Question on resorts in Jan?

[megnsamsgracie]

I think with the heat and humidity we are having in the NE, we are going to cancel one trip with free dining and go in Jan instead. Are the decorations still up in early Jan? How are the rates? Good discounts last year? How are the crowds? Its been up around 100 the last 2 days PLUS a lot of humidity and we are miserable. So we are thinking of 10 days, right at the beginning of Jan. This also gives me enough time to save up enough for a deluxe stay. What do you guys think? Any info, PLEASE share! I know it can get cool... but as long as the pool is heated, my kids will still swim!

 

[peel]

I'm in CT too. Isn't it MISERABLE today????

I've gone a couple times in January, and I'm doing it again in 2008. It has sort of become a mother/daughter tradition even though I'm married now!!! The weather is great for us because we both have horrible tolerance for the heat. Last year it was in the 60s or low 70s during the day and dropped down to the 50s at night. Perfect for us. The crowds were nonexistent too. We went between the first and second week of January and the decorations were still up in the parks.
Early to mid January and early to mid May are the only two times of year I'll go now. NO crowds, beautiful weather, better prices, plus at that point you're freezing your buns off at home and want to warm up......I say do it!!!

 

[megnsamsgracie]

Thanks! I have just been miserable with this humidity and I am not up for spending 11 days down in Sept in this. And the last thing I want after spending $4K on a trip is miserable kids and miserable parents. I really want to see the Christmas decorations so as long as they are still up in January, then I am okay with that! Otherwise I will go to the 2nd week in Dec I guess. I just do NOT want this humidity. Sorry, it just makes me GROUCHY!

 

[peel]

I would ask the CM just to make sure about the decorations; they might know of a specific date that they start coming down. But I know that when I was there (I think it was on 1/4 or 1/5) Main Street was all decorated, and the Osborne Lights at MGM were still open for a day or two longer.

Last year I went at the end of August for a short trip (again with mom) and we were so miserable in the heat. We spent most of the time hopping from one AC building to the next because the second we walked outside it was like being hit with a wall of heat. The good thing about Disney, though, is that there are hardly any lines that are outside for very long, if at all, so it's not like a regular amusement park where you're baking in the sun for long periods of time unless you want to be. Unless you wand a good spot for the parades, of course. Then all bets are off.

DISCLAIMER: I am so pale I'm almost see-through, so I'm very heat sensitive. Plenty of people actually prefer to be there this time of year. I think they're nuts, but to each his own. I just don't want you to go canceling your trip based on one person!!!

 

[beccasmom]

It is miserable here in the Philly area today, too. Just awful.

The rest of my family just came back from WDW and said it was very humid....no big surprise there! Personally, I much prefer to visit WDW when the weather is cold here! The only thing I will recommend if you want to avoid crowds is to avoid the Martin Luther King holiday weekend.....it is really crowded then (I went for my birthday one year, which is 1/16, and it was a mob scene the entire weekend). The weather can be iffy, which I'm sure you know. We actually had the heat on a couple of times on our January trip. Early February was a little better, but not great swimming weather, IMHO. If I was younger, I'm sure I would have been swimming, though! Great weather for everything else.

 

[megnsamsgracie]

I know it will be chilly in the air.. but I figure I can just bring robes down to the pool for the kids to put on after getting out since the pools are heated. I was figuring if we did Jan we would do RIGHT after new years. And if we did December, we would go right after Pop Warner gets out.

 

[DCDisney]

We always go in Jan and the weather is hit or miss we've had high's in the high 80's and lows in the 30's. Kids always swim but adults don't It usually doesn't rain much though There has always been some type of promotion usually ticket add ons and a small room discount.

Yvonne

 

[megnsamsgracie]

Thanks Yvonne! We have done June, and twice in october (well a few times in June as a kid that I dont remember!!) and both June and October were HOT for us! I hate humidity! All I care about is that the pool is HEATED! My kids are FISH and will swim for hours on end! The crowds arent too bad I take it?

 

[luvmesometigger]

I have gone a few different times of the year.

When we went in August 2004, it was part of the Home Depot's 25th anniversary (they paid for the whole trip). It was BLISTERING hot and I would never do it again! But since it was free, who am I to complain??

When we went in January 1996, we just got to DW when the big blizzard hit the Northeast and the whole northeastern US was shut down for days. Florida was FREEZING!!! No pools on that trip!! That was probably a fluke tho because of the blizzard.

May was a beautiful time to go. Not too hot and humid and not overly crowded.

When we went last year at the beginning of June, it was just starting to get hot and humid. I was more concerned about keeping my 9 month old DD hydrated and happy (she had a full blown case of the chicken pox while we were there!!)

We are planning another for next year and I am looking for May again. I would like to go around Christmas to see all the decorations but I just can't do it this Christmas

 

[El&Asmom]

We're pretty miserable here in Chicago too. I was just at Home Depot with my girls today when my older dd was whiny and complaining about the heat. I kept telling her that it was going to be even hotter in Sept when we're at Mickey's house. We went last year for free dining, and said never again...until this year.
Now I'm thinking of cancelling our Sept trip and going in late Oct or early Nov. Problem is we are also going in mid Jan as I have a conference to go to then. (Big problem, I know). I just don't want to go too close together if that's even possible. I guess I'll have to look at rates and crowd levels to decide what would be better.
BTW, we went in Feb a few years ago and it was wonderful. High 70s most days except one where it was cold and rainy. I didn't bring my dd's suit b/c I didn't think it would be warm enough. I ended up having to buy her one at the AKL gift shop since it was warm enough to swim most days.

 

[megnsamsgracie]

Thanks! I really want to see the Christmas decorations! Or want my kids to see them.. either way Anyone know where I can find temps/attendance records so I can see if Dec or Jan will be better for us?

 

[Deb & Bill]

Jan 10-13 will be the Disney Marathon. It will be tough getting to the MK on the 12th and 13th in the morning. Half marathon takes 3.5 hours (starting at 6AM) and full marathon takes 7 hours starting at 6AM.

Decorations usually are up until about the first weekend in Jan. The shows and events are usually over by Jan 1 or even before.

We've been swimming in Jan with temps in the 80's and been bundled up in the 30's. Dec is usually similar. It just depends.