86: Listener Q&A: Disney World Lightning Lanes, Crowd Calendars & Fantasmic Dining

The Laid-Back Magic® Way: A Disney World Planning Podcast

Host Dana Stanley conducts a listener Q&A session addressing various Disney World planning concerns. The episode covers seasonal weather con

Key takeaways

• January weather in Disney World requires heavy layering due to temperature swings between 48°F and 72°F.
• When park hopping, prioritize Hollywood Studios first if meeting Woody or Buzz is a top priority due to potential lines.

Main topics

• Disney World seasonal weather
• New Year's Eve crowd management

Notable quotes

We're not chasing perfection, but creating our next favorite memories.

Conclusion

The episode serves as a practical guide for families looking to maximi

Transcript preview

Speaker 2 (0:00) Welcome back for another episode of a kind of listener Q &A. I posted a question box on Instagram and just said, ask me whatever you want. And I usually put a topic like Magic Kingdom or Lightning Leans, but I didn't this time. So it's kind of all over the place, but I organized them so that we can kind of stay on topic. We are going to be talking about a wide range of Disney World things and personal things. Everything from Disney World on New Year's Eve, the Fantasmic Dining Package, and then just some opinion-based questions where I will give you my honest take or thoughts on certain topics. I Speaker 1 (0:45) like these episodes because I don't have to Speaker 2 (0:47) guess about what I think I should be talking about. You guys are just telling me what is on your mind. And I love seeing your plans and where you're headed. kind of where your brain is at when it comes to Disney World. So without further ado, let's get into it. Speaker 2 (1:06) Hello, and welcome to the Laidback Magic Way podcast. I'm your host, Dana Stanley, creator of Laidback Magic. As a mom of three, I know how tough it can be to find time to plan a Disney World trip that doesn't leave you feeling stressed or overwhelmed. That's why I'm here, to help moms like you create Disney vacations that feel even better than they look on paper. Here, we're not chasing perfection, but creating our next favorite memories. So whether you're brand new to Disney or looking to go deeper into the details, This podcast is your go-to for simple tips, mindset shifts, real-life trip recaps, and Speaker 1 (1:40) expert insights to make your trip magical and manageable. Speaker 2 (1:43) New episodes drop every Monday, so be sure to subscribe so you never miss a moment. Okay, let's dive in. Speaker 2 (1:56) So this episode is going to be a little bit different than other episodes because instead of me picking the topic and talking about it, you kind of picked it for me. Some of you asked about the parks, some questions about the parties at the parks, where to stay, a little bit about food, and then a handful of you wanted to know things about me. So there was honestly a lot of questions and I know that I can't get to all of them in one episode, but I tried to group them as well as possible. so that they aren't bouncing all over the place and just like a random pile of questions. So I'm going to be starting with more of the timing of things when it comes to Disney World. Then we'll go inside the parks for a little bit more detail and then more party things and like dessert party things followed by more food questions. And then Speaker 1 (2:50) at the end, I'll get into the more personal things about me. Speaker 2 (2:54) And just a quick note before we start, in case you're listening, in 2027, I am recording this in the fall of 2026. So just keep that in mind when you're listening. All right, let's start with timing. And the first one comes with a first timer with three kids. Victoria asked, we are headed to Disney in mid-January. First time, three kids. Is anything different in the park due to the winter months? I smiled when I saw this question because I also have three kids and I'm also going in mid-January. And to be honest, I have never gone in January. It's like one of the two months that I have not been to Disney World. So I thought it'd be good to just tell you what I'm thinking about and looking into. So the first one is obviously weather in January. The high is around 72, but the low can be around 48. So I know that the mornings and the evenings are going to be like cold. And I run kind of cold. So for me and the kids, I am going to be doing a lot of layers and I think packing more warm than hot. The latest I have been to Disney is like the week of Christmas and I was definitely wearing jeans. I wore, I think like a hat. It was a really embarrassing hat, but I did wear a hat at some point and was very comfortable. So I am imagining January, I'm going to be wanting lots of warm layers that I can take off. And then there's the pool and my kids love the pool. So it's something on my mind. The pools are heated in Disney World, I think around like an 80 degrees, which will feel very nice when you're in it and very cold when you get out. I mean, I remember as a kid, and I'm sure you feel the same way, Speaker 1 (4:44) like we would swim in the pool until our lips were purple. Speaker 2 (4:48) Now, I'm in a little bit of a different situation because we are staying at the boardwalk and the pool will actually be closed. So it's not that big of a deal because it is January. But if you're staying at another resort, I don't think I would carve out a lot of pool time. I would bring swimsuits, but I wouldn't plan too much around that. And then the second thing is just the sun setting early. Animal Kingdom is going to be the one that you'll feel it the most because it already closes early. And then the safari closes even earlier, like before the park closes. So it could be, you know, two, maybe three hours before the park closing in the winter. So just something to keep in mind. If the safari is like on your priority list, that you should do it first thing on your Animal Kingdom Day and don't wait. And then crowd wise for mid-January, you have to keep in mind about Martin Luther King Jr. weekend. January 15th is also the start of the Festival of the Arts in Epcot. So you have a holiday weekend, you have Festival of the Arts. So for us, and we're actually staying near Epcot in this case, I'm going to avoid Epcot as much as I can that weekend. I am so excited for Festival of the Arts. And yes, because I've made Disney World like my quote job, I could convince myself to go on like the first day because we're actually going to be there the first day of the festival. and get content and do all of those things. But the reality is that I'm going to be there with my family. And that's just not what I do. And I would suggest the same thing. If you have Epcot in your plans, just be very mindful around those dates if yours also overlap. Speaker 2 (6:40) So then speaking of holiday weeks, the next question was about New Year's Eve. Jess asked, going with kids to Walt Disney World over New Year's Eve, avoid parks that day or think they're okay because of the night? So what she's essentially asking is because New Year's Eve is technically at night, do you think the parks will be okay Speaker 1 (7:02) during the day? Speaker 2 (7:03) So New Year's Eve can be like a really bad crowd day. But with that being said, if you look at the data, which I'll link in the show notes for you, New Year's Eve seems to be getting less and less busy when it comes to the wait times. Is it busier than average? Yes. Do I think you'd be fine if you were strategic with your lightning lanes and get there early? Also, yes. I personally would avoid the night altogether. It is not our vibe. I don't want to be out celebrating New Year's Eve. I know that's the opposite of a lot of people, but I can tell kind of based on your question that you're thinking the same thing. The biggest like New Year's Eve celebration is going to be in Magic Kingdom and Epcot. Epcot is like a bigger party and I believe it stays open the latest. So out of all of the parks, I think I would avoid Epcot. Or another option, I don't know how long you're going, would be to do your park day the day before on the 30th and just avoid the parks altogether on New Year's Eve. That would obviously be the safest decision, but I don't think it would be terrible, again, if you had lightning lanes in your back pocket. Speaker 2 (8:25) Danielle asks, do you plan to visit certain parks certain days of the week to minimize crowds? A thousand percent yes. And this is really the basis of how I teach planning for Disney World. I personally do use and like crowd calendars. Some people say they don't work or they think too many people are using the crowd calendars so that it, you know, does the opposite effect. I definitely disagree with that. The data of how tickets are sold. And holidays and wait times definitely have a pattern. At Magic Kingdom, for instance, Monday is the worst day because so many people are starting their trips on the weekend and typically hit Magic Kingdom first. Whereas Epcot is kind