Christmas week or Easter week?

[huskies90]

Starting to plan our first family trip to So. Cal. I am sure both weeks will be crowded. So the question: is Xmas significantly worse than Easter?

 

[DLR29]

Starting to plan our first family trip to So. Cal. I am sure both weeks will be crowded. So the question: is Xmas significantly worse than Easter?

YES!

I would go Easter Week 99 times out of 100 (I might go once during Christmas just to see the decorations and experience the massive crowds. But only if I was going 100 times )

 

[huskies90]

Thanks...How about the last week in August? Is that a good time to go?

 

[DLR29]

Thanks...How about the last week in August? Is that a good time to go?

I'd probably go in March/April over August because in August (late august especially) there are huge crowds due to:
1. Last time to see summer entertainment (electric parade, nightly fireworks, fantasmic) for a long time
2. Everybody wants to squeeze one last visit in before school starts

3. All levels of Annual Pass holders (AP holders) can visit (aka, their passes are not blocked) during the last 1 1/2 weeks of August. Considering there are an upwards of a million AP holders, they significantly affect crowd levels. AND, these million AP holders are going to want to visit because of #1 and #2 mentioned above.

 

[huskies90]

I'd probably go in March/April over August because in August (late august especially) there are huge crowds

Unfortunately, March/April is not a choice. It is Easter week, Xmas or August. While I agree with your points, I find it hard to believe August is worse than Easter or Xmas. But that is why I post questions like this on the disboards; to get the expert opinions.

 

[DLR29]

Unfortunately, March/April is not a choice. It is Easter week, Xmas or August. While I agree with your points, I find it hard to believe August is worse than Easter or Xmas. But that is why I post questions like this on the disboards; to get the expert opinions.

Sorry when I said March/April I meant Easter week. I just forgot which month it is in this year.

Here is an exerpt from last year about how crowds were huge in late August:

Yep, with the exception of Sunday, September 6th, we are back to the Southern California Annual passholders being allowed to visit the Disneyland Resort six days a week until Thanksgiving. (Sunday, September 6th is Labor Day weekend, and the actual date of the Disney hosted Half-Marathon).

So what impact will this have, for this upcoming week (the last week of the Summer Nightastic! promotion and events) expect to see a large amount of the SoCal Annual passholders in the parks.

And one of the major impacts of the return is the "mix" of guests, and there will be more local guests, many of which who will drive to the park and will need a place to park.

Disney has scheduled additional CM's to handle the Parking issue, and expect to find Pumbaa, Anaheim GardenWalk and Simba being used, along with the Parking Structure. They are getting prepared to have to use other lots, such as the Anaheim Convention Center Parking Structure on Katella and the Buzz Lightyear lot, which is where the former Strawberry Field is located.

My advice, when you get off the freeway, just follow the signs and police direction and park where they first tell you. Timon is closed for good, and if you try and use the Harbor Blvd Parking Entrance, there is a very good chance you will end up parking in Simba, which has no trams or bus service, and it is a long walk from Simba to the Main Entrance Plaza.

And of course, when you get to the parks, bring your patience, a lot of the Southern California Annual passholders have been waiting a couple of months to return, and will be trying to ride as many of their favorites as they can, and then catch the special evening entertainment events. (Alas, it looks like they won't get to see Murphy the Dragon in Fantasmic!, it is still be worked on). Also, all the refurb walls in DCA don't help with the Electrical Parade viewing in the Paradise Pier area, and there is only one week to go before the Electrical Parade goes back on Hiatus.

http://micechat.com/forums/blogs/in-the-parks/1193-return-southern-california-annual-passholder-disneyland-plus-more.html

Is is perhaps possible to go during mid-summer? Or Early August? Believe it or not, those times might actually be the last crowded. Here are my predictions from most crowded to least crowded times of the year.
-Christmas
-Late August/Late June
-October weekends (i know, strange)
-Easter Week/Spring Break
-Mid-Summer/Long Holiday weekends

 

[Flitterific]

I went late August and Christmas of 2009 and the crowds during Christmas were horrendous I'd say there were at least twice as many people if not more during the holidays.

As far as when you should go, I think it really depends on the goal of your trip. If the purpose of your trip is to ride as many rides and watch as many shows as possible, then Easter or August would be a better time to go. However, if you have never experienced Christmas at DLR before, then it is definitely worth going, especially if you can make another trip to the parks in the near future. The holiday overlays at HM and IASW were spectacular...I went on each one 3-4x! Disney really brings out the holiday spirit and everything is just so amazing there. So if you haven't been before, I definitely suggest you experience it at least once

 

[huskies90]

I went late August and Christmas of 2009 and the crowds during Christmas were horrendous I'd say there were at least twice as many people if not more during the holidays.

As far as when you should go, I think it really depends on the goal of your trip. If the purpose of your trip is to ride as many rides and watch as many shows as possible, then Easter or August would be a better time to go. However, if you have never experienced Christmas at DLR before, then it is definitely worth going, especially if you can make another trip to the parks in the near future. The holiday overlays at HM and IASW were spectacular...I went on each one 3-4x! Disney really brings out the holiday spirit and everything is just so amazing there. So if you haven't been before, I definitely suggest you experience it at least once

Thanks!! We are eastcoasters and this will be the one and only family trip to So. Cal so I want to make the most of it. I have been to So. Cal many many times on business but my wife and kids have never been there. Ironically, with so many trips, I had never been to DLR because I coudn't bring myself to do the solo in the parks thing. That is until just last November when I was at a work conference at the Disneyland Hotel. I couldn't resist going to the parks when I was staying right on property. So, I have been during Xmas and I agree, the Small World and Haunted Mansion were great. Since my kids are older, we can only go during school vacations. Earlier in the summer might work.

 

[aussiegirls]

Another question along the same lines.

Is the first, second and third weeks of December as busy as it is over actual Christmas? We are thinking of going in December but not directly at Christmas time and was hoping that getting there in early or mid December might be a little better. Either way the bulk of our days spent there will be weekdays and we will use the weekends to do other things.

So anyways I was just wondering if the first 3 weeks of Dec is a good time to go or not?

Thanks all

xxx

 

[DLR29]

Another question along the same lines.

Is the first, second and third weeks of December as busy as it is over actual Christmas? We are thinking of going in December but not directly at Christmas time and was hoping that getting there in early or mid December might be a little better. Either way the bulk of our days spent there will be weekdays and we will use the weekends to do other things.

So anyways I was just wondering if the first 3 weeks of Dec is a good time to go or not?

Thanks all

xxx

First/Second week of December- Very short hours during the week, but low crowds. Many things may be closed for refurbishment, no Fantasmic or Electrical Parade during the week. However, usually fireworks are still shown nightly even though the crowds are low and hours are short.

Third week of December- Longer hours, but with longer hours comes more crowds. However the crowd levels of this week are NOTHING compared to the week after. Also, some more entertainment might be up and running as well as many of those rides that were being refurbished during the preceeding weeks.