Hey Howdy Hey, MaKayla!
A January visit to
Walt Disney World Resort sounds like the
practically perfect way to set a magical tone for the upcoming year. As someone who has celebrated a January honeymoon and several wedding anniversaries at Walt Disney World Resort, I'm very familiar with planning magical vacations during the first month of the year. I'm so glad you stopped by planDisney with your question!
The first thing you'll want to consider when selecting your January dates is the lingering holiday Guests. Many families choose to visit The Most Magical Place on Earth during the holiday season when schools are not in session. With New Year's Day falling on a Thursday in 2026, I imagine many families will extend their visit through the following weekend.
Early January also brings with it
runDisney's Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend. Between January 8 and January 11, 2026, Walt Disney World will host a series of long-distance races in the early morning hours. Typically, runners begin arriving a day or two before the race weekend officially begins, so you can expect to see the number of Mouseketeers in the theme parks begin to increase again around January 6. It's also important to consider that the marathon and half-marathon distances will likely result in morning road closures on January 10 and 11.
If you're hoping for lower wait times, I would suggest booking a vacation either in the days between the end of the holiday season and the official start of Marathon Weekend or in the week between the races and the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday weekend.
Of course, there are also positives to visiting Walt Disney World during the more popular parts of the month. Early January will still give you the chance to enjoy the
magical holiday decorations, and
runDisney race weekends also bring with them a palpable energy and sense of camaraderie, as well as the potential to cheer on runners as they
go the distance.
In addition to my family's celebrations, I'm also partial to January vacations because the earlier sunsets allow more time to enjoy Walt Disney World's theme parks after dark when the lights of Main Street, Sunset Boulevard, Pandora, Galaxy's Edge, and Spaceship Earth make you feel as if everything has been coated in pixie dust.
I hope this information helps you plan, MaKayla, and that you have everything
bibbidi bobbidi booked so very soon! If you'd like any additional advice for your upcoming vacation, don't hesitate to stop back by
planDisney. You've got a friend in me!
Thinking Happy Thoughts,
Lizzie