First trip to Disneyworld
 

I am taking my two daughters to Disneyworld in Jan on our first( and probably only) trip there. I was hoping to stay at the Contemporary for the week, but the only week available is the 6th-12th. Apparently the marathon is on Jan 10-13. Every guide I have seen lists the second week of Jan as low attendance. Is this still the case with the marathon? Should I avoid this week and go with my backup of Feb 3 at Polynesian?

January can be quite cool, or can be warm. It is difficult to plan. February would usually be the best of those two times. We have had hard frost in January before, although last year for the first time since we have been here (16 years) it was colder in Feb.

I've lost count of the number of times I've been to Disney. I've only stayed on Disney property twice - once at the Contemporary (2005) and once at Poly (2004. I highly recommend the Poly over the Contemporary. Use the FastPass system!
Another great website for discussion is www.disboards.com
Have a magical time

The marathon brings a crowd to Disney, but many weeks have events. You should ask if there is any kind of group your back up week. You have a chance of better weather Feb 3, but not a sure thing, could still be cold. The Contemporary and Polynesian are both acceptable. One benefit to the Contemprorary is that you can walk to the Magic Kingdom.

I realize that many things are a matter of personal taste but I would suggest the Polynesian over the Contemporay at any time. Our first trip to Disney--many years ago-- a friend suggested the Polynesian and we stayed there and were very happy with it. It was such a calming oasis after the high energy of the parks. To this day, whenever we go, we always go to the excellent California Grille at the top of the Contemporary. When we enter the hotel, I always ask myself, "How would anyone---esp who has kids with them--survive the frenetic atmosphere here if they were staying at this hotel?"

However, as I said, all is a matter of personal preference...

I totally agree with the posters about preferring Polynesian over the Contemporary. Polynesian underwent renovations this past year and is right on the monorail (as is Contemp).
Both are fine hotels but if you have the choice, take the Polynesian.

We loved the Contemporary-and that was even before the recent remodel. You just can't beat the 5-10 minute walk to and from the Magic Kingdom. And it's pretty much impossible to get a bad view-you either have the castle or the water.

Please go to disboards.com to "study up" for your trip. Everyone over there is great and very helpful.

One more thing: You may already know this, but you can now make restaurant reservations ("ADRs") 180 days in advance. If you go Jan 6-12, I think you can call TOMORROW to make your reservations. Probably not essential at that time of year to do it so early except if you want to eat the character meal in the castle, or possibly at Le Cellier in Epcot. If you need to see restaurant menus, go to allearsnet.com.

Another terrific resource, with restaurant menus, special insider reports, and lots of detailed advice is www.allears.net How old are your kids? Convenience of walking to Magic Kingdom is BIG factor, if they are ages that will want to spend most time there.
WDW is so huge that the marathon shouldn't have much impact. Last year they had 32,000 marathon entrants, Here is a link to reports from the marathon: http://allearsnet.com/ae/issue331.htm

In addition to the websites mentioned above, I also picked up a copy of "The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World". It will show peak crowd times and special events, plus how to get the most out of your time there.

Good luck,

MY

I agree with the others about the Polynesian over the Contemporary resort, especially for kids.

Just keep an eye on the Marathon's official schedule and avoid those locations. You'll do fine.

We've used www.tourguidemike.com, www.buildabettermousetrip.com and the Unofficial Guide to do our planning and have had great trips every time -even during busy seasons.

You're going during a low season so you need to plan around early closings and days where all the parades or things like Fantasmic might not be offered.

Have a great trip.