2011 trip help!

[Markie Mouse]

I am planning on taking my daughter to DLR before she starts pre-school and my little brother to start his senior year. The dilemma I have run into is when. I have narrowed it down to 2 dates. Aug 24th-30th or Sept. 14th-20th. Now if we go in Aug it will be on my brothers birthday, but I have heard crowds are crazy in Aug. Now if we go in Sept., its a little bit closer to Halloween time but I don't know what rides are closed if any. I was wondering if anyone had any info as to crowds during this time and ride closures during Sept.

Thanks

 

[calicat]

I have gone the last week of August several times and it has always been busy but not unbearable. I think some of the crowds were So.Cal passholders who were blocked out all summer but became unblocked at the end of August. Two years ago I went in September, two days before the halloween time started and the first two days of halloween time. The two days before halloween time were very quiet, low crowds (haunted mansion, space mtn. were closed). The first two days of halloween time were really crowded. More crowded than it was in August. I think halloween time starts around Spetember 16 this year, but I am not positive about that.

 

[blackjackdelta]

We always seem to go in August and after my experience in 2009 we will never go when the passes are unblocked again. 2010 was different story around the week of the 20th. Crowds much less than the previous year, very manageable. Crowd patterns seem to be changing and with new rides this year and next I do not think anyone can predict what may happen.

Jack

 

[skiingfast]

I'd go in September. You will beat many crowds. Even if you are there during the opening of Halloween season it will be a busy weekend but have light weekdays. It's like that the first week will have closures that will open on the Friday.

In August surely more crowds since some kids will still be on summer vacation. Some attractions may go into rehab as well.

Big difference will be what is happening in DCA. Could start in August will be happening in September. But still less construction than is going on right now.

 

[Markie Mouse]

Thanks guys, Im leaning towards Sept. but does anyone know if HM is open before the Halloween theme starts? I guess I could go 2 days earlier and leave home on Sunday. I need to be there at least Fri and Sat because my cousins, Mom/mom's BF, and Dad/Dads GF will be joining us on the weekend. Either way I'm frickin' going to Disneyland!

I have gone in August but that was in 2008 and like Jack said the new rides will be open so I'm sure most AP's will be there to check out the new rides so August is no longer an option. My weather experience in August was bad in '08 was horrid, 89º with super high humidity. Can you guys tell me your experience with Sept. weather?

 

[skiingfast]

Thanks guys, Im leaning towards Sept. but does anyone know if HM is open before the Halloween theme starts? I guess I could go 2 days earlier and leave home on Sunday. I need to be there at least Fri and Sat because my cousins, Mom/mom's BF, and Dad/Dads GF will be joining us on the weekend. Either way I'm frickin' going to Disneyland!

I have gone in August but that was in 2008 and like Jack said the new rides will be open so I'm sure most AP's will be there to check out the new rides so August is no longer an option. My weather experience in August was bad in '08 was horrid, 89º with super high humidity. Can you guys tell me your experience with Sept. weather?

On weather, before someone says it was 110 last year to freak you out that was just a fluke. However September and August both temperature and humity wise are almost the same. So neither will be better, just hope you go a nice week.

Last year i went for the openeing of Halloween season. I can't remember all the exact dates when things opened but I think SMGG and HMH both opened on the Friday or maybe space opened earlier. I'm sure you will enjoy stratelling it though as it's pretty slow midweek before the official halloween season open. And while it go busier on the first Halloween weekend, it wasn't crazy but much more than the weekdays before.

BTW Space has a short down time for the Ghost Galaxy layover but last year was down extra because of breakdowns. HM goes down a few weeks and could possible close during your August Dates for the Haunt HM layover.

 

[Markie Mouse]

Thanks Skiingfast, Im from AZ so 110º doesn't really scare me but high humidity does. The more I think about it, I could wait to ride HM and SM for 3 days and soak up all the other rides till then. Me and my wife have wanted to see Halloween at DLR but thought it was the following week. I know there is a special night for trick or treating but do they do anything really special while it's themed on other nights? I am definitely going to check out the old Halloween superthread now.

 

[spiderdust]

I'll chime in and agree with everyone else -- go in September! A lot of kids will be back in school then, so the crowds will be a lot thinner. Seeing the Halloween overlays will be fun too!

 

[blackjackdelta]

Thanks Skiingfast, Im from AZ so 110º doesn't really scare me but high humidity does. The more I think about it, I could wait to ride HM and SM for 3 days and soak up all the other rides till then. Me and my wife have wanted to see Halloween at DLR but thought it was the following week. I know there is a special night for trick or treating but do they do anything really special while it's themed on other nights? I am definitely going to check out the old Halloween superthread now.

Maybe I am missunderstanding what is being said but the relative humidity in the LA basin is very low during the warm month's. The only time it gets higher is on the coast and early in the AM. I carry a small weather station about the size of a pack of cigarettes that I use to track the weather with while I travel, the weather stations put out a global forecast. Not as dry as AZ but love the weather.

Jack

 

[bnbheartdisney]

Can you guys tell me your experience with Sept. weather?

We went last year, September 15th-17th, and the weather was perfect. Not ridiculously hot at all! And by the way, the crowds were extremely low! HTH.

 

[Markie Mouse]

Maybe I am missunderstanding what is being said but the relative humidity in the LA basin is very low during the warm month's. The only time it gets higher is on the coast and early in the AM. I carry a small weather station about the size of a pack of cigarettes that I use to track the weather with while I travel, the weather stations put out a global forecast. Not as dry as AZ but love the weather.

Jack

Its not what I've been told, it's what I've personally experienced. Maybe its just bad luck/timing but the last 2 times I've been to DLR in August it has been horribly humid. Morning fog with 85º morning temp, not fun. Then 80º temp with high humidity the next day, but the day we leave it drops to 74º with relatively low humidity. Guess Cali weather is really unpredictable. I've been in March too and had almost identical weather, not 89º but mid 80º's all week with high humidity. I was just curious if anyone else had bad weather during these times. So I hope your observations stay true cause I can't handle summer heat with high humidity, it's why I hate monsoon season here.

 

[TheColtonsMom]

Its not what I've been told, it's what I've personally experienced. Maybe its just bad luck/timing but the last 2 times I've been to DLR in August it has been horribly humid. Morning fog with 85º morning temp, not fun. Then 80º temp with high humidity the next day, but the day we leave it drops to 74º with relatively low humidity. Guess Cali weather is really unpredictable. I've been in March too and had almost identical weather, not 89º but mid 80º's all week with high humidity. I was just curious if anyone else had bad weather during these times. So I hope your observations stay true cause I can't handle summer heat with high humidity, it's why I hate monsoon season here.

I grew up in So Cal then lived in AZ for 13 years....humidity is relative like every oyher type of weather, it is affected by where you come from. After living in AZ for a few years I really felt the humidity in Cali although when I lived in So Cal I did not. Now I live in Mt and am back to not feeling like it is humid in Cali again.

It tracks the same as someone from Montana being hot at 70 degrees and someone from Arizona needing a coat.

 

[blackjackdelta]

Its not what I've been told, it's what I've personally experienced. Maybe its just bad luck/timing but the last 2 times I've been to DLR in August it has been horribly humid. Morning fog with 85º morning temp, not fun. Then 80º temp with high humidity the next day, but the day we leave it drops to 74º with relatively low humidity. Guess Cali weather is really unpredictable. I've been in March too and had almost identical weather, not 89º but mid 80º's all week with high humidity. I was just curious if anyone else had bad weather during these times. So I hope your observations stay true cause I can't handle summer heat with high humidity, it's why I hate monsoon season here.

I am not saying that what you have experienced is wrong, I am saying that the gadget I use is calibrated to display the relative humidity/temp and pressure at any given time..it is not my perception. When I was in DC last July I stepped off the plane and darn near sufficated 101 degrees, 99% humidity.
We come from an area in Washington that runs well over 100 all the time during the late summer with very low humidity and the only time I felt the humidity being up was early in the AM and when I went to the beach where my wife swears it was higher. Thats all.

Jack

 

[Markie Mouse]

I am not saying that what you have experienced is wrong, I am saying that the gadget I use is calibrated to display the relative humidity/temp and pressure at any given time..it is not my perception. When I was in DC last July I stepped off the plane and darn near suffocated 101 degrees, 99% humidity.
We come from an area in Washington that runs well over 100 all the time during the late summer with very low humidity and the only time I felt the humidity being up was early in the AM and when I went to the beach where my wife swears it was higher. Thats all.

Jack

Wow, I would have turned around back on that plane and said no way. I think coming from AZ, I think I prefer 120º dry heat over 90º High humidity. I guess all I really wanted to know is if there is a chance I will experience the Cali weather everyone talks about in late Sept.

 

[skiingfast]

Thanks Skiingfast, Im from AZ so 110º doesn't really scare me but high humidity does. The more I think about it, I could wait to ride HM and SM for 3 days and soak up all the other rides till then. Me and my wife have wanted to see Halloween at DLR but thought it was the following week. I know there is a special night for trick or treating but do they do anything really special while it's themed on other nights? I am definitely going to check out the old Halloween superthread now.

The Halloween Parties had special fireworks, a special parade and people of all ages can dress up and trick or treat. This is a ticketed event that last year was on Tuesday and Friday evenings. However it started in October.

Other than that just the special rides and decorations around the park. A few special characters may be out who are tied to spooky movies.

Just my own speculation. Last year the parties were very busy. In WDW they run the parties over a longer period. I think it's possible that DLR may decide that they too will run the parties over a longer period this year to they may overlap you travel dates. We'll have to wait and see we are still a few months from when they announce information about this years parties.

 

[Smltown96]

Anyone know the dates of Grad Nights this June?