Crowds/Lines in January?

[ilovepluto23]

I've read that January is one of the best times to go since the crowds have died down after the holidays. I've never been during January, and I'll be at WDW January 8-12, 2007.

Does anyone know how that time of year is? Is it still busy, or can you practically walk onto the rides?

Thanks!

 

[SpenceMan01]

That weekend is marathon weekend. Traffic will be heavy during the races. I'm not sure how busy the parks are, as when we were there in '05, we skipped the parks that day. The crowds in the days around the race weren't too bad. It was about a half hour wait at the MK mountains during peak times, but usually a little bit shorter depending on the time of the day.

Weather in Jan. can be hit or miss. In '05 it was sunny and 80 degrees every day of our trip, but 60 and rainy before and after. You kind of have to pack for any weather.

All-in-all, I liked WDW in January. So much so that we're going back this coming Jan. for our honeymoon. :sohappy:

 

[Gospel Bill]

Me too

I'm planning a January Trip right now (22-29) and I have a friend I'm going with who's been in January a few times and loves it. The problem is he hasn't been in January in what will be three years and I'm wondering if it will be as uncrowded now as he remembered it then.

 

[Teenchy]

I was there the second week of Jan. last year, and the crowds were great (Small ) and we even got a day in the mid 80's and went swimming in the pool at Poly. I think its a great time to go.

 

[mousermerf]

The begining of January when the holidays have ended, you can sit in MK and randomly throw stones and not hit anyone.

Through the marathon weekend(s) you'll have a small spike, but it ill still be noticeably quieter than other periods.

 

[Victoria]

I have been to WDW twice during January. Once during the Marathon weekend and once the week after the Marathon. Neither week was terribly busy. The day of the Marathon, transportation around property can get a bit hairy but, it wasnt terrible. We just allowed extra time to get anywhere.

The main drawback to going in January is the weather. We were freezing our fingers off most nights. (and Im from NJ so I know cold weather :lol: ) During the day we were lucky if it went above 65. It is still nice to be in 65 degree weather when back home it is 13 degrees. DEFINETLY pack for all types of weather and dont count on doing too much swimming unless a freak heatwave strikes.

All in all the crowds are sparse at best. However, as a result, all the parks close really early (epcot is usually the latest at 9pm) so dont plan on burning the midnight oils too much.

 

[DisneyFine]

It was quite busy during that marathon event, but after it cools down.:animwink: The crowds in some parks drop dramatically.

 

[ilovepluto23]

That weekend is marathon weekend. Traffic will be heavy during the races. I'm not sure how busy the parks are, as when we were there in '05, we skipped the parks that day. The crowds in the days around the race weren't too bad. It was about a half hour wait at the MK mountains during peak times, but usually a little bit shorter depending on the time of the day.

Weather in Jan. can be hit or miss. In '05 it was sunny and 80 degrees every day of our trip, but 60 and rainy before and after. You kind of have to pack for any weather.

All-in-all, I liked WDW in January. So much so that we're going back this coming Jan. for our honeymoon. :sohappy:

We'll be there during the week, so I don't know if the weekend races will be too big of a deal. We fly in on a Monday and leave that Saturday morning.
Do you know the dates of the marathons or is there somewhere I can find them?

 

[ilovepluto23]

The main drawback to going in January is the weather. We were freezing our fingers off most nights. (and Im from NJ so I know cold weather :lol: ) During the day we were lucky if it went above 65. It is still nice to be in 65 degree weather when back home it is 13 degrees. DEFINETLY pack for all types of weather and dont count on doing too much swimming unless a freak heatwave strikes.

I've been in February a few times, and one of those times it was in the 50's during the day! VERY cold (the humidity down here makes cold chill you to the bone...here in LA is very similar to FL)! I hope it isn't too bad b/c I missed Splash Mtn. this year b/c of the chilly weather...I'm not a fan of water rides to begin with, and I certainly wasn't going to take a chance of being wet in cooler weather!

 

[ilovepluto23]

The begining of January when the holidays have ended, you can sit in MK and randomly throw stones and not hit anyone.

Through the marathon weekend(s) you'll have a small spike, but it ill still be noticeably quieter than other periods.

Thanks for the info, this is what I've heard. Great visual there! lol

My "usual" WDW trips are during Mardi Gras week, but that time of year has increasingly become much more crowded! (This year was pretty crowded compared to 2004!)

 

[Stitch69]

The marathon is on Sunday and things get slower after that. The week you are there should be least crowded timeof year....HOWEVER alot of times alot of rides are down for rehab. :zipit: ( due to low attendance) also the water parks are usally closed this week for touch ups. However you are going to be at WDW and will make the best of it. Have fun!

 

[popsicletrees]

I've been during the first week of January for the past two years and loved it! Last January was a little more crowded because school was starting later in the week than the previous year. I wore jeans and t-shirts the whole time but took sweatshirts for the evening. By the end of our past two trips the crowds were dropping significantly. We saw a lot of young children, college age students, and older adults during our January trips. Soarin' had about a two hour wait, but we maybe waited for fifteen minutes, if that, for everything else. If classes didn't start back that week, the second week of January would definitely be the time I would go.

 

[ilovepluto23]

I've been during the first week of January for the past two years and loved it! Last January was a little more crowded because school was starting later in the week than the previous year. I wore jeans and t-shirts the whole time but took sweatshirts for the evening. By the end of our past two trips the crowds were dropping significantly. We saw a lot of young children, college age students, and older adults during our January trips. Soarin' had about a two hour wait, but we maybe waited for fifteen minutes, if that, for everything else. If classes didn't start back that week, the second week of January would definitely be the time I would go.

Thanks for the info! I'm a college student, and it's the best time for me to go (lower prices, cooler weather, etc.) so I understand why you'd see lots of college students

Soarin' will be the FIRST thing we hit in Epcot, most definitely! My best friend hasn't been on it yet!

 

[kachow]

My wife and I went the last week of January 2002, and the crowds were definitely low, but part of that was probably because it was pretty cold and cloudy. So, we had no problem hitting the rides, but were bummed that we had to wear long pants, sweaters, and jackets most of the time. I think there was only one day out of five warm enough for shorts. Honestly, we told ourselves we would never go back during that time again due to the weather.

 

[Nut4Disney]

We've been in Jan several times. Crowds are light, and there will be several attractions down for rehab, as it is the slow period. The weather has been great the past 2 times we've went. It was around 80 each day, but I guess it's hit or miss. We've actually been in March before when it was alot colder.

 

[mouselvrmom]

We're trying this year in January and are hoping that it is not crowded and that the weather cooperates. We went the last two years in February & had two very cold days both years. This year the news coverage of the frost was pretty funny, seeing as how we come from Minnesota and it was below zero at home. But of course at home I would not be spending all day outside like we do at disney. I just hope that there is a couple days that the kids can swim- they so look forward to that & this year the BWs pool was freezing.

 

[metscool]

I heard the same thing. I will probly go there one weekend or two during that month.

 

[shoppingnut]

I went this past January and the weather was warm enough for me to wear shorts day and night, pretty much the 80's during the day and high 70's at night. I'm always the first one to complain about the cold and put pants on, so you know it was warm. There were very little crowds and minimal ride waits, except for AK because it was the passholder preview for EE. It's definitely a great time of year to go.

 

[hansel1]

Jan 8 through the 15th of this year was very light traffic. MLK weekend picked up pretty good, but prior to that the parks were mostly walk-on or a 3-5 minute wait. The only rides that had refurbs were the toy story ride and the gm ride in epcot. At night the weather was low 70s, but you could get on any ride you wanted - no problem.

 

[thecompman]

We usually go every year in January around the 3rd or 4th week. It's so great because not only is it the least crowded time, but by that time all of the college students have also gone back to school, so it really is quite empty. Of course you have to keep in mind that "empty" is a relative term for WDW, as even when it is empty there are still tons of people.
The wait times for the rides are very little and completely manageable, the weather is very nice, not too hot, and there's usually a nice breeze. We usually go Tues-Sun.
I also find it's best to plan your parks accordingly by days. For example, we have found that MK will be very crowded on a Sat during that time since that's really the only times kids in that area can go as they are in school during the week, but if you go on a Wednesday or Thursday it's pretty empty.