***Official January 2023 Thread***

[ThereYouSeeHer]

Happy New Year! Let's get to planning for 2023!

When you book, let us know when and where!

(Vacation packages starting January 1, 2023 opened for booking on June 8, 2022.)

Welcome all December, January, and February travelers who have some or all of their vacation in January!​

New Year Roll Call

December 24 to January 6: gadget118 (FW)
December 28 to January 3: Disturbia (Poly)
December 28 to January 4: xlsm (Poly)
December 28 to January 4: isabellea (POFQ, followed by RPR at Universal)
December 30 to January 7: DLmama (POFQ)
December 31 to January 6: ThereYouSeeHer (HHI, ASSp, then HHI again!)
December 31 to January 8: binab (SSR)
December 31 to January 8: jvalic33 (HHI, BWV, AKV)
December 31 to January 10: coronationday (CR, YC, POFQ)
January 1 to January 1: IanDLBZF from MCMagic (Local day trip!)
January 1 to January 6: Jimmy Mouse (RR)
January 1 to January 8: sheri18 (Swan, Dolphin)
January 1 to January 8: snowangel72 (Windsor Palms)
January 2 to January 14: AnotherWorld (Pop, Offsite, AoA)
January 3 to January 5: tofubeast (RR)
January 3 to January 7: Juventus (Dolphin)
January 3 to January 10: FantasmicMike (AoA)
January 4 to January 6: WingandPrayer (AKV, ASMo)
January 4 to January 8: ak517 (AKV)
January 4 to January 9: SteveW8002 (SSR)
January 4 to January 13: Cabius (Poly)
January 5 to January 10: DisneyBelle27 (Pop)
January 5 to January 14: Mexacajun (OKW)
January 5 to January 14: DisneyFan714 (Offsite and Universal, followed by Swan)
January 6 to January 11: eey777 (POFQ)
January 6 to January 14: jovicat (ASMo)
January 7 to January 10: leeniewdw (Pop)
January 7 to January 14: Principessa (BLT, Theme Park View!)
January 7 to January 15: nlenguyen (SSR)
January 7 to January 21: 1437disney (ASMo)
January 8 to January 12: yeahdisney (Universal, followed by OKW and AKL)
January 8 to January 13: bjscheel (AoA, Cars suite!)
January 8 to January 14: Pembo (Pop)
January 8 to January 15: mackel1994 (Pop)
January 8 to January 15: gorkt (BCV)
January 9 to January 19: texmarques (Pop)
January 10 to January 20: caketalks (POFQ)
January 11 to January 15: Pommau (Poly)
January 11 to January 16: brewhome (AKV, CBR)
January 11 to January 16: 4My3KGirls (ASSp)
January 11 to January 18: SuperNEMOfan (Poly)
January 12 to January 16: Ohiostatefan606 (CBR)
January 12 to January 17: mickeycw (WL, Club Level!)
January 13 to January 16: e-rod jedimaster (Pop)
January 13 to January 17: ThreeKMom (Dolphin)
January 14 to January 18: MamaJessie (SSR)
January 14 to January 19: MousetersInc (HRH at Universal, Floridays)
January 14 to January 21: tinkerjo (CCV)
January 14 to January 21: Mercdesman (BCV, RR)
January 14 to January 22: Melora (Pop)
January 15 to January 21: tebi73 (AoA)
January 15 to January 21: wtpooh (Doubletree)
January 15 to January 28: Cierese (FW)
January 16 to January 24: DisneyMama811 (AoA)
January 16 to January 25: Marrila (BWI)
January 16 to January 25: boredghost (CBR, STARCRUISER!, CR)
January 17 to January 19: wizardtho (CBR)
January 17 to January 22: The13thLetter (Pop)
January 17 to January 24: vicarrieous (BCV)
January 17 to January 24: EmmaTrainor (AKL)
January 17 to January 26: icesk8abc (RR)
January 18 to February 4: ralphie (CB at Universal, CSR at WDW, then Brilliance of the Seas!)
January 19 to January 22: marryfrmtx (POFQ)
January 19 to January 22: DisDreaming4116 (Wyndham Garden LBV)
January 19 to January 28: FAMECITY (Swan)
January 19 to January 28: WittyPeach (Pop)
January 21 to January 24: hulagirl87
January 21 to January 27: TrulyMadlyDisney (POFQ)
January 21 to January 28: Eeyoreparks (AKL)
January 21 to January 28: SheSingsAlong (BCV)
January 21 to January 28: disney-inspired (BCV)
January 21 to January 28: Kcnc (WL)
January 21 to January 29: IMICKEY (AKV)
January 21 to January 29: Crystal2732
January 22 to January 25: canyoncam (ASSp)
January 22 to January 26: RottnGemma (ASSp, followed by a cruise on the Wish!)
January 22 to January 27: QueenofScott (CR)
January 22 to January 28: Lanadeldisney (Pop)
January 22 to January 28: lily_belle (GF)
January 22 to January 29: Ejw5 (BWV)
January 22 to February 1: CalOilerGurl (BLT and OKW)
January 23 to January 29: loandbeholdlauren
January 23 to February 2: marij (Pop)
January 24 to January 28: VAtink (YC)
January 24 to January 29: MaxsDad (BLT)
January 24 to February 4: familyS (CSR GDT, AKV Savanna view!)
January 26 to February 5: Grace&Carolinesmom (POFQ)
January 27 to January 31: jandkmom (Poly, Club Level!)
January 27 to February 1: Jsharp13 (ASMu)
January 27 to February 1: Astylla (AKL, GF, SSR, AKL, RR)
January 27 to February 3: BelleChick (Poly)
January 28 to January 31: deli8788 (ASMo)
January 28 to February 1: ajollyholidaywithjo (Pop)
January 28 to February 1: karen4546 (GDT CL)
January 28 to February 2: jamie03 (Pop)
January 28 to February 4: KTwiegs (Pop)
January 28 to February 4: Letting It Go! (AoA)
January 28 to February 4: wlgreen94 (AKL)
January 28 to February 5: Siennalsla (Pop, followed by Loews at Universal!)
January 28 to February 5: teeeera (AKL)
January 28 to February 6: EnchantedWishes (Poly, WISH!, GF)
January 29 to February 2: MaidMarian444 (POFQ)
January 29 to February 3: daisy_77 (Pop)
January 29 to February 4: Araminta18 (BC)
January 29 to February 4: Eeyore52 (CBR)
January 29 to February 4: emily nicole (AOA)
January 31 to February 8: Lsdolphin (Pop, CSR)

 

[ThereYouSeeHer]

Events from Mid-December 2022 through Mid-February 2023

Open through December 22: Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party
Open through December 24: Disney Springs Santa Clause Meet & Greet
Open through December 30: Disney Springs Christmas Tree Stroll
Open through December 30: EPCOT Holiday Kitchens
Open through December 30: EPCOT Holiday Cookie Stroll
Open through December 30: EPCOT Candlelight Processional
Open through December 30: EPCOT Characters Holiday Costumes
Open through December 30: EPCOT Living with the Land Holiday Overlay
Open through December 30: EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays
Open through December 30: EPCOT Figment Ride Christmas Sweater Overlay
Open through December 30: EPCOT American Adventure Gingerbread Display
Open through December 30: EPCOT Spaceship Earth Holiday Beacons of Magic
Open through December 30: EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays Merchandise
Open through December 30: EPCOT Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind 'Holiday Remix' Overlay
Open through December 31: EPCOT Olaf's Holiday Tradition Expedition Scavenger Hunt
Open through December 31: Magic Kingdom Holiday Treats
Open through December 31: Blizzard Beach Holiday Treats and Experiences
Open through December 31: Disney Springs Gideon's Bakehouse Holiday Treats
Open through December 31: Animal Kingdom Tree of Life Awakenings Holiday Edition
December 23 to December 29: Minnie's Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks
December 23 to December 31: Totally Tomorrowland Christmas Show
December 23 to December 31: Mickey's Once Upon a Christmastime Parade
December 23 to December 31: Mickey's Most Merriest Celebration Stage Show
December 30 to December 31: Magic Kingdom Fantasy in the Sky New Year's Eve Fireworks
December 31: EPCOT Cheers to the New Year: A Sparkling Celebration
Open through January 1: Animal Kingdom Holiday Treats
Open through January 1: Hollywood Studios Holiday Treats
Open through January 7: Magic Kingdom PhotoPass Holiday Magic Shots
Open through January 7: Animal Kingdom PhotoPass Holiday Magic Shots
Open through January 8: WDW Resorts Holiday Treats
Open through January 15: Disney Springs Holiday Treats
January 1 to January 31: Disney Springs Health & Wellness Month
January 4 to January 7: runDisney Health & Fitness Expo
January 5 to January 8: runDisney WDW Marathon Weekend
January 5 to January 8: runDisney Virtual Marathon Weekend
January 9 to January 12: runDisney Castaway Cay Challenge
January 13 to February 20: EPCOT International Festival of the Arts
January 13 to February 20: EPCOT Disney on Broadway Concert Series
January 13 to February 20: Wonderful Walk of Colorful Cuisine Food Crawl
January 13 to February 20: Figment's Brush with the Masters Scavenger Hunt

WDW 50th Anniversary Celebration

October 1, 2021 to March 31, 2023: Beacons of Magic, Mickey's Celebration Cavalcade, Special Event Merchandise

Refurbishments and Closings During January 2023 (dates may extend beyond January)

January 1 to January 31: Typhoon Lagoon
January 9 to January 13: Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
January 9 to January 27: Frozen Sing-Along at Disney's Hollywood Studios
January 9 to January 31: Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort Meadow Swimmin' Pool and Whirlpool Spa
January 9 to January 31: Disney's Contemporary Resort Feature Pool and Whirlpool Spas
January 9 to January 31: Kali River Rapids
January 13 to January 31: EPCOT Seas Adventures - DiveQuest Experience
January 17 to January 23: Summer Course - Winter Summerland Mini Golf
January 22 to January 29: Disney Skyliner
January 23 to January 31: Splash Mountain
January 24 to January 30: Winter Couse - Winter Summerland Mini Golf
Early January to January 31: Pinocchio Village Haus Restrooms
Early January to January 31: Disney’s Saratoga Springs High Rock Springs Pool and Pool Bar
Early January to January 31: Disney’s Saratoga Springs Treehouse Leisure Pool
Disclaimer: All events and dates are subject to change. Please plan your vacations accordingly!

 

[ThereYouSeeHer]

Installation of Christmas Decorations

October 25: Animal Kingdom Luminaries around Discovery Island
October 27: Hollywood Studios Stars down Sunset Boulevard
October 28: EPCOT Snowflakes in France Pavillion
October 31: Beach Club Resort Gingerbread Carousel
October 31: Grand Floridian Gingerbread House Construction Begins
November 1: Magic Kingdom Main Street U.S.A. Decorations--Christmas has Arrived!
November 2: Transportation and Ticket Center Holiday Decorations
November 2: Jingle Cruise Overlay Begins
November 4: Disney Springs World of Disney Decorations and Merchandise
November 9: Grand Floridian Gingerbread House Officially Open
November 11: Contemporary Resort Gingerbread Castle Officially Open
November 16: Pop Century Resort Christmas Decorations
November 17: BoardWalk Inn Gingerbread Deli
November 23: Animal Kingdom Lodge Gingerbread Giraffe and Zebra
November 25: EPCOT American Adventure Gingerbread Display

Removal of Christmas Decorations

Around January 4: Disney's Hilton Head Island Resort
Around January 4: WDW Christmas Background Music Loops
Around January 4: WDW Resort Hotels
Around January 8: WDW Theme Parks (Potentially through Marathon Weekend)

Remember, it's Christmas All Year Long at the Following Locations!

Disney's Winter Summerland Miniature Golf
Disney Spring's Days of Christmas Store
Magic Kingdom Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe
EPCOT Die Weihnachts Ecke (The Christmas Corner)
Hollywood Studios It's a Wonderful Shop (Items May be Available from Celebrity 5 &10)

Disney's Holiday Central Webpage

Disclaimer: All events and dates are subject to change. Please plan your vacations accordingly!

 

[ThereYouSeeHer]

We are looking at vacationing during early January 2023. It has been too long since we have seen Christmas decorations at Disney, so the goal is to be there the first week of January to see them! We will be sad to miss the Festival of the Arts, but that's the plan for now.

We are currently waiting for online packages to open up so we can play around with dates, resorts, and prices.

So excited to be there during the final months of the 50th Anniversary celebration!

 

[ThereYouSeeHer]

More experiences and timelines have been added to Post #2! Keep checking back, as this thread will continue to be updated as information becomes available.

Happy planning!

 

[gorkt]

I am looking at the second or third week of January. I think that the third week is likely to be less crowded, yes?

 

[ThereYouSeeHer]

I am looking at the second or third week of January. I think that the third week is likely to be less crowded, yes?

Possibly, but Monday, January 16th is MLK Jr Day, so that will draw some extra crowds. Even if those crowds try to make a week out of it, it still shouldn't be as bad as New Years through Marathon Weekend.

 

[gorkt]

Gotcha - seems like it's either working around Marathon weekend or MLK weekend. I am planning on a few days at Universal also so maybe it makes sense to go the second week starting at Universal during the marathon. The down side is that I would only get two days of the Arts Festival at Epcot. I'm looking at a triple split stay - so it's either this:

Jan 6-8 Universal, Jan 8-12 AKL (or another DVC), Jan 12-15 Riviera (or CBR).

or this:

Jan 13-15 Universal, Jan 15-19 AKL, Jan 19-22 Riviera

Packages are usually released mid year, right?

 

[ThereYouSeeHer]

Gotcha - seems like it's either working around Marathon weekend or MLK weekend. I am planning on a few days at Universal also so maybe it makes sense to go the second week starting at Universal during the marathon. The down side is that I would only get two days of the Arts Festival at Epcot. I'm looking at a triple split stay - so it's either this:

Jan 6-8 Universal, Jan 8-12 AKL (or another DVC), Jan 12-15 Riviera (or CBR).

or this:

Jan 13-15 Universal, Jan 15-19 AKL, Jan 19-22 Riviera

Packages are usually released mid year, right?

Ooh, those are good options. The only difference is the first one is sandwiched between two busy weekends, whereas the second one will start busy, but should open up after that. It also depends on which days you will actually be in the parks. Also, I don't know anything about Universal crowds and events, and which weekend might be better or worse for them.

The Festival of the Arts dates above are for 2022, since 2023 hasn't been released yet. However, it appears the festival usually starts the Friday before MLK Jr. Monday (except in 2021). For 2023, that would be estimated at starting Friday, January 13 (I believe the earliest start ever was in 2021 on January 8). Dates may not be announced until October, so it's a lot of guessing until then.

For your first option, you could potentially only attend the festival during busy opening weekend, which is also during busy MLK weekend. For that reason, given everything we are estimating right now, the second option might be better based on Disney knowledge alone.

Packages would generally come out by summer, but last year, they released them early in February. So many choices to make, especially since dates for everything still haven't been solidified!

 

[ThereYouSeeHer]

Disney's ESPN Wide World of Sports hosts events throughout the year. Here is a list of some events that may impact crowds, hotel availability, and park hours during January and early February 2022. Keep this in mind while planning 2023 itineraries. Note that these After Hours events are for cheer participants only.

Multiple dates below surround MLK Jr. Weekend, as well as Super Bowl and Valentine's Weekend:

January 14 to January 16: College Cheerleading & Dance Team National Championship
January 16: Magic Kingdom After Hours 10pm-2am
January 17: Florida Dance Championship
February 4 to February 6: National Dance Team Championship
February 6: Magic Kingdom After Hours 10pm-2am
February 11 to February 13: National High School Cheerleading Championship
February 13: Magic Kingdom After Hours 10pm-2am

For reference, Magic Kingdom After Hours dates in 2020 were similar:

January 19 (MLK Jr. Weekend)
February 2 (Super Bowl Weekend)
February 9 (Valentine's Week)

 

[brewhome]

Good morning! We are planning a girls only trip for 1/11/23-1/16/23! My niece will be turning 30 on 1/11, my sis/her mom will be turning 60 on 1/13, and my sis-in-law will be joining us too. We are excited to celebrate their actual birthdays at the World! Sis-in-law and I have both been there on our actual birthdays and it’s so much fun!

We are probably going to spend the first two nights at AKL Jambo in a savannah view room and then we will switch over to either the Boardwalk, Yacht Club, or Beach Club for easy access to Epcot and Hollywood Studios. We also talked about Caribbean Beach for Skyliner access, but I’m thinking we will splurge on the second deluxe since we are celebrating milestone birthdays.

Niece wants to go to AK on her actual birthday because she absolutely loves the Safari, grabbing drinks at the Dawa bar and watching the drummers, screaming her brains out on Everest, wandering the animal trails, and riding Flight of Passage. Sis is thinking Hollywood Studios because she is crazy about Tower of Terror, Rock and Roller Coaster, Frozen Ever After, and Mickey’s Runaway Railway, and she loves having drinks at Oga’s and Baseline Tap House. But... she also loves drinking and snacking around the world at Epcot, so if the Festival of the Arts is open on the 13th, we may go there instead. We will definitely hit Epcot in the latter half of the trip to catch the festival. We typically go to Epcot and AK twice each and MK and HS once each on a six day trip, along with a visit or two to DS. We actually are considering skipping MK this time (Gasp! WDW purists would say this is blasphemy!) because we’ve been there so many times and instead going to HS twice… we will see how it works out!

I can’t wait for this one… birthday trips are so much fun!

 

[ThereYouSeeHer]

Good morning! We are planning a girls only trip for 1/11/23-1/16/23! My niece will be turning 30 on 1/11, my sis/her mom will be turning 60 on 1/13, and my sis-in-law will be joining us too. We are excited to celebrate their actual birthdays at the World! Sis-in-law and I have both been there on our actual birthdays and it’s so much fun!

We are probably going to spend the first two nights at AKL Jambo in a savannah view room and then we will switch over to either the Boardwalk, Yacht Club, or Beach Club for easy access to Epcot and Hollywood Studios. We also talked about Caribbean Beach for Skyliner access, but I’m thinking we will splurge on the second deluxe since we are celebrating milestone birthdays.

Niece wants to go to AK on her actual birthday because she absolutely loves the Safari, grabbing drinks at the Dawa bar and watching the drummers, screaming her brains out on Everest, wandering the animal trails, and riding Flight of Passage. Sis is thinking Hollywood Studios because she is crazy about Tower of Terror, Rock and Roller Coaster, Frozen Ever After, and Mickey’s Runaway Railway, and she loves having drinks at Oga’s and Baseline Tap House. But... she also loves drinking and snacking around the world at Epcot, so if the Festival of the Arts is open on the 13th, we may go there instead. We will definitely hit Epcot in the latter half of the trip to catch the festival. We typically go to Epcot and AK twice each and MK and HS once each on a six day trip, along with a visit or two to DS. We actually are considering skipping MK this time (Gasp! WDW purists would say this is blasphemy!) because we’ve been there so many times and instead going to HS twice… we will see how it works out!

I can’t wait for this one… birthday trips are so much fun!

Wow, this sounds like a great trip. It's good to see AK getting some love! I totally understand about skipping MK for time at HS. We ended up skipping AK this past fall, so that we could do Galaxy's Edge at HS twice. It's nice that we have so many options at WDW. I'll be interested to see where you end up hotel wise, they are all great choices!

 

[gorkt]

After consulting with my family, I am going for this itinerary - with some resort changes.

Jan 6-8 Universal, Jan 8-12 AKL (or another DVC), Jan 12-15 Riviera (or CBR).

I think I am going to sub out AKL for POR French quarter for the middle leg of the trip, mostly because I want a compact resort with central location to the parks. My fear with AKL would be getting stuck on the far end of Kidani village and having a 20 minute walk to the bus stop. I will do AKL at some point. I have found that transportation, more than anything else, can make or break a vacation for me. One of my favorite past trips was staying at AOA because I had a preferred room, and with with the one bus stop, there was barely any walking at the resort. It saved valuable time and energy.

Who knows, I might change my mind again....

 

[ThereYouSeeHer]

After consulting with my family, I am going for this itinerary - with some resort changes.

I think I am going to sub out AKL for POR French quarter for the middle leg of the trip, mostly because I want a compact resort with central location to the parks. My fear with AKL would be getting stuck on the far end of Kidani village and having a 20 minute walk to the bus stop. I will do AKL at some point. I have found that transportation, more than anything else, can make or break a vacation for me. One of my favorite past trips was staying at AOA because I had a preferred room, and with with the one bus stop, there was barely any walking at the resort. It saved valuable time and energy.

Who knows, I might change my mind again....

Sounds good! Our girls loved the slide at POFQ when they were little. Fun theming! If you end up staying at Riviera, I'd love to hear more about it!

 

[DLmama]

We're thinking about booking Dec. 30th through Jan. 6th or 7th. We haven't seen the full Christmas decorations at WDW. Went in Dec. 2020 since DL was still closed. Living in CA, we usually go to DL during the holidays. We'd love to stay at WL this trip, but it's so expensive. POFQ is our 2nd choice. Maybe we'll do a split stay.

 

[ThereYouSeeHer]

We're thinking about booking Dec. 30th through Jan. 6th or 7th. We haven't seen the full Christmas decorations at WDW. Went in Dec. 2020 since DL was still closed. Living in CA, we usually go to DL during the holidays. We'd love to stay at WL this trip, but it's so expensive. POFQ is our 2nd choice. Maybe we'll do a split stay.

Yay, I love split stays! We haven't stayed at WL yet, but someday..... We're looking at staying around the same timeframe, too, but haven't decided. Such an exciting time to be there!

 

[gorkt]

The Xmas decorations are lovely. It's funny, our family normally goes in early November and many times we get a few days of fall decorations and then BOOM Xmas decorations everywhere!

 

[ThereYouSeeHer]

The Xmas decorations are lovely. It's funny, our family normally goes in early November and many times we get a few days of fall decorations and then BOOM Xmas decorations everywhere!

Although we've seen both fall and Christmas decorations, we've never seen them at the same visit! We've often wanted to go late October through early November to catch the transition, but it hasn't worked out yet. I think that would be so cool!

 

[gorkt]

Yeah I would plan a trip like Oct 30th-early November to ensure this happens.

 

[SheSingsAlong]

Please add me to the list of trips! Just settled on January 14 - 21, 2023 Planning on renting DVC points for Boardwalk Villas.

I just got back from a girls' trip over the last weekend with my childhood best friend. I was also using the trip to do recon for my next family trip. Husband says he would much rather deal with possible cold temps than hot temps like our previous trips. Anyone have advice for MLK week? I know it is not a great time to go in January, but it will allow us to only pull our daughter from school for 4 days.