Hello there, Caitlin, and welcome back to planDisney!
It's a pleasure to see you here again and thanks for submitting another question to us! How wonderful that you have another trip to The Happiest Place on Earth coming up next year. I would be happy to provide my recommendations!
The
Disneyland Resort Calendar is updated to cover the upcoming 6 weeks, so at the time of this writing, your visit dates aren't yet published. Historically, however, Disneyland Resort usually begins off season hours after the Holidays end and operating hours might get a little shorter in response to lower crowds. Both Parks typically close a little earlier than they did during the busier times of the year.
As far as tips to make the most of your time, I would consider booking at a Disneyland Resort Hotel so you can take advantage of
Early Entry. You'll be able to enter a designated theme park 30 minutes before the general public. It'll feel like you have the whole Park to yourselves and mornings are much less crowded in general. Also, investing in
Lightning Lane Multi Pass will save you a lot of time from waiting in standby queues and allow you to get so much more done in a day. With a
Park Hopper Pass, you can always hop over to the other Park when the earlier one closes or spend the rest of the evening in the
Downtown Disney District.
Caitlin, thanks again for stopping by and best wishes as you plan your trip! Please feel free to write back again if you have more questions. We'd love to continue being involved with your trip and you're always welcome here. Until next time!
Wishing You a Great, Big, Beautiful Tomorrow!
-Al