Hi, Thomas! Welcome to planDisney.
I absolutely love that you’re already dreaming about a 2026 trip to Walt Disney World Resort. What a practically perfect way to start the year! January is such a brilliant time to visit: the weather is cooler, the crowds tend to be more manageable, and if your timing lines up, you might just catch the
EPCOT International Festival of the Arts. It's one of my favorite festivals, full of color, creativity, and some seriously tasty eats. As we say in Liverpool, "The scran is sound as a pound!"
Now, as for room-only resort reservations for January 2026, we’re not quite there yet. Disney hasn’t officially opened up bookings that far out, but if past years are any clue, we can usually expect availability for the following year (including both room-only and vacation packages) to open sometime in the spring—often around early to mid-May. Of course, dates can shift a bit, so your best bet is to keep a close eye on the
Disney Parks Blog and the official
Walt Disney World website for that big announcement.
Here’s a planning tip: whilst you're waiting, start narrowing down your dream resort and preferred travel dates. That way, once bookings open, you’ll be ready to race toward the magic like Lightning McQueen on a mission. Ka-chow!
Mike