Disney World in January 2027 (Dates, Weather, and Crowds)

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If you’re considering visiting Disney World in January, you might be surprised to find that it can be fairly busy. I always say that January is unexpectedly busy. Before I moved to Florida, we traveled around my son’s school schedule, which meant we were usually at the parks during the major holidays. Needless to say, the first full January I spent at Disney World was eye-opening.

Since then, I’ve spent plenty of time at Disney World in January and have learned most of the ins and outs. This guide covers the important dates and details you need to know, including Disney After Hours dates, festival dates, scheduled attraction refurbishments, and other seasonal happenings. I’ll also share my experience with January crowds and weather, along with other planning details that can help you know what to expect. I always like to mention that we’ll continue updating this guide as new dates and information become available. So you can return to this resource as your January 2027 visit gets closer.

A Note About This Guide: After January 2027, we’ll begin updating this guide with information for January 2028 as details become available. Some 2027 information may remain in the article during the transition so you can see what was offered the previous year while we build out the new dates and details.

Crowds in January

For starters, the holidays are wrapping up, which means leftover holiday crowds through about the 4th or 5th of the month. In 2027, the holiday season is officially scheduled to end January 6th, allowing the marathon runners a chance to see some decorations as they arrive.

Runners start to show up for the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend just when it feels like holiday crowds are dwindling. The WDW Marathon is one of Disney World’s biggest annual races. Rest assured, the parks will be packed. This year’s official race weekend runs January 6th through the 10th. Right out of the gate, you can see we have a full schedule for the first half of the month.

Unfortunately, things don’t slow down after the race. The Epcot International Festival of the Arts starts the following week on January 15th. The same long weekend ends on a Monday (the 18th) with Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

A holiday weekend + the start of a festival? Yes, it’s another busy time to be at Walt Disney World. How busy? Last year (2026), most of the major Lightning Lane products sold out for the entirety of the Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend. If you’re planning on purchasing Lightning Lanes for your trip, you might want to start watching them a week or two before your purchase dates become available. If dates are selling out, it’s a good indication that you need to secure passes as early as possible. If you wait, you might not have that option.

If you’re visiting the last week and a half of the month, you will likely see some crowd relief compared to the rest of the month. At least there won’t be any “extra” major events planned like a race weekend, festival start date, or a holiday. Rest assured, more is coming next month in February. Let’s get through January first, though.

What About the Weather in January?

Florida winters can be unpredictable. My best advice is to bring extra clothes that you can layer. For example, you might experience beautiful 75-degree days followed by unexpected temperature drops, forcing you to switch the thermostat from cool air to heat within 24 hours. Last year (in 2026), the majority of the month saw slightly below-average temperatures, and even a few freeze warnings.

We’ve experienced cold fronts in January with temperature dips that have guests flocking to the gift shops to purchase sweatshirts and other winter gear. I tend to wear sweaters that I can wrap around my waist and layer with again after nightfall. Items like scarves, gloves, and hats go a long way on chilly evenings. I don’t know about you, but it is difficult for me to stay out in the parks after dark when it’s cold. So it’s something you’ll want to consider.

If you have extras that you don’t really want to tote around all day or return to your resort, you might also consider renting a locker. All of the theme parks have lockers near the entrances. When the weather warms up, you can store your items for the day and then retrieve them when it gets cooler. While this is an extra expense, it will be much more affordable to bring items from home than to buy a round of $50.00 (or more) sweatshirts for everyone.

Now we see this next question often: Can you swim in January at Disney World? The answer is: it’s a toss-up. If you’re hoping to swim, remember that Disney pools are heated to approximately 82 degrees year-round. We have found that the resort pools typically remain open unless the outdoor temperatures drop to about 60 degrees or lower. Some days, the pool might open later if the weather warms up or close earlier in the evening when temperatures drop.

It’s really day by day with the weather in January. On the positive side, January is considered the dry season. So while it could rain, it is less likely than some of the more tropical months when it rains almost daily.

January at Disney World

Here is our timeline for the month:

2027 Major Holidays and Events:

We’ll continue to add dates and details as more information becomes available and January approaches.

Epcot International Festival of the Arts: This festival celebrates the arts. It’s an incredible offering with food studios, art displays throughout the park, and tributes to performing arts. To learn more, see our 2027 Epcot Festival of the Arts Guide.

Extended Evening Hours

Extended Evening Hours are offered twice weekly for deluxe and deluxe villa resort guests. We’ll have more details as the month approaches.

Jollywood Nights in January

In a surprise twist, Disney is offering Jollywood Nights on two nights the first week of January.

January: 3, 5

See our guide to Disney’s Jollywood Nights for more details.

Disney After Hours Dates in January

Disney After Hours is a separate-ticket nighttime event held on select evenings at Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The three-hour event offers limited-capacity access to attractions, along with a selection of complimentary snacks and beverages. Guests can also enter the park a few hours before the event officially begins, giving them more time to enjoy the park.

Disney After Hours returns to all three parks in January 2027. Here are the dates currently scheduled for January.

  • Magic Kingdom: January 11th and 18th
  • Epcot: January 21st
  • Disney’s Hollywood Studios: January 16th and 27th

To learn more, see our guide to Disney After Hours in 2027.

Transportation Notices for Disney World in January

The Disney Skyliner is scheduled to close for routine refurbishment from January 24th to January 30th, 2027. During this time, the following resorts will offer complimentary bus service to both Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios:

  • Disney’s Art of Animation Resort
  • Disney’s Pop Century Resort
  • Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort
  • Disney’s Riviera Resort

For more details, see the Skyliner’s Routine Refurbishment in 2027. Disney has additionally announced the Skyliner’s annual refurbishment dates for 2028. Those dates are January 24th through February 2nd, 2028. To learn more about ongoing refurbishments at the resorts, see our Disney World Resort Hotel Refurbishment Schedule.

Temporary Ride Closures January

Here are the scheduled attraction refurbishments at Disney World for January 2027.

Magic Kingdom

The following attractions are scheduled to be closed:

  • Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress: This attraction is expected to reopen at some point in 2027. To learn more, read about the new scenes coming to the Carousel of Progress.
  • The Walt Disney World Railroad is operating on a reduced route. The attraction operates as a shuttle between Main Street Station and Fantasyland Station.

Epcot: TBD

Hollywood Studios: TBD

Disney’s Animal Kingdom: TBD

For all scheduled refurbishments for the year, see our list of Disney World Ride Refurbishments.

Final Thoughts

We’ll continually update this guide as more announcements are made. As always, we hope that our timelines serve not only as a current reference but also as a future one.

If your dates are flexible, our guide to The Best and Worst Months to Visit Disney World compares crowd levels, seasons, and major events throughout the year. It is a helpful starting point when deciding when to visit. If you’re visiting another month, check out these guides:

Lastly, if you’re just getting started, don’t miss our step-by-step guide to planning a Disney World vacation. Check back with Resorts Gal soon for the latest Disney news, planning, and reviews.

In the Comments

Are you planning to visit Walt Disney World in January of 2027? Do you have any questions that we didn’t touch on in this guide? If so, let us know below in our comments section.

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