Planning a trip for Hayden's 3yr birthday in January

[Hayden's Dad]

Well here we are planning again. We are thinking about going back to the World to celebrate Hayden's very magical 3yr birthday January 10. We are looking at around the week 5-10, but may switch that up a little so we are actually in the World for his birthday that Saturday.

Now for some advice, we have never been in January so we don't know anything about the crowds, weather or anything so any advice you can give we would greatly appreciate.

The other piece is if we are in the World when Hayden turns 3 will we have to have a ticket for him, and he doesn't eat like normal children we give him his food over the night through a special pump so we wouldn't have to have a dining plan for him would we?

Thanks everyone for the advice.

[teambricker04]

We haven't been in January either and are planning our first trip! I think the 8th through the 15th... but I don't remember off the top of my head. I know. Who can't remember when they are going to WDW?!?!

I would imagine if Hayden doesn't eat food at the table, you wouldn't need to pay for the meal plan.

I have also heard that if you have your 3rd birthday at the world, you don't pay for your passes when you are three. Things may have changed though... you may want to call and make sure. With the way the economy is going they may change this... who knows.

[faline]

My understanding is that it depends on the child's age when you check in. If the child is under 3 when you check in, no tickets are needed. If the child has already turned 3, you need tickets.

If he doesn't eat orally, I would suspect that Disney would not require that you purchase the dining plan for him.

Weather in January can be quite variable. It can be downright cold, quite mild, or something in between. Crowds are generally low - once you get through the 1st of the year crowds. Martin Luther King weekend brings another increase in crowds. The marathon impacts traffic patterns.

[Disney Doll]

I have been once in January and in general I think it is a good time to go. The year we went it was cold, but like the previous poster said the weather can really vary that time of year. Personally I would rather be cool than be hot and I think the trade in crowd levels is well worth the cooler temps. Hope you have a great trip!

[Strmchsr]

Kyle,
I would suggest looking here for the weather for the last 5 years on the dates you're considering. That'll give you a good idea of what to expect.

[Hayden's Dad]

I would suggest looking here for the weather for the last 5 years on the dates you're considering. That'll give you a good idea of what to expect.

Thanks Chris that was a big help. It looks like the temps are really all over the place, but after going here in May the cool weather looks nice to me. We are used to going at the end of November anyway.

[tyandskyesmom]

The kids and I were there January 1 - 13, 2008.

The first 2 or 3 days were freezing...like we had our Illinois ready winter coats and hats and gloves. One night they were covering all the plants and flowers outside because it was supposed to get too cold for them. That was a very weird sight! But after that, the weather was very nice...on the cool side in the mornings and evenings (nothing a sweater or light jacket could not handle) but warm during the day. We went to both water parks for the first time durin gthat trip. On the 13th it rained buckets!

The crowds were not too bad, or else I was just very preparred, for the first week. That was the week I was worried about...before all the kids had to be back in school! But we also had a long trip so we did not let a long line bother us...we knew we had time to wait or come back. The following week was really nice crowd-wise. Not empty but not crowds either. Just nice. We hardly ever had a wait for transportation (and oddly enough, the worst was busses from a Deluxe Resort but that was because no busses were coning not because it was crowded!).

You should not need a ticket or a dining plan for Hayden. They charge by the age you are when you check in.

I have started my trip report ("Better Late Than Never...") with pictures attached so you could get an idea of weather and crowds a little from there if you want to take a look!

[calif desert family]

Something to think about for your January trip. The Disney Marathon is going on January 9 &10. I posted a best time to go in Jan. about 2 months ago and was told by your great intercoter helpers to stay away from WDW during the Marathon and MLK. They told me it would be very busy. I hope this helps.

[Hayden's Dad]

Is the marathon the 9-10? I thought it wasn't until later in the month.

[teambricker04]

Is the marathon the 9-10? I thought it wasn't until later in the month.

Yes... DH is running, that is why we are going that week. I think the half is that saturday and the marathon is sunday. They start pretty early so all should be done by lunch time. As I have heard on this site, they pull slow people off the course.

[Hayden's Dad]

Where is the course? What does it run through?

[RaRaRoundTheWorld]

We've been to WDW in early January for the last 2 years. I think I responded to another post with this info recently, so forgive me if this is repetitive.

As long as your child is not 3 at check-in, you don't need to sign up for the package. I'm pretty sure that, once your child is 3, he/she must be on the same exact package as everyone else in your party.

Personally, we love going in January and are planning a 3rd January trip for '09. To us, it's the perfect way to end one year and enter another.

Weather: 2007 - It was in the low 70s during the day and dipped into the low 60s and sometimes high 50s at night. 2008 - Day temps started off in the high 60s and rose into the low 80s by the end of our trip. It was essentially spring-like weather to us. I don't recall it raining on either trip.

Clothing: I would bring long and short sleeved shirts, with some pullovers/hoodies/cardigans for night. I'd throw in a few shorts or skirts along with the jeans and pants. We used the pool on several days on this past trip, so I'd bring pool gear. I know people suggest winter coats, but we never felt that it was that cold and we didn't notice anyone who was wearing winter clothing. That's up to you of course.

Crowds: Were higher immediately after New Year's as the Christmas festivities wound-down & kids completed their winter breaks. The weekdays were low and the weekends were higher. Nothing at all as bad as the summer.

Decorations: Although we read everywhere that the decorations would be gone, most everything was there for the entirety of our trip.

Drawbacks: Hotel areas, pools and some attractions might be closed for refurbishment since it's the "low" season.

[thrillme]

Check in at least the day before his birthday that way he can still get in free.

Disney Dining plan...I normally don't bother with it myself but...I can't imagine that Disney wouldn't take "special" cases into consideration.

[faline]

Where is the course? What does it run through?

The Marathon runs through all the parks. Course information.

[Sam&Alex&Josh'sMOM]

I would have to agree with "Get there the day before Hayden turns 3. Might as well take advantage of the cost savings! That is what we are doing this year when we go in September... Getting one more trip in before the price of each vacation goes up considerably.

[Maleficent's Dad]

Where is the course? What does it run through?

The half-marathon is SATURDAY, January 10. It is run VERY early in the morning and goes from EPCOT's parking lot, into the MK, and finishes running through EPCOT (finish line in parking lot).

The full marathon is SUNDAY, January 11. It is run through all four parks.

The half marathon shouldn't affect anyone's vacation too much - it's over by 10 in the morning.

The marathon is longer - it also starts at 6 AM and all runners should be done by early afternoon at the latest.

[Hayden's Dad]

Thank you all for all the great info. We want to be there on Hayden's actual birthday which is the 10th. Do the marathons impact your vacations very much? Or is it really only something to worry about if you are in the marathon itself?

[eeyoremom]

WE were in the world 2 years ago over marathon weekend. We felt that it had very little impact on our vacation as a whole. We did watch runners go thru MGM, but Hayden may even like that. The commute to the park on the bus took a little longer on marathon day. Remember, the runners are there to run. Some do spend time in the parks, but really they come mostly to run. Most also only stay for the weekend. We rather enjoyed watching them and we are definitely not athletic. I wouldn't worry too much about the marathon impacting your vacation.

[avantgardeinker]

We went on our honeymoon in '01. It was toward the end of Jan. The first part of the week the weather was a little drizzly and cold, but by the middle of our trip the weather was perfect. 70's and 80's for highs and a nice breeze coming in off the coast. It made for a very pleasant trip. The crowds were almost non-existant. It was the least crowded trip we've ever had. Since then we've gone once in June and all the other times have been early Dec.