Weekend day in January - crazy idea?

[Cinderella94]

We’re planning a one-day trip to DL on our way to Hawaii. Our current plan is to fly in the night of Friday, Jan 4 and do the parks all day starting at rope drop on Sat. the 5th. Most levels of AP are still blacked out that day. I’m floating the idea of pushing everything back one day, which would put us in the parks on Sunday the 6th. However, that will be the first day that APs are no longer blacked out. Would I be asking for an insanely crowded, even more crowded than normal situation? We are first timers - I know better than to try cramming in everything, but I am prioritizing rides that aren’t at WDW.

Either way, we will be staying at a DL hotel so we will be able to take advantage of EMH.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

It's never crazy to want to visit DLR (!), but stick with your first date (with the lower APs still blocked). It will still be very crowded, but better than your second choice. In past years, the first day the APs were allowed back after the holiday blockout saw capacity closures at DL. Have you read this thread: A DLR Guide for WDW Vets? Lots of helpful information there. The EMH will really help you, but that will probably be somewhat crowded, too, since the on site hotels are booked solid at that time. Good for you for starting your planning and research early! With good planning and a positive attitude, even the most crowded days at DLR can be magical!

 

[Cinderella94]

It's never crazy to want to visit DLR (!), but stick with your first date (with the lower APs still blocked). It will still be very crowded, but better than your second choice. In past years, the first day the APs were allowed back after the holiday blockout saw capacity closures at DL. Have you read this thread: A DLR Guide for WDW Vets? Lots of helpful information there. The EMH will really help you, but that will probably be somewhat crowded, too, since the on site hotels are booked solid at that time. Good for you for starting your planning and research early! With good planning and a positive attitude, even the most crowded days at DLR can be magical!

Thank you so much! Now I’m floating another idea visiting on the way home from Aulani rather than on the way out. That would put us in the parks on Friday Jan. 18. I’m almost feeling like that would be better just because it’s a weekday and further from Christmas week?

 

[theluckyrabbit]

That is the Friday of a holiday weekend, so it will probably still be busy, but nothing like the last week of HolidayTime. Keep an eye on the AP blockout calendar. The more passes blocked, the better off you'll be. But a Friday should get you the nighttime entertainment schedule, even in non-peak season (which this date might be in). So this might work well, and you certainly have plenty of time to plan ahead! Will you be able to include Saturday, Jan. 19th, too? If you can, do it -- two days will give you more time to see the best of both parks (have to park hop with the parks so close together!) and to cover the entertainment in both parks. And right now, Saturdays are pretty good days crowd-wise.

 

[figment_jii]

I agree that the parks will be very busy that first Sunday when the APs are unblocked, but it also means a chance to see DLR in the holiday mode. If you're prioritizing the differences, the Haunted Mansion Holiday and It's a Small World Holiday are both unique to DLR. IaSWH might still be open by mid-January, but HMH usually closes with the end of the Holiday Season.

Otherwise, if you move the trip back to mid-January, the crowds are probably going to be lower (but as mentioned, still present because DLR is always crowded and it is part of a holiday weekend). There may be more refurbishment closures, but Friday should still have fairly long hours and fairly full entertainment.

 

[Cinderella94]

That is the Friday of a holiday weekend, so it will probably still be busy, but nothing like the last week of HolidayTime. Keep an eye on the AP blockout calendar. The more passes blocked, the better off you'll be. But a Friday should get you the nighttime entertainment schedule, even in non-peak season (which this date might be in). So this might work well, and you certainly have plenty of time to plan ahead! Will you be able to include Saturday, Jan. 19th, too? If you can, do it -- two days will give you more time to see the best of both parks (have to park hop with the parks so close together!) and to cover the entertainment in both parks. And right now, Saturdays are pretty good days crowd-wise.

We couldn't do a full day Saturday, but I'm tempted to do the half day anyway just to get to rope drop DL and do that EMH (since it's DCA with the EMH on Friday, I was planning to go there first and hop to DL in the afternoon)

 

[theluckyrabbit]

We couldn't do a full day Saturday, but I'm tempted to do the half day anyway just to get to rope drop DL and do that EMH (since it's DCA with the EMH on Friday, I was planning to go there first and hop to DL in the afternoon)

I'd do it -- the morning hours in the parks are when you can get so much done! If you are there right at opening (and being on site will really help with that), you'll be surprised at how much you'll be able to do with even a half day at DL! And park hopping is SO easy at DLR -- you mght even hop on both days.