DL First timer dates help

[Landon]

Hey there, planning a trip with my wife and two kids (2yo and 4yo). We are either going to visit either April 15-20 or Sept 10-15. Many of the crowd calendars say it is packed in the beginning of April around Easter and pretty dead the last part of the month. I like April because the weather seems mild and won't overheat my kids, but am a little nervous it will still be really crowded the dates I have. Alternatively we could go in September, but I hear it gets pretty hot during that time, and the parks open later which gives us less precious morning hours before nap time for the kids.

Any thoughts and or suggestions

 

[Landon]

I posted this in the commuinty forum but afterwards realized this is probably the better place to post. So I appologize for posting twice.

Hey there, planning a trip with my wife and two kids (2yo and 4yo). We are either going to visit either April 15-20 or Sept 10-15. Many of the crowd calendars say it is packed in the beginning of April around Easter and pretty dead the last part of the month. I like April because the weather seems mild and won't overheat my kids, but am a little nervous it will still be really crowded the dates I have. Alternatively we could go in September, but I hear it gets pretty hot during that time, and the parks open later which gives us less precious morning hours before nap time for the kids.

Any thoughts and or suggestions

 

[smartlabelprint]

It’s always crowded. Go with the better temps.

 

[figment_jii]

I'm guessing you're asking about this year (2018), because next year will be very different given that Star Wars Land is slated to open in the summer.

April: Your dates are probably after the peak Spring Break crowds (Spring Break season tends to peak the two weeks before and week after Easter, given that Easter is on April 1 this year). Now, that being said, Pixar Fest debuts on April 13, so I would expect pretty high crowds in the evenings as folks come in to see PtN in DCA and the new Pixar themed fireworks show in DL. My guess is that the morning and early afternoon crowds won't be too bad on the weekdays (caveat: I don't think there are really any times when things are "dead" in DLR anymore, except perhaps during major downpours). However, I would expect crowds on the weekend days (Fri-Sun) and the in evenings. By that point in April, I would also guess the parks are going towards an off-peak season schedule (at least in terms of opening times).

September: The weather can be hit or miss, but I've been there when it's horribly hot and when it's been pretty nice in September. September crowds are a bit more uncertain because of HalloweenTime. They haven't announced the HalloweenTime dates (probably not until mid-summer), but if you go before the start of HalloweenTime, the crowds might not be bad, but Haunted Mansion and Space are likely to be closed and that parks might be in a state of decorative transition. Once HalloweenTime starts, the crowds really pick-up, especially on weekends. September tends to be considered off-peak season, so the hours and entertainment tend to be reduced on weekdays.

I guess if weather and crowds are the two biggest factors, I would probably lean towards the April dates because of the weather. I don't know that there is a big difference between the dates in terms of crowds.

 

[tnzzz]

This is a tough one. I would say April dates because of weather and mostly likely longer park hours, but if you wait until September the pier will be open. We did similar September dates last year and it was in the 90s and pretty uncomfortable. But the crowds were better. However, the hours were short and I really disliked the 10am openings... it meant everyone pretty much showed up at the same time, and I generally like the first couple hours when the parks are quiet.
So if I were choosing, I would say April. I’ll take higher crowds for longer hours and better weather.

ETA: I also have a 2yo and 4yo and the heat was rough on them as well.

 

[Landon]

Thank you for the replies, another wild card is that my wife may be pregnant by the time Sept rolls around. Which would also make me lean in favor of April so that she can ride more of the rides, and not be trekking the parks in the heat of September pregnant.

On a side note, I have been comparing the waiting times at DL vs WDW the last few days and it appears that the waits at DL when its busy are still shorted than WDW when its busy, so with this being my first trip even on an average crowd day in DL it may not seem as bad with me being used to WDW lines.

 

[figment_jii]

On a side note, I have been comparing the waiting times at DL vs WDW the last few days and it appears that the waits at DL when its busy are still shorted than WDW when its busy, so with this being my first trip even on an average crowd day in DL it may not seem as bad with me being used to WDW lines.

From what I've seen on line, it seems like "Spring Break Season" may have already started in WDW. This is still somewhat an in-between time at DLR (crowds will start picking up over the next few weeks), although the F&W Festival just started. Also, DLR crowds seem more sensitive to weather (during the non-peak season at least), so the rains on the weekend might have depressed crowds.

The only other thing I would caution you, is to remember that DL is a "smaller" park compared to MK. So that the same sized crowds in both parks will feel considerably more crowded at DL because of narrower walkways and less open space.

Still, I think given your situation, April is probably the better bet.

 

[gottalovepluto]

Thank you for the replies, another wild card is that my wife may be pregnant by the time Sept rolls around. Which would also make me lean in favor of April so that she can ride more of the rides, and not be trekking the parks in the heat of September pregnant.

On a side note, I have been comparing the waiting times at DL vs WDW the last few days and it appears that the waits at DL when its busy are still shorted than WDW when its busy, so with this being my first trip even on an average crowd day in DL it may not seem as bad with me being used to WDW lines.

In that case I too would go with later April. Park hours are already out for part of that time: https://disneyland.disney.go.com/calendars/month/2018-04-01/ if you want any special dining reserve it now and then cancel if you decide to do Sept.

So crowds at DL get stuck. Like completely traffic jammed sometimes in DL (haven't seen that in DCA though). DLR has attempted to alleviate some of this over the years and moving PTN to DCA should help with evening crowd in DL. OH! You'd be there during the kick-off of Pixar celebration! Oh my. That's gonna be packed. Take your thoughts of DL will be better than crowded at WDW and throw them out the nearest window. A new firework show and PTN returning will have locals swamping the parks.

That said I would still do the parks in April over Sept because there is no way on God's green earth I would want to do Disneyland pregnant in Sept.

 

[azdisneylover]

I would go during April instead of September because of Dapper Days. Such a great time to go. It is a great time to have the family dressed up and photographed! If you go one week later, you may be able to still get discount hotel and tickets rates. Check out the Dapper Days website.