January in Disney World: Planning Your Trip!

As seasoned guests know, planning a Walt Disney World vacation can often be a somewhat complicated affair. In addition to planning for tickets, accommodations, flights and travel, and etc., a smart guest knows they also need to think about when to visit the Most Magical Place on Earth.

From holidays and school breaks to weather, festivals, and ride maintenance, all need to be taken into account when choosing the ideal window. Today, we’ll be looking at everything potential guests need to keep in mind when visiting Walt Disney World in January.

January is one of the more interesting months to visit Walt Disney World, as — unlike some other times of year — the month can’t be broken down into one monolithic block. In fact, there are various factors that can cause crowd levels and resort operations to change drastically from week to week.

Park Hours

During the early part of January while the Holiday Season is still being celebrated at the Walt Disney World resort, the theme parks will generally close sometime between 9-11PM. Later in the month, as holiday hours subside, this generally rolls back to 9PM. In addition, Disney resort guests receive Extra Magic Hours benefits.

Weather and Packing

As those versed in Walt Disney World history are well aware, part of the reason Central Florida was chosen as the complex’s location was the area’s weather. However, January is a bit different than the subtropical temperatures the area is known for. 

Throughout the month of January, temperatures in the Orlando area range from a high of roughly 75 degrees to a low of roughly 50 degrees, with the former common during the midday while temperatures range closer to the latter during the early morning and night hours. 

While temperatures ranging from the mid-70s to the low-50s might not seem all that cold for January — especially to visitors from the Northeastern or Midwestern regions of the U.S. — those temperatures can feel quite brisk at Walt Disney World, as much of the resort’s infrastructure is designed for warmer temperatures.

We would recommend packing in layers — including light jackets or sweatshirts, caps or hats, long pants, comfortable closed-toed shoes, and possibly even light gloves — that way you will be prepared for the whole temperature spectrum, and can add or drop layers into your backpack throughout the day. 

Refurbishments and Closures

Due to the aforementioned weather conditions, as well as coming down off the busy Holiday Season — more on that below — there’s often a predictable set of closures and refurbishments in January that guests should be aware of. 

For starters, at least one of Walt Disney World’s water parks — Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon — will usually be closed as part of their alternating annual refurbishment cycle. Also, note that even the water park that is scheduled to be open during this period will be weather dependent. 

If temperatures are going to be cool enough to keep many crowds away, Disney will close the water park until the weather warms up.

In addition to the water parks, January generally has seen major water-based attractions including Kali River Rapids and Splash Mountain closed for annual refurbishment. It’s currently unknown whether Tiana’s Bayou Adventure — the upcoming Princess and the Frog retheme of Splash Mountain, scheduled to open in 2024 — will continue this refurbishment cycle, especially in its early years. 

Holiday Hangover

While many Americans consider the Holiday Season over as of New Year’s Day, it actually continues throughout the first week of January at Walt Disney World. While this can be a tempting time to visit for those who want to see the resort decorated for the season with crowds that are slightly lighter than the crush seen in November and especially December, you should be forewarned that these “lighter” first week of January holiday crowds are still generally much larger than those typical of the rest of the month. 

Holiday Weekend

The end of the Holiday Season is not the only busy stretch in January. The weekend leading up to and through the Martin Luther King Day holiday — which is celebrated on the third Monday in January each year — is usually one of the busiest of the first half of the year for the resort, and one we’d recommend avoiding if at all possible. 

Special Events

Beyond the end of the Holiday Season and Martin Luther King Day weekend, there are two major special events that alter crowd flow and operations at Walt Disney World in January. 

Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend

The Walt Disney World Marathon weekend is usually scheduled for early January — for example, in 2025 it runs from January 8th – January 12th — and usually consists of an expo and four races: a 5K on Thursday, a 10K on Friday, a half marathon on Saturday, and a marathon on Sunday, all of which draws in about 30,000 participants. 

While that number may seem large, crowd levels for the parks actually tend to be slightly lower than normal for the weekend, which can make it a beneficial time to visit for guests who have no interest in marathon-related activities. However, guests visiting marathon weekend should take note that race routes and scheduling can lead to rerouted traffic patterns and closed areas of parks throughout the resort, which may make travel more difficult and time-consuming than usual. 

While not directly related to the Marathon Weekend, the early months of the year including January often feature youth athletic events at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, which can lead to an influx of related guests, especially staying at the All-Star Resorts. 

EPCOT International Festival of the Arts

Since its introduction in January of 2017, EPCOT’s International Festival of the Arts has become a Walt Disney World fixture, with some even going as far as to to say it’s surpassed the classic Food & Wine Festival. 

The festival features food studios throughout World Showcase, the Disney on Broadway Concert Series, seminars, and other events. Plus, there are numerous works of art — including the immensely popular 3D-chalk art displays — throughout the park. And of course, there’s plenty of merchandise available. This includes not only festival merchandise, but also various works of art that guests can purchase to take home. 

January is a somewhat complex month to visit Walt Disney World. While overall crowds will be lighter than in most warmer months of the year, events including the end of the Holiday Season, Marathon Weekend, the start of the Festival of Arts, and the annual Walt Disney World Marathon weekend can all impact crowd levels and operations, and need to be taken into account by those planning a trip. 

Have you ever visited Walt Disney World during the month of January? Do you have any advice or tips for those planning a trip that time of year? Let us know in the comments below. 

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