going in winter

[friendoffigment]

want to plan a first trip to disneyland. is february a good time to go. i am worried many things will be closed for refurb and night time entertainment will be limited. this will probably be a one time trip. for a first timer with the expectation that it will be one and done what time of the year would you recommend

 

[gottalovepluto]

Yep, Feb could most definitely see things closed for long refurbs and will see fireworks and fantasmic limited to weekends only.

For a one time only trip I recommend summer. But crowds! Pish. Disneyland is always crowded (well except for that weird period where ROTR wasn't open yet). During summer you'll usually see full park hours and full entertainment schedules. In general summer doesn't have the level of refurb activity you see in Jan and Feb.

 

[Malcon10t]

want to plan a first trip to disneyland. is february a good time to go. i am worried many things will be closed for refurb and night time entertainment will be limited. this will probably be a one time trip. for a first timer with the expectation that it will be one and done what time of the year would you recommend

Summer or early December (ie 7-20th). I would pick December if I could.

 

[JohnR5101]

I like September, right after labor day. Lower crowds, still warm (or even hot - so water rides are great). Weekend hours are still long, but I prefer mid week even with the shorter hours.
To me the shorter hours make it possible for my family to cope with 4-5 days. If its open til 12 each night, then I burn myself out, or if I leave earlier I feel like I'm missing something.

 

[tink89]

For a first trip I would not choose February. Maybe Nov-Dec. Long hours and a lot of entertainment.

 

[HydroGuy]

Some links that will help spell things out for you:

"Choosing When To Visit DLR: Summary of High and Low Season and When Each Happens" www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=36509602

"What You Should Know About Off-Season at DLR" www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=18462889

"List of American Holidays" www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1937849

"Historical DLR Park Hours, Entertainment and Refurbs" www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2291124

"Detailed Weather Data for DLR" www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=23004158

 

[Aurora0427]

want to plan a first trip to disneyland. is february a good time to go. i am worried many things will be closed for refurb and night time entertainment will be limited. this will probably be a one time trip. for a first timer with the expectation that it will be one and done what time of the year would you recommend

Both of the things you’re worried about will happen if you go in February. For a one and done trip, I would go the week before Thanksgiving or the week after Thanksgiving- the week before Christmas. Everything will be open, full entertainment schedule Friday-Sunday, and the magic of the holidays. My second choice would be summer because there will be nighttime entertainment every night and minimal if any rides down.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

Summer or early December (ie 7-20th). I would pick December if I could.

Agree with this. Go when the parks are prepared for crowds, have longer hours, fewer or no refurbs, have more staffing, and have a full entertainment schedule. Go when there is less chance of bad/freak weather -- DLR veterans can handle winging it when that happens, but for a first time visitor that could be challenging. Are you using crowd calendars to choose your dates? If so, see this thread: Most accurate crowd calendars?.

 

[Disney Rose]

For a one time trip I’d go in summer. Lately summer has been less crowded than expected but still had long hours and no rides down for refurb. Plus you avoid winter storms.