WDW In January?

[McLiberal8]

Hello everyone!

I have only been to Disney around September/October time. I am currently planning my next vacation for January 2012. Is there anything I need to know about going this time of year?
I have noticed already that the parks close pretty early. Anything else?

[Buttercup]

The parks tend to close early because the crowds are quite light in January. So that's a good thing! It gives you your evenings free to enjoy a good restaurant, go to downtown disney, etc.:thumbsup:
The only downside is the past couple of Januarys it has been kind-of chilly. In years past, we've worn a sweatshirt and been fine, but 2 years ago, we had winter coats, hats & mitts (and we're from Canada!). This past January wasn't as bad - we actually wore shorts one day, but definitely a jacket is a must in the mornings and evenings.

[ibelieveindisneymagic]

I loved Disney in January!!

Weather can be unpredictable. We had days in shorts and t-shirts, and days with our winter coats and mittens. DD still swam, but DH and I found it not to be great swimming weather.

Crowds are generally quite low, but they do pick up around marathon weekend. There can also be a number of of tour groups, but they didn't cause us any issues at all.

Yes, parks do close somewhat earlier, but we found we didn't miss the crazy late evenings, and we had more than enough time to do everything.

We also found time to mini-golf for the first time at Disney, and it was super-fun.

Enjoy your trip!

[IfYouHadWings503]

We went last January the week before the Marting Luther King holiday. A couple of things...

There were a number of very large tour groups. They could clog up a ride wait pretty quickly, but as long as you are aware and keep your eyes open, you can zip over to other rides and avoid the long waits. Definitely not a reason to avoid going...

Splash Mountain is usually closed in January for refurbishment...maybe not a big deal for most, but I was sad :cry:

There is always one water park closed (yes, I know, it's January, but something to consider).

The shorter park hours actually forced us to do some other stuff we don't usually do (i.e., get to bed and a decent hour :mickey:) and we had a great time taking some of boat rides that we never seem to have time to do otherwise.

You'll have a great time...:thumbsup:

[disneymom15]

We've gone in January several times and will be there again this January. Weather can vary quite a bit. The crowds are lower so with the parks closing earlier you really don't feel like you're missing out. I just checked park hours for January, here's what I found
MK open till at least 8PM
Epcot open till at least 9PM
DHS open till at least 7PM
AK open till 5PM
All parks except AK have Evening EMH through out the week.

[Gator]

I've been there several times in January and the crowds are great! However, and that's a big HOWEVER, there's always numerous rides down for refurbishment. Splash MT is always down which is a major bummer. Disney Junior was closed last time, as well as Star Tours - so it made DHS seem not so magical. All in all, it's a good time to go, but check the weather right before you go to see if there's any freezing temps coming.

[epceddie]

Brrrrrrrrr! It's been very cold the last two times we've been in January during the two weeks after New Year's Day.
I didn't go swimming once this past January (that was a first) and we had to clear frost off the car windshield with a credit card in the early morning on both trips. It was so cold that we could see our breath and we spent both trips bundled up in jeans and sweatshirts.
That said, the crowds were really light both times and we still had great times. We much prefer May, October, and November, and those are the months we're going to stick with in the future.

[WDWCrazyKaren]

We love the cooler weather of January. Very sad that Splash is down every January however! We dislike VERY much the tour groups that just inundated the parks this past January so much that we have now moved our trip next year to early February. The marathon, while it certainly increased crowd levels, didn't make as much of a difference as the tour groups.

[sixshot19]

I'm so excited reading all these comments, I'm going to convince the wife we are going this January. Thanks for starting the thread McLiberal8.:number1:

[January-2007]

We honeymooned in WDW in January and we are going back to celebrate our 5 year wedding anniversary this January! We thought it was more crowded than we had anticipated but while we were there so was Extreme Makeover Home Edition and the opening of the castle suite, with press, etc, so we really had no way of knowing or to avoid the MK. The weather- sometimes freezing, sometimes t-shirts, sometimes rain. I much prefer that weather to August however! We're looking forward to bringing our little one during a time when he doesn't have to sweat and be overtired due to the heat. And most of all we're excited for our anniversary!

The early park closing weren't such an issue as long as you take advantage of evening EMH. Since we're staying offsite this time we won't be able to but with a 2 year old we wouldn't stay out that late anyway.

Great thread by the way. :thumbsup:

[faline]

As mentioned the weather in January can be quite chilly but it can also be quite nice. It's also pretty busy around the marathon so be aware of that.

[kakn7294]

WDW in January = Brazilian tour groups. They can make things pretty crowded.

[A Big Kid]

My wife and I go just about every January to particpate in the marathon. As others have noted:

1) Splash Mountain is ALWAYS down during this period. ALWAYS which I dont understand because they have a large event (the marathon) and then close it right during that period.
2) Park hours are shorter but the World Showcase stays open to 2100 or so. We always spend our evenings there so that works for us.
3) crowds are lighter exepct for those tour groups and get to be annoying.
4) The value season can help you save some money on hotels> (My wife gets a travel industry discount that usually amounts to %40 off rack rates)
5) ADR's are not always necessary as you can walk up to most restaraunts and get a table.

[BeccaO]

My favorite part of going to Disney in January is the anticipation and something to look forward to after Christmas and holidays are over. Seems like once Christmas is over things get a little depressing, and this gives us something to plan for and look forward to. I love getting the kids "stuff" for Christmas that they can take on our upcoming trip. There are pros and cons of going in January, just like going any other time of the year. We have gone in January the past few years and absolutely LOVE it!!!!!! There are many Brazilian groups, and the temps can be unpredictable,but the pros far out-weigh the cons, especially with dining reservations and discounts for resorts. :mickey:

[DisneyDINK]

I did a January trip this year and I stayed at the Poly. Beyond echoing what others have said I can't add much. But I like to post, so here I go…

I purposefully avoided the marathon and the MLK holiday, but still really didn’t totally avoid the crowds. Take-home message: There is no “dead” time of the year; crowds can’t be totally avoided. Avoid the crazy-busy this and relax. We stayed a week and the big Brazilian tour groups made about two of our park days a bit crowded. If the MK is crowded one day it probably won’t be in a couple of days. They don’t appear to stay a full week and normally they stay in the Values. It is a good time to pay up for a deluxe to avoid possible long bus waits.

We had one afternoon and evening where we just hung out in our hotel and watched at SEROIUS thunderstorm. Apparently January is tornado season in Florida. I didn’t know that until I got there, but, honestly it was kind of fun.

The weather for our first 5 days was fine for hanging out in the parks, but it wasn’t pool weather per se. The last two days of our trip were good pool days, hit n’ miss with more chilly days than pool days, just gotta get lucky. Blizzard beach gets the refurb in January and Typhoon Lagoon is open. I went on a day when the temperature was barely in my comfort zone, say 68 degrees, and I had all of the slides to myself with no waits, did everything in about 2 hours. The last 2 days were great for lying by the pool, but some of the others were cold by Florida standards.

[iceicebritney]

I also noticed a lot of tour groups when I was there during the month of January. We went right in the middle of the month.

No matter what month it is, Disney World is always a magical place. Just pack appropriately for cooler weather and you will have a wonderful time i'm sure:mickey:

[lighteningqueen]

When is the marathon? Also we are going the last week of the month.Is the weather different then, maybe a little warmer?? I really hoped the tour groups were not there then.They are in DEC and boy are there tons of them the first 2 weeks. Where do they get all that money to come here so often and why didnt disney build them a park instead of China??Just asking??

[faline]

When is the marathon? Also we are going the last week of the month.Is the weather different then, maybe a little warmer?? I really hoped the tour groups were not there then.They are in DEC and boy are there tons of them the first 2 weeks. Where do they get all that money to come here so often and why didnt disney build them a park instead of China??Just asking??

January 5-12. The weather at the end of January is not much different than during the rest of January.

[lighteningqueen]

We go Jan 21-29,so hope its not too cold.I don't even have a clue what the rest of Jan is like if I have never been. I will just go on bring everything then, which is a hassle.

[A Big Kid]

January 5-12. The weather at the end of January is not much different than during the rest of January.

Its always the first full weekend in January.

[NJDad]

We changed it up this year and went in early February instead of January so my younger kid could finally ride Splash Mt.

[Altair]

Is there anything I need to know about going this time of year?
I have noticed already that the parks close pretty early. Anything else?

If Fantasmic! is a must for you, be aware it will be shut down from 1/5 to 2/12/12 with a 6:30 show only from 1/1-1/4.:(

[A Big Kid]

If Fantasmic! is a must for you, be aware it will be shut down from 1/5 to 2/12/12 with a 6:30 show only from 1/1-1/4.:(

See, this is what absolutely drives me mad about WDW. Why in the world would they create a huge event (Marathon Weekend) designed to attract 10's of thousands of guests, and then take down a headliner attraction right then?

[bertasso59]

Just one bit of advice-DONT CAMP! FW in Jan with just a tent was the coldest camping Ive ever done and I usally camp in Vermont's Green Mountains in OCt.It actually went down to 32 in Florida!

[Aurora]

During marathon week one year, the temps ranged so much -- highs in the 70s and lows in the 30s, that we wore winter coats AND shorts the same week. If you don't want to bring a winter coat, you can either bring lots of clothes for layering or just plan to buy something there to keep warm. Even the characters sometimes wear different costumes. (Jasmine wore a long mint-green cloak with a hood to match her "outfit.")

Check rehab schedules online closer to your trip. We found there were several attractions down for maintenance besides Splash Mountain, and it helped us prepare, at least mentally.

Because parks close earlier, you might find yourself watching the beginning of fireworks shows with a tiny bit of daylight left.

This seems obvious, but even in Florida the sun shines a bit lower in the sky in the dead of winter. So if you're an avid photographer, you'll notice that shadows and the "play" of the light will be a little different as well.

[MushuGrl]

We went the last week of January,and it was wonderful! Can't preach "layers" enough, that you can peel off and put back on as the weather changes through the day (we started out my sister's birthday in hoodies, shivering while waiting for the bus...by 2 p.m. we had our hoodies around our waist, our sleeves pushed up, and were enjoyed mango green-tea slushes at Epcot! That was a fun phone call back home, where they were getting 14 inches of snow.) Mornings were cool, evenings were warm. (This was, however, right after the huge cold snap Florida had - frost had killed most of the landscaping.)

Unless you absolutely cannot live without Splash Mountain, I say go. That was our first (and hopefully not last) January trip and we didn't really notice the early park closings-we got so much done during the day that we were gone by then anyway.

As many people have stated already, on the tour groups, just avoid whatever rides you see them heading toward as the wait time will jump up (however, come back later and watch it drop! We were contemplating whether or not to get in the queue at Mission Space with a 30 minute wait time - as we were discussing it, it dropped to 5 minutes.)

We had the least amount of rain than we've ever had on any of our Disney trips.