There is no bad time to visit Disneyland, believe me, as an annual pass holder, I know that any time is a great time to visit the Happiest Place on Earth. There are, however, some times of the year that are less crowded than others and therefore could be more enjoyable for those that don’t like to be around large crowds, or would just like more freedom of movement throughout the parks. Let’s talk about the top five least crowded times to visit the Disneyland Resort.
Keep in mind that weekends all year long can be busier than the week that proceeds them. Disneyland is in the middle of a busy city and locals, and annual pass holders that live even six hours away, are known to come for the weekend. This is will increase crowds, but it does not make them unbearable.
In my experience, the absolute best time to visit the park for extremely low crowds is on Sunday morning! I know, that’s the opposite of what I just said, but wait. If you arrive at park opening on Sunday morning, even if it is at 9am, you will have a good two hours before the big crowds start showing up. My family visited on the Sunday of Labor Day weekend and were able to get eight attractions and a character meet in in the first two hours that the park was open!
Now, here are the top five times of the year that are the least crowded… Keep in mind that Disneyland is a busy place, no matter what time of year it is, and it is smaller than Disney World which means that it takes less people for the parks to fill up.
- September – Early November – With kids back in school the weekdays during all of September, October and November should be pretty safe. The Diamond Celebration ends in the first week of September this year, which means that crowds may be even lower than this past fall following its end. Be aware the some crowds may be slightly larger around Halloween.
- First week of December – Again, this applies to weekdays. The first week of December is a relatively slow time, there will certainly be lines, but they will be nothing compared the weekends of the rest of the month following this week. For really low crowds plan to spend a majority of your time at California Adventure – the crowds will be low to moderate at this park for most of the month!
- January – February – These two months are interesting, half of each month is super busy while the other half isn’t. The weekdays in the last two weeks of January and the first two weeks of February are low crowd times. Just like every other month, weekends should be avoided if you’re looking for low crowds and so should all of the holidays that fall in February. If you come during the week during this time of year you will be in for a treat, not only will there be low crowds, but the weather should be nice as well, not too hot and not too cold. You should certainly bring a jacket for at night, though!
- Weekdays in April and May – Easter and Spring Break are at the end of March this year, so weekdays in April and May should see moderate crowds at most. Be aware of the Tinker Bell Half Marathon Weekend at the beginning of May, although this should not affect crowds too much.
- End of August – The entire summer time is ridiculously crowded at Disneyland – starting from the beginning of June through the middle of August. However, the weekdays in the second half of August should be moderate crowds at most and will allow you to experience Disneyland in the summer but without the summer crowds. California schools tend to go back earlier since they are let our earlier than most schools elsewhere (in May).
Do you prefer visiting a less crowded park? When do you like to visit the Disneyland Resort? Let us know in the comments!
My name is Miriya Whitaker, I am a travel agent with World of Magic Travel, a writer for Chip and Co and Disney Addicts, and I would be happy to help you figure out when is best for your family to visit and to help you plan a magical vacation for the whole family. Contact me at miriyawhitaker@worldofmagictravel.com to start planning and find out what characters you can meet on your trip. Also, follow me on Facebook for more Disney and travel information.
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