MLK weekend vs first week of Jan for crowd levels

[Donald Duck888]

I was just wondering if the crowd levels are higher right after the start of the year with people still there from Holidays (say Jan 2-6) or over the MLK holiday weekend (say Jan 15-20)?

Thanks

 

[disneydreamer1980]

I’d say MLK weekend would be worse but just a guess. I remember when all of January was empty. Ah the good morning old days.

 

[disneydreamer1980]

I’d say MLK weekend would be worse but just a guess. I remember when all of January was empty. Ah the good old days.

 

[Donald Duck888]

I’d say MLK weekend would be worse but just a guess. I remember when all of January was empty. Ah the good old days.

I remember those days as well. Used to go in Jan alot and it was great. Nice and cool, low crowds. Now it is pretty busy all year round it seems. Just some times its "busy" and other times its "crazy busy".

 

[Harambe]

We've done both. Seems like the earlier days were less busy but that depends on when the holiday falls. Like this year, Jan 1 is a Wednesday, so maybe people are staying throughout the rest of the week (using only 2 vacation days from work) and maybe even through the weekend. But I bet on Jan 6, that Monday, you would see a bit of a break in the crowd levels before the Marathon people start coming in for the following weekend.

Like others said, every possible week in WDW has something going on, and something to think about.

 

[AngieInOH]

Jumping in because everything I've read on here the first week of Jan is still a madhouse from Christmas. Lots of schools are out that week, mine included. MLK weekend was busy, but managable, crowds lightened up significantly after Monday. No question I would pick MLK.

 

[sponica]

Probably depends on when the marathon is...I feel like one year NYE and the marathon were on top of each other...

 

[TinkSassy]

Marathon weekend is the 8th - 12th. So it will be busy before and after. I think you are about equal chance of heavy crowds either week. We will be there MLK weekend - 2nd year in a row. It wasn't too bad last year - nothing like spring break will be

 

[SaintsManiac]

I did MLK in 2018. I thought it was fine with the exception of MK on Sunday. THAT was chaos.

 

[Donald Duck888]

Interesting, I was leaning towards doing Jan 1-6 but now that i see the Marathon is on the 8th then perhaps the end of week leading up to MLK day (Jan 15-20) might be better. Trying really hard to keep from having my daughter miss any more school than necessary makes planning so much harder. Thanks to all for the info.

 

[vinotinto]

Very interested in the answers to this question. My kids are off school through January 6th and we all have MLK off, so was looking at similar dates for a quick 3-night jaunt.

 

[Zippa D Doodah]

We've been over MLK weekend on numerous occasions and found it to be very manageable. We have not gone over MLK since 2017, and its been since then that I see reports that MLK weekend is now officially a cray cray time. Go figure

 

[AngieInOH]

I was there 2019 MLK. If you can, stay away from MK Sat Sun and Mon. We found the other parks very manageable on those days. Crowds die down significantly after that.

 

[Eeyore54 fred]

We were there this year for MLK weekend and the week following. The weekend was busy but the week following wasn’t too bad. Have been there the first week of January several times, although not recently, and it always seemed busy.

 

[Donald Duck888]

I was there 2019 MLK. If you can, stay away from MK Sat Sun and Mon. We found the other parks very manageable on those days. Crowds die down significantly after that.

Interesting, sounds like if we go Thurs-Mon then and go to MK on Friday then it might not be so bad crowd wise. Still have the whole Galaxy's edge thing to think about though as that area might be crazy on the Sat/Sun as well from the sound of it.

 

[Nanceliz319]

We have moved our trip from Dec 2020 to Jan 2021. We are looking at going the 7th-17th. Heading back home MLK weekend. I've done a good bit of looking at crowd levels. Since we haven't locked it down, I would also like input on this.

 

[TeacupsForever]

My guess is that MLK is busier than people expect, but I think it depends heavily on where New Years falls, like others have mentioned.

We were there for the week in between New Years and MLK (the 5th to the 11th, or something like that) in 2017. It was a Friday to Thursday, if I recall. The marathon fell during the first half of our week, and we didn't notice any heightened crowds for that. The only times that felt busy were the Saturday of the marathon (I suspect because we made the mistake of going to Epcot on a Saturday during the Art Festival) and the Thursday before MLK. Maybe from people starting to trickle in early for the holiday weekend?

My cousin has been there over MLK and complained about crowds, but she also didn't have much of a touring plan and was comparing crowd levels to our trips as kids back in the late 90s.

 

[TeamSy]

We used to do MLK weekend all the time but haven’t in about 3 years. It used to be VERY manageable but we’d just tend to do MK NOT on that Saturday and never had any problems. We stopped going then not because the crowds but because the weather. Some years it was warm/hot and amazing but others it was high 40s/50s and too cold for our liking! We like when they sell Mickey ice cream bars, not hot chocolate! And there was something so off about seeing winter coats around the parks!

 

[xipotec]

Would love an update on this thread after next week. Planning on MLK 2021......going to goto US the weekend, then WDW the following week.

thanks!

 

[Mckys#1Fan]

We are flying in Monday afternoon. Park days will be Tuesday-Friday. Hoping for great weather and low-moderate crowds!!