My Last Time To Ask About This - Crowds

[KyleAfterAWhile]

Which of these options will provide lower crowds?

The first/second week of December or a week (unrelated to MLK) to January in 2019?

I am not basing my planning upon Christmas activities or Disney having more to offer during my visit, so please do not base your response on that. I will be there here before too long,so that is my Christmas in Disney vacation.

I am truly looking for lower crowds for somebody who deals with anxiety with big packs of people. Some websites say January is the best, others say early December and a few say January. What I cannot decipher is how many of them are basing this on experience because they live in the area and which ones are fans and therefore they just kind of copy and paste what others say.

Seems Kenny The Pirate doesn't have a day job and he is at Disney a lot, therefore most likely very reliable as is Touring Plans and Undercover Tourist??? I cannot tell about the Dad planning page, WDW PrepSchool (sounds like a tour guide mike spin-off)

 

[debdebdebby13]

I would think late January has lower crowds than early December. We are going the last week of January into the first week of February and the crowds on Touring Plans are pretty darn low, mostly 2-4s, except the weekend days, which are 6s mostly, as one would expect.

 

[CrazyHare]

It’s going to depend, slightly on how the Pop Warner football/cheerleader stuff (early Dec) and Disney run events (Jan) are scheduled. If you can find how those are scheduled, you may be to cypher out the best time to go.

 

[bladiator]

I would think late January has lower crowds than early December. We are going the last week of January into the first week of February and the crowds on Touring Plans are pretty darn low, mostly 2-4s, except the weekend days, which are 6s mostly, as one would expect.

I agree.

 

[rpb718]

January, at least the 2nd week onward, should be lighter crowdwise. I think there will be some rework needed to the crowd calendars anyway due to Toy Story Land opening in 2018 over at HS. Between the draw of Toy Story Land, some traction still for Pandora in AK and EPCOT's Festival of the Arts - MK should be a dream. Might want to avoid HS this time around though, or at least the Toy Story Land part if crowds are an issue.

 

[mombrontrent]

We were there this year January 15-22 and crowds were very manageable, would definitely go at this time again. Haven’t been in December so can’t help you there.

 

[KbarrMVP]

I have visited WDW in early December and also in mid-January. Mid-January was by far the least crowded. However, with that being said, it was also cooler the week we were there (50s). So maybe that's why it wasn't crowded. As CrazyHare mentioned, it really depends on special events scheduled. It is busier when the cheerleading competition is going on and during RunDisney.

 

[Lothlórien]

I don't know if @kennythepirate has a "day job" or not (LOL), but his information is usually spot on where crowds are concerned. He has a FB group as well as a website you can join.

 

[TiffanyA]

I have been both of the times. Mid-January as long as it does not coincide with a large planned Disney event.

 

[mousefan215]

I’ve been both 2nd week of December and 2nd week of January. January was super low crowds but December wasn’t terrible either, maybe a little more crowded but I would t hesitate to go back first part of December again. I think you’re good either time with january having a slight edge on lower crowds ( assuming it isn’t during a marathon or MLK day/week )

 

[kennythepirate]

Which of these options will provide lower crowds?

The first/second week of December or a week (unrelated to MLK) to January in 2019?

I am not basing my planning upon Christmas activities or Disney having more to offer during my visit, so please do not base your response on that. I will be there here before too long,so that is my Christmas in Disney vacation.

I am truly looking for lower crowds for somebody who deals with anxiety with big packs of people. Some websites say January is the best, others say early December and a few say January. What I cannot decipher is how many of them are basing this on experience because they live in the area and which ones are fans and therefore they just kind of copy and paste what others say.

Seems Kenny The Pirate doesn't have a day job and he is at Disney a lot, therefore most likely very reliable as is Touring Plans and Undercover Tourist??? I cannot tell about the Dad planning page, WDW PrepSchool (sounds like a tour guide mike spin-off)

Providing quality information is my job

 

[SarahC97]

You have to look at historical crowds and the crowd calendars and hope for the best, IMO. They've been spot on some times I've gone and way off others. Pick a time of year that is traditionally lower crowds and keep your fingers crossed.

 

[sunflare]

As a note, the marathon is the 9-13 in 2019, so the crowds probably won't drop until the 15th or so.