Help me decide when to do DLR trip --> July or October

[mj23cj]

My family is planning a trip to So Cal this year to visit my sister and we thought we would go to Disneyland for 2 days while there (I realize we wont see everything but it was supposed to be only one Disney day and I had to talk hubby into 2 when I read about Carsland!). I have read a ton of posts on this site but cannot seem to decide when to go. I think I am trying to decide between July and October. My thinking is we want to go when Carsland is open cuz I dont know when we will be back but I dont want to go in June when it first opens. I feel like August and September will be too hot. It will be me, DH, DD4 and DD0 that will be 1 in October. We are looking to stay at PPH or DLH if I can get a good rate.

My questions are:
1. If staying at DLH I want to be able to take advantage of the pools!! Is it warm enough to swim in October? Are the pools heated?

2. What is the weather like in July? We are from Indiana and used to humidity but do not enjoy Disney when it is super hot out esp with 2 young kids. Is it still cool in mornings and evenings in July like it is in June? We are happy to take afternoon breaks for naps and swimming.

3. I know July will be busy cuz it is summer and esp because of Carsland opening but how busy are we talking? How long will average wait times be? I ask this because I read that in the off season sometimes waits are just as long because less trains, boats, elevators on each ride are running. We will obviously use the fastpasses as much as possible. If the dif between July in Oct is just more people in the park then I can handle that if it doesnt effect my standing in line time with two impatient kids!

4. Is October busy too? I keep reading about gay days, falls breaks for CA, AZ & Utah, halloween parties and something else I am forgetting. Will park still be busy cuz of Carsland in October?

Overall I think I would rather go in July because basically I am in severe need of a vacation and would like to leave tomorrow actually but I am willing to wait til October if the weather and crowds are much better!! October also brings school and while my DD4 is only in preschool she loves it and we will have to pull her out for a whole week. We also hope to go to the beach & San Diego.

So, WWYD?

 

[CamoMama]

We went in July 2010 and I'm going back in July this year with my parents.

1. I'm sure you would. I live in NorCal and it's usually HOT here until the end of October (it usually gets cold right before Halloween. Not sure if it's the same down south, but I'd be willing to bet that it is.

2. The weather when we went last was beautiful. It was in the 80s during the day and cool in the morning and evening. We had to buy hoodies because we weren't prepared for it to be so cool. It doesn't cool down up here in the evenings at all until September. It's definitely dry heat, which is different, make sure you stay hydrated.

3. It's going to be very busy, but the fact that annual passes for the locals will be blocked out definitely helps. I don't know how bad the crowds will be regarding Carsland, but I expect that area to be ridiculous for a while. The longest we waited last time we were there was 45 minutes for Peter Pan, but that is pretty much normal for that ride no matter what. I'd definitely take advantage of FPs, and I think that will be fine.

4. Annual passholders are able to visit the parks in October, along with gay days and the Halloween party I would expect crowds, but it probably won't be as busy as July. I'm sure Carsland will be drawing big crowds for a year or so after it opens, but that's just my guess.

I'm going in July because I have the opportunity to do so and my annual pass has no blockout dates. I'm also going in May, and maybe December to see the Christmas decorations. There really is no bad time to visit Disneyland as long as you are realistic in your expectations.

 

[Butterfly123]

I'm guessing that July will still be crazy with Carsland opening. We are going in July...that was the only time that worked for my family. If I could have waited for a couple more months, I would have. My kids are teens now, and they can stand in long lines, so that helps Good luck with your decision!

 

[ocmommy]

Go for October! Definitely less crowded than July!

1. If staying at DLH I want to be able to take advantage of the pools!! Is it warm enough to swim in October? Are the pools heated? The pools are heated and October is plenty hot.
2. What is the weather like in July? We are from Indiana and used to humidity but do not enjoy Disney when it is super hot out esp with 2 young kids. Is it still cool in mornings and evenings in July like it is in June? We are happy to take afternoon breaks for naps and swimming. We do not have humidity, it is in the 80's and a dry heat. It might only be cool for an hour 8-9 am, then HOT. If you choose July, the naps and swimming are a MUST.
3. I know July will be busy cuz it is summer and esp because of Carsland opening but how busy are we talking? How long will average wait times be? I ask this because I read that in the off season sometimes waits are just as long because less trains, boats, elevators on each ride are running. We will obviously use the fastpasses as much as possible. If the dif between July in Oct is just more people in the park then I can handle that if it doesnt effect my standing in line time with two impatient kids! The wait times for July can be an hour for unpopular rides (Jungle Cruise) and 2 hours for popular rides (Pirates, Buzz Lightyear). October October October
4. Is October busy too? I keep reading about gay days, falls breaks for CA, AZ & Utah, halloween parties and something else I am forgetting. Will park still be busy cuz of Carsland in October? The parks are so much busier in October than they used to be 10 years ago. Now that they decorate for Halloween, all the SoCal residents want to see it, and make it a family tradition. That said, the waits are still shorter than July, when all the kids are out of school and all the out of towners visit. Overall I think I would rather go in July because basically I am in severe need of a vacation and would like to leave tomorrow actually but I am willing to wait til October if the weather and crowds are much better!! October also brings school and while my DD4 is only in preschool she loves it and we will have to pull her out for a whole week. We also hope to go to the beach & San Diego. I pulled my daughter out of school to visit WDW in October and was so glad I did. The humidity nearly killed me, and it was October!

 

[HydroGuy]

I personally am originally from SoCal and would not consider swimming in October. But many people do it.

For weather info check this: "Detailed Weather Data for DLR" www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=23004158

For July and summer touring advice this may help: "Getting The Most Out of a Summer Visit To DLR" www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1345319

We do not know what to expect regarding July crowds. DCA especially will be busy. I suspect DL will be only normal busy which is not that bad usually.

October crowds tend to be more lumpy depending on Halloween parties and day of the week.

 

[nbliss]

We went late October last year, midweek. Keep in mind the hours are shorter then, but the crowds are lower, too. Midweek was terrific, I too took my kids out of school so we wouldn't have to be there on a weekend. Waits for rides Monday-Wednesday were 10-15 minutes. So cool! I'm certain we missed all of the vacations/gay days/etc. It got busier on Thursday and Friday, but still, I thought it was terrific. We thought the weather was great, and my kids swam at night at the HOJO pool. We are going again this year end of October.

 

[Amy&Dan]

October is not what it used to be! We first started travelling to Disney in October in 2003 and it just continues to get busier. It is however less busy than summer months, especially late October. However you will still have crowds, especially on weekends and weeks when schools in the region (AZ, Utah) have fall breaks. Our fall break switched from the third week to the last week and what a difference that made with the crowds. So if you can go in late October, I would try that. Just be aware that if you have just two nights, you may need to buy a Halloween ticket to get into Disneyland both of those nights.

We chose July for our next trip. I know carsland will make the summer very crowded but the fact the So Cal AP's are blacked out will help (I hope) and I also love the longer hours in the summer. We have done late June, August and pretty much all other months except July so this year is the year to try July out! I also do not like having to work around early closures for the Halloween party. I might go once, but then will be left out of the park on nights when I don't want to pay for another ticket and therefore can't get in.


I have always found at DL that if you can get there at park opening, its truly amazing what you can get done. If you stay at the DLH you will get in for Magic Mornings each day they are offered, if you stay offsite you will get one of those with your park hopper. Those also help.

I will add that we have had warm weather every single October we have been with only the occasional cool day. We always swim (heck we have swam in January and February in DL), its part of the vacation for us.

 

[mj23cj]

Thanks for all the feedback. I think I am leaning to an early October trip now. I was also wondering.....If I stay at DLH or PPH but buy my park tickets through somewhere besides Disney do I still get the MM days that the Disney hotels offer since I am staying there?

Also, if I buy a 2 day pass or even a 3 day pass how many days do I have to use this? I read some talking about going one day and then skipping a day and going the next day. This might be better for us to rest in between.

Thanks again!!

 

[DisneyMomma81]

I'd say weekdays mid July - mid Aug would be less crowded than most of Oct. The surrounding states Fall breaks cause BIG crowds, there's the Gay Days convention in early Oct.... I've heard late Oct is the best time of the month. Do you want to see the park in it's original state or all decked out for Halloween?

 

[GrandBob]

Thanks for all the feedback. I think I am leaning to an early October trip now. I was also wondering.....If I stay at DLH or PPH but buy my park tickets through somewhere besides Disney do I still get the MM days that the Disney hotels offer since I am staying there?

Yes, it doesn't matter where you buy your tickets. If you stay at a Disney hotel, you get MM every day it's offered.

Also, if I buy a 2 day pass or even a 3 day pass how many days do I have to use this? I read some talking about going one day and then skipping a day and going the next day. This might be better for us to rest in between.

Thanks again!!

You have 14 days from your first day of entry.

 

[mj23cj]

I actually would rather see the parks how they normally are & not with halloween decorations! I am not intersted in the halloween parties but I think these can be avoided. They are usually tuesday nights and on weekends right? Do you all think they will be at DL again this year? We plan to go to the parks during the week only no matter what month we go.

 

[Amy&Dan]

Another thing to consider with October is that if you enjoy fireworks they will not be going during the week in all liklihood. Fireworks are a big deal to me and my husband and we prefer to go during the time of year when they run all nights of the week. In October, our experience at DL has been they run Friday-Sunday. Things may be different now that they have the Halloween party going on the weekends. I haven't been to DL in October since 2009 (back then the Halloween party was at DCA).

Knowing that Remember will run all five of our nights in July is a good thing for me. For others, that is not a consideration at all, they are more into low crowds whereas I am there for the nighttime entertainment and find with the longer hours in the summer, even with the crowds, I get everything done and then some.