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If you are thinking of heading to Disneyland in January, there is a lot to know before your trip. From every changing park hours, to what entertainment is available, and how many rides will be closed, January is a time of transition at Disneyland. The low crowds can often make the short hours and closures worthwhile. Here is everything to know about visiting Disneyland in January.
As always, we will start this off with our Annual Trends. If you are planning to visit Disneyland this January, or a January in the future, this will give you a glimpse of what to expect.
After that, we will cover the specifics for this year. The year-specific guides are updated usually a few weeks before the start of the month to make sure they are as up-to-date as possible.
Disneyland in January – Annual Trends
From wrapping up the holidays, to Lunar New Year, to ride closures, here is what you can expect to happen in January at Disneyland.
Crowds at Disneyland in January
During the first week in January, you can still see some large crowds depending on how the winter breaks fall. After that, the crowds will die down quite a bit, especially on weekdays during the day, when locals are not able to come and use their Magic Keys to enter the parks if they are working or in school.
Crowds will sometimes pick up in the afternoon or evening, but the biggest crowds will often be on the weekends.
Additionally, holiday weekends, like Martin Luther King Jr Day, will tend to see larger crowds as well.
Park Hours at Disneyland in January
Because of the lower crowds, the park hours are shortened for many days in January. You will want to be sure to keep an eye on the park hour calendars as you will have one day that may be 9-8 day and the next day an 8-8 day.
In general, after the first week, the weekday hours will shorten and weekends will see an 11 pm or midnight closing still at Disneyland.
Weather at Disneyland in January
January weather at Disneyland can be all over the place. In general, we usually see cooler temps, with highs in the 60’s (F) and lows in the 40’s. You will probably want to wear pants and a tee during the day, with a hoodie or jacket for nighttime.
In addition, January can bring a lot of rain to Disneyland. While Disneyland in the rain may not be ideal, but it can still be a successful day, so don’t freak out too much when you see it in the forecast.
I love the cooler weather at Disneyland. I seem to be able to keep my energy up better when it is cooler.
Annual Events at Disneyland in January
As I mentioned above, January is a time of transition at Disneyland. During the first week or so of the month, the Holidays will wrap up. Some ride overlays may continue well over half way into the month.
Mid-month we typically see Lunar New Year kick-off. This celebration is held primarily in California Adventure and includes a food and wine-style event.
Rides and Entertainment in January
During this slower period, Disneyland will do a lot of maintenance on rides, and will cut down on entertainment offerings.
Splash Mountain and Grizzly River Run both tend to go down for refurbishment, as well as a few other attractions.
Fireworks will shift to only being offered on the weekends, though you may get a light/projection show during the week.
If you are more there for the food and low crowds, and okay with the ride closures, late January is a great time to visit.
If having all of the rides running and maximum offerings is important to you, then you may want to wait to visit until March.
Visiting Disneyland in January 2022
January 2022 will mark the first “off-season” since the parks reopened. It is also the first January with reservation requirements. It will be interesting to see how the crowds and staffing are handled during this time.
January 2022 Guidelines
At this time, Disneyland is still requiring all guests, ages 2 and up, to wear a mask while indoors, regardless of vaccination status. The state of California has a temporary order for everyone to mask indoors through January 15, 2022. We may see this extended depending on the spread.
When do the Holidays end at Disneyland in january 2022?
The holidays at Disneyland officially end on January 9, 2022. After that time, you will no longer be able to experience the Festival of Holidays, decorations will begin to come down, and the fireworks will return to Mickey’s Mix Magic for the time being.
Even though the holidays officially end on January 9th, “it’s a small world holiday” will keep the Christmas overlay until January 23, 2022. This is a welcome extension as the ride opened nearly a month after originally planned due to technical issues.
Lunar New Year 2022
The Lunar New Year Celebration will take place January 21, 2022 – February 13, 2022.
Lunar New Year at Disney California Adventure park is a celebration that commemorates traditions of Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese cultures. The festival is filled with multicultural performances, special activities, culinary delights, beautiful décor, celebratory merchandise, and more!
2022 is the year of the Tiger… so of course, our friend Tigger will be making appearances, along with Mickey, Minnie, Mulan, and Mushu.
Lunar New Year also includes a food festival (Sip and Savor passes available), Lucky Wishing Wall, and crafts as well as Mulan’s Lunar New Year Procession.
New Offering – Celebrate! In Mickey’s Toontown
Beginning January 19, 2022, Disneyland has a new paid experience for guests wanting to visit Mickey Mouse. This experience is available through March 6, 2022.
For $350 USD you, and up to 9 other guests, can enjoy a 90-minute party that includes cupcake decorating, games, and a private photo opp with Mickey Mouse in his house. After the party, you will receive expedited access to Gadget’s Go Coaster.
While this is touted as a birthday party, anybody can book this experience as soon as bookings open up.
Park Hours at Disneyland January 2022
Park hours in January will vary greatly. Be sure to verify all park hours on the Disneyland App.
I have put together this table, and yes, it is a lot more confusing than past months. Thanks Disney! In order to hopefully make it simpler, I have broken it down into a couple of tables. If hours have a star next to them, check under the table for a note.
| Location | Thru 1/8 | 1/9 | 1/10-1/13 |
| Disneyland | 8 am-Midnight | 8 am – 11pm | 9 am – p pm |
| California Adventure | 8 am – 10 pm | 8 am – 9 pm | 9 am – 9 pm |
| Downtown Disney | 8 am – 1 am | 8 am – Midnight | 8 am – 10 pm |
| Location | Fridays as of 1/14 | Sat 1/15 | Sat 1/22 & 1/29 | Sundays as of 1/16 |
| Disneyland | 9 am – 11 pm | 8 am – 11pm | 8 am – Midnight | 8 am – 11 pm |
| California Adventure | 9 am – 9 pm | 8 am – 9 pm | 8 am – 10 pm | 8 am – 9 pm* |
| Downtown Disney | 8 am – Midnight | 8 am – Midnight | 8 am – 1 am | 8 am – midnight |
| Location | M-Th 1/17-1/20, 1/24-1/27 | Mon 1/31 |
| Disneyland | 9 am – 8 pm | 8 am – 8 pm |
| California Adventure | 9 am – 8 pm | 8 am – 8 pm |
| Downtown Disney | 8 am – 9 pm | 8 am – 9 pm |
Rides Closed at Disneyland In January 2022
Here are the rides that are scheduled to be down during the month. Remember, rides can go down unexpectedly for a few hours or a few days, but these are the PLANNED closures.
Closed all month January 2022
- Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage
- Tarzan’s Treehouse
Rides Closed For Part of January 2022 at Disneyland
- Sailing Ship Columbia: Jan 4 – 31
- Haunted Mansion Holiday (to remove overlay): Jan 10 – Jan 20
- Splash Mountain: Jan 10 –
- The Little Mermaid – Ariel’s Undersea Adventure: Jan 10 – Jan 13
- Disneyland Monorail: Jan 24 –
- “it’s a small world holiday” (to remove overlay): Jan 24 – Feb 3
- Grizzly River Run: Jan 24 –
- Mark Twin Riverboat: Jan 31 – Feb 13
- Inside Out Emotional Whirlwind: Jan 31 – Feb 10
If a ride doesn’t show an end date for its closure, it will still be down as of Feb 14, 2022, the last day available as of my most recent update.
Things to know about visiting Disneyland in january 2022
As you head to Disneyland in January 2022, there are several things you will want to be sure to prepare for.
- Disney Genie, Genie + and Individual Lightning Lanes are now in use at Disneyland Resort. Be sure to learn how to use Genie at Disneyland.
- The new DAS system is in place. You can now set up your DAS before your visit, and manage your DAS requests in the Disneyland App. I will be in the park this month to check this out and will update my guide after I utilize it myself.
Travel Deals For January 2022
With the off-season comes travel deals.
Not only will you find great deals on hotels, but Disneyland has also brought back ticket deals for Southern California Residents.
You can score all of the deals through my partners at Get Away Today. The best part is that they have a great peace of mind plan, so you can change your plans as needed. Super important right now.