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By Root 801 0

The absolute worst times are holidays. Christmas and New Year’s can pull in as many as 90,000 visitors per day and even extended hours can’t compensate for crowds of this size. But if you avoid the holiday weeks, winter can be an ideal time to visit. With the exception of the weekends around Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Presidents’ Day, January and February aren’t crowded—and they’re pleasantly cool. The first two weeks of December, when the Christmas decorations are already up but the crowds have not yet arrived, are wonderful options. The parks run the same shortened hours in winter that they run in fall, but since the crowds are so much lighter, you’ll still have time to see everything you want.

Insider’s Secret

Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, held each year on several evenings throughout December, is madly popular. If you want to attend the party, get tickets early—they sell out months in advance. Dates for each year’s parties are listed on www.disneyworld.disney.go.com.

Off-Season Touring Caveat

Some parents have written in to say that they like taking the kids to Orlando during the off-season, but that they’ve heard this is when Disney is most apt to close attractions for refurbishing. It’s a valid point. On a recent trip in January, I found five attractions closed for refurbishing, including Space Mountain in the Magic Kingdom and Star Tours at Hollywood. But I still believe it’s better to tour during the off-season. Here’s why: during that same January week, the most popular Magic Kingdom attractions, such as the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh and Splash Mountain, were posting wait times as short as 20 minutes, about a third of what they normally are, so even taking closings into account, you’ll still ride more and wait less during the off-season. If your kids have their hearts set on a certain attraction, you can avoid last-minute disappointments by checking www.disneyworld.disney.go.com to see what’s scheduled to be closed during your trip.

Insider’s Secret

Water babies take note: pools may be closed for refurbishing in January and February. Generally, only one water park is open at a time in winter and both may shut down if the temperature dips below 55 degrees.

How Long Should We Stay?

It will take at least four days for a family to tour the major parks. If you also want to visit the water parks and Downtown Disney, make that five days. Six days are best for families who’d like to work in sporting options like boating or golf, or those who would like to tour at a more leisurely pace.

If you plan on visiting other area attractions, such as SeaWorld or Universal Orlando, allow a week.

Insider’s Secret

Certain annual events—most notably the marathon in January, College Week in April, Gay Day in June, and various press events throughout the year—bring large groups into the parks. Ask about events or groups before you book so you’ll know what to expect.

Should We Take the Kids out of School?

Even if you’re sold on the advantages of off-season touring, you may be reluctant to take your children out of school. However, there are ways to highlight the educational aspects of a trip to Disney World. Work together with your child’s teacher to create a plan that keeps him from falling behind. Ideally, half of the makeup work should be done before you leave: the post-trip blues are bad enough without facing three hours of homework each night. Also, timing is everything. Don’t plan your trip for the week the school is administering exams or standardized testing.

Epcot Projects

• The greenhouse tour in the Land is full of information on space-age farming.

• Marine biology is the theme of the Living Seas pavilion.

• The World Showcase demonstrates the culture—including music, architecture, food, and history—of several foreign countries.

• Innoventions offers a hands-on preview of technological advances.

In addition, help your child create a project that’s related to the trip—perhaps something like a scrapbook. The mother of one first-grader helped him design an “ABC” book