Best time to go? Update - Oct 30 - Nov4th?

[CayBoo]

Also just a heads up, Blizzcon is happening for the first time in four years at the Anaheim Convention Center the first weekend of November, so hotel prices may be pretty crazy then, along with general crowds in the area.

 

[pryncess527]

As a local, frequent visitor, a few thoughts on this:

1. Curious what level of school calendar research you’re doing. Are you looking locally (Orange County and LA County), Southern California, all of California, neighboring states, the entire country? Just curious because locally we don’t even have a fall break in my school district, but I know it’s common elsewhere.

2. School breaks seem to matter less than they used to. When my son was 2, 3, 4 years old in 2017-2019, we would visit on weekday mornings when school was in session and the parks were frequently pretty dead, especially midweek. Fast forward to post covid and the parks are basically always crowded, no matter if it’s a weekday or weekend (weekends are often less crowded than weekdays!). I see loads of school-aged kids in the parks ALL THE TIME when school is in session. I think post-covid, more people are home-schooling and making their own scheduled, and others have no qualms about pulling their kids out of school to go to Disney. Hence, it’s been crazy crowded most of this year … but summer was looking so slow that Disney decided to pull out the old California resident ticket offer again.

3. The week leading up to Halloween will be insane. There is no chance it will be slower than the rest of the month. People want to celebrate and get their Halloween fix before it all goes away 11/1.

So far I was just going off of published crowd estimate calendars from various Disney websites. They all have that week as a low crowd week .

 

[SOCALMouseMommy]

So far I was just going off of published crowd estimate calendars from various Disney websites. They all have that week as a low crowd week .

Those crowd calendars unfortunately have not been accurate for Disneyland for years. People still utilize them and are shocked when the parks are crowded despite the crowd calendar predicting low crowds.

 

[FeliciaB23]

As a local, frequent visitor, a few thoughts on this:

1. Curious what level of school calendar research you’re doing. Are you looking locally (Orange County and LA County), Southern California, all of California, neighboring states, the entire country? Just curious because locally we don’t even have a fall break in my school district, but I know it’s common elsewhere.

2. School breaks seem to matter less than they used to. When my son was 2, 3, 4 years old in 2017-2019, we would visit on weekday mornings when school was in session and the parks were frequently pretty dead, especially midweek. Fast forward to post covid and the parks are basically always crowded, no matter if it’s a weekday or weekend (weekends are often less crowded than weekdays!). I see loads of school-aged kids in the parks ALL THE TIME when school is in session. I think post-covid, more people are home-schooling and making their own scheduled, and others have no qualms about pulling their kids out of school to go to Disney. Hence, it’s been crazy crowded most of this year … but summer was looking so slow that Disney decided to pull out the old California resident ticket offer again.

3. The week leading up to Halloween will be insane. There is no chance it will be slower than the rest of the month. People want to celebrate and get their Halloween fix before it all goes away 11/1.

Someone mentioned Utah and Arizona as having Fall breaks in October so I just put in Salt Lake City as well as Tucson and Phoenix to get a broad idea; all 3 districts that I checked were off from October 9-13; so, factoring in weekends I pegged October 6-16 as being busier than other dates (excluding the week of Halloween lol). I also looked up LA/OC school districts and saw no days off for the local schools.

 

[Mle8308]

I went in October 2022 (had no other choice) and it was very hot - about 88 each day. The parks were very crowded, but with Genie+ and rope dropping, it was very manageable. If we didn't have Genie+, most waits would have been in the 50- 75 minute range most of the day. We did the parks during the week, not weekends. Had park hoppers and started at DL two of the days. It was a lot of fun!

 

[pryncess527]

Those crowd calendars unfortunately have not been accurate for Disneyland for years. People still utilize them and are shocked when the parks are crowded despite the crowd calendar predicting low crowds.

I really, really appreciate that tip

Crowds aren’t the worst - I did WDW at Christmas and it was fine, but I’ll admit one motive for this trip is to get my H to see why I love theme parks, so I’m trying to create an ideal environment. He’s only been once in the last 20 years, without me on a 1 day spur of the moment visit to US in Florida in June with no planning, at all. Shouldn’t be too hard to top

I’m thinking the 1st or 2nd full week of November is my best bet. December is out

 

[sophy1996]

I’m thinking the 1st or 2nd full week of November is my best bet. December is out

November 1-9 shouldn’t be too bad. November 10 likely will start the holiday season and that weekend will be crowded.

 

[SOCALMouseMommy]

November 1-9 shouldn’t be too bad. November 10 likely will start the holiday season and that weekend will be crowded.

Veterans Day weekend 11/10-11/12 will be slammed with the three day weekend, start of the holidays and Dapper Day all falling on this same weekend.

The week prior might be good as it’s in between Halloween time and Christmas time.

The week after thanksgiving weekend (like sometime after the Monday after thanksgiving) could also be good. Plus you’d get all the holiday things, which is so festive.

 

[pryncess527]

I have a companion flight voucher I’m trying to use so was aiming for the trip to be over by Nov 30th when it expires. Though frankly it’s a very cheap flight, I just have no better use for it this year

We’ll definitely plan to be gone by the holiday weekend. We may tack on a few days in LA for comedy shows that weekend

Thank you all so so much for your sage advice

 

[Mle8308]

I have a companion flight voucher I’m trying to use so was aiming for the trip to be over by Nov 30th when it expires. Though frankly it’s a very cheap flight, I just have no better use for it this year

We’ll definitely plan to be gone by the holiday weekend. We may tack on a few days in LA for comedy shows that weekend

Thank you all so so much for your sage advice

Have a great trip! Wish I were going back soon, but WDW in September will have to suffice!