Originally Posted By 2much2do We have to make the trek from Utah to Santa Barbara for a family event on January 5. Our kids are out of school nearly the whole month. I'm trying to decide if it's worth spending the money to do 3 days at Disneyland either before or after our family event. Is it worth it? I'm weighing the pros and cons. It's still a lot of money to spend for a time of year that is fairly cold. If we go before January 5, we could possibly see it decked out for Christmas - but likely with huge crowds. After the 5th, it would be less crowded but likely in transition. It's been 18 months since our last trip. My kids are 10, 8 and 4. My 4-year-old probably has only vague memories of it. So these are my questions. How bad is the weather? How big is the difference between going Jan. 2-4 versus January 6-8? If I really want to see it decked out for Christmas, am I better off planning a major trip next December rather than seeing everything as it's winding down in January?
Originally Posted By mareed I'd definitely go for the later dates. Crowds will be so much lower, I think. Check the online parks schedule, and it's possible that some of the holiday stuff will still be going on Jan. 6. I think that's probably the last day, and things start coming down after that. But the decorations won't all come down overnight (I don't think). It may be cold, but just pack layers and jackets/gloves and you'd be set!
Originally Posted By LuLu All the Holiday stuff will be going on the 6th. But there will probably be ride closures on the 7th to remove holiday overlay and refurb. My guess is the 2-4th will be pretty crowded, as most local schools have off. The 7-8th should be pretty dead, but make sure you check refurb lists and do everything that will be closing on the 6th, if you choose those dates.
