How much do crowds die into the evening during the summer?

[Creaking Crypt Door]

So my trip to DLR will not only be my first in 10 years, but it will be the first time I'll really take advantage of the full park hours!

I was curious how much the crowds dissipate late into the evening? It looks like DCA will be open until 10 PM and DL until Midnight when I'm there. It would be great to know if I would be able to get some R&R at GCH mid-afternoon and then be able to head back at night and get a lot more done.

I'll be there late either way, but I was just curious.

Thanks in advance for the input!

 

[figment_jii]

I've found that there is a slight decrease in crowds after the last nighttime entertainment show ends, but it's not a big enough drop to make most of the "big" rides become walk-on. Things like Space, Indy, RSR, etc. will still have long lines at closing. I do think you can get a bit more done in the last two hours of the day than in the same amount of time in the middle of the day, but it won't be like the park is empty or anything like that.

 

[GatorChris]

I've never been to Disneyland where crowds got better during the evening. Even though the SoCal passes can't get in during the summer, there's still enough AP holders to start filling up DL after they get off work. I agree with Figment that the crowds drop off after the shows, but the shows don't usually start until 9pm so it won't help a whole lot.

 

[agamble]

It is a good idea to take a break midday and stay until close, assuming you can still get up early in the morning, especially if you're staying at the Grand and have EMH. The least crowded time is always in the morning. Yeah, 11pm at night is less crowded than 8pm at night, but consider who is there. You have families with older kids and also teens, etc. Those people can all ride the big rides. So less little ones around, but still plenty of riders. And with no shows, etc. everyone is staying for the rides.

I will add that Splash Mountain often has a decent wait during the last hour. We've been able to ride multiple times before.

 

[gottalovepluto]

YES to afternoon breaks at GCH! That is how we survive our Disney trips, during the heat of the day we head back to the hotel and return around dinner/just after. Even before we started staying GCH we did the afternoon break but being at GCH makes it so easy. (And the pool loungers are super comfortable fyi!)

During summer we notice the most "evening dropoff" when Disneyland closes at midnight and it is not a grad nite. We used to travel later in summer and had gotten used to some crowd easing from around 11pm to midnight and last trip we went earlier in the summer. We hit a couple grad nites and on those nights the crowds did nothing but grow and get rowdier as the night went on. On the nights that weren't grad nites the park closed at 10 or 11 and we didn't notice much crowd easing after the firework show. I hadn't realized how we'd gotten used to that 11-midnight hour of lower crowds until we didn't get it last trip. The ride lines aren't really shorter from 11pm-midnight it was just the crowd congestion that let up and made it feel nicer.

 

[jeffg4]

I agree with agamble. However, those who are driving be warned. If you stay to park close, you could be faced with a mass exodus and huge lines at the trams back to the parking lot. A few years ago it took us 45 min to get back to our car.

 

[Creaking Crypt Door]

Thanks for the info everyone! That all really makes sense. I never get wet on Splash Mountain, so riding it near closing sounds perfect!

I looked at the Grad Nite calendar and am fortunate that the last one is a week before I arrive...phew!

I'm so glad we made the decision to stay at GCH, it sounds like that will be a real life saver.

 

[TechGuy]

Don't forget, Grad nights are at DCA this year so many will be leaving DL for DCA to get to the party.

Sound like you will be there the same week as me.

 

[CassieF]

With the new night parade, and a showing after the fireworks, I'd expect crowds to stay longer. Typically people leave after the last night him entertainment which is usually the fireworks, and you'll still get a lot of people who leave after the first parade followed by fireworks, but the second grade I'd expect to still be a huge draw