Didn't make me feel better! I'm going this weekend!
Just go as early as possible and start grabbing FPs for any ride you want to ride as soon as you can. Have one person in your party be a FP runner, so you don't have to drag all the kids around with you everytime it's time to get another FP. Do MM and hit the FL rides as early as possible and get them done, because later you may not be able to get on w/out a long wait. If I were going at a really busy time, I would set aside one day to watch the parades, F! and fireworks. That way, during the rest of the trip while everyone else is rushing to catch these attractions, you can
almost walk on any ride.
Kick back, relax and enjoy the day. If you can wrap your mind around the fact that yes it may be busy, but you are on vacation in the Happiest Place on Earth, then maybe you can keep it in perspective. You can make your own fun.

Going at the busy times requires a little more patience because it's all a series of trade offs, but you can still have a great time! We always go at one of the busiest times of the year, but we still have a fantastic time!
Just refuse to let the crowds and rude people get to you, and you should be fine. (Yes sometimes there are rude people in DL, just as anywhere else in the world. They are the ones who forget that they are in DL, lose their minds because it's busy, and start running people over with their strollers, cut in line, start screaming at their kids because they're losing their mind

etc...) I
refuse to let anyone else ruin my fun no matter how busy it is and how rude they are.

I just look at those kind of people w/
a lot of empathy because they don't even realize that they are ruining their own vacation and potentially ruining others' as well.
You may have to do more people watching, and wandering around looking at DL sights, snacking and eating churros

to kill time in between rides and FPs, but you're still in DL

and that beats the heck out of being at home working like the rest of us sad sacks!
Have fun, you're going to
Disneyland!
