MLK weekend at DLR in 2009

[CanadaJulie]

I've been to WDW a few times but this January 2009 I will be going to DLR for my 1st time !!

I won a training scholarship (yeah me !) and the conference I plan on attending is in Long Beach Jan 14-15-16. I was SO excited when I figured out that DLR is right next door !!

I am trying to plan my travel dates and figured you guys would know what to do...

Either:
Jan 9-17th: Go early and do Disney first then finish with the conference (not my first choice cause I won't want to leave Disney to go to the conference)
Jan 13-21st: Do the conference first but stay longer to do Disney after. This is my first choice (do the work, then have the vacation) but I just figured out it was MLK weekend !

I am from Canada and that's not a holiday we get up here so I'm not sure what to expect. How are the crowds on MLK weekend ? Should I try to avoid that weekend ?

I had figured a Disney Day on the weekend (sat or sun) and another on the Tuesday. It's just my boyfriend and I - he's never been to Disney and I didn't want to tire him out with more than 2 days - but if the crowds are horendous then I'm gonna have to rethink this !

I heard there's something about Inauguration day ? Might be on that Tuesday (Jan 20th)... What is that and how does that affect the crowds !

This is so much to think about !!

Please help !!

Julie

 

[Sleepless Knight]

Inaguration Day is when the new President of the United States will take office. It will have very little, if any impact, on the crowds since it's a normal day. Schools are still in session, the banks are open, and everybody goes about their business like normal. Martin Luther King will likely feature large crowds since it's a federal holiday with no school.

 

[CanadaJulie]

Ohhh ! "That" Inauguration day ! That makes sense...

What would you suggest ? Going the weekend before or braving MLK w/e crowds ?

Also, since my plans were to go tp the parks one day on the w/e and the tuesday if I go over that long w/e. How will the crowds be on Tuesday. I assume everyone is back home and to work by then...

Julie

 

[Crazy4Goofy]

We were in Disneyland the week of the MLK holiday in January 2007. Our first day was a Sunday, with the next day being the holiday, our second Disney day. We didn't find it to be too busy or have crowds we couldn't handle. I have been to Disneyland at much busier times, so I say go for it. In fact we went this last April and it was much busier than January. I would go in January again in a heart beat!!

 

[CanadaJulie]

I checked the airline prices and see no difference whether I travel before or after. However, the prices of hotels seem to be a factor over that weekend... Some are more than double on MLK weekend than the w/e before !

Hmmm...

What are crowds like in January 9-13 - meaning "not MLK weekend" ? What would be the difference in wait time from one weekend to the next on the best rides ? If it's 10 mins on the first weekened and 20 mins on the next, it's not that big a factor but if we go from 10 mins to well over an hour, then I'm gonna want to re-think this ! We only have 2 days to do the parks, I'd hate to have to waste it by standing in line...

Julie