Visiting WDW In January

[PierceP525]

It seems as though a lot of you have gone that first week in February as well. Is that time also dead?

Pierce

 

[Jennie in TO]

Yes! Hurray! I'm so glad I read this thread. We will be going Jan 25 - 31 and it looks like we'll have the park to ourselves....relatively speaking. Thank you God, thank you God, thank you God!

 

[PierceP525]

Has anyone been the week of the 10th? I know you guys have said to avoid the weekend with the marathon, but how are the crowds that week? It seems a lot of you go the last week of January, but that's impossible for me with my work schedule.

How about the first week of February? How are the crowds then?

Pierce

 

[jcemom]

I will be there the first week of February. I have read that crowds remain very low up until the weekend before President's Day. The only time I have ever gone during the first week of February was many years ago, and crowds were very light then...I am hoping for the same this year!

 

[nicknamy1996]

Sound like we'll all be there together. We've went in Feb 02. We loved it so much that we went back the second week of Feb. 03 with plans to go back the first week of Feb this year ("free trip"... AP reasons... If you go once per year(or more) look into this option), due to some changed at work we had to bump it up a week... So we will also be there Jan. 24th through the 31st. I'm assuming it will be about the same (weather and crowd levels).

A couple of notes from my planner. (1) If you have an AP you can get a free lanyard at AK on the 24th,25th,31st or Feb 1st. (2) Fantasmic will be closing Jan 26 im not sure when it reopens, I just know that it is after we head home. (3) according to disneyworld.com there will be a spectromagic parade on Tuesday the 27th. (there are parades on the weekend too, but this is the only one we will be able to catch(depending on what time we arrive saturday))

Also. There are some cons: ride closures, shorter versions of some shows, and shorter hours. But the pros (IMO) far outweigh the cons: We were able to ride any ride with very minimal waits, many were walk-ons. Our meet with many of the characters became our own personal photo shoots, with no one waiting behind us. We saw the MK parade twice, and both times my son was pulled to be in them (once with the lost boys from Peter Pan and once right in from of the big man er.. Mouse himself) We were able to to everything on the old to do list. The weather has been great both times also.

 

[PierceP525]

nicknamy1996,

What rides were closed those times you have gone in February?

Thanks,

Pierce

 

[jcemom]

So far Beauty and the Beast is scheduled for rehab Feb 2-6, and MGM's Backlot Tour Jan 4 - April 1. Fantasmic is scheduled to reopen Jan 31.

 

[baileygirlsmom]

Thank you guys so much! We are going Jan18-Jan24. We will start in the parks on the 19th. Do you think the crowd from Martin Luther King Jr. holliday will be bad? We plan to go to Epcot that day (MON). We figured MK will be packed. Any thoughts?

 

[PaulaMurf]

The only problem we have ever had was last year when it was like 40 degrees a few nights - but the crowds are definately not there. We were there last year during superbowl and that weekend it got a little busy at MK - but I dont think we waited for any rides the whole time we were there. Even got PS at CRT one morning after arriving (for the next day).

If you dont mind the unpredictable weather - its the best!

 

[rrsafety]

I'm a big fan of January visits. I'm going on the 24th - 31st this year.

My brother in law and sister in law go during the summer and WOW, what horrible stories they tell...I'll never understand it.

January means cool weather and small crowds, what could be better?

 

[nicknamy1996]

Another visitor for the same week. Welcome!

Not only can the weather get cold. It can vary a lot. For a full day at a park, you may have to start with a jacket and sweat shirt, then peel off layers and lug them around as it gets warmer only to put them back on as the sun goes down that evening.

 

[PierceP525]

It seems a lot of you go the last week of January. That won't work for me with my schedule.

Who has been second week of January (the 10th through the 17th)? What are the crowds like then?

Also, what about weekends? Are weekends busy in January? I know they are in December. It appears a lot of local people come in then.

Pierce

 

[marciaj]

Boy, loved this thread! We were originaly going pres. week. Then I read about the crowds and got scared. Changed our trip to Jan. 20-27. And now I am soooo glad. Only a couple of weeks to go after almost a year of planning. Thanks for ALL the great info.

 

[debster812]

Hee hee heee, sorry, just popping back in to get a look at my countdown. We leave 2 weeks from tonight!!!!!!!!!!!!!

:jumping4:

 

[cyndibelle]

we are going feb 2-8th...we have heard that january right up to pres week you are safe with the crowds then it starts to get busy again...we are so excited to go....cant wait......

 

[bjakmom]

pierce - those are almost exactly the dates we'll be there (10th-16th) and then moving over to universal for MLK weekend. My first trip in January, too, so I'll let you know when we return how the crowds and weather were (hopefully low and warm!)

 

[nicknamy1996]

Kali River Rapids- Which may be the only attraction I've never done at WDW and swore I was going to do this year no matter how cold it was- will be closed Jan 20th - 30th.

And it looks like astro-orbiter will be closed the last week of Jan. also.

 

[PierceP525]

Thanks, bjakmom. I look forward to hearing from you when you get back!

Pierce

 

[nicknamy1996]

Here's a link to my itinerary I posted on the Theme Park board if any of my January pals would like to take a gander.


http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=489592

 

[Jynohn]

Hi there-

We just got back, our trip was Jan. 1st-11th, and the next time around we'll definitely arrive the second week in Jan. instead of the first. We expected the holiday crowds through the weekend, but were surprised that they lasted well into the second week. It wasn't until about Wed or Thurs. that they started to really thin out, and by then, the marathon crowds started arriving.

The marathon was definitely noticeable as far as crowds went, but they weren't nearly as bad as the first week of our visit. I wish we had planned to arrive this past weekend instead.

As far as weather goes, it truly is unpredictable. For the first half of our trip, it was hot and humid, with temps well into the 80's, while on our last park day we were bundled up in coats and mittens and were still FREEZING (although my family at home told us not to complain since Boston got down to 1 degree this week! LOL)