Visit in January 2020

[Version 6]

Hi Guys

My family of 4 (kids aged 5 and 7) will be visiting in January 2020 from Sydney Australia, after having previously visited in April 2018.

The dates of our trip are January 12-January 19.

We had chosen those dates because the 16th is my sons birthday and we really wanted to be in the park on those days - and also because when looking on various crowd calendars, the 13th-16th were described as "Ghost Town".

We have now learned that the NAMM Festival will be in town from the 16th-19th, and also that MLK Day is the 20th. So now I'm worried we've gone from booking what we thought would be a really quiet time, to perhaps the busiest time of the year!

Just wanted to get the communties thoughts on the likely impact of NAMM and MLK Day on crowds, and whether ANY of our days are likely to be on the quieter side, or are we up for huge crowds our whole stay.

Another question - we'd like to stay at a Disney property, but aren't sure which one and aren't really sure when packages for January 2020 will go on sale. Any insight would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

 

[dieumeye]

Don’t get your hopes up for any “ghost town” days. Those don’t exist anymore. January can be a slower time, but that’s all relative to just how packed the park can get other times of the year. Do prepare for the possibility of rain in January, but don’t stress about it.

It’s not clear what will be going on with SW:GE crowds at that time, or how recently the second attraction (Rise of the Resistance) will have opened, if at all. So be sure to keep looking for info on that as you get closer to the trip.

If you want to stay on property, and cost isn’t an issue, then stay at the Grand Californian. If you want to stay on property and keep cost at a minimum, stay at Paradise Pier. Note that you may hear from people who don’t seem to like Paradise Pier, so be sure to look into it for yourself. I personally have no problem with it. If you’re unsure, and want to split the difference cost-wise, stay at the Disneyland Hotel, which incidentally, is my favorite of the three.

January is a great time to go and it seems like you will have plenty of time in the park!

 

[Geemo]

Hi Guys

My family of 4 (kids aged 5 and 7) will be visiting in January 2020 from Sydney Australia, after having previously visited in April 2018.

The dates of our trip are January 12-January 19.

We had chosen those dates because the 16th is my sons birthday and we really wanted to be in the park on those days - and also because when looking on various crowd calendars, the 13th-16th were described as "Ghost Town".

We have now learned that the NAMM Festival will be in town from the 16th-19th, and also that MLK Day is the 20th. So now I'm worried we've gone from booking what we thought would be a really quiet time, to perhaps the busiest time of the year!

Just wanted to get the communties thoughts on the likely impact of NAMM and MLK Day on crowds, and whether ANY of our days are likely to be on the quieter side, or are we up for huge crowds our whole stay.

Another question - we'd like to stay at a Disney property, but aren't sure which one and aren't really sure when packages for January 2020 will go on sale. Any insight would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

If you want to know when Disney MIGHT roll out a special for your dates look at here
Not sure if SWGE will make a difference in hotel specials.

I like all three Disney Hotels. If I have the money GCH is nice, staying a PPH is fine too. If your kids are going to use the pool DLH is the best. Check to see if pools are closed for maintenance while you're there. We use the pools every trip. Even in the middle of SoCal's winter. Their winter temps are better than our home's summer temps sometimes.


As far as MLK weekend and Day. Plan to be there at rope drop. Twenty years ago we booked a trip arriving Sat of MLK weekend. By the evening it was shoulder to shoulder trying to get around. Just plan for people and you'll do fine.

By the way..... I see you are a new member!

Geemo

 

[Version 6]

Thanks so much for your response dieymeye.

If you want to know when Disney MIGHT roll out a special for your dates look at
Not sure if SWGE will make a difference in hotel specials.

I like all three Disney Hotels. If I have the money GCH is nice, staying a PPH is fine too. If your kids are going to use the pool DLH is the best. Check to see if pools are closed for maintenance while you're there. We use the pools every trip. Even in the middle of SoCal's winter. Their winter temps are better than our home's summer temps sometimes.


As far as MLK weekend and Day. Plan to be there at rope drop. Twenty years ago we booked a trip arriving Sat of MLK weekend. By the evening it was shoulder to shoulder trying to get around. Just plan for people and you'll do fine.

By the way..... I see you are a new member!

Geemo

Thank you for the welcome, and your response.

Quick question - Will MLK Weekend affect crowds earlier in the week? Or is it just likely to affect the Friday/Saturday/Sunday?

I'm thinking we might hit all the attractions we want Monday-Friday, and use the Saturday as a lazy character breakfast/pool day.

Thanks

 

[Geemo]

Thanks so much for your response dieymeye.


Thank you for the welcome, and your response.

Quick question - Will MLK Weekend affect crowds earlier in the week? Or is it just likely to affect the Friday/Saturday/Sunday?

I'm thinking we might hit all the attractions we want Monday-Friday, and use the Saturday as a lazy character breakfast/pool day.

Thanks

I am not a local...
But it sounds like Mondays can be worse than a weekend day.
If you can, keep an eye on the app and see how the wait times are for those days.
Saturday would most likely give you night time entertainment and a Monday in January most likely won't.

Here a link to Historical Hours it will give you an idea of hours and ride closures.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

... and also because when looking on various crowd calendars, the 13th-16th were described as "Ghost Town"...

Regarding crowd calendars at DLR: Just a friendly reminder about crowd calendars...
Good for you for asking in advance here. Crowd calendars at DLR are notoriously inaccurate. MLK weekend will be crowded. How crowded after SWGE opens, no one can really say -- but it will be a busy weekend. NAMM brings in crowds to the hotels (rates go up and rooms can be hard to find) and lots of pedestrian traffic around the parks and in DTD, but doesn't necessarily affect traffic inside the parks. You're already off to a good start by doing your research here. Learn about MP, wait for SWGE to open at the end of this month -- then keep reading here to learn the strategies and tips to handle those crowds, make your best plans, have your back up plans, then go with the flow and have fun.

 

[Version 6]

Regarding crowd calendars at DLR:
Good for you for asking in advance here. Crowd calendars at DLR are notoriously inaccurate. MLK weekend will be crowded. How crowded after SWGE opens, no one can really say -- but it will be a busy weekend. NAMM brings in crowds to the hotels (rates go up and rooms can be hard to find) and lots of pedestrian traffic around the parks and in DTD, but doesn't necessarily affect traffic inside the parks. You're already off to a good start by doing your research here. Learn about MP, wait for SWGE to open at the end of this month -- then keep reading here to learn the strategies and tips to handle those crowds, make your best plans, have your back up plans, then go with the flow and have fun.

Thanks for your feedback. Everyone here is so helpful.

So as it stands, no point making detailed plans this far out, until we know the impact of SWGE and when ROTR will open?