Disney World in January 2025: Crowds, Weather, Festival of Arts

Disney World in January comes at the end of the popular Christmas season with celebrations happening in all four theme parks. As the holiday season wraps up, Disney World in January offers festivals and lower crowd levels!

Everyone has personal preferences to consider when planning the date of their Walt Disney World trip- each season will have its pros and cons and guests' choices will vary based on those. Make sure to read our Walt Disney World crowd calendar to get an idea of what to expect when picking a date to visit Walt Disney World.

Keep reading for everything you need to know about visiting Disney World in January including current events, what weather to expect, crowd-level predictions, and what to pack!

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In this planning guide:

Disney World Events in January

Here are all the current events to know about impacting Disney World in January!

Holiday Events & Celebrations at Disney World

This year the Disney World holiday season will end before January. It's likely Disney World might keep up the decorations a little longer but chances are the holiday lights on the castle, themed character dining, and holiday cavalcades won't be running.

EPCOT International Festival of the Arts

The EPCOT International Festival of the Arts takes place at EPCOT mid-January through February. The festival includes a Disney on Broadway Concert Series, live performance art which includes international musical and variety acts, acrobatics, amazing living statues, marching bands, workshops, seminars, art galleries, and more!

Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend

Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend takes place January 8-12 2025. There are runs for fans of every age, including children's races and a half marathon, along with 5 and 10K. Brave runners can accept the Disney Two Course Challenge by combining the 10K and half marathon to earn the Challenge Medal.

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Disney World in January Crowd Calendar

January is a great time to visit Walt Disney World when it comes to crowd levels. With the exception of Martin Luther King Day, which is a hectic day at any theme park, the month of January is relatively quiet at Disney World with lower crowd levels. Since this is a less busy time of year you will see shortened hours and entertainment along with larger ride refurbishments so that is something to be prepared for.

These are the dates to consider avoiding at Walt Disney World in January based on the expectation of higher crowds on these dates:

January 1- New Year's Eve Day.
January 3-7- Walt Disney World Marathon.
January 9- This is the date that theme park reservations end plus unlimited park hopping, and the dining plan returns. You may see increased crowds this day as Disney bloggers turn out to get content on these new changes.
January 12-15- Martin Luther King Jr's Day on Monday, this will be a busy holiday weekend.
January 12- EPCOT Festival of Arts begins

The weekend I would avoid the most is that of Jan 12-15. I expect high crowd levels due to this three-day holiday weekend plus it also lines up with the debut date of the Festival of the Arts at EPCOT. The other dates listed above may still be crowded but nowhere near the level this weekend will be!

See our full Disney World crowd calendar for an idea of projected crowd levels in January.

Disney World Weather in January

The weather at Disney World in January is fairly dry with warmer days and chilly nights making it a great time of the year to visit. The average high for Orlando in January is 72 degrees with the average low being 48 degrees. Since the weather isn't as hot, this is a great time of year to visit for those who don't enjoy heat. January is also known for being the coldest month of the year in Orlando so make sure to bring some layers to handle those nighttime chills.

Chances of rain in January are the lowest you typically see all year with only an average of three days of rain in the month. For guests who love Disney World but are not a big fan of the rain, this makes January a great time to visit.

Tips for Visiting Disney World in January

When it comes to visiting Disney World in January, we have some tried and true hacks for having a magical time on your vacation.

What to Wear

One of the most frequently asked guest questions is: what should I wear to Disney World? Always check the weather leading up to your trip. The good news about visiting Disney World in January is that the chance of rainfall is greatly reduced making it less necessary to wear a rain poncho daily to the parks. We still recommend bringing one so you can enjoy the water rides without getting drenched. I recommend dressing in layers and come prepared for some chilly mornings. Once the sun goes down, the evenings will feel chilly (especially when you factor in humidity) so bring some lightweight hoodies or jackets. You can always rent a locker to store jackets in during the day and go back to grab them once the day cools down.

What to Pack

January is considered the coldest month in Orlando which is still pretty warm by some Midwestern folks' standards. The nights will get chilly as the temperature drops so bringing light layers that you can shed during the day and put back on at night is the best way to go. Because the weather can vary so much day by day, check the weather each day leading up to your trip. Come prepared based on what the forecast says.

You can read our giant packing list here to make sure you show up prepared for literally anything you need while you're visiting Disney World.

What to Expect

There are a few things you should expect when choosing January as your month to visit Disney World:

Prepare for Refurbishments and Reduced Entertainment- since January is considered one the slowest months of the year it's a common time for Walt Disney World to do any needed ride and entertainment refurbishments. Along with that, you will also see shortened park hours and entertainment schedules in consideration of the lower crowd levels. These are all things to be prepared for when visiting this time of year when certain rides (including possibly your favorite!) may be closed. You can check Walt Disney World's entertainment schedule leading up to your visit to get an idea of what rides may be closed.

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