Crowds and weather in summer

[june@imsarc.com]

I have no idea what summer crowds or weather will be like here in Disneyland. We are used to going off-season to WDW. We would like to go the fourth of July weekend to DL. Is that a huge mistake?

 

[ArchOwl]

It will be warm, although not humid like at WDW. Here is the historical data:
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=23004158

A summer holiday will be very busy. Lots of people, longer lines, etc. Can you still have fun? Absolutely! Will you need a touring plan? Absolutely! All shows and rides should be up and in full swing.

Here is a guide from HydroGuy about how to get the most out of summer:
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1345319

Have fun!

 

[HydroGuy]

Summer is my favorite time to visit DLR. It is a totally different animal than WDW.

Will there be crowds? Yes. Do most people afraid of summer crowds come back saying it was not as bad as they expected? Yes.

The thing about DLR is that it is much easier to work around crowds than at WDW - if you are smart and make some good foundational choices.

One such foundational choice which has a huge impact on dealing with crowds are the walking distance hotels (both onsite and off). Many WDW vets accustomed to buses and boats and lengthy commutes at WDW mistakenly think that DLR is similar and too quickly overlook the significant advantages of being walking distance at DLR. Imagine having a hotel where the distance of your hotel room door to the gates of the parks is comparable to the distance from a bus or boat drop off is at WDW to the parks there!

Arch gave a link to this thread but here it is again for good measure: "Getting The Most Out of a Summer Visit To DLR" www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1345319

Finally, be aware that summer 2012 has some special issues. Cars Land and the new Buena Vista Street entrance at DCA will be game changers. And they will be finished by June 2012. Or July. Or maybe even August. Up through that time there will be more construction walls up than you have ever seen in your life. July 4th will be dicey.

Many of us are planning tentative dates for summer 2012. If one can leave dates flexible then that is best. For those who have to commit to dates now many of us are choosing dates as late in the summer as possible - more into August.

This article will bring you a bit up to speed on DCA construction.

http://micechat.com/blogs/dateline-...rthay-circle-fountain-e-ticket-pool-more.html

 

[june@imsarc.com]

Wow! Thanks so much for this info! We are total newbies to DL--pros at the world--I love the comparisons to WDW. We always rent a car, looks as if we don't need to here. We also get the meal plan, is there one in DL? Can you do a park in a day?

Feel free to keep the info coming. My kiddos are 20 (tentative on travel with parents), 16 and 11.

 

[Malcon10t]

Wow! Thanks so much for this info! We are total newbies to DL--pros at the world--I love the comparisons to WDW. We always rent a car, looks as if we don't need to here. We also get the meal plan, is there one in DL? Can you do a park in a day?

Feel free to keep the info coming. My kiddos are 20 (tentative on travel with parents), 16 and 11.

4th of July is second busiest holiday, next to New Years Eve. So plan on it being very busy.

There is a meal plan for Disneyland, but it doesn't save you a penny, and can cost you money. It really is not worth it.

At Disneyland, people don't worry about doing a park in a day. You park hop. It is about a 1 min walk out the turnstile of 1 park and into the other. Most people suggest 3 days minimum to do both parks, I prefer 5 or even more.

As for a car, where are you staying?

 

[Huff]

4th of July has been traditionally very crowded. However, we have been there the past few years and was suprised it was VERY uncrowded. On July 4th we were at California Adventure. It was dead! CM's however did say Disneyland was crowded. July 5th we were at Disneyland and crowds were light.

Summers are hot during the day but nothing like WDW's sweltering humid summers. Evenings are very nice.

 

[OnSpaceshipEarth]

Haha...I'm one of those WDW fanatics that actually loves all of the bus-rides and boats(when staying at Bay Lake Resorts.

I even cherish the Disney Express bus ride from the airport...although the one taking us back home is sad!

Someday I've got to make it out to Disneyland...everything in one place would make it a totally different experience. I love what I've seen of the 3 hotels they have there, as well.

 

[june@imsarc.com]

We are staying at the Grand Californian. The plan is to do DLR for 3 days and then also some other Southern California sights on the other 5 days.

 

[ArchOwl]

We are staying at the Grand Californian. The plan is to do DLR for 3 days and then also some other Southern California sights on the other 5 days.

Aww, I love the Grand. You will also have the benefit of Magic Morning for Disneyland, which you should definitely use on such a busy holiday. Also, as guests of the Grand, you will get to go into DCA earlier. All of this will come in handy. And depending on whether or not the construction in DCA is complete, you may get some nice little perks for staying onsite. This summer, for example, they gave guests complimentary FPs (which helped with the Star Tours revamp) and early access to Little Mermaid. I wouldn't be surprised if guests get something extra this summer if you are there when Carsland/rest of DCA re-opens.

I would definitely plan on park hopping everyday, since the parks are literally a two minute walk apart. There is no reason to limit yourself to one park a day. This comes in handy when one park starts to get crowded, or you want to see a show or eat at a restaurant in another park. You can parkhop as you please. Traditional wisdom had folks starting at Disneyland because they opened earlier, and hopping to DCA in the afternoon. But all this could change if DCA re-opens before you get there. They will most likely expand the hours of DCA, which could change how you tour.

Three days during such a busy time will likely make things very rushed for you. An extra day or two will give you time to see the shows and other attractions. If Carsland opens before you go, it will probably take a good chunk out of your day to experience it because it will be so popular. I would plan on some extra time.

I would make sure to buy your parkhoppers or other tickets before the price hike that will most likely be announced before your trip.

 

[sonnyjane]

Three days during such a busy time will likely make things very rushed for you. An extra day or two will give you time to see the shows and other attractions. If Carsland opens before you go, it will probably take a good chunk out of your day to experience it because it will be so popular. I would plan on some extra time.

I would make sure to buy your parkhoppers or other tickets before the price hike that will most likely be announced before your trip.

I couldn't agree with ArchOwl more! If you'll be in SoCal for 8 days, it seems almost criminal to only spend 3 at DLR if you'll be there during the busy summer season - and a holiday weekend at that. Even if you don't spend all day in the park - it's nice to have a multi-day hopper that allows you to go to the parks for a few hours. The longer your park-hopper, the cheaper each additional day, so I'd consider getting at least a 4 or 5 day hopper. It will make you feel much less rushed. I'd hate for you to feel as if you missed out on a lot of major things because you limited yourself to just three days.