Tell me about WDW in Jan??

[lisadr]

SO I booked a spur of the moment with the new deal and it's for Jan 20-27.

For those who have been at that time tell me all about it .

TIA!!

 

[Nancyg56]

I have been twice in January, the last time during the time you are going. The crowds were not bad, the weather mostly nice. It got a little cold for swimming and the nights were cool. I loved this time of year.

 

[gvanlare]

this will our second consecutive january trip pretty much the same time as you. the crowds are light, the weather can be tempremental (cold in the morning and warm/hot in the afternoon) but not overly hot. With our kids being so young it works out great for us.

 

[katieandallycat]

we went 2 years ago. We had 3 days with 80's, one day nice and one day lots of rain. The crowds were light. Of course we have only been one time so we have nothing to compare it to. We're from CA so DL is our normal stomping grounds

 

[goofygal531]

We've been there twice that time of year and both times we got hit with snow storms in NY. It wasn't too bad. WDW was very accommodating and changed our reservations by one day (no penalties) due to our flight delay. Your weather out of NY is your biggest concern at that time.

The weather in FL is crazy. We've always gotten colds that time of year. The days start off near frost in the low 40s then by noon it's 80 then by evening your back to 50. We dressed in layers, but the extreme weather was just too much for us, we now prefer June or Nov as the weather is a little more reliable.

The other thing we didn't like was that the parks closed really early.

The only time we did experience some crowds was the week of Martin Luther King Day. Many parents pulled their kids out of school that week and the crowds were way above normal.

It's an experience, just wasn't our favorite time to visit.

 

[Kimmumum]

We have gone for the marathon the last two years. The first year it was in the 70's. Jeans, tshirts, sweatshirts. Last year it was in the upper 80's/lower 90's. The weather is crazy. You have to pack for every kind of weather.

 

[TheFlame]

We have been 2x in January...2008 the week of MLK (not a good idea) and 2001 the 1st week of January(nice and decorations from Christmas still up!)

Crowds are lite if you stay away from MLK week and weekend. The parks do close early but if you take advantage of the days with EMH(evening) you will have more than enough time in the parks with the low crowds.

For both trips we basically wore jeans or sweatpants with t-shirts and jackets or sweatshirts over. For the mornings it is nice to have a pair of gloves, scarf and cap for the kids...though I did like having them for myself on the trips on the boat from FW to MK!!!

We really like January and think it is one of the best times to visit WDW!

 

[lisadr]

When everyone says above normal attendance-what are we comparing it to? I have been in May and Sept (free dining & Food &wine festival). Would either of these times be comparable? How long would you say wait times for rides are?? I am wondering if with the economy being what it is, will that have an effect on anything? Let me know what you think folks

 

[ilvdznee]

We are going Jan 20-27 also!! Can't wait to read the responses!

 

[Colleen27]

We were there the 16th to 27th this year and thought it was a great time to go. It was a cool at night, especially on the boats (we stayed at WL), but not cold enough to keep my kids out of the pool or me out of the hot tub. The crowds over the weekend were about on par with our August trip, but during the week the parks were emptier than I'd ever seen them. I wish we were going back in Jan this year!

 

[TheFlame]

When everyone says above normal attendance-what are we comparing it to? I have been in May and Sept (free dining & Food &wine festival). Would either of these times be comparable? How long would you say wait times for rides are?? I am wondering if with the economy being what it is, will that have an effect on anything? Let me know what you think folks

I would say BELOW normal attendance for January except now that they have this new offer out, I am not so sure any more?! Wait times for the most popular rides would be 30 min. or less during the week but pretty avg. on the weekends(1 hr. or more) Walk on for most of the other rides(Snow White, POC, HM, etc...)

This new offer really changes things in my opinion. With the economy, people may go on vacation this year during MY favorite time(the off, or value season) instead of waiting for spring or summer break when the rates go up.

I have been during fall & winter seasons 4 times since 2001 and would choose fall for the MNSSHP but winter(January) for cool weather and the lowest crowds. Those are the only two times I will ever visit Disney. We LOVED Halloween at Disney but there is nothing like walking on and rides in January with no wait!

 

[Ash&Wes07]

We were in Disney those exact dates in 07 for our Honeymoon. We were able to walk onto rides or only waited 10-15 min max (and that included ToT RnR EE, etc). We got lots of special treatment, too, because we were easier to spot with our buttons on in the smaller crowds.

We'd love to go again at that time.

 

[TravelinMommy]

We are going in Jan. too. but the 18-25...so I already anticipate it being a little more crowded because of the deal and the fact that the weekend we arrive is MLK weekend.


But its much better than the summer crowds. We went to Universal a few years back at the beginning of Feb. and the crowds were light. It was comfortable outside...enough to wear long pants and a t-shirt, but we brought little jackets for night. I definitely love traveling in the off seasons. Especially with a little one not in school yet...I am taking advantage of being able to travel whenever we want.

 

[squirrlygirl]

When you guys say "MLK week" do you mean the week leading up to the long weekend, or the week that immediately follows the Monday of MLK day?

 

[Kimberly Hill]

I'm kind of bummed about the new offer because we were looking forward to really low attendance and now... well... not so much! DH is a travel agent so we're using his TA rates and the offer doesn't apply to us. Talk about adding insult to injury, LOL!

 

[EpcotSweetHrts0512]

We are going in January for the first time next year... I'm looking forward to not sweating to death like we usually do!

 

[gallafamily]

We too are going January 21st thru the 27th! We went this year about the same time & it only got chilly at night. One of the last days we were there were very warm, in fact had to purchase an outfit for the baby as she was dressing in jeans & long sleeve tshirt. We had a great time & are looking forward to it again this year.

 

[princesspwrhr]

It shouldn't affect crowd levels that much, not like pop warner or cheer competitions, but there's a HUGE gymnastics competition at WideWorld of sports Jan 23-25.

We'll be there for it.

 

[koolaidmoms]

We will be there the 18th-25th too. There was no availability at most resorts the weekend before so we delayed until Monday for the special.

Have been in January in the past and loved it. The weather was crazy but the lines were shorter and the crowds were even less than early December or late September.

I surmise with this new deal that that will not be true anymore. Well, with low cost comes great sacrifice!

 

[emh1129]

We went in January once before and enjoyed it. We enjoyed it once the marathon crowds died down (and we left before the MLK crowds descended) and the weather was a tad chilly, but the waits were reasonable and we had a great time.