January or February?

[KyleAfterAWhile]

I am looking at the 2019 point charts. We just bought in and signed the paperwork a few weeks ago. We want to take our first trip in either Jan or Feb of 2019.

The deciding factor is really going to be crowds since we are taking some 72 year old kids with us and I am not sure yet which month will be better for that.

I am looking at the points and Feb seems to have quite a jump over Jan. Is that because it is more crowded in Feb or is there a different reason? I am new to this, so I apologize if this seems like a dumb or obvious question.

 

[DduzDis]

I think there are a lot of races and events in these months. I would suggest Googling 'WDW Crowd Calendar'. There are quite a few out there that should give you a pretty good idea about the crowds in each month. They will not likely have them out to 2019 yet, but they should be available for 2018.

 

[KyleAfterAWhile]

I think there are a lot of races and events in these months. I would suggest Googling 'WDW Crowd Calendar'. There are quite a few out there that should give you a pretty good idea about the crowds in each month. They will not likely have them out to 2019 yet, but they should be available for 2018.

I do not expect to see anything for 2019 until June of this year at the earlier, but I make my reservation in Feb or March.

I have looked at what is out there, but it looks like the marathon dates have totally moved for 2019, complete different week. Guess I need to just spend some time doing an analysis.

 

[DduzDis]

I have looked at what is out there, but it looks like the marathon dates have totally moved for 2019, complete different week. Guess I need to just spend some time doing an analysis.

I did just find that WDW Prep School has a 2018-2019 crowd calendar up. I would have posted a link here, but I am not sure if it is allowed.

 

[aoconnor]

Both are relatively slow months as long as you don't go near a holiday (MLK, President's Day) or one of the Run Disney races. January should be a little slower, and colder.

 

[Geomom]

Point costs go up mid-Feb, which is when school vacations start in the Northeast. (We're in MA and have both a Feb. break around President's Day and an April break around Patriot's Day.) I would go before the point costs rise--early Feb. should be fine--stay away from the parks Presidents' Day weekend if you can!

 

[KyleAfterAWhile]

Thank you for all of the valuable comments/feedback.

 

[BillPA]

Try this link for a crowd calendar:
https://www.undercovertourist.com/orlando/crowd-calendar/January-2018/

 

[KyleAfterAWhile]

Try this link for a crowd calendar:
https://www.undercovertourist.com/orlando/crowd-calendar/January-2018/

Thanks. it takes me to their sponsor page...but even so, since this is 2018, it probably wont help me much

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

I did just find that WDW Prep School has a 2018-2019 crowd calendar up. I would have posted a link here, but I am not sure if it is allowed.

If the board doesn't allow it it will be filtered. Best way is just to post the link.

 

[drusba]

As far as dates for races are concerned, the Princess half marathon is always during the weekend after Presidents' Day, the January full marathon is always the weekend before Martin Luther King weekend (mentioned above is the seeming major change for the marathon from 2018 to 2019-- from the first weekend to the second weekend in Jan -- but it is not an actual change in the pattern, but instead just what is dictated by the timing of MLK weekend).

Besides the race weekends, MLK weekend, and the week that includes Presidents' Day, the NFL, starting last year, threw in another event that has caused some heavy crowds during the time period. It is holding the Pro Bowl during the last weekend of Jan in Orlando from 2017 through 2019, and crowds at WDW were quite heavy as a result for the Thursday to Sunday of that weekend in 2017. Thus, with MLK weekend late in 2019 and the Pro Bowl weekend immediately after it, the last part of Jan is probably going to have heavy crowds from about Jan 18 to late Jan. If I were choosing a time for lower crowds, it would be sometime between Jan 29 (Tuesday after the Pro Bowl) and Feb 14 (the Thursday before Presidents' Day), which typically has manageable crowds and usually the weather is somewhat better than you get in most of Jan. Also, if looking for DVC rooms, be aware Feb 1 to the Tursday before Presidents' Day is the lowest DVC demand time of the year at WDW and thus a time when you can find many things open at 7 months out.

 

[DisneyHumbug]

We are going next week - our second time in January. Even when it's crowded, it's not crazy crowded. The only drawback to January is the weather. We wear our winter coats down and make sure we have layers and blankets for the strollers.....on sunny days it's beautiful, but if you're out late at night it could get cold. When I first joined DVC my kids were in high school/college and we sweated through the summers....I think I'd rather be cold, you can always bundle up!

 

[KyleAfterAWhile]

Thanks everybody. Based upon the feedback here, we are planning on Feb (2019) 5th - 12th.

 

[Deb & Bill]

For the Marathon, the Wednesday before the full Marathon is the beginning of the Expo since the races then are Thur, Fri, Sat and Sun. You must pick up your package before the first race on Thursday if you are doing that race or the Dopey. For 2019, that would be Jan 2 and there are too many people still there from the holidays (Disney isn't going to have all the rooms they need for both the holiday crowd and the runners. So the marathon falls on the next week instead. ) Plus lots of decorations are down for the marathon and they use a lot of CMs to set up and manage the races. And a lot of CMs participate in the races themselves.

 

[m.eleanor]

i always love going in jan!