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View Full Version : Is the first week in January a good time?



monkeycity
07-28-2007, 11:12 PM
I am a teacher :number1: and my wife a sign language interpreter (her first year:D) for a school district, and so we have all of the holidays off together this year, the first time in our 11 year marriage. :cloud9:. We were thinking of trying Disney the first week in January (we have kids, too), after all the craziness of Christmas and New Year's :fresh:. Would that be a good time to visit? Will all the decorations and show changes, etc., be changed back to normal by then?

snowflakegirl
07-29-2007, 12:45 AM
My DH and I went in January 2004 for our honeymoon. We got married Jan 3, drove down the 4-5, and spent the 6 through the 10th in the parks. It was by far our favorite time to visit. The crowds were minimal at most, general wait times were 5 to 20 minutes depending on ride and time of day. It was cooler, a couple of days we actually wore light weight jackets, and one night sitting out for Fantasmic, it was cold enough they were walking around selling mugs of hot chocolate and people were buying beach towels for blankets. On the other hand, there was a day or two where we (having come down from snowy new hampshire) were walking around in t-shirts and shorts because it felt warm to us.

As far as decorations, for the most part, they were down by the time we got there. There was still some decoration here and there, but things were mostly back to normal.

Hope that helps. Whenever you decide to go, have fun!

LudwigVonDrake
07-29-2007, 11:21 AM
From people I know who went during that time, it's a great time to go if you don't like crowds. Wait times are down as are the crowds. If you go, have a great trip :tink:

jenfriend
07-29-2007, 06:04 PM
We like it becuase of the shorter line wait. The longest line we waited in was for a bus shuttle at our resort. We used 2 FP: Jungle Cruise and Soarin. The weather was fine (we're from MN so it was late spring weather to us), we swam at our resort and went to a waterpark. Unheated pools were chilly, but most were fine. We needed a light jacket for mornings and evenings. We went (and are going again) around MLK Day and most of the Holiday decor was gone. Have fun.

LoriMistress
07-29-2007, 09:37 PM
I've heard recently that because of the Christmas/New Year's crowd those crowds are staying longer than they normally do. So I've heard that the first week is a bit crowded, but managable.

MarkC
07-29-2007, 09:47 PM
It also greatly depends on which day of the week New Years Day is on. If it's late in the week and schools aren't starting until the 5th-7th, that first week will be very busy, as everyone has the same idea as you have. If it's early in the week and schools resume on the 2nd or 3rd the crowds will be very light. A rule of thumb is that anytime there are common school break times, Disney will be very crowded, and much more so than about 5 years ago.

That does not mean you shouldn't go. Just get to the parks early and make use of fast passes and you'll still have a great time.

Harkleroad
07-29-2007, 10:05 PM
I have never been during Jan. so I can't offer any personal experience. I am a teacher though and from looking at our school schedule we will be returning as teachers on the 3rd and students on the 4th. Hope this gives you an idea of when some of the crowds may be out of the way.

PeterPan
07-29-2007, 11:05 PM
We have been the first week of January so many times I have lost count. We LOVE this time of year - and not just because the crowds are less (and they certainly are). Easier to get meal reservations, the weather is so great (occasional rain - need a jacket at night), no lines to speak of. Down side - lots of things are closed for refurbishment, and the parks close earlier. BUT you get so much more done because the crowds just are not there. Also, often the room rates a a little less during this time.

YES you will see some Christmas decorations. Mostly in the resorts (all of their Major Christmas Trees will still be up - do some resort hopping and you will see some great decorations). You will see the Animal Kingdom tree, and the Epcot tree, but probably not the MK tree (MAYBE if you go there first - it usually comes down right after New Year's).

Don't hesitate to go at this time of year. You will not be disappointed.