Disney World in January 2024
Disney World in January - Crowd Information, Ride Closure & Refurbishments and Special Events Information in one easy list.
January is a month of extremes at Disney World; you have crazy crowds until everyone heads home from Christmas vacation followed by some of the lowest crowds of the year with a short spike in the crowds for Martin Luther King Jr. Weekend. Here's what you need to know before you go!
Average High: 71° f
Average Low: 47° f
Average Monthly Precipitation: 2.39"
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Disney World Ride Closures & Refurbishments in January 2024
Magic Kingdom: Big Thunder Mountain Railroad will be closed January 16 - 24, 2024.
Magic Kingdom - Country Bears will be closed January 27 - Summer 2024. The Country Bears still show up in the Disney World app because the bears appear on the balcony or in front of the theater at various times throughout the day.
Magic Kingdom - Splash Mountain is closed and will reopen as Tiana’s Bayou Adventure in late 2024
Disney’s Hollywood Studios - Rock ‘n Roller Coaster will be closed January 8 - Summer 2024.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park - Kali River Rapids will be closed January 8 - March 15, 2024.
Basin and Basin White stores at Disney Springs and Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort are closed for refurbishment from January 8th into February 2024.
Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort - Fantasia Pool (main pool) will be closed from January 2024 to April 2024. The resort’s Duck Pond pool will remain open at this time.
Disney’s Boardwalk Resort - Big River Grill closed permanently on January 22, 2023.
Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort - Fuentes del Morro Pool (main pool) will be closed from January 2024 to April 2024. Guests are welcome to swim in any of the resort’s 5 leisure pools during this time.
Disney’s Polynesian Resort - a new tower is being built at so you will see and hear construction at the resort.
Disney’s Port Orleans Resort - French Quarter: Doubloon Lagoon Pool (main pool) will be closed from January 2024 to April 2024. Guests are welcome to swim at Ol’ Man Island pool at Disney’s Port Orlean’s Riverside resort.
2025 Closure: Disney’s Yacht & Beach Club Resorts: Storm-along Bay and Shipwreck pool will be closed January 2025 - May 2025.
The Magical Extras Savings Card is included in every Walt Disney World Resort vacation package and provides discounts at several restaurants, shops, and activities. Click here for full details.
Click here for Universal Orlando Closures and Refurbishments
Don't Miss Out on Great Experiences at Disney World!
We want to help you have the most wonderful, most memorable Disney vacation possible. We know that giving you good, up-to-date information and a few simple tools will make a huge difference in your Disney vacation. Long lines become shorter lines and you will have great memories of shared experiences instead of missed opportunities. That's why we're called Build A Better Mouse Trip.
Here’s how we help you have a great vacation:
Your travel agent – You have one agent from start-to-finish who knows your name and your priorities and who wants to do everything possible to help you have a wonderful experience.
“Best Days” Vacation Planning – We’ll help you pick the best park for each day based on hours and expected crowd levels then we help with dining reservations and understanding which Disney Genie+ and individual Lightning Lane selections might be right for you.
Saving Money – Of course we watch for discounts and promotion and automatically apply the best available offer to your reservation but we also help you avoid up-sells and options you won’t use.
We Are Fee-Free - We book directly through Disney and we never charge a service fee so you never pay any extra to use our services when you book your trip through us. You can have all the benefits Disney offers PLUS all the services we offer.
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Special Events at Disney World in January:
WDW Marathon Weekend 2025 dates to be announced. While the marathon events don't really affect the theme parks, expect the hotels to be very full so book early.
The Epcot International Festival of the Arts - January 12 to February 19, 2024. Exact dates to be announced. It will run seven days a week with extra entertainment offered on the weekends. This event celebrates Visual, Performing and Culinary arts. Disney on Broadway concert series, included with park admission) at Epcot’s America Gardens Theatre are a special feature of the festival; Performances are at 5:30 PM, 6:45 PM and 8:00 PM. 2024 performers: January 12, 14, 15, 18, 20, 22, 23 - Caissie Levy (Frozen) and Patti Murin (Frozen) / January 12, 16, 17, 19, 21, 24, & 25 - Gavin Lee (Beauty & the Beast) and Heidi Blickenstaff (The Little Mermaid) / January 26, 28, 29, February `, 3, 5, 6 - Ashley Brown (Mary Poppins) and L. Steven Taylor (The Lion King) / January 27, 30, 31 and February 2, 4, 7, 8 - Josh Strickland (Tarzan) and Kissy Simmons (The Lion King) / February 9, 11, 12, 15, 18, 19 - Mandy Gonzalez (Aida) and Michael James Scott (Aladdin) / February 10, 13, 14, 16, 17, 19 - Bradley Gibson (The Lion King) and Shoba Narayan (Aladdin)
Disney Springs - Lego Store Events - The Lego Store offers periodic activities like building events or Lego Club meetings, and special offers.
Some Disney World Christmas experiences will be available through early January.
Disney-themed Disney Springs Christmas Tree Stroll - Presented from 11am to 11PM daily; Begin this delight for the eyes at the play fountain outside Once Upon a Toy in the Marketplace. Tree Lighting Ceremony at 6pm nightly.
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Crowd Warnings for Disney World in January:
Christmas / Hanukkah Break - Christmas is insanely busy at Disney World, giving you lots of opportunity to practice your "good will to men". The great thing is that the temperatures are cool, the parks are at their festive best, and Disney always extends the hours, but you absolutely, positively need good information to minimize lines that routinely are 1 - 3 hours long at the most popular attractions. Get one of our Disney-focused travel agents to help you manage all the special issues that affect this busy season. Important Tip: The lines will be shortest in the first and last hour or two that the park is open so plan. Book dining reservations as soon as possible!
Martin Luther King Jr. Weekend - January 13- 15, 2024. Expect moderate to moderately high crowds just before, during and right after Martin Luther King Jr. weekend. Arrive at the parks early or stay until the end of the day to minimize lines.
Thoughts on Early Entry - Every day, all four Disney World theme parks open 30 to 60 minutes prior to the general posted opening time for guests staying at the official Disney World resort hotels and select “Good Neighbor” hotels. This is a fantastic perk for those who qualify and is a great time to ride one or two popular rides. It is still a good idea for off-site guests to arrive prior to posted park opening time because the first hour of the day tends to be less crowded but you’ll also see crowds decrease for the last two (2) hours before closing.
Be smart about Character Breakfast reservations - The theme parks are at their least crowded and the lines are shortest when the parks first open for the day. Please don't sit in a restaurant when lines are short and then head out to the attractions just in time to get in a long line. Book a character lunch or dinner instead. If you love character breakfasts, consider booking a late character breakfast seating and treat it like brunch; this will still let you enjoy the short lines just after park opening before sitting down to eat. Another good option is to save character breakfasts for a water park day, a relaxing-at-the-resort day, or departure day.
Save time and money by having snacks, bottled water and other food items delivered directly to your resort by Garden Grocer - Click HERE for more information.
Don't get overwhelmed by the details - let us help: High crowds/ low crowds. Long hours / short hours. It can be a lot to think through but vacation planning is always a lot easier when you have one of our Disney-focused travel agents to help. Imagine how much better your vacation will be when we give you "Best Days" information that puts you in the best theme park for each day of your trip and includes your priorities for fireworks, parades, crowds and shows. Then we help with dining reservations and understanding which Disney Genie+ and individual Lightning Lane selections might be right for you. Best of all, you get all of this expert service at no extra charge when you book your Disney vacation through Build A Better Mouse Trip.
The Magical Extras Savings Card is included in every Walt Disney World Resort vacation package and provides discounts at several restaurants, shops, and activities. Click here for full details.
Use the month buttons below for lists of Disney World ride closures, attraction refurbishments, special events and crowd warnings by month. We hope this information helps you have a wonderful and memorable vacation.