* Just a few questions about visting in January *

[Tinkerb3ll]

Hello everyone, i just joined ^^
Me and my friend are planning to vist Disney in January, we haven't booked it yet, but are going too within the next month.
I was wondering if...

x. What are the crowds like in Disney in January? We plan to go on the 27th and are hoping it to be pretty quiet. Also is it true that some of the lands only open after 11-12 In the afternoon? -_-

x. Are any of the big rides closed? I don't want to go to Disney to realise some of my faves are shut {Rock and Roller coaster, Spacemountain and Phantom Manor}

x. If it is quiet when we go, is it easy to get a room/hotel upgrade? and to get one do you have to ask when you get there?

And finally...

x. When travelling to France by Plane, how many months does your passport have to be in date? Or does it just have to be in date, because mine expires four days after we come back, eek.

Sorry for all the questions!

 

[Bexx]

Welcome to the DIS Tinkerb3ll!!

Also is it true that some of the lands only open after 11-12 In the afternoon?

As far as I've ever known - no!! Everywhere should be accessible from 10 am.

Are any of the big rides closed? I don't want to go to Disney to realise some of my faves are shut {Rock and Roller coaster, Spacemountain and Phantom Manor}

The rides that are officially closed while you are there are - Autopia, Casey Jr, Le Pays des Contes de Fees and the Riverboats. So nothing major!!

When travelling to France by Plane, how many months does your passport have to be in date? Or does it just have to be in date, because mine expires four days after we come back

I would have thought you would be fine, but why not renew it before you go? You can fill in the form online here, they will send you the completed form, which you just send back with your photo and fee - very easy

 

[MICKEY'S DREAMERS]

WELCOME !!!!!!

Have a MAGIC trip !!!!

Where are you going to stay ? An hotel on property ?
Should you need any hint ... just ask !!!!


Laura

 

[jodyb]

Our first two trips to DLP - 2004 and 2005 were both in January, and for a full week each time.

1. LOW attendance and no real long queues for anything, in general.
2. We were upgraded each time (at the Sequoia) to a Montana room, for no additional charge. I assume this was because of low attendance, although the hotel sure seemed full when we saw the long lines for breakfast in the morning!

3. VERY COLD and sometimes snow (real). In 2004 we tramped through about 12 centimeters of SNOW down Main Street to the Breakfast in Fanasyland. - it was probably one of the most magical things I've ever experienced!

If you have any more specific January questions I'll try to answer!
You will LOVE it - ANY time at DLP has to be magical!

 

[Happy Tappy]

Does anyone know if it gets busy on the weekends in jan?

 

[Tinkerb3ll]

Thanks everyone for your help

We are planning to stay in the Sequoia {it will fit nice with going in January, with the cold weather and the log cabin theme} from the 27th to the 30th so hopefully they might upgrade us!
Ooo, i love the cold weather i hope it snows, that would just be perfect!
Is it better to eat in hotel or in fantasyland? & what's magic unlimited like?

I'm so excited, two months today i'm actually going to be in the park

 

[jodyb]

You have mentioned my pet peeve where the Sequoia is concerned. Okay, others may not agree with me, but I've stayed at the Sequoia for a total of 13 nights and have only had breakfast there maybe 3 times. Why? First of all, I don't think the breakfast is that great. It's breads and cheese and cereal - no protein, and the coffee is abominable. JUST MY OPINION everybody!
But the biggest reason - even in the off-off-off season, there always seems to be aLOOOOONNNNNGGGGG queue to get into breakfast, and even if they were giving away golden eggs I would not wait for them that long. (If you arrive at 7 AM or very late this is not true however).
Another notw about breakfast. The time cards are a good idea - to space people out so supposedly there would not be those queues, but in reality, people come to breakfast when it's convenient for them, and for almost everyone that seems to be between 8 and 9:30. AND, just FYI, they will always let you in, whether you have a card for the specified hour or not, which IMO is just as it should be - a guest at a hotel that includes breakfast should not be told exactly what time he may eat. (You do need your pink hotel slip proving you are a guest - but you don't need a breakfast card - there, the secret is out!) Okay... deep breath... all that having been said...
I, and again just MHO, always go elsewhere for breakfast. I'm not complaining - I just do it because it's what's best for me. McDonald's has cheap good and plentiful breakfasts and excellent coffee... and there are other places in the village where one can get good coffee and a donut. My preference is a real sit-down breakfast with meat and eggs, but that is quite expensive at DLP, unless you stay at New York or Disneyland hotel where such is the breakfast that is included. Oh, actually you can order this for about 4 Euro at the Sequoia and I did it once and liked it, but again, see above about why I usually don't stay for breakfast.
Whew! This is getting long and I haven't even mentioned the Fantasyland Breakfast yet! Okay, if you have a choice - go to the park to eat! You get in early and that is of course great fun, and the food is EXACTLY what you get at the hotel. As I said, I was not fond of the food, and we have Annual Passports and can enter early anyway, so for us the Fantasyland breakfast - once was enough. I would not have gone the once had I realized the food was the same as at the Sequoia. But again - lots of people think the food is just great, so I repeat, please, this is JUST MY OPINION, and not worth any more than the cyber ink it's penned with!!
I want to answer you about magic unlimited but this got so long you are probably sick of me! I'll give someone else a chance...!

 

[Tinkerb3ll]

Lol, Jodyb there is no way i'm getting sick of you! You have been So helpful!

I think me & my friend are going to venture out of the hotel for breakfast, we will probably try out the fantasyland breakfast, it will be nice sitting in the park early in the morning, wrapped up warm. Mcdonalds is also tempting me though, they're pancakes are lush

I also have another question -_- sorry!

x. When going on rollercoasters is there a place to put your bag? I don't want to risk taking it on board because it will most probably fly off my arm :S and i don't want to leave it at the front of the park because i need my digicam , money etc. I thought there probably is but then i remembered on Rock and Roller coaster and some other rides you get on and off at different areas.

 

[Rosie]

Hi Tinkerb3ll

Welcome to the boards

I always take one of those bum bags when I know I'm doing the big rides. Gripping your bag between your ankles or knees works as well. I've never lost anything yet! There isn't actually anywhere at DLP to stash bags except lockers and they are not that convenient to keep going backwards and forwards to.

They had lockers specifically for the wilder rides at Universal Studios in Orlando and I used them a couple of times but its a drag to have to keep locking up your bag then unlocking it etc etc!

I will be at Sequoia Lodge from 20th - 23rd January - not too long to wait.

 

[jodyb]

I usually have a small backpack when visiting Disney parks in the winter - someplace to stash extra scarves and hats, etc. On rides like RnR and space mountain I put the bag on the floor with one foot through one of the straps. Other rides are no problem. Just put it beside you or on the floor. I've never had a problem with space for my bag.

Since nobody has jumped in about Magic Unlimited... I'll venture my opinion. Now mind you last year was its first, so they may have put some improvements in place for this season, but I did not find it very magical, and in fact it was quite.. um.... limited! Last season, rides that had MU suspended their use of FastPass, which I found annoying, and the MU system was disorganized at best. Most rides required you to exit and reenter through a special passage, which was fine, but once back in the queue it was a free-for-all. For rides which allowed you to just stay put, such as Small World, MU was a bit unnecessary because these will allow you to go around again anyway when it's not crowded. I think, on the whole, Magic Unlimited is just a silly marketing gimick, and adds exactly nothing to the DLP experience. But, your mileage may vary, and this is ONLY my opinion!

MU or Mlimited, January is slow, and you can often repeat rides. Either way, you are going to have a GREAT TIME - IMHO, the magic is ALWAYS unlimited in the Disney parks, marketing or no marketing! YAY!!!

 

[Father_and_Son]

x. What are the crowds like in Disney in January? We plan to go on the 27th and are hoping it to be pretty quiet. Also is it true that some of the lands only open after 11-12 In the afternoon? -_-

In the End of January when you go there you will have the lowest frequency in the whole Year. That is the reason they do "Magic unlimited" to this Time and it´s the reason me and my son are there. The only day it can be busy will be Sunday, but we usualy do the Studios then. All rides are running at 10.00 the fantasyland rides at 9.00 when you take the good morning fantasyland breakfast

x. Are any of the big rides closed? I don't want to go to Disney to realise some of my faves are shut {Rock and Roller coaster, Spacemountain and Phantom Manor}

No the opposit is true, PM and RRC are part of "Magic unlimited" so you can ride them as often as you like without queuing again

x. If it is quiet when we go, is it easy to get a room/hotel upgrade? and to get one do you have to ask when you get there?

Although it is quite to this Time the Hotels have a lot of frequency because of the low prices. The Cheyenne for Example is fully booked till 1 Month. So see what will be possible.

Magic unlimited - I love it :thewave:

 

[Father_and_Son]

Hey Jody, I know from another Forum that you tested MU at it´s very beginning last year and was a bit dissapointed. We did it the End of January when they improved it a lot.

Fast Pass was working again when needed. The Queues at RnR were directed by Castmembers so I really loved it.

Lukas and me had a very special moment when we were the only persons in Phantom Manor and during our third ride in a row the CM´s stopped the Ride at special points so that we could see every detaill.

 

[jodyb]

Oh, that is great to know! We were there at the very beginning - Jan. 9 -16, just after the Christmas season ended and MU began, so to be fair it was absolutely new and the CM's had not had time to make adjustments. I expect this year will be better. I do still think, however, that it is basically a gimmick to get more traffic during this very slow period, since during this time when crowds are low, they would anyway allow people to stay on the rides. But getting more people in the parks is good for Disney, and that's good for me!! YAY!

 

[Cyrano]

Hi Tinkerb3ll and Father and Son and welcome to the DIS board