Here now...

[Mommy to Kayla]

I was fortunate enough to have a work conference all week at the convention center and stayed at the Hilton. We wrapped up yesterday at noon and I made a beeline to DL. Bought a two day park hopper and was shocked at how busy the parks are! I mean, jam packed with people, just like the middle of June. The only difference I could tell between this visit and my summer visits was the weather. The first weekend in December (after Thanksgiving) use to be pretty slow. What happened? We came on this exact weekend 5 years ago and it was a ghost town.
Is there any time that is good (less crowds) to visit the parks these days? And I’m not complaining because I’ll keep coming back, just super surprised.

 

[SOCALMouseMommy]

Last week (immediately following Thanksgiving weekend) Monday through Wednesday was really low crowds.. things started picking up Thursday/Friday and now I think the holidays are in full swing.

Personally, just in my experience the last year I found February-March to be pretty good (before spring break), and early June to be good (after spring break and a lot of grad nights but before the summer was in full swing). Honestly, I went once on a Saturday in July and I thought the crowds were fine. It was during the time when many APs are blocked and I think that makes a big difference. Try to come when APs are blocked out (not Christmas though). Also September was nice until Halloween time started and then it was super busy until after Halloween.

 

[Mommy to Kayla]

Wow, you aren’t kidding. I mean, massive lines, tons of people. I was shocked!

 

[mom2rtk]

It's Candlelight weekend. We just left a very busy park. Wednesday and Thursday were pretty nice though.

 

[chickapin parterre]

Thanksgiving happened to you, but then I checked 2012 and it was corporate greed that ruined your weekend this year and made you very lucky in 2012, .....because....you partook in Disneyland history in 2012......CP was 20 nights long in 2012, not just 2 nights, like 2017, and your 2012 weekend was by invitation only, so all the rest of the folks had choice from the remaining 18 days to find prime seating....giving you that one moment in time of Disneyland happiness.

 

[Geemo]

Wow, you aren’t kidding. I mean, massive lines, tons of people. I was shocked!

Shocked....

We ended up at DLR on a CP weekend once too.

To the new normal.....


There are few times of the year now that the parks aren't crowded. The busy levels have really grown.
As far as "Ghost Town" days, they are pretty much a thing of the past. Unless it's raining.

G

 

[Mommy to Kayla]

Thanksgiving happened to you, but then I checked 2012 and it was corporate greed that ruined your weekend this year and made you very lucky in 2012, .....because....you partook in Disneyland history in 2012......CP was 20 nights long in 2012, not just 2 nights, like 2017, and your 2012 weekend was by invitation only, so all the rest of the folks had choice from the remaining 18 days to find prime seating....giving you that one moment in time of Disneyland happiness.

Wow. I had no idea that weekend was a fluke. After that weekend I always wanted to get back to it, I told everyone it was the one empty weekend. Sigh

 

[midnight star]

Shocked....

We ended up at DLR on a CP weekend once too.

To the new normal.....


There are few times of the year now that the parks aren't crowded. The busy levels have really grown.
As far as "Ghost Town" days, they are pretty much a thing of the past. Unless it's raining.

G

True that! That's why now it's so crucial to plan your visit even if you're visiting for just one day! You want to make sure you get your money's worth. The last time I can remember DL not being insanely packed was in March 2012. I went on a Wednesday and my dad and I did about 8 rides by 2 pm, then left around 4 because were done lol. I had never moved around the park so easily.

 

[dina444444]

True that! That's why now it's so crucial to plan your visit even if you're visiting for just one day! You want to make sure you get your money's worth. The last time I can remember DL not being insanely packed was in March 2012. I went on a Wednesday and my dad and I did about 8 rides by 2 pm, then left around 4 because were done lol. I had never moved around the park so easily.

This year the least crowded days I had were every Saturday in late June through the end of July. On July 8 I rode every headliner at least 2 times and all fast passes were pretty much immediate return times through the day (got to the park at 9/10am and was there until 9/10pm). Furthest FP out was for Space and that was only 40 minutes around 3/4pm. This was before the fixed the holding several FPs with immediate return time thing that was going on. Last year in December on Friday the 23rd we had biblical rain that evening and I was in the park from about 6pm-10pm. Walked on to Tower 3/4 times, walk on single rider at RSR (standby was only about 30 min or so if I remember correctly), walked on to Soarin, and several other rides in that 4 hour period of time before calling it since I still had to drive home in the rain and I was starting to get cold. Even NYE last year on a Saturday night wasn't bad at all because it rained most of the day. And July 4 was nowhere near as crowded as every Saturday in October for halloween time was. I'm hoping this coming summer will be a lot like this past one but I'm not holding my breath for that.

 

[Meriweather]

We're here too.....and it was super busy yesterday.
We just walked around....or tried to. Candlelight made some of that really hard.
We had BB Fantasmic! booked, so did that and watched the fireworks (I wasn't too fond of them).

We're at Villas at the Grand and half the doors on our "lane" have check out notes on them....so here's hoping.