June Crowds

[ClaraOswald]

We are heading to the parks in late June.

Days in the park will be...

Thursday 22nd
Friday 23rd
Monday 26th
Tuesday 27th
Wednesday 28th

So I have a dumb question. If I start watching what the wait times are like in early/mid June....do the experts here think those are similar to the wait times we can expect during our trip?

I don't mean will they be EXACTLY the same. Just similar. Like if Big Thunder shows a 45 minute wait on a Thursday afternoon in early June...will it be sort of like that in late June?

Our last few trips have all been in January/February. I haven't been in the parks in June since 2006 so I know it's MUCH different now. Just trying to prepare myself for the heat and craziness.

 

[Winnowill]

I'd keep an eye on wait times beginning June 9th, when the SoCal Select passes will be blocked out. Prior to that won't really be representative since the SoCal people will be getting their last pre-summer hurrahs in.

 

[agamble]

I would also note that on June 22 and 23 all local APs are blocked. Whereas on your Mon-Wed the one SoCal AP is unblocked.

But yes, I think overall it's a good strategy and one I intend to use.

 

[SMD]

I think that the only thing indicative of what the wait times will be like on June 22nd will be checking the wait times on June 22nd. A lot can change between now and any day in late June.

 

[auteur55]

We're going the same week as you. Oddly is it packed has the last week as the lowest crowd time of June. I know they are unreliable and consistently wrong but I find I'm curious what drove them to that conclusion.

 

[ClaraOswald]

I would also note that on June 22 and 23 all local APs are blocked. Whereas on your Mon-Wed the one SoCal AP is unblocked.

But yes, I think overall it's a good strategy and one I intend to use.

So does that mean the Mon-Wed may be more crowded than? Boo.

We're going the same week as you. Oddly is it packed has the last week as the lowest crowd time of June. I know they are unreliable and consistently wrong but I find I'm curious what drove them to that conclusion.

Very interesting. They also have a "hey, it's alright" on a Saturday. Weird.

 

[longtimedisneylurker]

So does that mean the Mon-Wed may be more crowded than? Boo.

Actually, yeah I would go in expecting that to be the case and then be pleasantly surprised if it's not. We have been before in June on the last days before the So Cal AP was blocked out for that long 7-8 week chunk of summer, and we found it more crowded than when we came back a month later. I actually remember talking to quite a number of people during that trip who specifically noted that they were there to get their last Disney in before the block outs would lift in August.

 

[agamble]

So does that mean the Mon-Wed may be more crowded than? Boo.



Very interesting. They also have a "hey, it's alright" on a Saturday. Weird.

Yes, I expect your first few days to be less busy since locals are blocked. The last week of June is the last week that pass is valid until later in August. Your Saturday very well could be your least busy day. We're blocked that day and will be going home.

 

[auteur55]

So historically are the so-cal passes unblocked all of June? We went last year the 2nd week of June and I didn't think crowds were terrible (other then the hours of 11:00 to 5:00 where it was miserable). I was actually surprised how manageable Summer was but I remember everyone saying how crazy it was the week before when everyone was getting their last visits in. We also had a grad night on the Wed we were there and it was the lowest crowd day so you just never know what you're going to get.

 

[RobertaMomof2]

Yes, I expect your first few days to be less busy since locals are blocked. The last week of June is the last week that pass is valid until later in August. Your Saturday very well could be your least busy day. We're blocked that day and will be going home.

agamble, Quick question, we are only going for 1 day, on Sunday (June 25th) will that be blocked as well, or is that open to all the local AP people? Just curious, I can't seem to find the calendar to look myself. Thought I would ask you. Thank you!

 

[longtimedisneylurker]

agamble, Quick question, we are only going for 1 day, on Sunday (June 25th) will that be blocked as well, or is that open to all the local AP people? Just curious, I can't seem to find the calendar to look myself. Thought I would ask you. Thank you!

The only APs blocked that day are the So Cal select, the lowest level APs which are blocked on all Saturdays and Sundays throughout the year. So anyone with a higher level AP including the popular So Cal AP is good to go.

 

[RobertaMomof2]

Thank you, ok, will plan for a packed park then. Luckily, we are hitting CA, since my kids (not sure why) like that park more.

 

[ClaraOswald]

So wait....Saturday would be less crowded than Mon/Tues/Wed?? That seems so odd.

We are planning no park on Sat/Sun. We'll be doing other things like visiting family. And resting.

I am so confused on how many types of APs there are and when they are each blocked out. Does anyone have a link?

 

[Khokhonutt]

I am so confused on how many types of APs there are and when they are each blocked out. Does anyone have a link?

This is the one I've seen. We'll be there Monday through Friday, June 26-30. I've given up on worrying about the crowd level variables at this point. There are so many reasons to make you change your mind and yet from what I'm reading recent crowds haven't been at all what were expected. For us, we're charging in head first. One way or the other we'll have a cool story to tell when we're done.

 

[longtimedisneylurker]

So wait....Saturday would be less crowded than Mon/Tues/Wed?? That seems so odd.

We are planning no park on Sat/Sun. We'll be doing other things like visiting family. And resting.

I am so confused on how many types of APs there are and when they are each blocked out. Does anyone have a link?

https://disneyland.disney.go.com/passes/blockout-dates/#

 

[ClaraOswald]

Thanks for the links.

Hmm....I just can't decide if we should stick with our plan. Or go to the park Saturday instead of Monday.

Or if it really wouldn't make that big of a difference really at all.

 

[longtimedisneylurker]

...

Or if it really wouldn't make that big of a difference really at all.

Honestly probably not, especially considering that you are going to be there multiple days. For what it's worth though, I personally like to visit on Saturdays. I have had unexpectedly good luck with crowd patterns on non-holiday-weekend Saturdays. Also, I enjoy listening to the swing bands at Disneyland which only play on Saturday nights.

 

[agamble]

Thanks for the links.

Hmm....I just can't decide if we should stick with our plan. Or go to the park Saturday instead of Monday.

Or if it really wouldn't make that big of a difference really at all.

I think that if you are going for more than a day or two then crowds matter less. However, I know your son has some special needs, so just having lower crowds could be helpful for you. That being said, on any given day the mornings are the best. And the reason the passes are blocked on Saturdays is because Saturdays are generally busier. MiceAge just wrote something last week about this "problem" Disney has caused where Saturdays are more expensive for a one day visit and APs are blocked so they are much less busy, like off season busy. But it's summer, so I'd say it would still be busy, just less busy.

 

[ClaraOswald]

I think that if you are going for more than a day or two then crowds matter less. However, I know your son has some special needs, so just having lower crowds could be helpful for you. That being said, on any given day the mornings are the best. And the reason the passes are blocked on Saturdays is because Saturdays are generally busier. MiceAge just wrote something last week about this "problem" Disney has caused where Saturdays are more expensive for a one day visit and APs are blocked so they are much less busy, like off season busy. But it's summer, so I'd say it would still be busy, just less busy.

So do you think we'd probably be fine to stick with our original plan of NOT doing the parks Sat/Sun? I am just wondering if it's a slight crowd difference between Sat/Mon or a drastic difference. I suppose there's no way to really know.

 

[ClaraOswald]

I wish we could get more than 5 days on a pass for a reasonable price. Then we could hit up the parks for a little while on any day we wanted during our trip.