A Word of WARNING About Visiting Disney World These 4 Days in January

The New Year is here, and it’s time to start planning our 2026 Disney World vacations. With that being said, what dates do we want to possibly avoid?

The holiday season may have passed, but that doesn’t mean the crowds at Disney World are going to get any better the first full week of January! January 7th through January 11th will be the runDisney marathon weekend — so get ready for lots of people to be at the parks.

If you’re looking for a travel agent to help with your vacation, we recommend our friends at Mouse Fan Travel. They’re experts in the field with over 20 years of vacation planning experience, and they can help take a bunch of the stress out of the entire booking process for you!

Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend is back and happening from January 7th through 11th, with the races essentially happening January 8th through the 11th. People from all over are going to be coming to compete.

The races begin super early in the morning and go throughout the day. Not only will you see runners making their way through the park, but they also tend to visit the park once they cross the finish line. So what does this mean for the average guest? More people in the park, higher wait times for rides, longer lines for dining, you name it!

On top of all that, several roads may close during the early morning hours to accommodate the runners, with some of the road closures lasting into the later part of the day. You might run into some road closures getting around Disney World, so you’ll want to keep that in mind if you’re driving. Disney provided a guide of what you can expect:

If you do plan on visiting the parks during the marathon weekend, make sure to bring your patience with you. Buying Lightning Lane may be a great way to maximize your day, or just paying attention to wait times on the My Disney Experience app. Also, making any dining reservations as soon as possible, as walk-up lists may be impossible to get.

If you have an EPCOT date planned for January 10th or 11th, and you weren’t aware before, EPCOT will be opening an hour later than normal due to the marathon. Instead of 9 AM, EPCOT will be opening at 10 AM on both those dates.

We’ll be keeping an eye out for any news during the marathon weekend to make sure we can help make your Disney vacation as smooth and fun as possible. Make sure to stay tuned to AllEars so you don’t miss a thing!

The Best Lightning Lanes for Large Families in Disney World

Will you be at the marathon weekend? Let us know in the comments!