When To Visit Disneyland
“When will it be busy at Disneyland?” Ahh, the age old question. With Cars Land, Buena Vista Street, and other new areas of Disney California Adventure now open, there is no better time to start planning a trip to Disneyland for 2013 or 2014. The new areas of Disney California Adventure that opened in 2012 are seriously justify taking a trip to Disneyland–even if it means putting off your annual Walt Disney World trip–just click the links above to see gorgeous photos if you don’t believe me! Heck, Radiator Springs Racers, the most impressive attraction Disney has ever built, might be worth the trip alone!
Plus, Walt Disney World (click here for Walt Disney World crowd information) fans owe it to themselves to see Walt Disney’s original Magic Kingdom and the amazing new Cars Land. Just like when planning a Walt Disney World vacation, some days and times of year are better than others for Disneyland trips. Since Disneyland has a high Annual Passholder-base and is a popular destination for convention attendees, times when Disneyland will be crowded are less intuitive than Walt Disney World. Obviously, the big holidays are all busy. Spring break, Easter week, Christmas week, and Summer vacation are good times to avoid visiting Disneyland if you want to avoid crowds. For some of the less-intuitive times that might be busy, consult our resources and tips below.
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Plan your Disneyland trip using our Disneyland Trip Planning Resources!
Crowds
Disneyland crowds are largely dependent upon tourist vacationing habits (which are largely dependent upon school breaks) and Annual Passholder habits (which are largely dependent upon blockout dates and weekends). Unlike at Walt Disney World, Disneyland has the luxury of blocking out large groups of Annual Passholders during times that it anticipates tourists descending upon Disneyland. As a result of this, during busy tourist seasons, like the summer, many Annual Passholders are blocked out from visiting the parks. This, in effect, is Disneyland’s way of “neutralizing” some of the heavy tourist seasons. Because of this, there is often little difference between the Busiest and Moderately Busy times. In fact, specific dates within the “Busiest” and “Least Busy” ranges actually fall within the moderately busy range, but creating a calendar of specific crowd conditions is beyond my expertise. In general, there are some things you can glean about crowds by studying the AP blockout schedules provided at Disneyland.com.
As Disney California Adventure has substantially changed Disneyland Resort crowds in 2012, please note that these crowd patterns have been updated for 2013. So if you previously consulted them, look again, as some things have changed.
The following times generally see the crowd trends listed below:
Busiest
- Easter Week
- Mid-March through mid-April (Spring Break season)
- Christmas week through early January
- President’s Day weekend
- The majority of June (before Southern California Annual Passes are blocked out)
- July through mid-August*
- July 4th, especially if a holiday weekend
- During large conventions at the Anaheim Convention Center (click for schedule)
- During Disneyland events, including the D23 Expo (every other year), Gay Days, and Half Marathon Weekend
Moderately Busy
- May
- Mid-August through Labor Day
- The month of December until the Friday before Christmas week
- Weekends during HalloweenTime at Disneyland
Least Busy
- Mid to late January
- Early February
- Late April
- Labor Day until the start of Disneyland’s “official” Christmas season, except weekends.
Cars Land
Due to the Cars Land crowds, it’s worth discussing Cars Land in its own section. Cars Land’s most popular attraction, Radiator Springs Racers, is frequently drawing wait times that are 150 to 240 minutes long. FastPasses are often gone for it by 9:30 am. Due to its low capacity and slow load times, Luigi’s Flying Tires also regularly has a 120 minute wait. If you visit Disneyland in 2012, expect to encounter big Disney California Adventure crowds–but mostly in Cars Land.
Oddly, Cars Land is not impacting wait times or crowds in other parts of Disney California Adventure too much. So once you get those rides of Radiator Springs Racers and Luigi’s Flying Tires out of the way, you won’t have to worry about Cars Land crowds or Disney California Adventure crowds much at all!
AP Blockout Schedules
In general, if the Deluxe Annual Pass (the highest tier of AP that has block outs) is blocked out, Disneyland is expecting it to otherwise be busy. Since Deluxe Annual Passholders don’t number that high, their absence isn’t significant-enough to offset the “other” gains in crowds. Thus, expect these specific dates to be the absolute most busy. Consult Disneyland’s blockout calendar for an up-to-date list of the dates of these blockouts.
Conversely, when the Southern California Annual Passes are not blocked out on weekends, expect these Annual Passholders to inundate the parks. When these Annual Passes aren’t blocked out on weekends, it’s because Disneyland doesn’t expect heavy tourist crowds. However, there are so many SoCal Annual Passholders that they more than offset the lack of tourists. Since these Passholders are blocked out most of the summer, Disneyland in the summer isn’t as crowded as Walt Disney World in the summer–but it’s still busy. (Although it’s still rather busy!) Remember, Disneyland is primarily a locals park (although that is shifting, especially since Cars Land opened).
Similarly, when any Passholder group is going to be, or has been, blocked out for several consecutive days, expect the day before and the day after the blockout to be busy as Passholders attempt to have “one last hurrah” or “return quickly for another dose of the magic.”
Crowds should not be the only consideration on when you take a Disneyland vacation. School schedules, weather, special events, and park hours may all affect when you want to visit. Obviously, these variables will also influence crowds.
School Schedules
If school schedules are something around which you must plan, chances are you’re going to go during one of the busier (or at least not one of the least busy) times of the year, as that’s the paramount consideration for many other families planning trips, too. It may seem like a convenient time to visit during one of the ‘holidays’ your kids have off from school, but it’s important to consider whether other schools have these same times off, as well. Of the traditional school holidays, summer break is probably the best time to visit, as it is the longest school break so you don’t have the concentration of guests all visiting during the same week of other holidays. Since summer break is largely blocked out to SoCal passholders, historically, it has not been a bad time to visit.
However, this has begun to change already in 2012, as we witnessed larger summer crowds in 2012 as tourists came in greater numbers to visit Cars Land and the new Disney California Adventure offerings. The plus side is that operating hours and supplementary entertainment will likely be added to offset the substantial attendance gains due to Cars Land.
Most schools have the week before Christmas until the shortly after New Year’s off, making this week-plus an especially busy time. The same is true for President’s Day weekend, Easter week, Memorial Day weekend, the Fourth of July holiday, and Thanksgiving week. Although schools do vary their Spring Break schedules, don’t expect the parks to be any less busy because of somewhat-staggered Spring Breaks. March and April are also busy times at Disneyland. This isn’t to say you shouldn’t visit during these times, as some people don’t have many other options, but if you do go, at least bring your patience with you, or at least a good plan for touring the parks!
Weather
Unlike Florida, Southern California has a pretty temperate climate. The typical hot seasons are hot, but humidity isn’t nearly as bad as it is in Florida. It can get colder at night, and in the winter months, but the weather isn’t nearly as much of a rollercoaster ride like it is in Florida. Blue skies and puffy clouds are more rare in California, but overall the weather is much more favorable for vacationing than it is in Walt Disney World.
Rain isn’t as common in Disneyland as it is in Walt Disney World. It does rain in the fall months at Disneyland, but torrential downpours in SoCal aren’t too common.
Make sure to pack some jeans, sweatshirts, and maybe even coats if traveling during the months of October through March. It won’t necessarily be cold during your trip, but the weather can drop below 50 degrees during these months. Consider your tolerance to cold, and weather you’re willing to purchase countless $60 Mickey Mouse sweatshirts during your trip when, inevitably, members of your family get cold!
Park Hours
Not considering park hours when planning your trip is a huge mistake. Usually less busy times of year have shorter park hours and busier times of year have longer park hours. Thus, many feel they can basically get the same amount done in a shorter day during a less busy time of year than they could during a busier time of year. Due to FastPass and good plans for touring the parks, this isn’t true. By strategizing well, you can accomplish more during a busy day with longer hours than during a shorter day with light crowds.
Also important to note is that on days with longer hours, Disneyland will have more entertainment scheduled. Even during short days and slow times of the year, Fantasmic and World of Color play to packed houses. However, on days that offer multiple showings of these entertainment offerings, the later showings are almost always less crowded. If you want to avoid waiting multiple hours for a good view of Fantasmic, go on a longer day with multiple showings!
Similarly, your sleep habits make a difference here. If you’re a night owl, days with shorter hours may be a bad idea, as by the time you roll out of bed, you may find that you only have a few hours to enjoy the parks. Conversely, if you rise early and generally want to leave the parks by 7 pm or so, the shorter/less busy days are great times for you to visit. Make sure you check Disneyland’s park hours calendar when planning your trip. While this calendar is subject to change, it doesn’t change nearly as much as Walt Disney World’s calendar, which is almost never accurate when first posted.
Special Events
Disneyland doesn’t have nearly as many special events as Walt Disney World, but there are some events worth planning for or around. Basically, these events are the D23 Expo (every other year, towards the end of summer), Gay Days (fall), HalloweenTime at Disneyland (late summer and fall), Half Marathon (fall), CHOC walk (fall), Holidays at Disneyland (fall and winter), and Grad Nites (spring).
Refurbishments
During Disneyland’s slower seasons, expect a lot of attractions to be down. Not only is maintenance and upkeep better at Disneyland than Walt Disney World, but Disneyland also has a few seasonal attraction overlays, which lead to popular attractions like it’s a small world, Haunted Mansion, and Space Mountain being closed for a few weeks each in the fall (and late-winter in the case of it’s a small world and Haunted Mansion). If you’re visiting in the fall or spring, be sure to consult refurbishment calendars to make sure your favorite attractions are operational.
Strategize
If you must visit Disneyland when it’s busy (as is the case for many with kids in school), it’s important to have a good plan of attack when you visit the parks. Determine which attractions are best and the ones to experience, figure out where you want to eat in advance and dine at hours when the parks are busiest, and most importantly, arrive at the park before it opens and get as much done as you can in the first few hours of operation when lines are much shorter than they will be later in the day.
I mentioned TouringPlans.com above for their comprehensive and park-by-park crowd calendar as it can assist you in planning the best times to visit. TouringPlans also has touring plans (hence the name) that allow you to determine the best “order of attack” for the attractions you want to experience. You can print out pre-made ones with recommended attractions, or customize your own based on the attractions you want to visit and access them on your mobile phone (along with wait times for each attraction on the TouringPlans app, Lines). We highly recommend this for first-time visitors.
As for planning the rest of your trip, including what you should pack, whether you should stay off-site or on-site in a Disney hotel, at which restaurants you should eat, and a number of other things, you really should check out our comprehensive Disneyland trip planning guide!
Hopefully this is a valuable primer to help you plan when to visit Disneyland, and we hope your 2013 or 2014 Disneyland trip is a blast!
If this post was helpful, please share it with your friends or through social media. If you have any questions, comments, or other tips about the best and worst days to visit Disneyland, please share them in the comments!
81 Responses to “When To Visit Disneyland”
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I totally agree with you. This year I went to Disneyland (my first time!) in late August to early September and it was really empty. The longest I had to wait was 10 minutes, and that was for the Casey Jr. Train, which has big capacity issues. But everything else was a 5 minute wait max. I’ve been going to WDW for 15 years straight and never seen it as empty as that!
But admittedly it was a lot more crowded on Labor Day (especially in Downtown Disney!). But even so, I didn’t think the wait times were too bad. I think Disneyland has a much better crowd control than WDW – maybe because there are more rides and everything is more spread out?
As a former SoCal resident, I can tell the weather far surpasses WDW. Although mornings are usually cool and overcast, afternoons are often clear and crisp in the 70s. And it usually only rains less than 10 days a year, so ponchos are not an issue!
I’ve since moved to Northern California and am excited to be planning a trip to DLR next fall (we’re shooting for middle September currently). Excited to see the rest of your DLR planning tips. This is the first time in a long time I’m planning a DLR trip as a tourist and not an AP holder. Such a difference!
Hi We are making our first trip to Disneyland from the U.K. after having been to WDW a few times.Could you advise what the weather is normally like during the last week of October and the queue lengths please?Many thanks in advance.Carmel
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My family and I are planning a trip to California in early december 2013, this website certainly helped us with our planning so we extend a big thank you.
First trip? You will LOVE Disneyland at Christmas, and early December is an excellent time to go! If you have any questions, please post them!
Yes, it’s our first trip. We’ve been to the one in Paris but look forward to visiting the original Disney park. Your website has been such a help!
Dear Tom,
Can you advise me about the first 2 weeks in November for visiting Disneyland. I live in Australia and have heard this is a good time to visit.
December can get cold. However, the parks are decorated so beautifully. Definately agree that crowds are smaller then. I-Phone App called MOUSEWAIT will help you heaps. I am RapunzelledColey.
Thankyou for the tip, will download before we go
I grew up in SoCal so I have visited Disneland many times. However, I have lived in Asia for over 20 years and this will be our first “Family trip” with my own two boys to Disneyland. I appreciate all of the informatoin that you have on this site. Thank you for making our trip a bit more enjoyable.
Our family is planning our first Disneyland vacation this late May. How busy is Memorial Day weekend?
Memorial Day weekend is generally packed, according to crowd trackers for Disneyland.
Memorial Day is busy. Much busier than Labor Day.
planning trip march 2 tru 5 th will that be early enough to beat spring brack crowds
Should be early enough, although you might have an influx of AP holders to deal with that first weekend getting their last fix before Spring Break!
How are the crowds the last week in June?
Since that time leads up to July 4th and is Summer Break, crowds can be pretty heavy that time of year–mostly tourists.
We are looking at coming to Disneyland in September with the family. We came in 2011 at the start of September without the family but this time want to come at Halloween. Do you know the best time to come to experience Haloween time and are hours extended at this time of year? Thanks your advice is fantastic!
Halloween time got really busy. I just went this past year and waits were 30-80 minutes or more. If you want to go in the fall I HIGHLY suggest first or second week of September
The days around Halloween will be much busier than September, especially on the weekend.
Will be at Disneyland from the 11th of march till 22nd of march 2013
Do you think it will be busy then .
I’m coming from Sydney Australia with 5 kids
You’re looking at Spring Break season. It will be very busy.
We are planning on going to Disneyland April 21-26. Think it will be busy then?
from what I can see it won’t be too bad with past crowds then. We are going the week after the 29th through May 2nd! Hope it won’t be too bad then! I have heard late April is a good time to go!
Hey Brian… Funny those are the exact dates were going to visit disneyland. I hoping we picked good dates lol
Hi, I am planning on going Wednesday March 13th, do you think it will be busy, or am i just missing the spring break rush?
I know Memorial Day weekend will be busy, but what about the week following? We are looking to visit on the Tuesday after.
Thanks for any advice!
Hi. We are planning a trip in 2 weeks. For March 8-10. IS the second week of March very busy? Thanks
Spring Break season starts in mid-March, and it becomes insanely busy then. For crowds on specific days, check out: http://touringplans.com/disneyland-resort/crowd-calendar
Spending one night and two days with my four year old son, March 18. I am wondering if it is even worth it to come at this time? Are the crowds really that bad or should I reschedule our quick trip?
We are going to SD in June for a wedding. Good/ bad idea to drive in morning from SD to Disney? I grew up in Fla. and know the ropes WDW style. My son is 10 and has never been to any park : ( We’d go first week of June during the week.
Unless you’re committed to getting up early enough to get you there at rope drop, I’m not so sure it’s the best idea. Disneyland can be busy in the summer, and one partial day there means missing a lot. Would a multi-day excursion be possible?
I am new to this all so I was looking for some advice. My wife and I are planning a trip to Disneyland for March 19th – 22nd, 2013. We have 7 children with the oldest being 12 and the youngest are 1.5 year old twins. We have not been to Disneyland in 7-8 years (when we only had 3 children) so we were looking for good plans/ideas on how to tackle the parks with such a large group. Are we completely insane? I thought time would be great because it would not be crowded but then trying to find a hotel has been a nightmare so I am starting to get a little worried that it will be so crowded. I guess I am looking for advice on seeing everything with such a large group and some inexpensive dining options for our family. Do they still have the “parent swap” on the rides and if so, please remind me how they work? Can I bring in snacks/water bottles for the kids? What is the best time to get a seat/spot for World of Color and Fantasmic? As you can see, I have a lot of questions. We are super excited to do this but we are feeling a little underprepared. Thanks for all your assistance.
What do you think about May 20-22. I did some research and it seems that it does tend to pick up that following Memorial day weekend but that most school get out the following week or later. Do you think these will be good days to visit? Touring Plans isn’t showing estimates for these days yet.
What’s it like the thurs before Easter. Trying to decide wether to go before Easter weekend or after???!
I am wanting to take my family to Disneyland April 29 – May 3 is this a good time that the park won’t be too busy and the weather ?
You’re missing the Spring Break rush and getting in just before the summer rush. Shouldn’t be too bad, but will still be crowded.
As for historical weather, check out: http://www.wunderground.com/history/
We are planning a trip Sept 15-19 do you know how the crowds are at this time? I don’t want to run into the big Halloween crowds. This is our first time to Disneyland and we would like some input. Thank you so much!!
I know they do the Halloween overlays in September,does anybody know if its at the beginning of September or the middle. I have been at Halloween time and i would like to go before that.
The Halloween overlay is usually up towards the beginning of the month, with “HalloweenTime” officially starting the second week, and the parties starting near the end of the month. You’d likely be safe if you went the first week of September.
We are going to Anaheim for a hockey tournament memorial weekend. Should we visit disney before or after? Tournament starts Thursday before and ends Memorial Day. Thanks for the tips and advise!
Heading to Disneyland this Saturday March 30-31. Will it be super crowded?
Yes, it will be super crowded.
Hello, planning a first time family vacation to DL, taking my mom and little sister. We’ve never been before. I work and go to school and my sister is still in HS. So we’ll be taking our trip the week after Christmas, basically January 6-10… How busy will those days be? Any advice would be amazing, thanks.
Not entirely sure (might want to check out TouringPlans.com), but it shouldn’t be too bad.
So Excited! Making a first time trip to Disneyland with our grandson – who just LOVES Cars. We will be going the 15th to 19th April 2013 — ANY suggestions are appreciated. What should we expect for lineups as we don’t expect our grandson to wait patiently in line for hours!
Hi! We are planning on going to Disneyland for two of our family members birthdays, May 3 – May 5. Do you think it will be very busy around that time? We went the very first week of Janurary, and it was packed – Definatley don’t want that again.
Hi Tom,
I am planning a trip to Disneyland in November (9-17th) for my husband’s 30th (first trip to Disneyland and overseas). What will the crowds be like, and is there anything we should know for that time of year? Thanks!
We are planning a trip to Disneyland Tuesday,June 11 and Wednesday, June 12, 2013 with our 12 year-old grandson. Do you think Disneyland will be crowded at this time? Any suggestions to make our experience run smoothly?
I’m an AP who goes to Disneyland once a month. We’re actually planning to go on those days. Disneyland will be crowded because many of the area hotels are completely, or nearly, booked. Also, this is the month Southern California APs go because our passes are blocked for the entire month of July and part of August.
I suggest that you plan on which rides you want to go on. Be at the park as they open. Utilize the fast pass system. Bring plenty of drinks and snacks. Rent a locker if you have to. Bring an iPad, a game system, and/or anything that will keep your group from getting bored while waiting in line.
I hope I’m wrong about the park being crowded. Nevertheless, have fun and remember to watch the parades and fireworks!!
I doubt you’re wrong. The weeks before the SoCal APs are blocked for the summer are becoming more and more hectic, especially on weekends. Disneyland can have some pretty bizarre (and unintuitive) crowd patterns due to those blockouts!
Hi,
I’ve been wanting to take my girls (17 & 9) to DisneyLand and have figured out that next year will be feasible for us. We live in Canada and have a limited income so this will be our first and only visit to California. I’m looking at a 5 night stay so that we can have a chance to see and do everything in both Disney Parks plus a trip to Knott’s Berry Farm (I love Snoopy!). What are the least busy times to go? I was thinking mid to late January or late April (around the 29th) for my youngest’s birthday. Would these times be less crowded? I know having her birthday there would be a dream come true for her but I’m not sure about the crowds. I have an antisocial disorder so going at all will be a challenge for me but I want my girls to have this experience. Also, is there anything at Disney that we should skip? Is there a special itinerary we should follow to make the most of the parks?
And thank you for all the great information!
For Michelle in Canada with the 2 girls. Email me directly – I have some pointers for you. rosecottage01@gmail.com
wanting to take my 3 girls back during a less busy time, went spring break last time. Is there such a thing as a less busy time?
Our last two trips were in October and November and we LOVED that time of year. Our college children can not travel at those times now, however. We are scheduled to come the last week of August. Should we expect overwhelming traffic? And, if we do best in temperatures not much over 80 would this be a good time? We could also go the week of Christmas, but do not know if that is cold? Cold for us being anything under 50?
The week of Christmas is CRAZY. I would not recommend doing that. Last week of August shouldn’t be too bad, with nice weather as well.
We are considering going next year but can’t decide when. Which is better crowd wise: early March or early October?
Just wondering about crowds over mothers day? May 9-11. Thanks
Not sure. Check out http://touringplans.com for specific recommendations for those dates.
My wife and I are going for a 5-year anniversary trip Monday and Tuesday April 29-30. Crowds okay?
When does Disneyland begin there 2013 Christmas. I’ve checked there web-site, but have not seen any dates posted.
Hasn’t been announced yet. Expect to hear something around late summer.
For us with 3 children, summer works best. We live in Arizona, so school might end earlier when compared to others. We thought we would head over there a couple days after Memorial Day and spend at least three days there. We thought we might beat crowds that might be heading back after the holiday weekend. Does that thinking make sense, or is it opposite? This would be May 28th .
I haven’t been to Disneyland since I was 10 (20 years ago) and I have no idea what it’s like now? My main concern is crowds and heat. I can do cold I prefer it, I live in Northern CA and am fully aware of So California’s nice weather but is there any best time to avoid the heat and crowds?…. I would like to stop putting it off and take my kids this year sometime, what dates between now and December would be advisable? Trying to plan it out well so everyone has the best time possible! =) any advice is much appreciated!
Always nice to see monkeys at Disneyland, thanks!
You’re a saint for being willing to answer everyone’s questions about when it’s best for them to go! I’ve scoured forums and have read so many conflicting responses- I want to go for Halloween Time in SEPTEMBER, and all I want to know is if the first week (like the 16th-20th) of Halloween Time is more crowded than the second week (23rd-27th) because of the excitement of the new holiday decor?
I’m going this weekend, may 17+18. Good idea?
Shouldn’t be too bad. Have fun!
going from june 11 to june 15
very busy you think?
Read all the reviews and suggestions.they are quite helpful.
I have never been to disneyland or WDW. I and my husband decided to go to disneyland (May 25 -27 ).with a 3 day one park/ day .after reading all the reviews realized it will be crowded.so would like to
Know the effective way to use our 3 days.
Saturday and sunday to disneyland.
Monday to California adventure park.
Let me know if we are doing it wrong.some other tips for a better experience.
Thanks
That’s probably a good approach. Although Disney California Adventure has improved substantially in the last year, there’s still definitely more to do at Disneyland. I might suggest doing Disneyland, then DCA, then deciding what to do on the last day based upon which park you liked better and which you want to do again.
We are contemplating a family trip either in oct or nov of this year with our 4 yr old boy and 8 yr old girl. Which month is better for weather, less people etc? As well how many days would we need?
October and November are pretty much the same until the START of the Christmas season in mid-November. At that point, November becomes busier, but still manageable until the week of Thanksgiving. I’d recommend 3-4 days for Disneyland Resort if you’re a casual guest. Serious Disney fans may want to take more time.
Thanks so much!
I’m from the UK and I’m hoping to go to DL for the first time ever this year. Unfortunately the only time I can get off work is December (Christmas and New Year weeks). Since I’m coming from the UK, I plan to spend around 12 days at the resort (some in Hollywood and LA too) and even though its the most magical place to be at Christmas, I’m a little worried about the crowds. I’ve done Spring Break/Easter crowds at WDW and they were not a problem at all, but I expect these crowds to be A LOT worse. Will it be worth the crowds at Christmas (including Christmas day and New Years)? Any advice you can give me would be wonderful!
How busy is the Friday and Saturday of Fathers Day weekend. Planing on going to DCA both days
We are going to Disneyland the beginning of December 2013. Do you know if they do the holiday fireworks show every night during the holiday season, or just on weekends? We don’t want to miss the fireworks/snow on main street. Thanks so much!
We are trying to plan a fall trip to disneyland but the only date that really works for everyone is October5-10th, which is Gay Days. Are the crowds still manageable? Our other option is September 22-26th, but that is a Sun-thursday and we would miss out on the fireworks and Fantasmic. Trying to figure out which dates would be the best!
btw Tom…we share the same last name!