Here now - INSANE crowds. (Jan 8-17)

[JenSop]

We're here for our first January trip, and the crowds have been at summer levels practically the whole time. We've been going in November the last few years and have enjoyed the lower crowds then. (I spent most of my 30 years of trips coming in summers, though.)
But I always thought January was supposed to be super slow season. Nope.
Lines for popular rides are between 90 min and three hours. Fast passes are long gone, so we had to stick with the ones we made ages ago or forego any. We can barely walk through all the crowds. May need to reconsider next year's trip timing if it'll be like this!

 

[JohnDaleswife]

Ughhhh, not good.

 

[grantforrest]

Agree with OP. We are here just now and taking time out of the parks....I thought this would be a quieter time but it appears that everyone is constantly on holiday

 

[whiporee]

MLK weekend. Big numbers of people with an extra day off Monday. Good weekend for a quick trip.

 

[grantforrest]

We have been here since 6th and it hasn't really got any quieter. I know we had marathon weekends as well but seems like there are no quiet times anymore. Good for disney!

 

[senadler]

Our schools are out Monday and Tuesday for MLK weekend. I would think this leads to crowds like Columbus Day weekend.

 

[grantforrest]

All I know is that last time I was here it was spring break and right now the crowds are....and have been constantly larger than that since we got here.

 

[TnTWalter]

bummer. I debated between early april and first week January ... crowd levels looked similar [i thought because of the marathon] so figured I'd go with warmer weather. You would think it would have died down by now though...

 

[samsteele]

Long holiday weekends in Jan or Feb are nasty for crowds. I learned the hard way the other year with Feb 20 (President's Day Holiday Monday). Everybody & their granny pulls their kids/grandkids out of school on holiday long weekends for what they hope will be cheaper rates & lower crowds in Jan & Feb. But the crowds show up on winter holiday long weekends. If you don't have to do this, book a non-holiday week.

 

[EB Beaumont]

I selfishly hope it thins out in about a week and a half...

 

[DisAuntie]

It is MLK Day weekend, that is why it is crowded.

 

[FastPasser]

.

 

[grantforrest]

It's been busy for longer than this weekend. It is what it is....no point getting stressed over it

 

[OchreHand]

I came back from my trip (Jan 8-13th) Parks were definitely busy but I still managed to get everything that I wanted to do -- with the exception of 7 Dwarfs and Frozen. Seems like those two rides are out of the question unless you snag a FP in advance. Having said that, MK always seems crowded to me nowadays, regardless of time of the year. So many kids/toddlers/extended families/strollers... and tour groups. Still had fun tho!

 

[maranara]

A lot of our friends are there now - schools here in the DC area are closed Monday for MLK Day and Friday for Inauguration day. They're going for a week but only missing 3 days of school/work. Fingers crossed it's better at the end of the month when we're there...

 

[ArwenMarie]

Yeah the long weekends mess things up, people get a "free" day to pull their kids out of school I guess
We went over a few years on Presidents Day weekend/week....got worse over the years to the point where I personally wouldn't go that weekend anymore

 

[CookieGVB]

Lots of tour groups there at this time, but only areas had insane levels from what w experienced. AK was slow the entire time we were there on the 11th. Mid-day wait time for Everest was 30 minutes. We hopped to MK that night and regretted it. Studios was fairly decent with crowds; went to Epcot that evening and was able to snag Soarin' FP and Test Track - had to be a FP glitch. Went to EMH for MK on Friday and did quite a bit before we left at 1:30. We were saying we'd come back during this week next year.

 

[blestmom]

I agree with the OP. It is crazy busy. I come often in January and this is the worst I've seen.

 

[grantforrest]

Right now rock n roller coaster is 130 mins

 

[David Brent]

I went on Wednesday on a supposed level 1 crowd level. Totally not accurate.