Quiet days in Disneyland / CA

[Pyrotechnictigger]

Hi folks Being from England, we don't get to DL as often as we'd like and it's normally in summer holidays. We did though make it in November in 2013 and were shocked at how busy it was. So the question is, has anybody ever been on a "quiet" day or are there always 10,000+ people there? As a point of reference, my daughter and I went to a big local theme park earlier this year on a cheeky Monday outside the hols and it was utterly dead. We went on everything as many times as we wanted. Just wondered if DL was ever like that?

Cheers

 

[mom2rtk]

I actually think 10,000 would be considered a dead day at DL.

We were in the MK at WDW once and the crowds were pretty reasonable and a CM told us there were around 30K there that day.

 

[maltdizzy]

Superbowl Sunday

Very few "dead" days at Disneyland.

Autumn is a busy time for DLR (relatively speaking, far busier than it is for WDW)...between multiple stagger school breaks for the U.S. (all school districts have their own schedules), the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday (4th Thursday in November), and the very popular Halloween Time and Christmas promotions. Promotional discounts in Autumn are few and far between because they stay so busy. By contrast, in WDW, typically offers some of their biggest discounts to attract visitors.

Spring (excluding Spreak Break time periods around Easter) is their "slow season." There are no major marking promos going on and they usually schedule their major renovations and ride refurbs bnetween New Years and Easter and Easter and mid-May. By Memorial Day (last Monday in May), the first schools are out and summer season has begun.

Also, Disney now schedules their race weekends that were, typically, the slowest weekends of the year to boost attendance.

 

[mom2rtk]

If I was looking for a low crowd time, I would probably find out when the local schools go back after Christmas and go the following week.

 

[limace]

I went once the Thursday or Friday after Labor Day-early September for those of you across the pond -and it was so quiet. Probably my single favorite Disney day ever-ride Splash twice in a row without having to get off, for instance. Weather was beautiful, too.

 

[Indiana Scott]

May I ask when you went in November?

Thanks,
Scott

 

[Eclectic Goddess]

We went in early January once, specifically because we were hoping for less crowds. Aside from the time of year, we also went during the week and it happened to rain a couple of the days we were there. The parks were so empty in the morning! As the days went on, they did fill up some, but the lines stayed relatively short, and it never felt "crowded".

One morning, we were taking a break to enjoy some Mickey beignet in New Orleans Square, and we realized that there were no other guests in sight. It was 10:30ish, and the only person we could see was a cast member. It was awesome.

 

[Pyrotechnictigger]

@Indiana Scott Nov 11th for a week.

 

[RemainSeatedPlease]

I have had the best luck for low crowds on weekdays in January. Especially on rainy days. I also went on Superbowl Sunday once, and the place was dead while the game was on. It was great! However after the game ended crowds picked up considerably.

 

[Indiana Scott]

@Indiana Scott Nov 11th for a week.

Thanks!
We plan on going the first week of Nov. this year and all my research has so far suggested it will be quite slow during that week.
Good luck on your upcoming trip!!

 

[GoBears 1980]

The days of a 10,000 crowd at Disneyland are long gone. A "slow" day is more like 25,000-30,000 these days. Those days are generally Monday to Wednesday during winter, but you also have to be aware of holidays, school breaks and which conventions are at the Anaheim Convention Center.

 

[tlovesdis]

I don't think there is a 'dead' time at Disneyland anymore sadly! There used to be, but I've noticed over the last 5 years that no matter when I go (I have an AP so I go several times a year) it is busy!

 

[jammyjam25]

I went in early May 2012, just between the end of all the Spring Breaks and before kids started getting out for the summer and the park was nice and quiet! I don't know if it's changed since then with marathon weekends, etc.

 

[Angrose]

The slowest time I've seen so far was our end of January trip in 2013. We were there Thu, Jan 31st and Fri, Feb 1st. The parks were sooo quiet and we had mid-70 degree weather, it was fantastic! The only drawback was that some rides were undergoing maintenance. Splash and Grizzly were down, which is understandable during the winter, plus IASW was closed to remove the holiday overlay. It did start to pick up Friday afternoon/evening when people got off work. That said, we had no problem seeing the fireworks from Main St. with no advance planning and very little wait.

Also, even during the busiest of times, Sunday mornings in DL are GOLDEN! It's so quiet and you can practically walk on or have very little wait for most rides for the first two hours. It's my most favorite time in the park!

 

[Winnowill]

...the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday (3rd Thursday in November)...

It's the fourth Thursday. Just FYI for our out-of-country friends.

We were there in late April, 2013, and experienced crowd levels of, like, 1 on Monday and Tuesday. It was great.

 

[maltdizzy]

It's the fourth Thursday. Just FYI for our out-of-country friends.

We were there in late April, 2013, and experienced crowd levels of, like, 1 on Monday and Tuesday. It was great.

So true...I must of flash back to the FDR administration (which was well before my time!).

 

[nicolispicoli]

I feel like every trip I've gone to in November wasn't bad. Now they have the Avengers Marathon during Veterans Day weekend, so I don't think one can call it "quiet" anymore, but those days during the week after the weekend events probably are quieter. And we've gone the weekdays after that, close to that weekend before Thanksgiving week and it was perfect.

As far as February, it's usually been extended around Dapper Day. DD in 2014 was VERY busy, horribly busy, but the days around it weren't bad at all. DD this year was totally manageable, not that bad (possibly because of the rain), definitely better than the year before and the days after it were indeed quiet.

I know so many people say there's no such thing as downtime or quiet/slow at Disneyland anymore, but I disagree. Those trips have always been VERY manageable for me and I do not heart crowds, which is why as a Deluxe AP holder, I pretend like Disneyland doesn't even exist in the summertime.

 

[Abbey1]

When we went in February, it never felt very busy. The longest we waited for any ride was like 25 minutes and most rides were under a 5 minute wait.

 

[nicolispicoli]

@Abbey1 same for us...totally ideal Disney conditions for us. My 4-year-old still doesn't understand the concept of waiting in line, so the waits during that time are perfection!!

 

[Sherry E]

I think that when people say there is no such thing as down time or quiet, slow periods anymore, it's true and it's not true all at the same time. I don't think it is a statement that can be disregarded, because a lot of the crowd analysis is subjective and based on personal perspective/perception. Chances are, most of us are not looking at actual attendance numbers and stats on how many people are in the parks on a given day when we deem a period of time at DLR as crowded or not crowded. Instead, we are using or own internal barometers and gauges to determine what is too crowded or very manageable for us and our own personal tolerance levels.

There are days when some of us might be in the parks and think that the crowds are totally fine and tolerable. Someone else might be in the parks on those same days and find that the crowds are too much to handle. Everyone has their own tolerance level. I've seen people say that New Year's Eve at DLR was not that bad, whereas other people found the crowds to be way too much to handle.

All I know is that this is not the same Disneyland that I grew up with, where -- back then -- there were actual extended chunks of time when the park was slow, and other times when the crowds were ghastly. These days, Disney makes a point of trying to offer special events or attractions during times when it might be slower (like Frozen Fun, for example), with the intention of luring in more people.

I'm not saying that the parks are wall-to-wall packed every single day of the year, but I honestly do think that the extended chunks of "quiet" days have lessened and become fewer and far between.

Also, weather plays a big role. if we are having a crazy, out of the ordinary heat wave, that can keep people away. if we are getting pummeled with heavy rain -- or if there is even a good chance of rain -- that can keep people away (and El Nino weather is supposedly coming this Winter, so that will definitely have an impact on crowds). If there are no weather situations happening, but the Halloween Time season and/or the Holiday Season is going on, there will be a lot of people on many days, as those seasons are extremely popular. Holidays (Veterans Day, Columbus Day, etc.) will put more people in the parks as well, simply because a lot of folks are off of work and school.