Walt Disney World or Disneyland in January?

jiminy.cricket

jiminy.cricket

Well-Known Member
Hello! I've been craving Disney for a while but especially over the past year. I always catch a thrill daydreaming about the parks and then fixate on planning fictitious trips. It looks like I will finally have a few weeks free in January 2015 (I would love to visit in the fall, but it probably won't happen), and am looking at the possibility of traveling with a friend during one of them. We are both Disney-holics familiar with the resorts and I'm sort of agonizing over the potential destinations of Anaheim and Orlando for a Disney trip.

Orlando is a familiar "home base" for us, filled with nostalgia. We grew up visiting this area and would be able to easily figure out what we wanted to do and see. Crowds at the parks would probably be low aside from Marathon Weekend. There is much new that we haven't seen in the past several years (The Landing at Disney Springs, resort-hopping, New Fantasyland) and old favorites we could revisit. It might be a good opportunity to check out the Orlando area and the Harry Potter attractions as well. However, Walt Disney World is being reconstructed and refurbished everywhere over the next few years (Disney Springs, Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom) and we would face a learning curve with the new FastPass+ changes.

I have not seen Anaheim for several, several years (shortly after California Adventure first opened) and would love to experience the Disneyland Resort in its current incarnation. This experience would be newer; more novel; exciting. I don't believe there is much construction at Disneyland at this time. However, we would face a car rental, navigating the highways a bit more, a time change with jet lag, and feel obligated to plan and visit the rest of the area while in Southern California.

A third, crazy, and slightly pricier option is to visit each resort for half of the week! We're just throwing ideas around at this point. We can't choose, so I decided to post a poll on the boards! Which option would you choose and why? Thank you for any feedback or advice!
 
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RMichael21

RMichael21

Well-Known Member
cw1982 said:
Except that the OP is talking about a January trip.
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I think they meant that you should visit DL in the summer and visit WDW in January. That way you can visit both with little to none humidity.

P.S. I just got back from DL last week and it's the best time to go if you have to visit during the summer. The APs are blocked out, so the crowds were manageable and I was very surprised. There was no humidity and 0% chance of rain (and few clouds) our ENTIRE trip. :)
 
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cw1982

cw1982

Well-Known Member
RMichael21 said:
I think they meant that you should visit DL in the summer and visit WDW in January. That way you can visit both with little to none humidity.

P.S. I just got back from DL last week and it's the best time to go if you have to visit during the summer. The APs are blocked out, so the crowds were manageable and I was very surprised. There was no humidity and 0% chance of rain (and few clouds) our ENTIRE trip. :)
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Look at post #5 ;)

PS: Glad you had a great trip!
 
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DisneyPrincess5

DisneyPrincess5

Well-Known Member
I have never been to Disneyland so I'll give you my take on January at WDW.

I've been with my mom in January twice and with DH twice, all at different times of the month. We even went in 2010 when it was 32 degrees and we wore winter coats and hats through the park for almost all of our trip. We've also experienced January to be warm many times during the day, 70-80 degrees. New Year, marathon, and MLK Jr weekend are the more crowded times of course. However during marathon time, we found the park itself to be congested but rides to have low crowds.
But overall, I found January to be manageable and enjoyable. The only reason why we don't return then is because we're fortunate to be able to visit during other times and really don't like traveling with the threat of snow and ice storms as we live in the North East. And of course, you do face the construction and rehabs which isn't fun but you'll manage through it.

Whatever you choose, I hope you're able to go somewhere and have a wonderful time!
 
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jiminy.cricket

jiminy.cricket

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Oh, I see. Yes, I can see the advantage of saving Disneyland for another time since the climate in Anaheim is dry. It's very good to know that Small World and Mansion will be closed. If I went to WDW, I'd be hoping that Disney Springs with the completion of the parking structure(s), The Landing, and some of the restaurants, wouldn't be as much of a zoo as it is now. I'm so excited to see the finished product!

Yes, I imagine it will be quite chilly! I'm just hoping it will be a nice break from the sub-zero temperatures of Chicago; if we can stay above 20 degrees, I'll be ok, but hope it will be warmer! The cold could put a bit of a damper on the magic, though; I like experiencing everything when it's a bit warmer. I also hope my flights wouldn't be cancelled but you never know. It sounds like Marathon Week may not be a terrible time to visit, and I forgot about crowds during the holiday weekend, but I'll definitely be avoiding New Year!

Thank you for all of the votes, tips, and information! Please keep 'em coming! :cat:
 
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fugawe09

Active Member
Crowds are down at both properties in January and it is typically when they do maintenance refurbishments. Weather in Orlando can range from warm to chilly - in fact a Florida cold snap can seem like the coldest 45 degrees of your life. Weather in Anaheim can also be warm to cool, with a chance of rain (although CA hasn't seen much for the past couple of years). Historically, Disneyland tends to close earlier in the winter and you will want to check the schedule because the nighttime spectaculars are not always presented every night.
 
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disney4life2008

disney4life2008

Well-Known Member
DisneyPrincess5 said:
I have never been to Disneyland so I'll give you my take on January at WDW.

I've been with my mom in January twice and with DH twice, all at different times of the month. We even went in 2010 when it was 32 degrees and we wore winter coats and hats through the park for almost all of our trip. We've also experienced January to be warm many times during the day, 70-80 degrees. New Year, marathon, and MLK Jr weekend are the more crowded times of course. However during marathon time, we found the park itself to be congested but rides to have low crowds.
But overall, I found January to be manageable and enjoyable. The only reason why we don't return then is because we're fortunate to be able to visit during other times and really don't like traveling with the threat of snow and ice storms as we live in the North East. And of course, you do face the construction and rehabs which isn't fun but you'll manage through it.

Whatever you choose, I hope you're able to go somewhere and have a wonderful time!
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The weather in January can be very crazy. I remember in 2009 it was literally 20 degrees outside and I had all shorts (as had just come off a cruise). LOL. Typically, January has cooler temps (50 to low 80s). I absolutely love January - I love jacket weather. Splash Mountain is closed in January - that is the only main ride that is typically closed (cant remember if Kali is as well). Crowds are very low but there are lots of South American tour groups and cheerleaders. But they normally do not cause too much a problem in terms of waits. Now the resorts (especially sports) is a different story, lol
 
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Sassagoula-Rvr

Well-Known Member
Well, I was debating DL vs WDW for next summer trip...but I want to spend a week there...and Disneyland is awesome, but for me...a couple days there is enough...so WDW it is.

Saving Disneyland for a holiday weekend I think.
 
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jiminy.cricket

jiminy.cricket

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Thanks! It sounds like the weather in Anaheim and Orlando will be similar. I might have to plan a second trip to see what Disneyland has in store next year! Perhaps this means I should lean east for now...
 
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