| When is the best time to go to Disneyland?
Tips from a former Disneyland cast member
The best time to go to the Disneyland Resort depends on what is important to you: Do you want no crowds/short lines? Or are the fireworks, shows and parades most important to you? Both "seasons" have pros and cons and we’ll take a look at both to help you get the most out of your Disneyland Vacation.
Disneyland off-season:
If you want to have Disneyland all to yourself, with short lines and empty walkways, then visiting Disneyland off-season is the choice for you. You should be aware that during off-season there often won’t be any fireworks, Fantasmic shows or parades; and some of the restaurants and attractions will be closed down for refurbishment.
The basic rule of thumb is that Disneyland will be crowded any time children are out of school (including weekends, 3 day weekends, spring break, summer and holidays).
Saturday is often the busiest day of the week, and Tuesday through Thursday are the slowest days of the week. Fridays will get progressively busier throughout the day, and Mondays are slightly busier because many people take Monday off to extend their weekend vacation. Here are some tips for finding the least crowded times of the year -
•Look at the Disneyland Resort's hours.
When the park hours range from 10am-6pm or 10am-8pm, you can bet the short days are because of low attendance. And don’t be fooled, you can fit just as much in (if not more) on these days than a day when the hours are 8am-midnight during peak season. •Look at the blockout dates for annual passholders.
These are the days that annual passholders are blocked out from attending because there is high attendance and Disneyland wants to make room for other visiting guests. These are usually weekends and holidays, and if you don’t want to be with the crowds, these are days to avoid. •Look at hotel rates in Anaheim.
Hotel rates are affected by supply and demand; rates go up when there’s more demand and down when there’s less. Punch in some different dates and see when the rates go down; That’s a surefire way to know when attendance will be low. Hey, that means you’ll save money, too!
•If you want to avoid the crowds, but still want to make sure that your favorite attraction won’t be closed, you can check out Disneyland’s refirbishment schedule to make sure. This page also tells you what parades and shows will be happening as well.
Disneyland peak-season:
Disneyland’s peak-season means more crowds but it also means more shows and special events will be taking place. If you enojoy these extras, or you can’t get any other time off than during the peak times (weekends and holidays), here are some tips to make the most of your day -
• Get there early.
That first hour is the best time to get the most popular attractions under your belt. Go on the popular ones that don’t have Fast Pass, like Matterhorn, Storybook Land Canal Boats, Peter Pan and Alice in Wonderland. You might not think of Storybook Land or Peter Pan as big ticket items, but if someone in your group loves those rides, you’d better do them now because those lines get long and stay long all day. You can always Fast Pass the other attractions. • Fast Pass it!
Once the crowds funnel in, take advantage of Disneyland’s Fast Pass to go on the most popular attractions with minimal wait time. Get your first Fast Pass ticket then go see a show, eat some food, do some shopping, or go on other attractions (with shorter lines) while waiting for your time to come back. Before going back though, go to another Fast Pass attraction and get a new ticket. This way, while you’re walking back to your first Fast Pass attraction, you’ll be killing time for the next Fast Pass time to come up. And so on.
• During the middle of the day when crowds are at their worst, go on attractions that can handle large groups of people. Most shows can take in large groups of people at once, so the waiting won’t be long. Muppet 4-D, It’s Tough to be a Bug, the Enchanted Tiki Room, Billy Hill & the Hillbillies, Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln and Disney's Aladdin - A Musical Spectacular are all examples. Rides that can funnel through large crowds include Pirates of the Caribbean, the Haunted Mansion, It’s a Small World, Mark Twain Riverboat and Sailing Ship Columbia.
This is also good time to relax and take it easy. Enjoy the atmosphere, walk around and look at the cool landscaping. Raft over to Tom Sawyers Island and get lost in a cave. If you’re in a nearby hotel, go back and take a short nap since you’re probably tired from getting up so early. Hang out in the hotel pool and cool off. Your feet will thank you. • Eat early or late.
Lines don’t form just for the rides and shows. The Disneyland Resort designs their restaurants to be as efficient as possible, but the crowds get pretty thick and the lines pretty long during regular eating times. You can avoid the crowds by eating when everyone else is not. Calling ahead 714-781-DINE to make dining reservations can help too. • Twice the fun
Often times in the summer there are two showings of Fantasmic at night. People will show up hours ahead of time to get the best location for the first show. When that show is over, they all leave and you can get their good spots for the second show with no waiting! (Oh yeah, stay away from New Orleans Square and Critter Country during the showings of Fantasmic, it gets pretty crowded over there.) • Stay Late.
The last hour of the park is often as good as the first. Use this time to catch up on all the attractions you missed.
--Article and photo illustration by Dreamboat Design, publisher of TheTownMenu.com
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