May-September.. When would you go?

[WereObsessed]

We're planning our trip for 3-4 nights between May and September and are trying to figure out when to go. We were originally thinking end of June/early July for WoC but are getting cold feet about the inevitable hoards of locals We DL vets and are less about going on rides but more about the experience of just being there. We love hot weather but don't like crowds.

All things consider what would you suggest? And if it were your vacation, when would go and why? We'd really appreciate any advice

 

[nana50]

I'm going in May this year. The week before Memorial Day. By looking at the times that Disneyland is open I'm thinking they don't plan on it being too busy. September should be really good as almost everyone is back in school and the weather is beautiful. Maybe it will depend on whether you can wait until September. LOL

 

[Karebear]

We were there Sept last year--9/20 to 9/25. It was really quiet and empty except for 9/25 which was the start of the Halloween season. To give you an idea, we rode Grizzly Rapids on Wed. 9/23 in the afternoon (around 3:00) 3 or 4 times in a row because the wait was only about 5 minutes and my kids LOVE that ride. It was also hot that day (100 degrees)--so if you like hot weather then you would be happy Not sure if it is always that hot, but it was plenty hot while we were there. Hope this helps!

 

[carebee21]

I would vote for September. You'll have WOC and Fantasmic open for sure and the newness crowds will have worn off a bit. The kids will be back in school so the park will be less crowded than the summer months and they'll be putting up the fall decorations which are so pretty. But, keep in mind, haunted mansion will probably be down for it's Holiday Overlay...

 

[HydroGuy]

If you do not care about rides being open or shows being available, I think May is a great time to go. Especially this year. Next after that would be September.

 

[yupikgal]

Hydroguy...why do you say "if you don't care if rides are open or shows being available" which rides/shows will not be available in May? We are thinking of going the 22nd-27th, is that true for all of May? Also...when are the parks open until? We were there last August and they were open late (midnight in DL and 9p in CA) please tell me that at least the parks will be open late? My teens loved staying late!!

 

[HydroGuy]

Hydroguy...why do you say "if you don't care if rides are open or shows being available" which rides/shows will not be available in May? We are thinking of going the 22nd-27th, is that true for all of May? Also...when are the parks open until? We were there last August and they were open late (midnight in DL and 9p in CA) please tell me that at least the parks will be open late? My teens loved staying late!!

I mean two things. First, May and Sept are refurb months. Hence some rides are closed. In May this year BTMRR is closed for half the month, the Rivers of America are closed early in May along with all the ROA rides, and Fantasmic is down most all of May because of the ROA. In Sept HM goes down for installation of the holiday overlay, and now Space Mtn does too for a short time. Second, May and Sept are off-season which means reduced entertainment on weekdays. Therefore if you go on weekdays in May or Sept the crowds will be lower but the shows will be less and some rides will be down. If you go on weekends in May and Sept the shows will be more frequent and hours will be longer. But weekends are like mid-summer high season days as far as crowds go and if you want that you might as well just go mid-summer.

See:

"What You Should Know About Off-Season at DLR" www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=18462889

"HydroGuy's High Season/Off Season Tradeoff Rule" www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1199852

"Historical DLR Park Hours, Entertainment and Refurbs" - www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2291124