in the busy seasons, you might be surprised at how much more ground you cover in a typical day during the off-season. Most of the rides will have waits of 10 min or less (using FastPass when appropriate), so rather than standing in line for 30-45 minutes for a single ride, you're much more likely to spend your time moving briskly from one attraction to another.

Regarding the hours, AK will always close early. It isn't even open very late during peak seasons.

Epcot's World Showcase will be open until after the Illuminations show at 9pm. With a 25-30 minute show, it's likely to be close to 10pm before you are on a bus / monorail / your car.

At MGM, the latest Fantasmic is likely to be 7:30. That will put you in the 8:30 vicinity as you leave the park.

Lastly, the hours can vary greatly at MK. It could close as early as 6pm, or be open until after 9pm with the fireworks show.

Downtown Disney is great in the evenings. Shops should be open until 11pm. Also look-up some information on DisneyQuest. If you enjoy video games and other interactive gaming, it may be right up your alley. Adminssion to DQ is included if you are getting the Unlimited Park Hopper (UPH) pass or Premium Annual Pass. If you have any other type of admission medium, you'll have to pay extra for DQ.