Visiting Walt Disney World in January 2025
Once upon a time, January was the perfect time to visit Walt Disney World – with cooler temperatures and fewer crowds. But in recent years, it’s become more popular, especially with the Walt Disney World Marathon, nice weather, and discounted prices. While it’s still not as crowded as the holidays or summer, it’s definitely not as empty as it used to be.
But don’t let that deter you! January is now a favorite time to visit for good reason. With a bit of planning, you can still have an amazing experience at the parks. Plus, you can enjoy the cooler weather and take advantage of the special events happening this time of year. So, if you’re thinking about visiting Walt Disney World in January, don’t let the increased popularity scare you off. With the right approach, it can still be a magical time to visit.
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Planning a Disney World vacation in 2025? Be sure to check out our guide to all that the Walt Disney World Resort has to offer in the coming year! (You can also still check out our 2024 guide here!)
News and Updates for 2025
- Beginning July 24, 2024, Walt Disney World will roll out new, simplified names for its services. Disney Genie+ will be rebranded as Lightning Lane Multi Pass, while Individual Lightning Lane will be known as Lightning Lane Single Pass. These updated passes will merge features from current services and the previous FastPass+ service, allowing guests to book experiences in advance. With the upgrade, guests can make Lightning Lane plans 7 days before arrival for resort guests and 3 days before for non-resort guests.
January At-a-Glance
- Prepare to wear layers! January weather can be unpredictable. I have personally visited when temperatures were close to freezing overnight and in the early morning. (Rope drop was VERY cold!) I also visited in January when temperatures were over 80 degrees. And while these extreme temperatures aren’t the norm, it’s good to be prepared just in case. Typically, you will want to layer up as mornings and evenings are cooler and afternoons warm up a bit.
- While some days are warm enough to swim, others are not. And sometimes pools are closed due to cooler temperatures. Water parks tend to take this time to refurbish as well.
- January prices tend to be less overall. Park prices, hotel prices, and airfare prices are typically lower in January as it isn’t a peak travel time. Disney is also known to offer discounts and incentives for January, so be on the lookout for these when planning your vacation!
- There will most likely be refurbishments. Because January sees fewer crowds, Disney often uses this time to refurbish certain attractions… particularly water attractions due to the cooler temperatures.
- New Year’s, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, and the Walt Disney World Marathon weekend tend to be busier times for Walt Disney World. If you’re visiting in January to avoid the crowds, be sure to avoid these weekends.
January Events
The biggest event in January is the Walt Disney World Marathon! The entire event will take place this year from January 8-12. Races include a 5K, 10K, Half Marathon, Marathon, Goofy’s Race and a Half Challenge (Half-Marathon and Marathon), and Dopey Challenge (all four races). As one of Disney World’s most popular races, be prepared for some crowds both before and after the race.
The Epcot International Festival of the Arts will be back in 2025, but official dates have yet to be announced. Typically, this event begins mid-January and lasts through mid-February. The event boasts some of the best activities of all the Epcot festivals. In addition to all of the artistic culinary creations, you will likely find animation classes, a paint-by-number mural, workshops (for an additional fee), photo ops throughout the park, and must-see galleries as well as artwork available for purchase. It also features the Disney on Broadway Concert Series on select nights throughout the festival.
*Epcot festivals tend to bring more local crowds on evenings and weekends, so plan on visiting Epcot during the week if crowds are a concern.
Walt Disney World (as well as ESPN Wide World of Sports) typically hosts several athletic events each month. These events don’t usually have a major impact on crowds in the parks, but they will likely affect resort availability and crowds at Disney’s value resorts. Here are the events scheduled so far in January:
- College Cheerleading and Dance Team National Championships – January 17-19, 2025
- Disney Girls Soccer Showcase – January 17-20, 2025
- National Dance Team Championship – January 31-February 2, 2025
Other dates to consider in 2025 include the week of New Year’s and Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend (January 17 – January 20). These times will be significantly more crowded as they are holiday weeks and many will have time off of school and work.
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.)
Magic Kingdom
- Tron Lightcycle Power Run is now open!
- Splash Mountain closed permanently on January 23, 2023, to become Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. The newly re-themed attraction opened to the public on June 28, 2024!
- Country Bear Musical Jamboree is now open!
- Jungle Cruise will be closed from August 26 – September 17, 2024.
- Liberty Square Riverboat and Tom Sawyer Island will close permanently at some point (likely 2025) as the Rivers of America will be replaced with a newly announced Cars area. Dates have yet to be announced.
- Starlight Night Parade will be debuting in Summer 2025.
EPCOT
- Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind is now open!
- Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana is now open!
- Test Track closed on June 17, 2024, for a multi-month refurbishment. A reopening date has not yet been announced but will likely be sometime in 2025.
- Frozen Ever After will be closed from November 2-6, 2024.
Hollywood Studios
- Voyage of the Little Mermaid is permanently closed, and will be replaced with a fully reimagined production called “The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure.” The new show is expected to debut in Fall 2024.
- Jedi Training Academy: Trials of the Temple has permanently ended.
Animal Kingdom
- It’s Tough to Be a Bug will be closing at some point to make way for a Zootopia Tree of Life Show. The new attraction will open in Winter 2025.
- Primeval Whirl is permanently closed
- It is anticipated that Dino-Rama, as a whole, will likely close at some point to make way for a major expansion. Disney has announced that the replacement will be “Tropical Americas at Animal Kingdom.” Concepts include Encanto and Indiana Jones, and DINOSAUR will be converted into an Indiana Jones attraction. Dates have yet to be announced for this major project.
Other
- Blizzard Beach closed on March 17, 2024, for winter refurbishment and will reopen on November 4, 2024.
January Weather
Overall, the weather in Orlando is quite pleasant in January. So if you’re looking to visit Disney World without the heat, this may be the perfect time to go. The average high is 72 degrees and the low is typically around 51 degrees. It is also typically a dryer month in terms of rain. All that being said, January can be a bit unpredictable at times. I have personally experienced highs of just 50 degrees one day, only for it to be 80 degrees just a few days later. You will definitely want to check current temperatures when packing and be prepared to wear layers.
January Disney World Crowd Calendar
Crowd calendars are very popular, but they can also be a bit unpredictable. It’s best not to completely rely on them when making your Disney World vacation plans.
While crowd calendars can be a big help in knowing what to expect, keep in mind, 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. But unfortunately, our crowd calendars cannot predict other things such as weather, travel advisories, pandemics, or last-minute openings or closings of shows and attractions.
On top of that, many are choosing to travel differently these days. Quiet months have become popular due to runDisney events as well as other Disney events and promotions, while busier seasons have seen a downward trend in the last couple of years.
January isn’t usually considered to be a crowded month. In the past, it has boasted some of the lowest crowds and prices of the year. If crowds are a big concern, avoid holiday weekends as well as the marathon weekend, and you should be good to go.
Overall, most weekdays in January are going to be fairly low to average in terms of crowds. That being said, it is worth noting that Disney World has been a bit busier these past few years during the months of January and February. Once seen as a “quiet” time to visit the parks, crowds have certainly picked up as many choose to take advantage of cooler temperatures and unique festivities throughout the resort.
Ready to start planning your visit to Walt Disney World in January?
Here are some resources to help you get started!
Walt Disney World Resort Guides:
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Disney Value Resort Hotels
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Disney Moderate Resort Hotels
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Disney Deluxe Resort Hotels
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Disney Deluxe Villas
Walt Disney World Dining Guides:
Walt Disney World Attraction Guides:
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Attraction Guide for Magic Kingdom
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Attraction Guide for Epcot
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Attraction Guide for Hollywood Studios
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Attraction Guide for Animal Kingdom
There’s nothing better than knowing what to expect on your Disney World vacation. Our monthly guides can help you visit with a plan!
January (you are here) | February
March | April
May | June
July | August
September | October
November | December
Planning your first Walt Disney World vacation? Be sure to visit my step-by-step guide to get started!
