GeorgiaHoo
New Member
We are trying to book a room that first week for 5 at Port Orleans Riverside and they are basically full unless we stay 7 days. Any idea if that first week is really crowded?
-
Welcome to the WDWMAGIC.COM Forums!
Please take a look around, and feel free to sign up and join the community.
Ok, anyone have input on crowds the first week of January?
- Thread starter GeorgiaHoo
- Start date
MichelleBelle
New Member
From my experience, the crowds really aren't bad at all. At least they weren't this past January (the first week). I think our longest wait was TT and that was only about 20-25 min or so. Epcot seemed to be the least crowded if I remember correctly... but for the most part all 4 parks were pretty easy. We avoided the MK New Years Day just in case. We did MGM that day and there wasn't many people at all.
Upvote
0
napnet
Active Member
I have found that Disney is odd about booking. I called up to extend my stay by one day and they said it was full. I called back and booked just one room in the same hotel and they let me.
As for crowds, they can be packed around the first of the year with people taking of... http://wdw.parkcrowds.com/ says its sold out for new years but light the rest of the month while http://www.touringplans.com/BestDays.htm says wait times during the first week will be from 55-85 minute waits while the rest of the month 35-55 minute average waits.
Hope this helps!
As for crowds, they can be packed around the first of the year with people taking of... http://wdw.parkcrowds.com/ says its sold out for new years but light the rest of the month while http://www.touringplans.com/BestDays.htm says wait times during the first week will be from 55-85 minute waits while the rest of the month 35-55 minute average waits.
Hope this helps!
Upvote
0
SpenceMan01
Well-Known Member
Jan 2005:
Thursday the 6th:
AM: MK- Not too bad. Did all of Fantasyland darkrides and Philharmagic in the first 45/60 min. All were walkons. HM was a walk on. Jungle Cruise was a 30 minute wait (it opened late). Pirates was a 10 minute wait. Around noon waits at the Mountains were about 20-30 min. CoP was a walkon.
PM: MGM- ToT was at about a 15 minute wait, with the basement after the librarys pretty much full. GMR had about a 10-15 minute wait. By evening, Star Tours was a walk-on. We walked into Fantasmic about 45 minutes before showtime and got a seat down in the 4th row of the center-left section. They were still seating people in the far left section 10 minutes before showtime.
Sat. the 8th:
AM: MGM- We walked onto RnRC at park opening. WWTBAM was a walk on/in, Muppetvision was a walk on, Sounds Dangerous was a walk on, by about noon it started to fill up a little bit and the Backstage tour had a line, but we got in on the next batch.
PM: EPCOT- M:S had a 15-20 minute wait, TT had about a 25 minute wait. SSE, JIYI, UoE, and Living Seas were all walk-ons. In the evening, El Rio Del Tiempo was a walk on (is it ever not?), and Maelstrom was a <5 minute wait. Crowds weren't too bad. We walked out of the American Adventure 10 minutes before Illuminations and found a decent spot near Italy.
Mon. the 10th.
AM: AK- Safaris right at open, <10 min. wait. ITTBAB was a walk on, Dinosaur was a walk on, Primevil whirl was a <5 min. wait. Tarzan was a walk on, FotLK was a walk-on. The animal paths weren't too busy. Kali was about a posted 10 min wait (didn't ride).
PM: MK- Swiss Family Treehouse and Tiki Room were walk ons. BTMM and Splash had 25/30 minute posted waits. CBJ and HM were walk ons. Stitch and Buzz had ~10 minute waits. Space Mtn had a 20 minute posted wait. During spectro Stitch and Buzz became walkons and TL was pretty much dead.
This probably belongs in Trip Reports, but I hope it gives you a sense of what we experienced as far as wait times. It was a really good time to go to WDW. The weather was nice (though it can be hit or miss in January) and crowds were very managable. We waited less than 5 or 10 minutes for many attractions, while the headliners were posting 20-30 minute waits.
Thursday the 6th:
AM: MK- Not too bad. Did all of Fantasyland darkrides and Philharmagic in the first 45/60 min. All were walkons. HM was a walk on. Jungle Cruise was a 30 minute wait (it opened late). Pirates was a 10 minute wait. Around noon waits at the Mountains were about 20-30 min. CoP was a walkon.
PM: MGM- ToT was at about a 15 minute wait, with the basement after the librarys pretty much full. GMR had about a 10-15 minute wait. By evening, Star Tours was a walk-on. We walked into Fantasmic about 45 minutes before showtime and got a seat down in the 4th row of the center-left section. They were still seating people in the far left section 10 minutes before showtime.
Sat. the 8th:
AM: MGM- We walked onto RnRC at park opening. WWTBAM was a walk on/in, Muppetvision was a walk on, Sounds Dangerous was a walk on, by about noon it started to fill up a little bit and the Backstage tour had a line, but we got in on the next batch.
PM: EPCOT- M:S had a 15-20 minute wait, TT had about a 25 minute wait. SSE, JIYI, UoE, and Living Seas were all walk-ons. In the evening, El Rio Del Tiempo was a walk on (is it ever not?), and Maelstrom was a <5 minute wait. Crowds weren't too bad. We walked out of the American Adventure 10 minutes before Illuminations and found a decent spot near Italy.
Mon. the 10th.
AM: AK- Safaris right at open, <10 min. wait. ITTBAB was a walk on, Dinosaur was a walk on, Primevil whirl was a <5 min. wait. Tarzan was a walk on, FotLK was a walk-on. The animal paths weren't too busy. Kali was about a posted 10 min wait (didn't ride).
PM: MK- Swiss Family Treehouse and Tiki Room were walk ons. BTMM and Splash had 25/30 minute posted waits. CBJ and HM were walk ons. Stitch and Buzz had ~10 minute waits. Space Mtn had a 20 minute posted wait. During spectro Stitch and Buzz became walkons and TL was pretty much dead.
This probably belongs in Trip Reports, but I hope it gives you a sense of what we experienced as far as wait times. It was a really good time to go to WDW. The weather was nice (though it can be hit or miss in January) and crowds were very managable. We waited less than 5 or 10 minutes for many attractions, while the headliners were posting 20-30 minute waits.
Upvote
0
SewIn2Disney
Well-Known Member
Thanks A LOT! I will be going exactly those days this upcoming January! Do you remember what the weather was like (temperature wise)? I went to WDW a few years ago from Christmas to New Years and it was freezing, but I think that they were having a cold front or something. Even if it is cold, having no waits will be heaven!
Upvote
0
shoppingnut
Active Member
Check the weather channel website and do a 10-day projected forecast before you leave, it is the only way to get an indicator of what the weather will be. This time of year can change from week to week. I do this before I leave to help with my packing and have never had a problem with not having the proper weight clothing.
Upvote
0
SpenceMan01
Well-Known Member
Weather when we were there was sunny and 80's every day (except the last), however, before and after our trip it was rainy and chilly.SewIn2Disney said:
January weather can be hit or miss. Take shoppingnut's advice about the 10 day forecast.
Upvote
0
nibblesandbits
Well-Known Member
SpenceMan01 said:
I agree with SewIn2Disney! This breakdown was great as I am also going during this time period and was curious as to how the crowds might be.
Upvote
0
colliera
Member
Jan Crowd Levels/Temps
Here's what I have experienced over the past several years.
Feb. 1-8, 2003 - Very low park attendance. Most attractions a walk-on. Nice weather.
Jan. 4-7. 2004 - I thought I had calculated to miss the New Year's Eve crowd. I figured everyone would have to be back at work/school. WRONG! Fairly heavy crowds and waits in lines. Weather still nice.
Jan. 21-30, 2005 - Much better than 2004 but crowds not as light as in 2003. We had a cold front blow through one afternoon and the temps dropped about 20 degrees in 40 minutes. Boy did Disney sell a ton of fleece jackets in the parks!
Jan. 21-27, 2006 ??? Hope that it much like 2005 and expect the same. Maybe even better as I'm counting that most people checked out the Happiest Celebration this Summer.
In Jan. 2006 there is the WDW Marathon January 7-8 which you can expect runners to bring their families for either the week before or after. I'm not a runner but I understand that they do almost nothing the days before a run which would exclude walking the parks the days before. I would imagine there are some days of recovery after the run.
There is a window of opportunity after the New Year's Eve/Marathon crowd goes away and before Martin Luther King and President's Day Holidays.
Here's what I have experienced over the past several years.
Feb. 1-8, 2003 - Very low park attendance. Most attractions a walk-on. Nice weather.
Jan. 4-7. 2004 - I thought I had calculated to miss the New Year's Eve crowd. I figured everyone would have to be back at work/school. WRONG! Fairly heavy crowds and waits in lines. Weather still nice.
Jan. 21-30, 2005 - Much better than 2004 but crowds not as light as in 2003. We had a cold front blow through one afternoon and the temps dropped about 20 degrees in 40 minutes. Boy did Disney sell a ton of fleece jackets in the parks!
Jan. 21-27, 2006 ??? Hope that it much like 2005 and expect the same. Maybe even better as I'm counting that most people checked out the Happiest Celebration this Summer.
In Jan. 2006 there is the WDW Marathon January 7-8 which you can expect runners to bring their families for either the week before or after. I'm not a runner but I understand that they do almost nothing the days before a run which would exclude walking the parks the days before. I would imagine there are some days of recovery after the run.
There is a window of opportunity after the New Year's Eve/Marathon crowd goes away and before Martin Luther King and President's Day Holidays.
Upvote
0