Reschedule for Jan?

[farfaraway]

We have a reservation for early August but we're thinking of rescheduling for January 2021. We thought of going Jan 3-8th. We've only gone in May and the first week of June. What are the pro/cons of going in January? Hints/advice appreciated. FYI: we live in the Midwest, so weather probably won't be an issue for us.

 

[thanxfornoticin]

Early January can be an interesting time. Those dates will be between the end of the New Year's holiday and the beginning of the marathon weekend (which can be quite busy).

 

[Jadyreen1282]

It's colder. That's the worse part about January. Bring a coat

 

[sharonabe]

We have a reservation for early August but we're thinking of rescheduling for January 2021. We thought of going Jan 3-8th. We've only gone in May and the first week of June. What are the pro/cons of going in January? Hints/advice appreciated. FYI: we live in the Midwest, so weather probably won't be an issue for us.

Jan trip is very different from an Aug trip. Park hours will be shorter and it gets dark earlier. Weather is iffy, so you have to pack for everything (Hot, warm, cool, and downright cold). Because there is little humidity and hours are shorter, it's much easier to go from open to close and not need a break in the middle of the day. Pool time or water parks are also iffy. The pools are heated, but getting in and out could be cold.

We prefer the Oct-Feb type weather and have learned to pack and plan for layers. We can easily go all day for several days without a break, but we do try to do some sit-down, longer attractions or lunch in the middle of the day to give us a bit of a break. We also park hop and find the travel time to be a good break. We also aren't pool people, but do enjoy the water parks, so we miss those when we take a winter trip.

 

[holden]

I’d do a January trip in a heartbeat if I could!

 

[petalsnpolkadots]

I’d do a January trip in a heartbeat if I could!

Why? Asks a person who is on the fence.

 

[westie55]

We are also a family who loves pools and water parks. In January the parks close very early. While this may not bother families with young children or those that generally retire early, when I visited in January I did miss my warm late nights in the MK. It was COLD when I went in January. Cold doesn't feel as Disney to me! YMMV.

 

[NJ Goofy]

We've only done one January trip, and we probably won't do another. The weather was not good, cool is okay but cool and raining is no fun. The parks close much earlier and there are large groups from South America in the parks, so it was much more crowded than we expected. You mentioned the weather is not an issue, but if there are large snow storms across the country getting to Disney and then back home can be unpleasant with delays.

 

[Miffy]

We have a reservation for early August but we're thinking of rescheduling for January 2021. We thought of going Jan 3-8th. We've only gone in May and the first week of June. What are the pro/cons of going in January? Hints/advice appreciated. FYI: we live in the Midwest, so weather probably won't be an issue for us.

You live in the Midwest, so bad weather at your end, hampering or stopping travel, is a negative. Also not yet mentioned is that rides can be shut down for refurbishment in January, although with the current situation it's impossible to say if this will be true in January 2021. Another ride consideration is that it's no fun to go on Splash Mountain or Kali River Rapids, for example, when it's cold and you're wearing a coat or heavy jacket.

You'd be going during the marathon, which is one of the most expensive weeks at the resorts. Usually. Who knows what it will be next year?

Just some things to consider.

January used to be the cheapest and least crowded time of year to go. That's no longer true. Even though there are some weeks in January (not the week you're thinking of) that are less costly than most of the rest of the year, it's no longer empty in January. Or even less crowded.

 

[holden]

Why? Asks a person who is on the fence.

DH and I went during the first week in January in 1995. Crowds were much different back then. It was completely empty. We had the parks to ourselves.

All of our pictures show us in shorts or T-shirts and jeans. No heavy coats. The weather was perfect!

Now with the kids we can only go when there is no school. I had such a good experience that January that I’d love to try it again.

 

[Wild4Walt]

If your choice is those specific January dates, then I'd do August.

As a side note though, I have been at the end of February and the weather is better ( warmer on average ) and there is also the Festival of the Arts at Epcot. So, if you are looking at winter in general that is when I would pick.

 

[Thecouch]

A few of those days could be impacted early on in the day with marathon weekend events. I think it's 6 to 10 Jan

 

[midnight star]

My friend and I just went Jan 21-25. Had an amazing time. The downside was that is was cold cold cold!! Our first day, it was barely 50 degrees. And that night for fireworks it was in the 30's with wind. The best part was crowds. I wouldn't say they were low, but they weren't bad at all. I say it ranged around 4-6, maybe 7 on our AK day which was a Friday. On our Epcot day when it rained basically all afternoon, the park emptied out. Also, a few weeks after we had returned I read so many threads on horrific crowds that came in February, so I think we may have hit a sweet spot with the crowds.

If you go in late January (early January around the Holidays, the hours should be longer), just know that the wether can vary, rides will be down for maintenance, and the hours will be short. We knew that going in, and I think that helped our expectations some. You also just have to make the short park hours work for you. For example, we would start early, and leave around 5 or 6. With the park closing at 8 or 9, obviously we wouldn't be able to return. So instead, we would leave, go back to the hotel, and hang around the resort and eat and get drinks. So the day doesn't have to stop once you leave. On our last day, we went to Disney springs, which stays open late.

*Other things to look out for: marathons, cheer competitions. January you're pretty safe from random breaks since school is just in, but you never know sometimes. *

 

[midnight star]

Why? Asks a person who is on the fence.

I posted in response to the main poster about our experience during January. If I were to go in January again, I would. Even with the cold. I just don't want to deal with Florida heat. I can do desert heat (grew up in Vegas, went to college in AZ). Also living on the West coast, storms and hurricanes terrify me...

Anyway, if I go in January again, I would maybe plan for late start days to be able to stay out at night. For example, our Epcot day we got there early but since there isn't much in Epcot, and we had pretty low crowds, we did all the rides, shows, world showcase by 3pm....I also liked that January seemed to have laid back people, which matched the DL vibe that I am used to.

 

[sharonabe]

DH and I went during the first week in January in 1995. Crowds were much different back then. It was completely empty. We had the parks to ourselves.

Unfortunately, you would be sadly, miserably disappointed if you go again in Jan. That was the norm back then, but it hasn't been for a long time now. It's still better than other times of the year, but depending on when the marathon is and what day of the week New Year's is, the week the OP is looking at can be one of the busiest weeks of the year. And the rest of Jan is also moderately busy.

 

[holden]

Unfortunately, you would be sadly, miserably disappointed if you go again in Jan. That was the norm back then, but it hasn't been for a long time now. It's still better than other times of the year, but depending on when the marathon is and what day of the week New Year's is, the week the OP is looking at can be one of the busiest weeks of the year. And the rest of Jan is also moderately busy.

I realize that. We go 2-3 times a year, and I have seen the crowds increase every year. I do think I’d rather be walking around cold than dealing with the August heat!

The nice thing about our visits is that we don’t care if we don’t get to ride all of the attractions we want. We just like soaking up the atmosphere.

 

[CartyGirls]

For us we wouldn't hesitate to do January. We are normally Feb folks anyhow. I am NOT a fan of August mainly b/c of heat. I would rather be cold. We are rope droppers so the closing early (it's usually 8pm) doesn't bother us at all. We like sweatshirts at night and have been lucky enough to hit the pool once or twice on our trips.

 

[farfaraway]

If your choice is those specific January dates, then I'd do August.

As a side note though, I have been at the end of February and the weather is better ( warmer on average ) and there is also the Festival of the Arts at Epcot. So, if you are looking at winter in general that is when I would pick.

My boys college starts back up Jan. 11th, that's why those dates. Not sure how many people will reschedule for August when they decide to open Disney again. My boys also have asthma and want to make sure this COVID 19 is not in Disney. I'm not taking a chance with that. But who knows, maybe it will all be done by then. Keeping August reservation for now.

 

[gharter]

We used to do early January and quit because of the weather. The hours were shorter as well.
We had some years where the weather was nice.
But too many times it was cold, windy and rainy. Windy, rainy in the low 50s took away from the magic.

 

[Miffy]

We used to do early January and quit because of the weather. The hours were shorter as well.
We had some years where the weather was nice.
But too many times it was cold, windy and rainy. Windy, rainy in the low 50s took away from the magic.

I had a February WDW vacation like that and it forever ruined my interest in February. Wearing my winter coat with a poncho over it didn't feel like a vacation.