January and MLK holiday

[disneygoofball]

We're planning our January trip, and I'm trying to figure out the best time to go. Right now we're looking at Jan 13-22, but that goes over the MLK holiday weekend. Anyone know how much room rates/package prices go up for that weekend and how crowded it gets in the parks?

Our other option is waiting until after the weekend and going Jan 20-29. Does anyone know if Disney has historically offered discounts in January, and if so, do they typically wait until after the MLK holiday? We're also looking at getting APs, so if you happen to know about AP discounts that have historically been offered, please share that as well. :D

Thanks for any help!

[faline]

Your first set of dates is right around the Disney marathon weekend which will drive the crowds up some (and certainly the traffic during the race(s)). I don't think the Martin Luther King holiday drives the crowds up significantly though you might see a bump over the holiday weekend itself.

Keep in mind that this is also the time of year that many tour groups from out of country come to Disney World so you may run into large groups traveling together in the parks.

Not sure about annual pass discounts but they are often available - sometimes in limited number depending on the resort you want to stay in.

[DizneyRox]

I was very surprised at the crowds on MLK day a few years back. Not July 4th crowds, but there were certainly lengthy waits for many attractions. Any national holiday is going to spike crowds at WDW. There really isn't a slow time anymore (by design).

[disneygoofball]

Thanks for the info! We're going to be there for marathon weekend, but then extended family is flying down for a family vacation. We want to make it as cheap as possible (haha!) for everyone going, and also enjoy fewer crowds. It sounds like it won't make much of a difference either way - it will just depend on everyone's schedules.

[tjstrike]

If you can go any earlier the crowds drop off significantly after new years, just depending on when kids go back to school. The 5th of Jan. should be back to school.

[ANG]

We are choosing that last week in January to avoid marathon crowds and locals on the MLK weekend.

[GoBlueLacheta]

We are going roughly the same dates. We have gone. Marathon Weekend + the following week until Friday in 2010 and 2013 so it was a littler earlier. We don't arrive until the 12th this year.

I mean it's hardly considered empty at any time but we found the only time things were unbearable is if one of the major E-tickets were shutdown. Test Track @ Epcot or HoT at the Studios plus Splash being under refurb doesn't help with crowd dispersement.

Having mentioned all that we were able to plan 4-5 months out and still got most of our ADR's we wanted last year and found it to be similar to the 2nd week in May with just the weather difference.