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Traveling during off-season can be great for many reasons, but there are also things that we don’t actually learn until we take a trip during this time. So, lucky for you, we’ve come up with a list of 10 things we would want to know before booking a trip during “off-season”.
10. The Weather Can Get Cold
Believe it or not, the weather in early to mid-January can get very chilly. This is a great time to go, but temperatures can get down to the mid 40’s, even during the day. So if you do decide to go during January, make sure you bring a few sweatshirts and pairs of long pants.
9. The Pools Are Heated
Although temperatures can get pretty cold, they do heat the pools. So you can actually swim if you really wanted to. The walk to and from the pool from your room is the only bad part! Brrrr…
8. Decorations May Still Be Up
Another great advantage of visiting during January is that if you visit early enough, Christmas decorations may still be up. This is wonderful because if you visit during December, it can be expensive and very crowded, to say the least. But if you can wait until after the holidays, you can still see all the beautiful decorations without the crowds.
7. Crowds Still Vary
Even though crowds are significantly lower than peak season, crowds during off-season can still vary. It’s really hit or miss. You can visit one park one day and there will be nobody there, then the next day it can be fairly crowded. It all just depends.
6. Touring Groups Often Visit During This Time
One thing that can make the crowds seem larger is the number of international tourist groups that often visit during that time, especially January. It’s not necessarily a huge problem, but it does bother some people.
5. Plane Tickets Aren’t Always Cheap
I have learned that just because it’s off-season at Disney, it doesn’t mean the flights to and from Orlando will be cheaper, especially if you are traveling from a big city. My advice is keep and eye on flights and wait until they get lower to buy them.
4. Sometimes Room Rates Are Pretty Low
Opposite from the plane tickets, room rates can be very low. I have seen rates for mid-October, for a value resort, get as low as $90 a night. And yes, that was recently! You just have to do your research!
3. Rides Are Often Closed For Refurbishment
Rides and attractions tend to be closed during off-season for refurbishments. For example, Splash Mountain is closed every January. You can look online; there are multiple websites that list ride closures months ahead of time.
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2. Some Restaurants May Also Be Closed
In addition to rides and attractions, restaurants are commonly closed for refurbishments during this time as well. But they usually list those closures on the website as well.
1. Park Hours Often Change
This, in my opinion, is one of the biggest things to know before you go. If you visit during peak season, like summer months, you’ll notice parks like Magic Kingdom can be open as late as midnight or 1 a.m., but in January for example, the park can close at 8 or 9 p.m. So make sure you look into that before booking your stay.
So if you are planning on booking a trip to Walt Disney World during off-season, make sure you take these things into consideration. Decide whether some of these things would be a problem for you or not. Then, do some research and decide when the best time to go for you is. And most importantly, have fun!
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