Need help choosing a "good" saturday...

[initiation]

Hi everyone. So we just got back from our trip to DL from 10/14-10/17 (was supposed to be through the 18th but the capacity crowds + heat on friday made us bite the bullet and rush home a day early) and unfortunately it was not the magical trip we had envisioned. Crowds were out of control (despite my best efforts to choose a slow period), the heat was crazy for "october".. the halloween decorations were ok, there were pratically NO characters in either park over the three days (saw only the group of villans by it's a small world photo op and the ToT party). My knee started giving out mid ToT party and continued to plague me.. and my HOJO "Premium Disny View Room" booked six months ago for a "high floor away from elevators" was room 1403 - in front of the elevator, 4th floor. It says on the HOJO site that requests will be honored first come first serve, but I have trouble believing there were that many reservations six months in advance that I was at the bottom of the list. However, the F! dragon is up and is totally worth the wait!!!!

So.. our AP's expire 12/13/09. We're slightly broke.. but I really want to do a "make up trip" on a Saturday during the Christmas Season/before they expire because this is going to be it for awhile. Fly in via southwest- priceline a cheap room - fly out. I'm thinking about 12/12/09, but I need help in figuring out if that's the "slowest" saturday before 12/13 or if there's something I'm missing and there might be a better day? Thanks so much!!

 

[DangerMouse]

Sorry your trip was cut short and was disappointing. I hate to be the bearer of additional bad news, but you are not going to find a quiet Saturday in December. It just doesn't exist with the 80,000 AP holders that DLR currently has. Any chance you can pick a mid-week day?

 

[Brady's Mom]

Once the Christmas season starts DLR has all of the entertainment running daily, so maybe a weekday would be better??? If you can swing it? Just watch out for Candlelight Processional and Cast Member Christmas parties and Thanksgiving.

It looks like your two best Sat. options are Nov. 21 or Dec. 12 - but I would expect them to both be BUSY even though they are not scheduled for any additional Holiday stuff (Thanksgiving, CP or any other Holidays).

 

[drag n' fly]

The only time I find Saturday's tolerable is when the local AP's are blocked.

 

[DangerMouse]

The only time I find Saturday's tolerable is when the local AP's are blocked.

Agreed! And in December, they aren't blocked out until the 19th.

 

[LittleWoodenHead]

The only time I find Saturday's tolerable is when the local AP's are blocked.

Agreed! And in December, they aren't blocked out until the 19th.

What calendar are you looking at?

According to the AP Blockout Calendars on the Disneyland website, the Local Annual Passes (So Cal & So Cal Select) are blocked out every Saturday all year long. Since these 2 constitute the majority of Passholders, Saturday crowds are often better than what you'll find on a Friday evening or Sunday day.

Premium AP's have no blockout dates, and Deluxe AP's are only blocked occasionally (not until Christmas Eve this year).

To the OP: I'd avoid Saturday the 5th like the plague. It's Candlelight Processional weekend, so there will be huge crowds regardless of blockout status.

I think your best bet is December 12th, or possibly the Saturday before Thanksgiving.

 

[DangerMouse]

LittleWoodenHead is right. I'm in a cold-medicine induced stuper and thought Deluxe's were blocked out on the 19th as well as S. Cal. But having attended just about every Sat in Dec in the past I still stick with my previous assessments, Saturdays are crazy crowded.

 

[initiation]

Thanks everyone for your input! As you can probably guess, we bought the AP's on a Saturday last year.. 12/13/08. Crowds were fair and tolerable. I totally forgot to check about the blockout dates for the more common APs, so I'll see which set of dates works out better than the others and jump in. I saw they're brining back the holiday fireworks show, which was amazing last year!!

 

[rentayenta]

LittleWoodenHead is right. I'm in a cold-medicine induced stuper and thought Deluxe's were blocked out on the 19th as well as S. Cal. But having attended just about every Sat in Dec in the past I still stick with my previous assessments, Saturdays are crazy crowded.

I enjoy a good cold med stupor.

 

[drag n' fly]

No cold med stupor here....just uninformed stupidity on my part