Must Do Experiences for Your January Trip

If you are traveling to the Walt Disney World Resort in January, there are some exciting experiences that you won’t want to miss out on.

As the holiday season wraps up in the Theme Parks and throughout the Resorts, there are some fun, new opportunities that you will want on your list of must dos when you visit this month.

Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park

After being closed for over two years, Disney’s second Water Park, Typhoon Lagoon, has reopened, which is great news because Disney’s Blizzard Beach Water Park is now closed for refurbishment.

If you live in one of the northern states, you might question visiting a Water Park in January; however, at the end of 2021 in Florida it reached the mid-80s, so don’t dismiss a chance to visit Typhoon Lagoon during your Walt Disney World vacation in January.

With the reopening comes some delicious new snacks as well. Guests can enjoy mango, pineapple, raspberry, and lime Dole Whips, and those older than 21 can choose to add alcohol to them.

We were thrilled to see two Moana-inspired Dole Whips as well, including the beloved Hei Hei cone.

Typhoon Lagoon is also getting in on the 50th Anniversary celebration by having Walt’s Chili Nachos and an EARidescent Ice Dream Cone.

With the largest wave pool in North America as well as some intense water slides, Guests can find a variety of fun and relaxing options.

If you are heading to Walt Disney World in January, consider taking a day off from a Theme Park and making a stop at Typhoon Lagoon.

Marathon Weekend

We are thrilled that the runDisney Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend is back this year and welcoming runners from January 5 to January 9, 2022. All races are sold out, and runners are ready to be back in the magic.

Marathon weekend includes the Walt Disney World Marathon, Walt Disney World Half Marathon, Walt Disney World 10K as well as the Walt Disney World 5K. Those who participate in all four races will run a total of 48.6 magical miles, completing what is called the Dopey Challenge.

Runners get additional magical experiences throughout their runs, such as character sightings and fun entertainment, as well as amazing medals at the end.

Even though the races are sold out, if you are visiting during this time, you can cheer the runners on, which is a lot of fun.

If you aren’t participating, be aware that many roads and transportation can be impacted, especially during the Walt Disney World Half Marathon and Walt Disney World Marathon (Saturday and Sunday), so plan ahead.

There also might be more people in EPCOT and Magic Kingdom those days as runners love to get their pictures taken with the castle and enjoy food in EPCOT. With Disney Park Pass Reservations, however, this shouldn’t be too much of an issue.

Good luck to all the runners!

Snacks

If you are heading in January to Walt Disney World, plan some time to enjoy delicious snacks.

Starting in October 2021, Walt Disney World released a variety of new 50th Anniversary Celebration snacks. We have enjoyed many of these treats throughout the Walt Disney World Parks, Resorts, and Disney Springs, but some will leave on January 9 to make way for new delicious options.

Food items that will be leaving include the Black Forest Cheesecake at Pinocchio Village Haus, Not-Too-Late Tea from Cheshire Cafe, the Pecos Bill Widowmaker Sandwich from Golden Oak Outpost, the Showtime With Jose Dole Whip from Aloha Isle, Seven Dwarfs Specialty Cone from Storybook Treats, and finally, the Mickey Mouse Dome Cake from Gaston’s Tavern.

Although we are sad to see these delicious options leave the Parks, we can’t wait to see what new and amazing options will come this month.

Festival of the Arts

Starting on January 14 and running through February 21, Festival of the Arts will be celebrated at EPCOT.

This fantastic festival celebrates culinary, visual, and performing arts in ways that shouldn’t be missed.

Food Studios will be back this year, bringing not only delicious but also beautiful culinary works of art for Guests to enjoy.

This year we are thrilled that the Disney Broadway Concert Series is returning. This series brings award winning Broadway singers into the Park to perform famous Disney songs at the America Gardens Theater.

If you are able to enjoy this concert series while visiting EPCOT, we highly recommend taking the time to do so. It is truly a magical experience.

You will also want to enjoy the chalk artists, interactive mural wall, and even the Animation Academy, where artists bring their skills into EPCOT.

Throughout EPCOT’s World Showcase you can also enjoy work from artists that are featured in galleries throughout the different countries.

Another fun activity to do during the EPCOT International Festival of the Arts that you won’t want to miss is Figment’s Brush with the Masters Scavenger Hunt. This has you searching for all the Figments hidden in works of art throughout the Park.

You will purchase a map from Port of Entry, Creations Shop, or World Traveler for $9.99, and if you finish (or even if you don’t), you can turn it in for a prize.

This is a fun way to get the little ones involved in the festival as well.

Even though Festival of the Arts is one of the shorter festivals in EPCOT, it has become a fan favorite.

January is a great time to visit Walt Disney World, and there are some excellent experiences you won’t want to miss out on during your vacation.

We hope knowing about these four big experiences will help you to have a magical vacation to Walt Disney World during January.