Visiting Disneyland in January 2025: Disneyland Half Marathon, Lunar New Year, and more!
Visiting Disneyland in January offers several advantages such as reduced crowds and pleasant weather. The park tends to be less crowded during this time, allowing visitors to enjoy shorter queues and a more relaxed experience. Additionally, the cooler temperatures provide a comfortable atmosphere for exploring the park. It is important to note, however, that because of lower crowds, Disneyland will likely have shorter park hours and more refurbishments during this month.
During the final weekend of January 2025, we will also see the return of the Disneyland Half Marathon. This popular event offers a range of races including a 5K, 10K, half marathon, and a challenge event combining the 10K and half marathon.
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Planning a Disneyland vacation in 2025? Be sure to check out our guide to all that the Disneyland Resort has to offer this year including the Disneyland Half Marathon, special ticketed events, holiday festivities, and more!
January At-a-Glance
- January is one of the rainiest months of the year, so prepare accordingly. While Disneyland typically won’t close due to rain, it can mean a ride closure or two for attractions with outdoor tracks. Another thing to keep in mind is that a rainy day will mean fewer crowds. So if you’re willing to brave the rain, you may find shorter lines throughout the parks!
- January is considered to be the “off-season” at Disneyland. This means fewer crowds overall. Weekends can still be busy with locals, but weekdays in January should be quite pleasant in terms of crowds.
- Park hours will be shorter in January, and ride refurbishments are common. Since crowds are smaller, be prepared for shortened park hours and a few ride closures. Water rides almost always close for yearly maintenance around this time of year as the temperatures cool off.
- runDisney returns to the Disneyland Resort this month! The weekend of January 30-February 2, 2025, will likely see some crowds due to the return of this popular event. The weekend will feature a 5K, 10K, half marathon, and a challenge event (10K and half marathon).
January Events
Disneyland in January doesn’t bring too much to the table when it comes to big events. It is the off-season, after all. But there are a few notable events to keep in mind if planning to vacation here this month.
The holiday season typically runs from mid-November through the first week of January. So the first week of the year will still be busy with holiday festivities. Holiday overlays on some of your favorite attractions will need to be removed after this point, which will mean short attraction closures during the final three weeks of January. (Be sure to check our ride refurbishment schedule below for more details.)
runDisney is making its return to the Disneyland Resort in 2025 with the Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend, and the weekend will feature a 5K, 10K, half marathon, and a challenge event (10K and half marathon). This year’s event takes place January 30-February 2.
Lunar New Year at Disney’s California Adventure Park will likely take place from mid-January through mid-February. (No official dates have been announced yet.) This annual celebration pays tribute to the customs and cultures of China, Vietnam, and Korea. In celebration of the Year of the Dragon, attendees can indulge in Asian-inspired cuisine and drinks, immerse themselves in lively decorations, and enjoy the vibrant “Mulan’s Lunar New Year Procession,” led by the beloved character Mushu.
January Refurbishments & Closures
*We’ve included all current refurbishments here on this list… even ones that may be open in time for January 2025. (Please note that this list could change at a moment’s notice.)
Disneyland Park
- Splash Mountain closed on March 31, 2023, for retheming. Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is scheduled to debut on November 15, 2024.
- Dumbo the Flying Elephant will be closed on October 1, 2024, and it will reopen on October 2.
- “it’s a small world” will close on September 16 for refurbishment. Rumor has it that during this time, it will be receiving its popular holiday overlay and reopen on November 15. It is also rumored to be closing again on January 21 for further maintenance, and it will likely reopen in the spring of 2025.
- Jungle Cruise will be closed from September 16 through October 4, 2024.
- Sailing Ship Columbia will be closing on September 23 and reopening on September 27.
- Indiana Jones Adventure will be closing on September 9 and reopening on September 14.
- The Disneyland Monorail closed on August 12, and it will be reopening on September 13, 2024.
- Pirate’s Lair on Tom Sawyer Island will be closing on September 16, and it will be reopening on September 19.
- The Disney Gallery is now closed and will reopen on October 1, 2024.
- The Disneyland Railroad closed on August 5, 2024, and no reopening date has been announced yet.
- The Disneyland Story presenting Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln closed on April 16, 2024. Disney recently announced that there will be a new show coming to the Main Street Opera House featuring the first-ever Walt Disney animatronic. This is expected to open in 2025.
California Adventure Park
- World of Color – ONE will be closing on September 9. This refurbishment will likely last for several weeks.
January Weather
Overall, Disneyland in January is a bit cooler with an increased risk of rain. The average high is 66 degrees and the low is typically around 48 degrees. As January is one of the rainiest months of the year, coming prepared with rain ponchos and warmer clothing would be a smart idea.
January Disneyland Crowds
Crowd calendars are very popular, but they can also be a bit unpredictable. That being said, the pandemic has made predicting crowds even more difficult than normal.
While crowd calendars can be a big help in planning your trip, keep in mind, that they are predictions at best. When designing our calendars, we take a look at events, school calendars, ticket prices, park hours, holidays, and typical monthly patterns. Unfortunately, our crowd calendars cannot predict other things such as weather, travel advisories, pandemics, or last-minute openings or closings of shows and attractions.
Crowds in January tend to be some of the lowest of the year. That being said, you may want to avoid the first week of January as holiday festivities are still taking place, as well as Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend which is known for being a bit crowded. The Disneyland Half Marathon will also bring additional crowds to the parks.
Ready to Start Planning Your Visit to Disneyland in January?
Here are some resources to help you get started!
Disneyland Dining Guides:
Disneyland Attraction Guides:
Planning your first Disneyland vacation? Be sure to visit my step-by-step guide to get started!
