Aloha, Natasha! Welcome to
planDisney.
I can tell you’re in the beginning stages of planning a trip to
The Happiest Place on Earth. Visiting the parks with fewer crowds would definitely improve the experience, but unfortunately, Disney does not release specific daily attendance figures. There is no official way to gauge how busy the parks will be, though there are a few things to avoid and a couple of tips to beat the crowds.
First, avoid times when public schools are on break. Memorial Day to Labour Day, the week of Thanksgiving, the weeks around Christmas, and the beginning of April for Spring Break. The parks get busy with travelers and locals during these times. Secondly, keep an eye on holiday decorations and after-hours events.
Disneyland Halloween Time is magical, and guests love the decorations, but
Disneyland After Dark events, like
Oogie Boogie Bash, add to the crowds! Parks are busier these days, and guests who have not purchased tickets for the event must vacate the park by 8:00 pm. There are many events throughout the year; if you’re looking for a slow day, you may want to avoid them.
There are a few spots on the calendar you may want to consider for your trip. The period between when the Halloween decorations come down and the Holiday decorations go up is usually pretty quiet.
Holidays at the Disneyland Resort starts around the middle of November, so it’s only about two weeks right after Halloween. Another time to consider is early May. The
California Food & Wine Festival is wrapped up, Spring Break is over, but the summer rush hasn’t quite kicked in. There are Star Wars Nite events that you want to avoid and a lot of refurbishment going on to get ready for the summer months, but there is a bit of calm before the storm. Again, this is just my casual observation as a local who spends a lot of time at the parks throughout the year.
Natasha, I’d also recommend something entirely different than avoiding the crowd. Winning! Crushing your day. Out planning the crowds! Stay close to the resort, if not on the resort, show up an hour before the park officially opens, purchase a
Lightning Lane Multi Pass, and crush it! Knock out the busiest rides in the morning when you can go from one ride to the next using your Lightning Lane, and then it’s a lot easier to avoid the crowds in the afternoon when it’s busiest. Depending on your level of commitment, head back to your room for a midday breather, then close the parks down at night. You’ll find that the parks are the least busy right when they open and close. I feel like if you can’t avoid the crowds, you have to outplan them!
Whenever you choose to come, I hope it’s a magical experience. I hope your planning goes smoothly and you have so much fun making memories. If you need more tips, come back to
planDisney. We’d be happy to answer more questions for you.
I hope you have a magical day!
Corey