May Trip Advise

[Lizzie-in-Texas]

Hi everyone,

I have been following the thread regarding vacationing during the Tinkerbell half marathon week and would also like some advice from those of you that have been during May.

We are planning our first Disneyland vacation (we are WDW vets) and our options are either the week of May 9th, which would be the week after the half marathon, or the week of May 16th which would include one grad night on Wednesday, May 18th (per several websites that are listing 2016 dates).

We are planning to stay at the Desert Inn but purchasing our tickets through Disney so we will have access to one early entry at the Disneyland park. Our plans are to go to California Adventure on Tuesday (non-early admission day) and then Disneyland on Wednesday and Thursday (using the early entry on Thursday).

If you had to choose, which week would you prefer? How much do the grad nights effect the crowds at Disneyland? We would not be going to California Adventure on Wednesday.

Thank you for your advice.

Lizzie

 

[Bud Ice]

Grad Nights do affect traffic, also school letting out in general. Might be ok for both dates, but ealier May the better.

 

[Indiana Scott]

We have gone many times during that time of year and prefer the first week of May or as a second choice, the second week of May.
Crowds are generally low and it's spring so the parks are beautiful.

 

[gottalovepluto]

If you pick the grad Nite week option I would count on not being able to do DL Wed night. If you really want to go that week get park hopper tickets so you can go to DCA when grads start filling the park (in large numbers by dinner usually, becoming somewhat noticeable after lunch). I've been on a few grad nites over the last couple years and a couple times we were dumb enough to try to brave it- don't. It's not the "they're so rude" so much for me as it was the sheer number of them and they usually sell out their grad Nite programs.

 

[tarheelalum]

Try to avoid grad nights. I'd take marathon crowds any day over a grad night.

 

[agamble]

We've been around the 16th twice and in 2005 I went around the first week of May. Grad nights don't bother us too much, so long as there aren't several during one trip. I'm not sure how the marathon will affect crowds, but generally I think it is mostly the weekend of that gets extra busy. Memorial Day is nice and late this year, so you won't have to worry about that with the week of the 16th. I'd say either week is probably pretty similar. If you can go the earlier week it is likely better though. One thing to keep in mind as far as crowds go for either week is you'll likely see a lot of school groups, non grad-night groups. Sometimes those 8th graders are worse than any group of graduating seniors...

 

[Lizzie-in-Texas]

Thank you to everyone for your replies.

I want to be able to take Disneyland off my bucket list where it has been since I was 10-years old. I thought I was going to go one summer as part of our family vacation to California only to have my father lovingly look into the wide eyes of his daughter while standing on Harbor Street (I guess that’s what it was named waaaayyyy back then) posing for a picture with the Disneyland parking lot sign in the background to only be told we were going to Knott’s Berry Farm. I was so close to my dream, yet so far away.

Since I’m now almost as old as Disneyland, I thought I would celebrate its 60th with my own triumphant walk down the original Main Street.

Thanks again to everyone for the excellent advice and I think I’ll book the trip for the week of May 9th.

Lizzie