Opinions on going in January please

[JJsmama]

Can anyone give your experience / opinion about doing the World in mid January? We've never been when it wasn't high season and we'd like to try it but we're nervous: Is there a lot NOT open? Do the parades still happen every day? How are the hours?

Thanks!

 

[shoney]

I went in Jan 2004 and Jan 1995. Both times were a bit chilly. In 2004, we spent over $400 on jackets (it was in the low thirties and damp while watching the fireworks). Then, by the end of the week in was in the mid sixties.
Most stuff is open and lines are short so you get to do everything quickly. We are going in a week and a half and are concerned about going in high season!

 

[NC Disney Family]

We have been in January twice. Once the second week and once the week staring with MLK weekend. MLK weekend was busy, but slowed down after monday. Both trips were fabulous. 78 degree weather, slow crowds. I love January at WDW. CMs say the first week of Jan. is one of the slowest all year. The parks do close early (6-7 pm, EPCOT at 9pm). The afternoon parades still run everyday, and on the weekends they may run Spectromagic. We found afternoon breaks weren't possible due to earlier park closing. But, we didn't really need one because it wasn't hot. There was also very little to no rain on the January trips. As far as atttactions, most everything was open. One water park will be open. And some rides may down for referb., but there is still plenty to do. I have also been the second week of December. That was THE BEST time to go for the decorations. Similar crowd levels to January. There was more rain in December. Our MVMCP was held during a torential downpour. Disney refunded our tickets it was so bad.

But, I would NEVER hesitate to go in January again. And actually prefer it. We are leaving this Saturday for a week at WDW. I will miss January's weather, but will still have a blast!

 

[Laugh O. Grams]

Even though the parks hours are shorter, you will find that the crowds are much, much thinner. I'm sure there were a couple rides that were down for renovation, but these days, WDW has a ride or two down during busier Holiday seasons as well. You won't miss a thing! Also, you'll experience more in less time, which give extra time to experience your resort, set up dinners at other WDW resorts, go horseback riding at Ft. Wilderness, play a little golf and basically enjoy yourself at an easier pace that the typical breakneck speed at Disney. We only go during Value seasons, and have for years. The cooler weather is also a huge plus, just make sure you bring a jacket for nighttime, and sometimes during the day. Believe it or not, the pools are heated and you will still see tons of Northerners taking a dip! Have fun!!

 

[Mom2RinJen]

The selfish part of me wants to tell you DON'T GO IN JANUARY! LOL But I have to tell you, thats the best time to go. No lines, cooler weather, No lines, don't really need to make alot of PS because there are plenty of openings at that time (except for the Princess meals of course), NO lines. Did I mention the NO LINES? LOL

Parades are still everyday except Spectromagic which is usually shown twice a week I believe in Mid January. We have learned to avoid MK on that day or go early and go somewhere else during the day and come back and see Spectromagic if we want to see it.

Fantasmic and Illuminations are shown everynight and Wishes I think most nights.

Yes its cooler but we still swim back at the resort in the afternoon or in the evening when we get back. We just take our heavy robes to cover up with when we get out.

The hours at MK are shorter but you can get so much done while it is open since there are no lines. epcot is open until 9, mgm 7 I believe and ak is open until 5. MK can close anywhere from 6 - 9 depending on the parade/fireworks schedule. What's nice though is that you can get to bed at a decent time and not feel so tired when the vacation is over.

As far as closures, last year Dumbo and Small World were closed. I think that was all. We did see COP one year because alien encounter was closed. Not sure if it was open last year. I didn't check. Timekeeper was open the same year COP was and like I said, I don't remember if it was open last year. I can't think of any other closures when we were there in January. I wouldn't worry about the closures to be honest.

We are going back mid or end of January in 2006. Unless I absolutey positively had to go another time, I will always go in January.

 

[Bob P]

You can find the historical hours for January here :
http://www.intercot.com/infocentral/calendar/historical/archive/default.asp

 

[winniedapooh]

We hae been 3 times in January, 1 time in Feb, and are going back again this Jan. We love it, low crowds, yeah! It is true that the hours may be shorter and that there may be more closed for rehabs, but this is due to the parks low attendance. You also have less time to wait in lines and nice weather. I have been when it is jacket and mitten weather and when it is 80 degrees swimming weather. Be prepared for it all and have a great time!

 

[tjkraz]

If you're expecting that tropical feel that most associate with Florida, you may not find it in January. We went in January a few years ago and actually had great weather during the day. It was in the 70s every day of our week-long trip. But that's unusual. Two days before we arrived it barely got into the 50s as a daily HIGH. And, as soon as the sun goes down, even on warm days the temps will quickly drop into the 50s and even 40s overnight.

You NEED to take a little bit of everything from your closet--from blue jeans and sweaters on down to shorts and t-shirts. Winter coats, hats and gloves are a MUST or you'll end up spending hundreds of $$$ to buy them on your trip.

You'll probably find 3-4 attractions throughout the World that are closed for rehab, and one of the two waterparks will definitely be closed. WDW pools are all heated, so the water temps are tolerable. But, as a rule, we don't swim unless it's in the 70s because the air temp is just too cold after getting out of the pool.

Crowds are definitely low, so you'll be able to get a lot done. Park hours are shorter, but not to the point of inconvenience, IMO. Epcot and AK pretty much keep the same hours year-round. But MK and MGM will likely close in the neighborhood of 7-8pm daily.

IMO, the deciding factor should come down to the weather and your tolerance of it. While there are times that the daily temps in December / January get into the 70s, seeing that for more than a couple days in a row is rare. If spending days in Disney theme parks wearing sweatshirts and jackets is not your idea of a vacation, then I'd look at another time of year.

Of all the times of year we have visited, we've found late-April / early-May to be more to our liking in terms of the combination of good weather and low crowds. There also seem to be fewer ride rehabs during this period since it is a pretty narrow window between the busy Spring Break (Easter) summer seasons.

If the January weather isn't an issue for you, I'm sure you will have a great time.

 

[MAGICX2]

We went Jan. 2005 for my DD 1st bday. Yes, the crowds were very thin, however, I would have put up with a slightly heavier crowd (think early Dec. or May) to forgo the bad weather. It was freezing! I am from Ohio and the weather was better here than it was in Florida at that time. We were there Jan 14-17. It barely reached the upper 40's-low 50's during the day and was getting into the 20's at night. No swimming, even in the heated pool. We had taken a little of everything because you can just never tell in Jan. but our jackets were not warm enough. We ended up buying sweatshirts, warmer jackets and hats/gloves. Our DS was 3.5 and DD1 both ended up sick from the damp/cold air. I will not go in Jan. again (unless it is one heck of a deal. I am all about the deals).

 

[LiteBrite]

We spent about 8 years going every January (we were homeschooling, so we could pick any time we liked - DD is taking college classes now, so we're school schedule slaves like everybody else). January is the best! You do need to be prepared for cold weather, and it can be cold enough to require big coats, long johns, etc. However, sometimes the weather is just glorious. We're Floridians, so we never think it's warm enough to swim in January, which is the only down side in my opinion. I don't really care that much about not swimming at the hotel, but I do like a water park day. If you're from the frozen north, maybe you'd think it was warm enough to do a water park if the temps are in the 70's, which sometimes happens.

As others have said, shorter park hours are offset by short to nonexistant lines. You'll have plenty of time to do whatever you want to do, and one bonus to early closing times is you get more relaxation time in the evening.

 

[JJsmama]

Thanks so much for all your replies. Sounds like we should drop our anxieties and stick to our plan of going in January. The weather won't bother us much. We're southerners so the ability to go swimming is not such a novelty. Will MLK day make the crowds much worse or will theystill be light?

 

[tjkraz]

MLK weekend you'll definitely see a rise in attendance. From Friday to Monday, crowds will be much higher than the rest of the month. By Tuesday, things will return to normal.

 

[yaurido]

We went in January back in 2002 and had a great time! The weather was terrific (mid-70's to low 80's) and the crowds were VERY low. We had to wait til the weekend to see nighttime parades/fireworks at MK, but since Epcot and MGM had something every other night of the time we were there it was no big deal. And I don't remember too much that was being refurbished at the time, at least nothing that made us sorry we went at that time of year.

 

[C.Ann]

So happy to read these responses.. I'll be in Florida for Jan., Feb., and March - less than an hour from WDW - so I'll be able to keep an eye on the weather and just pick the best days to head down..

Also good to know that I'll have to pack a large variety of seasonal clothes!

 

[the kabuki]

The last 4 times we've been to WDW have been in January and it's a terrific time of year to go. Just make sure you avoid MLK week-end, I've heard it's gets really busy during that time.

Weather can be a gamble, but we don't go to disney to lay out at the beach, we go for the parks, which are actually nicer to be in when it's not so hot.

The almost non-existant lines far outweigh any consequences of chilly weather IMHO. I think the longest we ever waited for anything was 5-10 minutes

 

[tjkraz]

And I don't remember too much that was being refurbished at the time, at least nothing that made us sorry we went at that time of year.

The two big rehab periods are:

1. September to mid-November
2. January to mid-March

In January/February of 2005, closures included It's A Small World, Dumbo, Astro Orbiter and the entire Land Pavilion at Epcot. FantasmicWhen we visited in Jan '03, the most memorable closure was Voyage of the Little Mermaid.

In January you'll always see one of the two waterparks closed, and there's ZERO chance of "seasonal" attractions running like Timekeeper and CoP.

For a park that is open 365 days / year, rehabs are a fact of life. And, the majority of them are scheduled for times when crowds are lowest.

 

[scoutsmom99]

I went this past January and I plan on going again in 06. I went a few days after MLK and it was great the weather wasn't as warm as I thought it would be, but it beat the weather here in MN by a landslide. Lines were nonexistent it was splendid.

 

[Laugh O. Grams]

The two big rehab periods are:

1. September to mid-November
2. January to mid-March

In January/February of 2005, closures included It's A Small World, Dumbo, Astro Orbiter and the entire Land Pavilion at Epcot. FantasmicWhen we visited in Jan '03, the most memorable closure was Voyage of the Little Mermaid.

In January you'll always see one of the two waterparks closed, and there's ZERO chance of "seasonal" attractions running like Timekeeper and CoP.

For a park that is open 365 days / year, rehabs are a fact of life. And, the majority of them are scheduled for times when crowds are lowest.

It's all about going with the attitude that yes, a few rides will be down during your trip. The way we look at it, we would rather miss the 3-4 rides under rehab, stay cool, and go on everything else, than go during the busier seasons and miss half the rides, standing shoulder to shoulder in long lines in the heat. We have APs and can go anytime, but Value season is always the time for us. Plus, if you are eligible...the Disney Resorts have huge discounts during this time of the year!

 

[tjkraz]

It's all about going with the attitude that yes, a few rides will be down during your trip. The way we look at it, we would rather miss the 3-4 rides under rehab, stay cool, and go on everything else, than go during the busier seasons and miss half the rides, standing shoulder to shoulder in long lines in the heat. We have APs and can go anytime, but Value season is always the time for us. Plus, if you are eligible...the Disney Resorts have huge discounts during this time of the year!

I wasn't trying to debate different times of year--simply give realistic information to those trying to make a decision. The reality is that there are more rehabs in the slower months, including January. To some people, having a handful of rides down is no big deal. To others it can ruin an expensive, once-in-a-lifetime trip. And, since rehabs are rarely publicized more than a month or two ahead of time, there's no way to predict what will be unavailable come January.

But if you really want to debate, I'll take May over December / January anyday. Short lines (never wait more than 10 minutes for anything), temps in the 80s, longer park hours, very rare ride rehabs. We also have APs and can go anytime. But for me the weather is the big dealbreaker. During our last December trip (which has weather virtually identical to January) the temp cracked 70 just one of seven days. Some subscibe to the "at least it's better weather than back home" theory, but not me. I'll take shorts and a tee-shirt over a coat and gloves anyday. But that's just my personal bias.

The point being, there are other alternatives to "shoulder to shoulder in long lines in the heat." The parks don't go from 'cold and empty' to 'hot and packed' overnight.

 

[mousiemom]

We are going Jan. 13-22 and on my itenary we are going to MK on that Sat. but I can't imagine not kicking off the trip there first!! I believe every weekend is crowded and slows down on Mon. I love the weather and the hours!! I love getting to wear our disney sweatshirts and jeans. Can't wait!!