This is the second occurrence in the series' history where January episodes are not part of a theme. The previous instance was in 2013 when the series went back into production after a five-month hiatus, in which case the theme month was moved to February (Month of Love). But Doug Walker has confirmed that the theme for 2018 will be in March (Disney Live-Action Reboots).
Starting this season, Malcolm Ray, Tamara Chambers, Rob Walker and Jim Jarosz are added to the opening credits, even for episodes in which they don't appear.