WDW in January

[maliboomer]

Hey there, is early (about 4th onwards) January a good time to go to WDW? The things I am most worried about is weather and crowds, but I hear those are both okay. Anyone?

 

[LilMagic2000]

If you don't mind skipping the swimming pools and water parks, early January weather should be nice. It will be cold, but remember-in Florida, anything is possible as far as weather goes. Also, you shouldn't have a problem with the afternoon showers that frequent the summer months (or maybe just us...I haven't figured it out yet!).
Alot of people take advantage of the Christmas/New Year holiday to go on a family trip since the kids are out of school, but because most schools are back in by the 4th (or close to it), the crowds seem to start thinning out. You shouldn't have a crowd problem.
Perfect timing, if you ask me!

 

[the kabuki]

We've gone the past 2 Jan.'s and it's terrific!!! No lines, light crowds. The weather can be a crapshoot though. This year it was 80 all week. Last year I have pics with us in bathing suits one day and by the end of the week we had jackets on. I don't mind it being chilly (from MI here!!) and since we're going down mainly to be in the parks , I'd rather that it not be hot like it is in July in Florida.

The hours are shorter, but since there's hardly any lines you're able to move through the parks quicker and don't need the longer hours.

 

[kristielee]

Hi Maliboomer,

We were there this Jan from the 8th til the 15th.... I was probably the nicest time we've ever been there. We swam EVERY day (don't forget...all the pools are heated), minimal crowds, no lines. But best of all, no snow! I'd go back in a heartbeat in January.

 

[emh1129]

We're also *tentatively* planning to take our first family vacation to WDW in early January - probably January 2-12, 2007.
I was a little bit concerned to hear that the marathon takes place during that time- does that pose much of a problem? Do the runners stay in any one specific hotel? I read on another thread that the WL is already sold out during that weekend for Jan 2006. (???)
Some of you mentioned that it is cooler during that time, so I guess it doesn't make sense to get our park hoppers with the plus option, right? Since we wouldn't be able to enjoy the waterparks.. DH and ds would love DisneyQuest, but I'm guessing it wouldn't be worth the plus option on our tickets to just go to DQ.
thanks for the help!

 

[the kabuki]

We were there this past Jan during the marathon and other than a few road detours, nothing bad, and watching some runners go through MGM one morning, we didn't notice any difference in crowds. Not sure which hotels they stay in.

As for the plus options, again it's a gamble in Jan. We did Blizzard Beach, but were very lucky to have 80 degrees all week. The week before i think it was in the 60's, as was the week after.

 

[Jackie021368]

I have gone the past two Januarys and plan on going again January 2006, the weather can be iffy but who cares you're at Disney World. We went to three theme parks in one day. It was great!! The day of marathon I heard can be a nightmare, especially if you are using Disney buses, traffic is really bad, my friend was stuck on a Disney bus for an hour waiting in traffic. You might have a better experience. Depending on where you are staying you might not encounter that. Have fun on your trip who knows we might see you there

 

[J&ADisneyMom]

We were there Jan 22-29, 2005. The parks were great-not crowded and a lot of fun. We only waited in line for a couple rides, and used fast pass for Space Mt and Peter Pan. While at AK, we didn't have a wait for any ride. The weather was a mix-the first 1 1/2 days were cold and windy. They said it was the coldest day in two years. We were cold but it wasn't unbearable. We just wore a lot of layers. The rest of the week was nice and we were back in shorts by Thursday. We rented a house with a heated pool and spa and used them almost everyday. I would definitely go in Jan again and prefer it to high season or a vacation week!!!

Shell

 

[welovedis]

In regard to the marathon weekend (6-8th), they are running things a bit differently this year. The expo ( at WWOS) starts Thurs (instead of Fri) and the 1/2 marathon will be run on Sat (instead of Sun), plus the Family Fun 5K will be held later at Epcot on Sat-instead of first thing in the AM. The full marathon will be held on Sunday with only full marathoners running that day.

I have heard different things about a couple of resorts sold out for the weekend, but not certain. More people may choose to stay for a couple of nights since things are going on for an extra day, essentially. We still plan on touring the parks after doing the 1/2 & the 5K, but I wouldn't be surprised if many runners/walkers leave on Monday.

HTH!

 

[RebelHawk]

.
My DW and I go every January and LOVE it. You do pretty much have to pack for summer (okay spring/fall) and winter as you never know what you will get from one day to the next. We have even had days where we started off in shorts and had on jackets by the end of the night.

The reason we always go this time of year are the lack of crowds. It sure is nice to hop on any ride you want with little (less the 15 minutes most times) to no wait. There is nothing like walking in Space Mountain and getting in the front seat without having to wait for a single second.

There is a down side to this time of year as that is when they take rides and events down for repairs/maintenance. Personally that is a risk I am willing to take, if we miss something this year then we will be sure to hit it the next year.

We are planning on breaking our annual trip this year with a trip to the Food & Wine Festival and we might wait until Xmas time in '06 to see the seasonal decorations before getting back to our January trips.

-Tom in SC

 

[dzneelvr]

January was our time to WDW when the kids were in Grade School. We'd leave around the MLK holiday and miss about 4 days of school yet factor in 2 weekends. It was a lovely way to get to know WDW inside and out without the crowds, heat, or rain of summer. Before you leave, get on allearsnet.com and see which attractions will be in rehab so you are prepared. You can also see the menus and make PSs based on some seasonal changes. The Park hours will be short, but we spent that time at DTD and going to things like Hoop De Doo. We didn't get alot of swimming time because it happened to be quite cool, but once it hit 70 we were in the resort pool for a bit (it was below zero at home, so we were in heaven). Now that the kids are teens, we have to go in the summer because of their sports and school events, and we've found great ways to enjoy that as well. But I always think back that our January trips gave us a relaxing time to enjoy all WDW had to offer and provided a good foundation from which to beat the crowds, heat, rain, etc. we deal with now. Have a magical time.