My DL trip report!!!

[Disturbia]

The week we went passholders were blocked on weekends which I didn’t realize. I thought weekdays would be less crowded but it was the opposite.

 

[wassily]

The week we went passholders were blocked on weekends which I didn’t realize. I thought weekdays would be less crowded but it was the opposite.

Yes, until the blocked dates are lifted, Mon-Thursday will be the busiest.
Friday-Sunday have consistently been shorter in wait times for rides. If you are doing multi-day passes, then Friday-Sunday is your best bet.
SoCal offer is cheapest on Mon-Thursday so that adds to crowd levels on those days.

Also, it feels to me that Disneyland is more staffed up on weekends.
I went on a weekday and for Space Mountain, they weren't using the exit lanes for rides. So people were getting on the ride as people were getting off. Thus adding to load times.
They also opened up the right track for matterhorn much later. Whereas on the weekend, it looked like they were maximizing ride capacity. Maybe it was just a one time thing.. curious to know for those that go often if they notice a difference in staffing between weekdays and weekends.

 

[DLgal]

Sept will be much better vs this week where it was almost 90 degrees one day.

September is typically the hottest month in Southern CA. It will likely be worse than its been this last week. This is the first actual HOT week we have had this summer, and it hasn't even been much warmer than 90. Prior to this, we've had highs only in the upper 70s/low 80s. The issue this last week has been the humidity. It's been very noticeable. It's from the monsoon season going on in the desert.

 

[Sarahyardley]

Yes, until the blocked dates are lifted, Mon-Thursday will be the busiest.
Friday-Sunday have consistently been shorter in wait times for rides. If you are doing multi-day passes, then Friday-Sunday is your best bet.
SoCal offer is cheapest on Mon-Thursday so that adds to crowd levels on those days.

Also, it feels to me that Disneyland is more staffed up on weekends.
I went on a weekday and for Space Mountain, they weren't using the exit lanes for rides. So people were getting on the ride as people were getting off. Thus adding to load times.
They also opened up the right track for matterhorn much later. Whereas on the weekend, it looked like they were maximizing ride capacity. Maybe it was just a one time thing.. curious to know for those that go often if they notice a difference in staffing between weekdays and weekends.

That is so helpful, thank you. I haven't been to Disneyland in 6ish years, and certainly at newbie at planning all of this. Do you know if passholders are blocked in September as well?

 

[wassily]

That is so helpful, thank you. I haven't been to Disneyland in 6ish years, and certainly at newbie at planning all of this. Do you know if passholders are blocked in September as well?

You can check here:
https://disneyland.disney.go.com/passes/blockout-dates/

September will be a different ball game as:
1) Many kids will be back in school (good for crowd)
2) some of the magic keys open up (bad for crowd)
3) Socal offers expire on the 15th (good for crowd)
4) Oogie Boogie Bash days will be important to know. (bad for crowd)

I would guess that after Sept 15th, when the socal offer expires and if there is no other new offer.... then this will open up the weekdays (and maybe weekends).
Weekends will be more populated by passholders as more of those dates open up.
Weeknights will be more populated by passholders.
However after Sept 15th, you will be impacted more by OBB nights.

Oogie Boogie Bash will take place at California Adventure. They will close down the park to "non ticketed for the event" guests at 6pm.
So, if you have CA for any of the OBB days and don't have park hopper, you will be short changed.
Can't buy OBB tickets as they are all sold out.
In Sept, the dates are: 6, 10 (D23 only), 13, 15, 18, 20, 22, 25, 27, 29.
Traditionally, whatever park has OBB... the next day, that park gets filled up. Because people know that they will be short changed, so they don't go to that park during OBB days.
So if history repeats itself, CA will probably be more packed on the day after.
Conversely, Disneyland Park is less full the day after OBB as most people are showing up at Disneyland Park during OBB nights.