Best time to visit?

[proudmum2001]

I don`t want to do the same mistake we did with WDW. We went April but it was Easter time so it was crowded. When is the best time to visit disneyland? The best month for lower crowds, weather, and not too many attractions being closed down. My kids get two week Spring break in March but I think it would be quite busy then.

 

[figment_jii]

I don`t want to do the same mistake we did with WDW. We went April but it was Easter time so it was crowded. When is the best time to visit disneyland? The best month for lower crowds, weather, and not too many attractions being closed down. My kids get two week Spring break in March but I think it would be quite busy then.

I would recommend checking out a couple of HydroGuy's threads about "when to visit" DLR.
See Seasonal at DLR: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1520483

I am not trying to be mean or snarky, but there really isn't going to be any time when you're going to get everything you want (lower crowds, good weather, and few rehabs). In general, lower crowds times will mean more rehabs and shorter park hours. The trade-off with higher crowds is that (generally) fewer things are being rehabbed and the park tends to be open longer. So ultimately, it's a matter of what matters more to you. Weather is variable and what is "good" to one person might not be to another. (For example, I avoid summer because I dislike heat. I'd rather deal with rain than heat, but for others, they like hot/warm weather.)

Yes, Disneyland, like WDW, experiences higher crowds during the Spring Break period. While there is no set Spring Break in CA (i.e., school closures vary, with the majority occurring in March and April). Based on the 2015 blockout calendar, it looks like Disneyland anticipates the highest spring break crowds from the end of March through the first full week in April (3/28-4/12). I would also anticipate fairly sizable crowds during the shoulder weeks to that period.

 

[HollyL]

In the past few years, I have learned that there really doesn't seem to be a low season anymore. I went this last week, mid week, after the crowd predictor sites claimed it was going to be a "ghost town". HA! It was far from that. Years ago, I remember going the 2nd week of December and being able to walk onto every ride, or going in February to do the same thing, but over the last couple of years, that has changed.

We only got 2 day hoppers, and on the 2nd day were in the park from opening to closing without a break, and still didn't get to do everything we wanted to do, so for now on, I will plan on a minimum of 3 days.

Of course, it was still a great time, but having so many of the main attractions closed really put a damper on things.

 

[HydroGuy]

I would recommend checking out a couple of HydroGuy's threads about "when to visit" DLR.
See Seasonal at DLR: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1520483

This one may help:

"Choosing When To Visit DLR: Summary of High and Low Season and When Each Happens" www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=36509602

 

[JAG107]

When will it be the best time to go? On a weekday, after an economic meltdown with no SoCal ticket deals and super high ticket prices. And no more AP monthly payment options.
It hasn't been a "ghost town" in almost 10 years. It's just too much fun for too many people.
All kidding aside, you might be better off during summer after the so cal passes are blocked out. Halloween is almost as bad as Christmas now, plus the marathons thrown in on what would otherwise be great weeks to go also mess with the crowd levels. Maybe Jan-Feb non-holiday weeks would be the best bet looking forward?

 

[Kristina4109]

I've got to say, the past couple of years I've been forced to be a "peak season person". I want to reiterate that it is totally possible to have a blast at Disneyland in busy seasons IF YOU HAVE A PLAN. I'm not necessarily talking about minute by minute schedules, but simply knowing what attractions to hit at rope drop, when to take a midday break, and what attractions to hit in the evening hours.

Over the past four years, I've been in Spring Break - the week leading up to Easter, two years in a row. I've also been in early June. I've been on weekends that hosted Mickey's Halloween Party multiple times. I've been during Gay Day (twice!). NONE of those trips had me shaking my head and saying "Never again." It was all doable.

Back before my daughter was in school (four years ago) my favorite times of year to go were early October and early December. Temperate weather, enough stuff was still open, and the crowds were low. But I know how much can change in four years so I don't want to assume it's still like that.

 

[hootey]

We still enjoy the week before Christmas. The weather is still great(for us), we wear shorts and t-shirts during the day, with sweatshirts in the morning & evening. Crowds are very manageable with long waits being minimal. Plus, the holiday/Christmas decorations are all up! Staying at the DLH, we not only get early morning entry, we have the DLH pool/waterslide/hot-tubs almost to ourselves during the afternoons.

 

[rtfelt]

I have to agree with what everyone else has said. The crowds have really changed over the last 14 year. The low season now is equivalent to mid season a decade ago, and those "low" season days are getting fewer and fewer. It also depends on what's most important to you. You will NOT get low crowds, low refurbs, great weather all at the same time. There are trade offs. I think spring break is worse at WDW than DLR because so many people hate the hot, humid summer weather in Florida, but California is not as bad, so more are willing to go to DLR in the summer, while more hit Florida for spring break. This year the refurbs have been absolutely ridiculous. I felt so sorry for anyone here for spring break because it wasn't low season crowd wise, and a lot of rides were down, making the lines even longer. I have never seen so many refurbs during such a short time in my life. It won't be like that next year for the 60th, and it shouldn't be like this again because hopefully Disney will finish up all the OSHA requirements now.

Lower crowds (no such thing as low crowds now): 1st half September maybe into 2nd half, January/February avoiding all holidays

Low refurbs: summer, Christmas

Weather: November, December, April, May (except for this year--we're having a strange heat wave), even June if we're having a June gloom year.