Disney in January?

[Bellerella]

We are planning on going to WDW in January... from things I have read, it seems like this might be a good time to go. I have read that the crowd rate drops signifigantly after New Year's- we are thinking Jan 3, 2011 (a Monday). Does anyone know if this time will probably be less crowded? Also, does anyone know what the weather is like in January? Thanks! :mickey:

[faline]

Once the holiday crowds depart, January is generally quite uncrowded though weather can be quite variable.

[disneyluva]

Was there in Jan 05 had 75 degree beautiful weather everyday and no crowds. My parents were there one January and had 55 degrees! It's the chance you take. We're planning on this Jan as well. Anything beats a NY winter and I'll take the cooler weather and no crowds versus heat, humidity, and high attendance any day!!!

Enjoy no matter what - you're in Disney!!!!!!!!!

[Melanie]

I love January at Disney World! It can be quite cold though, as well as very pleasant, so pack accordingly. Crowds are great.

[sisterslovindisney]

2010 will be our third January trip. We love it! Crowds are low but temps can be too. We live in the snow belt though so we were still swimming in WDW when others were in coats:)

[Basket Mommy]

January is our favorite time to go! We have always gone mid to late January, so I don't know about early January. I just know to avoid New Year's Day and MLK weekend, because it's packed. After that it's smooth sailing. Hardly any lines at all!

As others have said, the weather varies a lot. I've been when it was as low as mid-40s in the morning (brrrr!) warming up to mid 70s during the day (and even though the pools are warmed to high 80s, that's still COLD when it's chilly outside!) Our honeymoon was January 20-28th, 1996 and every day was gorgeous. I think it was mid 60s at night and low to mid 80s during the day. Absolutely perfect, but it's not always that way! One year we saw daytime temps in the low 90s. You can't ever predict the January weather.

I usually pack a few pairs of shorts for daytime and a couple of pairs of pants for nights. We're DVC members, so we have a washer/dryer in our room. That makes it easy to pack a little of everything. Definitely bring a light jacket or sweatshirt for those chilly mornings. If you can find those pants that zip off into shorts, they're wonderful!

[swampfox28]

Just watch out for those big conferences (Pop Warner and...?!) Also, is the marathon in January? (Someone may know this - I don't)

We've done January and liked it a LOT. The weather isn't predictable, but when is it really? And I LOVE WDW when it's not scorching hot.

-Sarah

[faline]

Pop Warner is in December though I do believe that there are cheerleading competitions that do take place in January - generally no impact on the parks. The marathons do take place in January but generally do not affect park attendance though travel may be disrupted on the days the races are running.

[MistressGracey]

We have been in January many times, and I think you will find this a pleasant time to visit. Crowd levels are low and the middle of the day is just warm enough for t-shirts (mostly). The only things we don't like about January are that night swimming is almost impossible sometimes as the temp drops when the sun sets. Also, we about froze at Fantasmic when the wind would blow the spray over onto us. We always wear/carry jackets with us this time of year, and they are a bit cumbersome to lug around once it warms up. We have experimented with lockers, foldable "pack jackets" etc., and have found the lockers to work best for us.

Other than these few things, we have loved our January trips to WDW. Hope you do, too!

[DizNee143]

i love going in january..
there were many times when i was little and we go go for new years and then stay into january for about a week..i swear new years day it clears out a good amount..the begining of january is awesome..we have always had luck with low crowds..its the best time to go..ya the weather may be a bit iffy..but i rathe have to wear a jacket than to be sweating like crazy!! lol..enjoy!!!! :mickey:

[szyper]

I think it just depends. My sister has gone in January for many years and loved it. We went January 1-8, 2007 and it was still very crowded. It also poured down rain and was hot, humid, and buggy. We hardly saw anything.

I also got the stomach flu (kids got it on the way home), so it was not the best time for us. I would love to be there when it was 55 degrees (cold weather kind of gal), so it was ironic that it ended up being so hot. I would think that the end of January would be better crowd-wise.

We are going in October this time with fingers crossed that it isn't too hot. I think we might not mind the heat so much since we will be coming off of summer instead of going in the dead of winter.

I've always heard January is great, but just know it's not guaranteed.

[Disney Doll]

We've been in January and like that time of year. The crowds are low, but the weather is a total wild card. This past January we had to stop and buy shorts because we were so hot. A couple of years ago we were wearing coats and gloves all day. You really never know so just pack a little of everything.