Disneyland crowds

[RickNJane]

We are currently at VDH (last week in Feb.). The parks are packed! Touring Plans crowd calendar got things totally wrong. Even at 10:30 the line to get into DL was very long. It was very surprising, at least to us. Thank goodness for early entry! Anyone else experience higher than expected crowds at any park this week?

 

[LAS2AMS]

The parks had some of the largest crowds I had ever seen this past Saturday. Partially due to kids off for break, partially due to increase in MK. Crowds were light on Sunday, though.

Many on here argue that Mondays are the busiest days, fueled by MK (the most popular MK is the lowest tier) and people “working from home.”

 

[RickNJane]

We went to CA on Monday and Wed. DL on Tuesday. After about 11:00 DL was packed. Today CA was packed starting at around 10:00 and there was a huge line to get into DL at 10:30. Thrill Data also showed wait times above average. Just took us by surprise. We were expecting below average crowds.

 

[LAS2AMS]

I think below average crowds exist only when it rains hard!

 

[LKing]

We went to CA on Monday and Wed. DL on Tuesday. After about 11:00 DL was packed. Today CA was packed starting at around 10:00 and there was a huge line to get into DL at 10:30. Thrill Data also showed wait times above average. Just took us by surprise. We were expecting below average crowds.

I don't doubt that it was more crowded than usual, but I think the lines to get into Disneyland are longer because they have so many turnstiles closed right now.

 

[disneychrista]

Crowd calendars are hugely inaccurate.

 

[OlliePop27]

The crowd calendar to look at is single day ticket prices. When there's weekdays with $104 priced tickets, it's packed. When tickets get up closer to $200, it's not.

MK blockouts also tend to be greater when ticket prices are higher.

If you want better crowds, go on a holiday weekend or a Saturday in July. High single day prices and max MK blockouts.

If you buy multiday tickets, the price is the same no matter what day you go.

 

[LKing]

And then there is this....

Not what you want to see, especially on a Wednesday.

 

[irlandaise]

And then there is this....

Not what you want to see, especially on a Wednesday.

View attachment 942399

What the heck??? Like you said, it's Wednesday. And not even a holiday week. What's going on??

 

[LAS2AMS]

What the heck??? Like you said, it's Wednesday. And not even a holiday week. What's going on??

It’s been like this for awhile. More MK ticket sales + the $67 SoCal ticket offer have a lot to do with it.

 

[OlliePop27]

It’s been like this for awhile. More MK ticket sales + the $67 SoCal ticket offer have a lot to do with it.

Correct. The past few years offseason weekdays are the most crowded. SoCal ticket deals, unblocked MK's, and less expensive single day tickets.

This is the way Disney wants it. They actually want holiday periods to be "less crowded" because they view those out of town guests as more lucrative, so they want them to have a better experience.

I'm not offering an opinion on whether I agree with it, but that's a stated objective of the company's crowd control regimen.

If people want lower crowds, holidays and summer are better bets than a random weekday in February (barring rain) - also paired with longer park hours, more entertainment and fewer rides closed.

It is still quite crowded, even during "less" crowded times though. For several years, many of us on here have known that July Saturdays are the golden ticket days of the year.

 

[ClaraOswald]

The crowd calendar to look at is single day ticket prices. When there's weekdays with $104 priced tickets, it's packed. When tickets get up closer to $200, it's not.

MK blockouts also tend to be greater when tocket prices are higher.

If you want better crowds, go on a holiday weekend or a Saturday in July. High single day prices and max MK blockouts.

If you buy multiday tickets, the price is the same no matter what day you go.

I always assumed holiday weekends would be super crowded since so many locals are off work. (At least that's the way it used to be.)

 

[VGCgroupie]

I remember when Feb used to be the slow season. Thats not the case anymore. I have never seen DTD so busy as I did my trip over valentines day weekend. Many will say thats because it's v-day and a holiday. Well I have been during v-day/holiday before and it was never that busy. I do think the kids $50 a day offer played a bit into the reason it was so busy at the parks, paired with conventions and cheer when I went. I would say the crowds were actually just as busy as some of my December visits in the past.

 

[Mommb]

I think below average crowds exist only when it rains hard!

It doesn't even need to rain hard, just for a while. I was pleasantly surprised 2 weeks ago when it was drizzling all day and we were able to do almost everything in Disneyland Park by 3 pm with waits of 10 minutes or less, even though we didn't arrive until around 9:30 am. ("Almost everything" didn't include Tiana, Rise of the Resistance, or Indiana Jones, which were down when we walked by, or Peter Pan, which appears to have a 45 minute wait permanently built in).

The next day, Friday, California Adventure was more crowded, especially in the afternoon, but not as bad as I had feared it would be.

 

[OlliePop27]

I always assumed holiday weekends would be super crowded since so many locals are off work. (At least that's the way it used to be.)

Nope, passes are blocked and single day prices are high = lower crowds. I intentionally chose July 4th weekend last year for lower crowds and was rewarded with blissful conditions. Going the same weekend again this year.

 

[Aspencreek]

Nope, passes are blocked and single day prices are high = lower crowds. I intentionally chose July 4th weekend last year for lower crowds and was rewarded with blissful conditions. Going the same weekend again this year.

Hmm.... that's a great idea. The 4th of July just happens to be somebody's birthday ( ) and I always assumed that day/weekend would be crazy busy. But if it is dead then somebody may just have to plan a bday trip there this summer!

 

[JerrodDragon89]

Its busy....you might get lucky but its bsuy from now...until next year most likely

the 70th will bring people in...the cheap tickets are bring people in now and Halloween and Holidays are always nuts

So yeah....anyone saying Disneyland cost too much make them see the crowds...clearly people are fine with the prices and crowd levels for those prices

 

[LKing]

Not all holidays are blocked for MK. Three of the four keys are able to go on Memorial Day, Labor Day, President's Day, MLK Birthday, etc.

@VGCgroupie I think some of what you experienced was a three day weekend following a couple of very rainy days. People were itching to get out of the house.

 

[RickNJane]

Not all holidays are blocked for MK. Three of the four keys are able to go on Memorial Day, Labor Day, President's Day, MLK Birthday, etc.

@VGCgroupie I think some of what you experienced was a three day weekend following a couple of very rainy days. People were itching to get out of the house.

Maybe, but the park reservations were sold out for today. Early Entry has been our friend. We ride Lightning Lane attractions during early entry. This puts us in line before any competition in standby by the Lightning Lane folks. Our strategy was to have multiple park days, go to the parks during early entry. Hit the Lightning Lane Rides early, then leave around 1 or 2 in the afternoon. So far it has worked very well.

 

[MonocularVision]

My sister was there this week and she was so taken aback by the crowds in Feb for the second year in a row. I wish she would listen to my advice.