First Week of January at WDW?

[Tinkwings]

:sohappy:Have been several times in late Jan and Early February and it has been mostly awesome...save a rainy cool day or two in all. Has been a few years and lo and behold...the school calendar came out and they are giving us thru Jan 9th off...:sohappy:.....I have older children who are beyond the taking out of school for a week phase with AP classes etc...so I am overjoyed at even pondering the possibility this week of going.

Wondering if anyone has gone at this time and your experience with weather and crowds? I read it's rather busy through the 4th....but thinking of arriving on the 3rd and leaving on the 8th...depends on airfare best rate for departure...knowing Splash Mountain will likely be closed again...btw I looked at new style WDW calendar and did not notice preannounced refurbishments like in past....

Thanks for any input...

Tink

 

[majorrfb]

First week of Jan.

We have been to the World several times during this time frame. Crowds are small to moderate at best. The weather has been, at times, very comfortable during the day and cool at night. Occasionally, cold. Sooo, bring some light jackets, sweater shirts etc. cover the possibilities. Lines are short to non-existed. Weekends can be a little busy, due to locals visiting the parks. Week days....have a blast. :wave:

 

[OldYeller]

There is a marathon/half marathon/5k that weekend in conjunction with a health/fitness expo at ESPN(i think). My wife is a runner and we're going down so she can participate(Me? If i try to drive 26 miles, i have to stop for a big gulp or a coffee, let alone run it). I've never been down to WDW at that time either but we're going to try it this year. I'm curious myself as to what the crowds will be like. Everything I read suggests they will be very light.

 

[Tinkwings]

I guess I have been googling and seen some references to Marathon Weekend bringing in some more crowds....but was wondering same...if that really makes for "crowds" like enough to bother as in Presidents week madness levels, which I doubt, but do not know much about Marathon itself. Makes me wonder if races run through parts of parks or completely IN parks? Which of course would hamper traffic flow so I doubt, but maybe I should change thread title to Marathon week crowd level experience wanted?!?!:animwink: Also I did notice on a couple sites that rates are a bit inflated during those days....which leads one to believe increase in demand...?

 

[OldYeller]

I think they run through epcot and up to the magic kingdom and back. However, the times are very early.

WALT DISNEY WORLD® Marathon Weekend Events
Pasta in the Park Party Thursday, January 5, 2012 6:30 p.m.Epcot®
Disney Family Fun Run 5K Friday, January 6, 2012 6:30 a.m. Epcot®
Disney Kids' Races Friday, January 6, 2012 – Saturday, January 7, 2012
11:00 a.m.ESPN Wide World of Sports Track & Field Complex
Mickey MileFriday, January 6, 2012 12:30 p.m.ESPN Wide World of Sports
WALT DISNEY WORLD® Half Marathon Saturday, January 7, 2012 5:30 a.m.
Start/Finish: Epcot®
WALT DISNEY WORLD® Marathon Relay Sunday, January 8, 2012
5:30 a.m.
WALT DISNEY WORLD® Marathon Sunday, January 8, 20125:30 a.m.
Start/Finish: Epcot®

 

[faw286570]

Others may add something which I miss, so here is my observation around Marathon weekend in January.

I ran in the WDW Marathon weekend in January of this year. The crowd levels were light to almost moderate in Magic Kingdom and Epcot when we visited.

The Marathon Expo is at Wide World of Sports Thursday through Saturday with moderate to heavy crowds as runners pick up their information packets.

On Saturday - the Half Marathon runs through Magic Kingdom and part of Epcot, and is through those areas by around 11am or sooner. You run through Magic Kingdom first and Epcot second.

On Sunday - the Full Marathon runs through all four parks, and is through those areas by around 1pm or sooner. You start with Epcot, Magic Kingdom, then Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and finish back in Epcot.

Expect travel delays around the property as some of the routes are modified during the races. I ran the Half Marathon on Saturday so I do not know what travel times were like to the parks by vehicle.

We went to Magic Kingdom on Sunday and it took almost an hour to ride Disney transportation from All Star Sports with our arrival about 9:15am. This is the only type of delay we experienced.

The marathon was completely through the Magic Kingdom at 9:15am with no other sign that it was taking place, in that park. The park itself had light crowds all day.

We went to Downtown Disney on Monday and it had light crowds. Full Marathon participants received admission to any one park on Monday following the Marathon (which was Sunday).

On Tuesday we visited Epcot with light crowds. We heard from Cast Members and other guests that Monday was really busy at the parks by the Marathon runners and their families.

I think if you know what to expect and plan accordingly there will be no surprises. Marathon Weekend course maps and information is available at the Wide World of Sports website.

I hope this helps - have fun!

 

[Tinkwings]

Thanks! Guess there probably is a significant portion that may stay at resorts and visit parks since they are on location....but perhaps many are just there to run for selves and not taking the rest of family along....:lookaroun....Good to know times especially if hanging out at Epcot during those times...maybe "tour" groups are lesser that week to compensate...:animwink:.:king:

 

[Tinkwings]

Oooh thanks for all that! So basically the marathon is contained to Sat and Sunday FOLLOWING New Years weekend....so if I am planning the 3rd to 8th and main events are 7th and 8th then 3,4 5,6 should be more moderate both because weekdays and nonevents. Maybe peeps come in on Friday and plan trip following event? Oops just reread earlier info and looks like the Thursday night pasta thing at Epcot is begininning of things....family fun run to consider Friday...ok so knowing that to look most forward to Tuesday Wednesday Thursday to have a bit lighter crowd perhaps.

Hoping Splash Mountain will still be up and running through the weekend and weather is nice for runners and guests alike!

Thank you so much for your insights....

 

[Jessnwonderland]

DH and I went this past January and couldn't believe how crowded it was! We stayed the 2nd through the 8th. The lines for rides were anywhere from 30 - 90 minute waits! All the Christmas decorations were still up, which was great for me because I had never experienced that before. The weather was in the 60's so we wore jeans and t-shirts during the day, but had to add light jackets during the night. It sure was great to be at Disneyworld and not have to worry about melting in the heat! All in all it was a great trip and I would consider going in January again! Hope you guys have a great trip!

 

[Tinkwings]

Thanks! That is cool to know...had no idea Christmas was stillup but way to extend the holiday...as mine will still be up at home before trip anyhow!

Wow you had crowds eh...well 30 minutes is not too bad...90 moreso...but we are skilled fastpassers and now my children are teens they can sprint at a good rate...marathon or not!!

60's would be perfect....ahhhhhhhhhhhhh...should be around 10 here!:animwink:

 

[Tinkwings]

! Hope you guys have a great trip!

Thanks so much...my oldest is headed off to college the following year and I sure am cranking out the how to get this --trip- underway- brain- cells active....it was totally unexpected this week off so WOO HOO!!!:sohappy:

And YES like you I do not mind jeans and jackets...I think my least favorite Disney moment ever was a presidents day weekday that it was 90+ and super crowded bumping into peeps, crying babies etc....I know I could never enjoy it as much in Summer heat and crowds....:lookaroun

 

[faw286570]

To clarify - We were in Magic Kingdom on Sunday with light crowds.

The longest lines we saw were in Fantasyland - from noon to 7pm - for Winnie the Pooh and Snow White - each about 60 minutes. We walked on these early and then got Fast Passes for later.

For us - All other rides were 5 to 15 minute waits.

We were in Epcot on Tuesday with light crowds again. The longest lines were in Norway for Maelstrom which was about 45 minutes, and Soarin which was 90 minutes to infinity. We skipped Maelstrom and used Fast Passes for Soarin. All other rides were walk on for us.

Maybe we were lucky or just hit the attractions at the right times.

 

[EvilQueen-T]

we've done quite a few january trips for my granddaughters birthday. other than avoiding the leftover from the holidays the first few days of the month the rest of the month is pretty much the same as you've experienced at the end of the month. the weather is just as wacky as the rest of the month, it can be warm, cold, or rainy. it's just how florida winters are. we really love going at this time of year for the low crowds.

 

[Disney Dawg88]

I definitely agree with what faw286570 said in his posts. This is definitely a great time to go and the crowds are very light to average at most. I've been down there for the marathon weekend four or five times now as a participant so I know from experience. The weather has really varied, the first time I ran the race in 2006 it was in the low 40's and the next year it was in the 80's and humid as all get out. This past year it was pretty nice, in the low to mid 70's during the day and probably a little cooler at night. So weather wise it can really vary, but don't worry about the crowds during marathon weekend. If you are going to while the races are taking place on Saturday and Sunday just make sure you get a map of what roads will be shut down or have limited access.

 

[CaptainShortty]

I'm also planning on being in the World the 5th through the 7th (didn't realize it was Marathon Weekend but convinced my parents to squeeze it in as I have CM passes I have to use). From what I'm reading it doesn't affect the crowds until after the marathon really which is nice to hear.

I'm thinking of driving in and doing MK on Thursday and then doing Studios in the morning and Epcot at night on Friday. Then DTD and the pool on Saturday before we head off to the airport. Does that sound like a good plan with the marathon going on or is it to busy to get everything done. We're regulars there (being a CM has its perks) so if we don't see everything it's not the end of the world. Just a taste of Disney to ease my craving for a little while. Thanks!

 

[Firepath]

We were there this year, arrived late Sun Jan 2 left early Sun Jan 9. Due to the marathon, we expected moderately heavy crowds, and were pleased that they were a bit lighter than we expected as most of the holiday crowds had departed. There was a very large number of visitors from Brazil (we had only good experiences with them). We got an early start each day at or just after opening and only had 30+ minute waits in the late afternoons. I recall the weather was in the 70's as we wore shorts most every day. It only rained one evening enough that we used our rain gear and we did wear light jackets most nights. One thing to note, if you aren't running and are not a sound sleeper, you might not want to stay at French Quarter. We were woke both Sat and Sun mornings around 5am by the loudspeakers from the marathon staging area right across the street. If you are running, it would be a great place to stay! We didn't have any trouble getting to the airport on time with Magical Express early Sunday morning although we saw runners on their way to the staging area crossing the roads in front of the bus - not sure how safe that was! Overall, I highly recommend the first week in January.:wave:

 

[dreamfinder]

The biggest crowds for Marathon weekend are at the hotels and the expo. The expo runs Thurs,Fri,Sat. The biggest inconveniences to non running guests will be road closures on Sunday. Most of the roads are open on Saturday early enough to not affect anything beyond perhaps some character breakfast folks. But on Sunday the main stretch of road leading to the MK bus depot is a one lane in/out deal until the runners are clear from the park. This can end up being close to 9 or so. Other roads stay closed later, so getting around that day can be a bit tricky and it is best to ensure you have plenty of time to get anywhere important.

 

[Tinkwings]

So if I am staying at the WL and want to go to MK Sat morn take the boat...otherwise I wonder if bus traffic would be impeded going to AK from WL or getting to Epcot ....taking boat to monorail to Epcot could be a prob if congested at docks/opening area for MK? The more I read the more I know I need to do a bit more planning....thank you so very much for the continued insights!!!!:king:

 

[becanya]

This is a very helpful thread, thanks so much to everyone for sharing your experience. We are also doing a trip Jan 2-8, just booked it this morning. I was a little worried about crowds, but it looks like it won't be bad at all! At least not any worse than the crowds in Oct when we have gone in the past. I too am soooooo excited about being there when the weather is hopefully a little less brutal. :sohappy: We are staying at VWL the first 3 nights and SSR the last three nights. Our first time at SSR!

 

[CaptainShortty]

This is a very helpful thread, thanks so much to everyone for sharing your experience. We are also doing a trip Jan 2-8, just booked it this morning. I was a little worried about crowds, but it looks like it won't be bad at all! At least not any worse than the crowds in Oct when we have gone in the past. I too am soooooo excited about being there when the weather is hopefully a little less brutal. :sohappy: We are staying at VWL the first 3 nights and SSR the last three nights. Our first time at SSR!

I'll be at Wilderness Lodge the January 4th-6th, 2012! Maybe we'll run into each other. =)