Jan/Feb touring
I have done the Jan/Feb visits for the past few years myself and here's my experience:
Jan 26 - Feb 2, 2002: Extremly light crowds, like private situation in the parks. To put this in a proper frame of reference you have to remember that it was shortly after the 9/11/2001 terrorist attack. Most people were too afraid to fly anywhere. While usually a friendly place, it was very obvious that the hospitality segment of Orlando was thankful to see ANYONE coming to visit. Sept. - Dec. 2001 had been crushing to the industry. The weather was good to us. Lows in the mid-30s a couple of days then ranging from the low-40s up to the low-60s. Little rain to speak of.
Feb 1 - Feb 8, 2003: Again light crowds but maybe a little more crowded than in 2002. More traffic at the Disney parks than over at Universal which is usually the case this time of year. Wonderful weather. Nightly lows in the mid-40s to mid-50s, (mostly mid-40s). Highs started at 68 and rose to 78! (Whew! It was almost hot. - I know, I know, I've nothing to complain of here. I used to tour in the heat of July/August too).
Jan 3 - 10, 2004: Boy did I mess up here. I figured a little overlap from the Christmas/New Years holidays crowd but wanted to see the decorations up as I hadn't been during Christmas in years. I figured everyone would have to be back at work by Monday the 5th. Wrong! They all managed to take the whole week off as well. Unexpectedly crowded at the parks with the Magic Kingdom having the busiest traffic as usual. On Jan 9th a front rolled in on us and the temperature dropped from 75 to 47 in about 45 minutes. Everyone was caught off guard and was scrambling to buy a sweater. Disney made a ton of $$ that afternoon at $40-80 a pop for those whom the change was too dramatic. Watch your weather and be wary of approaching fronts with cooler temps behind them. At least carry something to throw on if that happens.
OK, so I've learned my lesson about crowds in early Jan and am back to late Jan. Going this weekend/next week 22 through the 29. Not near the Christmas/New Year's crowd, past the marathon, and dodged the cheerleaders on the 16-17. Should be clear sailing on crowds. Weather will start out with a high of 70 this Saturday with an overnight low in the low-50s. Sunday a front will move in with scattered thundershowers with 30% coverage and the high will drop to 58 with a low Sunday night of 32, (Ouch)! But the good news is the chance of rain drops to zero for the rest of the week and the temps slowly recover each day finally rising back to a high in the low-70s and the lows rising to the low-50s.
Now there will be some attractions down for rehab and the hub at MK is walled off. Fantasmic! and SpectroMagic aren't running every day but that can be planned around. Park hours will be shorter but it won't take hours in line to see everything. "Value" season is great! Low crowds, no unbearable heat, better rates, cast members that are full time and have been making the magic for years, (Note: I say "full time" in the sense they are long time CMs v. just brought in to cover the Christmas season. I understand there are part-time CMs that have worked at Disney for years as well and do every bit as good a job. I guess temp would be a better word).
Anyway, bring your Mickey ponchos for Sunday if needed and wrap up at night. Maybe I'll bump into you in line ... wait! What line? :sohappy:
