First week of Jan

[Gayle]

Will be going to wdw Jan 3rd thru the 10th. First time for us next Jan 2014. Taking the grandkids for the first time. How is the weather how should we pack. Are there any tour groups we will have to deal with. Any info would be appreciated this is so out of our comfort zone. Usually go in May or Oct. Thank you.

[Strmchsr]

Weather is very iffy in Jan. You won't know what to pack until 5-7 days before you leave. No way to tell further in advance.

The South American tour groups are out in full force in January. If you see the flags, just go another direction and you'll be fine. Try not to be in the same area they are and it's not a big deal.

The marathon events begin the weekend of the 10th, so you should miss the majority of the crowds coming in for that, though there will still be plenty of left-overs from the New Years celebration. Make sure you hit the Osborne Lights on your first night since they'll be shutting down afterwards.

Have a lot of fun!

[VacationDisney]

Just pack a few days out after you check the weather forecast. When we went a few years ago the first half was in the low 70's by the time we left it was in the mid 40's. Each day got a little colder. Dress in layers

[Travelfanatic1]

We were at Universal in January of 2012 and I forgot to pack my husband some long sleeve shirts, will never do that again.

It is at times quite chilly, waited for 3 hours with our granddaughter (13 at the time) to ride Harry Potter, thought I had frostbite. Thank God for the sun coming over the Castle.

It never hurts to be prepared! Enjoy

[disneyluva]

Have been there several times in January. My favorite time to go. Have never seen any tour groups, low crowds, and have been very lucky with the weather. Check weather the week before, but make sure to have everything from fleeces to shorts! Enjoy!!!!!!

[Johnno52]

Like everyone said the weather is mixed. The main thing is once the sun goes down its cool. So at night take jackets with you.

[Aurora]

We did a trip around the same week in January several years ago. We wore everything at some time or another during the week -- from shorts to winter parkas. The highest temp was in the mid 70s, the lowest was in the 30s! There was visible steam coming from the pools because of the air temps; they looked like hot springs.

Dressing in layers helped -- it was easy to peel off jackets and sweatshirts as temps rose during the day.

We did have a great time because of low crowds, but it definitely was different than what we were used to.

[Ms. Mode]

We have been in that time frame about 3 times; the weather can get quite cold or be nicely warm....or both in the same day! LOL
We have packed a little of EVERYTHING. But, right after New Year's the crowd thins way out until runners start arriving on the weekend. Should be very nice for you.

[gottaluvtink]

We went last year from the 5th through the 12th of January. It was actually very warm, 85. UGH! I prefer the cool. Another year we went in January, and it was unseasonably cold. We wore layers and gloves. Like everyone else says, check before you go.

As far as the tour groups, another great big UGH! They were out in full force last year, and very rude on top of it. Hard to avoid them in Animal Kingdom and probably the worse day I ever had in Disney World in 20 visits.

We are going in January again because it suits our time frame best, but I am not looking forward to the South American tour groups.

[ImagiAsh]

We were in WDW January 2nd - 6th, 2012. Everyday except for one was cloudy, drizzly and cool (probably averaging between 65 - 70 degrees). The only really beautiful day was around 80 degrees.

Most days we wore shorts and sweaters. The best bit of advice would be to check the forecast the week of, because I hear this time of year is usually quite random temperature-wise.

Another tip I can give is to try and book as many reservations ahead of time as possible. It was super crowded this past January, presumably due to the discounts Disney put forth, and I recall several nights where we were on the Disney App trying to make reservations in EPCOT and literally everything was booked. So, if there is a spot you really want to dine at, be sure to book it ahead of time just for peace of mind.