Going to Disneyland in August

[jneugs]

Like the title says, I'll be in Disneyland during August. The beginning to be more specific. I just have a few questions:
Is it really crowded?
Are the lines super long?
Is it reallly hot?
Any advice?

I've been to WDW over 5 times, but I have never been off the East Coast.
So any advice for this Jersey girl?

 

[Funball]

i have park maps for DLR if you'd like a set to help plan your magical trip! please pm me your address so i can send them

 

[green and chic]

The later in August you come the less crowded it is likely to be as schools will be getting back to session. If you want to see the World of Color at California Adventure I suggest booking a picnic meal (or a sit down meal at one of the restaurants) ahead of time so that you will have a fast pass to a reserved viewing area. There is plenty of good food in both parks, it just depends on your preferences. Also, Disneyland has a much smaller footprint than the Magic Kingdom does. That being said going through Disneyland made a few odd things about the Magic Kingdom make sense to us (hubby and I both grew up in Florida so we have both been to Walt Disney World plenty). Park hopping at Disneyland is so much easier than at Walt Disney World, you don't have to go through the security screening when you go between parks here as they are right across from each other. Downtown Disney in California is also very handy as it is right next to the parks, it isn't as impressive as in Florida but it is much more convenient. If you have more specific questions feel free to ask as I know both resorts fairly well.

 

[green and chic]

Forgot the "super hot" and "long lines" questions. It is not generally as hot as in Florida, mainly due to a considerably lower humidity in California. The long lines are a funny thing to us because we find that some of the rides that have incredibly long lines in Florida have really short lines in California. One ride that fits this description well is The Winnie the Pooh ride, in California it has almost no line and in Florida there was quite a long line when we went on it. It's a Small World usually doesn't have super huge lines out here, but the line can get long on occasion. We like to get a fast pass for Buzz Lightyear (one of our son's favorite rides) and then go on the Storybook Canal and maybe one or two other rides while we wait for our time to come for Buzz. Of course there are rides in California that you won't find in Florida so I would recommend you make those the primary goal of your visit. There is definitely some redundancy between the two resorts, but there are also unique things to each resort. If there is any way I can be of further help to you just let me know, I'd be happy to help a fellow Walt Disney World veteran find their way around Disneyland and make the most of it. They are such different resorts even though they have a lot of similarities.

 

[99haunts]

What time in august? When the ap holders are unblocked, the parks are alot more crowded. While still doable, (I myself braved this last summer) I believe that week will be very busy compared to the ones leading up to it.

 

[jenpace]

What time in august? When the ap holders are unblocked, the parks are alot more crowded.

We were there in August last year when the SoCal AP's were unblocked and it was SUPER busy! We're going back again August this year but planned the trip so that we were not there after the SoCal AP's were unblocked. Looks like they'll be unblocked starting the week of 8/22. If you want to avoid the biggest crowds, I would strongly suggest planning your visit to happen before 8/22