Lowest attendance days during holidays

[haydeecm]

I am looking to go to Disneyland for the holidays 2010, I understand they start on 11/12. I am looking to go 5-6 days, anyone have recommendations for the absolute lowest attendance during that period. Before Thanksgiving maybe?

I had already booked hotel for 12/10-12/16, but now I am actually making flight reservations and questioning myself thinking that might be too close to actual Christmas.

 

[3Minnies1Mickey]

During the week. Usually that week after Thanksgiving is pretty low crowds until Friday. The weekdays are good (except the week of TG since many schools have the whole week off). Weekends will be busier. If you can stick to weekdays only you won't miss out on any entertainment except Fantasmic! since the fireworks and parades are nightly during the Christmas season and WOC will still be nightly for the forseeable future. If F! is a priority I'd go to the parks Sunday-Thursday and see F! on Sunday night.

 

[JustAKid]

I am looking to go to Disneyland for the holidays 2010, I understand they start on 11/12. I am looking to go 5-6 days, anyone have recommendations for the absolute lowest attendance during that period. Before Thanksgiving maybe?

I had already booked hotel for 12/10-12/16, but now I am actually making flight reservations and questioning myself thinking that might be too close to actual Christmas.

We're booked for the 12/11-12/17 and while I do not think that these are LOW attendance days, per say, the local schools in and around Anaheim do not get out until the 17th for their holiday break. We thought this would be the best week to go before it REALLY gets crazy, but still close enough to Christmas that we could claim Christmas in DL. I did look and see that these dates are NOT blacked out for APs, though, if that is a factor (could be you HAVE an AP and decided on these dates based on that).

IMO, based on the research I've done, there really are no low attendance days around the holidays. It's very much hit and miss, and now with WoC going and no attendance patterns to compare it to, it leaves things even more up in the air.

I will say that another plus for these dates is that the parks will be open later (based on last year's hours cause goodness knows the website isn't updated), which I feel will maximize our time. I'm hoping that they'll have 2 showings of WoC, atleast, and if we have to wait a little longer in lines it won't be such a concern as the parks'll be open later! HTH!

 

[Sherry E]

3Minnies1Mickey and JustAKid are both correct.

As 3Minnies1Mickey said, if you can manage weekdays, those will be better than weekends. Also, reports have been that as soon as Thanksgiving weekend ends, things quiet down in the parks considerably in that next week, until the Candellight Processional.

JustAKid is also correct in that there are no real, absolute low attendance days during the season. Yes, you can catch the parks at times when it might be slightly less busy than other times, but the holiday season is tremendously popular (last year was the busiest holiday season at DLR in 10 years). I think that the first couple of weeks of December - until around mid-December - are the best options in terms of going in December. Once mid-December hits and the weekend right before Christmas rolls around, it starts to get steadily more crowded, reaching its peak in the week between Christmas and New Year's.

Also, as JustAKid mentioned, there are extra elements involved this year that were not present last year, such as World of Color. We don't know how that will affect crowds during the holidays - when the holidays are already busy to begin with.

For example, it is now Halloween Time at DLR. In the past, the last week or two of September have not been that busy - even though it was the start of Halloween Time. Usually, crowds pick up in October. But there have already been reports that this last week has been very busy on certain days, with the lines for rides exceeding expectations. I think some of that has to do with more people having AP's. Some of it has to do with World of Color increasing attendance in both parks since its debut, and some of it has to do with people just loving Halloween Time and making a trip out to partake in the festivities (even if they don't have an AP).

Christmastime will be busier than a non-holiday period simply because it's Christmastime. But I think your planned dates will be fine!! I don't think it will be 'slow' or totally uncrowded, but you won't be there for the peak of crowds!

 

[initiation]

I'd say it'll be medium busy. We've gone in 08 and 09 for the weekend of December 12th.. both years the parks were full of bodies, ride waits were up to 45mins for rides like Space Mountain and Screamin California... with FP's for Space Mountain capped by noon. It was unseasonably warm (in my northern california opinion)as well

In a nutshell, your weekday dates should be much more pleasant than that weekend, but don't expect the weekend to be slow. Enjoy!!

 

[Heymy]

I agree you should be fine during the week. We were there last year 12/13 - 12/15 and it was wonderful! We considered it empty compared to our trip in October. We got so much done, but that may have been because we were there without the kiddos And it was quite chilly, which I loved. Easy to throw on some jackets and gloves. I'm hoping for the exact same thing this year!!! Have a wonderful time!