Late Jan. / Early Feb. tour group crowds?

Our next trip isn't for another year and a half..end of 2009 or early 2010. We have been alot during the holiday season, early to mid December, and MVMCP. So we were thinking of maybe doing a January trip this time with the Pirate Princess Party if they still have it.

I've been reading up on that time of year and I'm pretty sure the overall crowd level will be ok (was planning 14 days...last week of Jan. and first week of Feb.)

The only negative I've seen is that January (and July) is a popular time for the Brazilian tour groups. I'm not saying anything negative about them, it is more navigating in and around groups of 50+ people.

Anyone have any experience at that time of the year?

We were going to go all out bust and stay at the Contemporary and Hard Rock as dd high school grad vacation. But alas, home ownership has reared its ugly head and I found a leak that has been leaching into the bathroom b/t the subfloor and tile, now I need a whole new floor. Floor, inexpensive. Labor to remove everything including the tub, ouch.

So to deflect the dent and rebuild my emergency fund, we are going for a value. We've stayed at POP the past 4 or 5 trips, so I have no problems with values, but was thinking of doing ASMovies this time, as we've never been.

So....tour groups a pain the end of Jan/early Feb? Crowd levels similar, lower or higher than early/mid december (like 2nd - 16th)?

ASMovies just as nice as POP...I'm guessing it is, and am hoping the whole bus sharing thing with all the AllStars won't be too much that time of year?

Trouble with planning this far ahead is I have way too much time to think!!

Can you even make a room ressie this early? I know you pay 1 night of the max room since the final prices aren't out yet, but wonder if they'll take 2010 at all yet? Don't want to waste my ld minutes if I'm told sorry call back!

I have been to WDW in mid-January the last two years. The tour groups were not a concern at all. Last year we stayed on-site at POP and didn't notice them there at all. I did notice them in the parks only because of their matching shirts not because they were a crowd issue.

The only other issues I know of with January are the marathon and MLK Day. But since you're going at the end of the month those of course won't affect you.

The weather can be "iffy". In 2007 the weather was perfect.....just around 80 and beautiful. Last year was pretty chilly....only about 60. The low crowds are great though.

I hope to get there again this coming January but I'm still not sure yet if that will happen. I would love to hear opinions on Pop vs. Movies as well.

Have fun planning!! :mickey:

Thanks! I think we've decided on 1/26/2010 to 2/9/2010, which would be after MLK day (1/18) and before President day (2/15). So I'm hoping crowds should be pretty low, and it doesn't seem the tour groups will be a problem.

Now dd is thinking she wants to stay at music again. So I still don't know! But I did get a reply back from Disney that they start taking reservations 499 days in advance, so I have time to decide. I know it is way advance but since we are going for two weeks I want to make sure we can get the whole block of time. Not to mention I'm an ocd uber planner :blush:

Is MLK pretty bad? Thats one of the weekends we were looking at!

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Originally Posted by andrea2289

Is MLK pretty bad? Thats one of the weekends we were looking at!

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I've never been there on the actual holiday, but I've heard it's crowded because of kids being off school. But I don't think it's Spring Break/Christmas crowded. I've been there the weekend before and it wasn't bad at all.

Late January - early February is a FABULOUS time to go. My daughter's bday is Jan 22nd, so we have been there the past three years! We always make sure to miss MLK weekend (I've heard it's crowded)

2007...colder, probably 60's...we wore jeans to the parks and sweatshirts at night (it got pretty cold in the evening, my husband actually purchased a sweatshirt!)..it rained one day...but a warm rain. I wore capris most of the time during the day (no jacket).

2006 warm/perfect.. shorts and tshirts everyday, it's always cool in the morning, but once that sun really comes out (around 10:00), it's warm. Average temp was 80 degrees...no jackets at night for us, but some people did.

2005 warm. same as 2006

We have never done the water parks or sprinkler areas during this time...that's the only thing that you miss out on....but the pools are heated and the kids swim most every day. We live in TN, so we aren't traveling from bitter cold areas. I think if you are from up north, you will think the jan temps are tropical!

Mondays and Tuesdays at MK are wonderful. No lines. Maybe 20 min. wait. If there was a long wait for a ride, we would just wait and come back at another time and sure enough, the line would be shorter.

Thanks all! I'm feeling much better about the crowds. Although a crowded day in Disney is better then a wet cold windy day in Jersey.

We've decided on 2 weeks at ASMusic, I can make a ressie in about 2 months, then the hard part, waiting 16 more months!

DD is really hunkering down on her studies, if everything continues as is she will be graduating HS 6 months early! So this is her gift from me. I'm planning on the trip to be a "do alot of things we wished we could have in the past but was on singleworkathomehomeschoolingmom budget....Cirque, more TS, Universal & Sea World, etc. Maybe one of those behind the magical disney curtain tours :p