General rule of thump. If DAPs are blocked out, it is pretty crowded. DAPs only have 50 block out days, so the days they are blocked are the 50 most crowded days of the year.
On the flip side, if SoCal's are not blocked out, especially in June, then it is going to be very crowded.
So, if you are going next weekend....
Friday, June 1 will be crowded. The SoCal's regular are not blocked out. Selects are, which will help, but there are still a ton of SoCal that will be there getting in one more Firday visit before they are blocked out for 2 months.
Saturday will be better, but will still be quite crowded since the DAP's are blocked out.
Sunday is much better. It won't be "empty" by any means, but still quite crowded.
Monday and Tuesday will be horrid. Those are the last 2 days that the SoCal selects can get in for two and a half months. Ride capacities will be medium, as the park has not yet scaled up to max throughput. I have made the mistake of going on these last SoCal Select days in the past. Never EVER again will I make that mistake. Miserable.
Wed-Fri, 6th-8th will be MUCH, MUCH better.
But, even on very crowded days, there are still things you can do to beat the crowds.
Rules of
Disneyland.
1) Even though it sucks getting up early on vacation, you MUST be at Disneyland at opening. On a crowded day, you can get more done in the first 2 hours than you can do in 6 hours late-afternoon.
Saturday is an early entry day, meaning people with 3+ day hoppers or staying at DL hotels are in at 7AM. There will arleady be a line at things in Fantasyland like Pan.
When you arrive, the gates furthest to the left, as you face the park, will be the Early Entry gates. GET in the FURTHEST LEFT non-early entry gate, then watch like a hawk past 7:30ish as they start reducing the number of Early Entry gates... they will flip the signs from Early Entry to Entrance... JUMP with the rest of the crowd into these now regular gates.... They will convert another line every 5 mins or so, and if you are on your toes, you can get VERY close to the front....
Last time I was there, they let us onto Main Street at about 7:45, even though it was Early Entry. Right at 8AM, they release you, and the race is on!
2) The first things to ride are those that are short ride time, but will have the longest waits later in the day. Star Tours, Space Mt., Indiana Jones, Splash Mt.. Avoid things with long ride times (slow rides like Pirates, Mansion, Jungle Cruise, Nemo Subs) until after you have done the short ride-times (coasters).
3) Bogart the FastPasses. You can get another FastPass as soon as the first one is valid to use. As far as I have heard, Disney is still not enforcing end times. I have gotten FPs at 9AM that I have used at 9PM, with no problem. If you get a FP at 8AM with an 8:40 return time, then you can get another FP at 8:40. If you wait until 10AM and get a FP with a 12 noon return time, than you can't get another FP until noon. You can stockpile a lot more FPs when you are getting them every 40 mins than if you are getting them ever 2 hours.
So, my "busy day" touring plan would go something like this....
1) Get FP to Star Tours. (8AM opening, so hopefully an 8:45 return start time)
2) Ride Star Tours. (Should be 10-15 min wait, including post grouping movie and about 5 min ride time)
3) Ride Space Mt. (again, 10-15 min wait and just a few min ride).
4) It should be close, if not time to get your next FP so get Space Mt FP. (9:30-ish return time hopefully).
5) Matterhorn
6) Indy
7) Should be time to get FP, so make it one for Splash Mt FP (Hopefully 10:30 or earlier return time.).
8) Ride Splash Mt.
9) Ride BTMRR.
Should be about 10AM. You have done 6 rides (Star Tours, Space Mt, Matterhorn, Indy, Splash, BTMRR) and have 3 sets of Fast Passes in your pocket. I have actually done this plan in a compressed rush and gotten 8 top rides and 4 FPs, but that requires a non-early entry, uncrowded morning and LOTS of rushing.
At this point you can either park hop to DCA, or if staying in DL, start doing some of the longer ride time rides. Just remember to keep grabbing those FPs as often as you can.
It is very hard to get on Midway Mania with less than 40 min wait. Most of the long wait time rides at DCA (other than Midway Mania) have FP. This park can really chew up a lot of time as the waits are longish for ToT, Screamin, Flight School, Midway, GRR (on hot days), and especially Soarin' (This can take more than 45 mins, even with FP). You can easily spend 45-min to an hour per ride in DCA and be all like... Where did half my day go? And only did 8 things... after doing DCA's top rides)
Afternoon, in DIsneyland, on busy days, you have to do a combination of:
1) Using your FastPasses that you stockpiled in those first 2-3 hours, plus any you pick up later.
2) Longer ride-time, high capacity, shorter wait times (Pirates, Mansion, Nemo Subs, Small World, Jungle Cruise, Mark Twain/Columbia)
3) shorter wait time attractions like Buzz, Fantasyland dark rides (Toad, Snow, Pinnoc, Alice), Tom Sawyer Island, Train, Tea Cups, etc.
4) Shows like Billy Hill, Tiki Room, Parade, the 50th anniversary movie that serves as a pre-show to Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln...
The crowds will linger right through the evening. You may bet a chance at shorter wait times again in those 2 hours after fireworks, but before midnight park closing... however, if you've been in the park since 8AM, good luck with that.
Hope you enjoy your Disney day(s).
