Self-reflection (more than an actual question) - July visit???

[Maddysdaddy]

Hi all. Not really a question here, more of a self-reflection in the hopes that if I put my thoughts on 'paper', I can come to a decision.

Even with all the hassle and cost of flying down from Canada to go to the parks, I do it because my family loves it and the parks myself are my "happy place", where for 15 hours a day, for a few days a year, I can kinda/sorta forget about the office, deadlines and deliverables and just enjoy my time with wife and daughter (my vacation rule is that I'll work before 7 in the morning and after 10 at night, but not in-between). That being said, we have always had the luxury of travelling in slower seasons, where it is rare that waits are longer than 15 minutes or so for most rides and attractions (except, of course, for RSR and TSMM), which helps keep my stress levels while in the parks relatively low.

My issue is this - we're flying down to So. Cal in mid July, and my heart is saying to me, "Hey dummy, you can't fly all the way to San Diego and not drive up to DL for the day", whereas my head is saying, "Hey dummy, as much as you love DL, you are absolutely going to hate it when there are twelve gazillion people in the park and you are waiting in long lines for everything".

As much as I hate setting myself up with self-fulfilling prophecies, I'm just picturing myself in the park with all of the summer crowds, and it's not a pretty sight - I'm already stressed, burned-out and sleeping less than 3 hours a night, and knowing myself, if I'm in the park with wall to wall people, my stress level will go thru the roof and I will end up ruining the experience for my family.

The flip side of the argument is that my daughter will be entering grade 5 in the fall, so the ability to have her miss a week's worth of school so we can travel in less crowded times has come to an end. Ergo, if we don't go to DL now, I don't know when we'll be able to make it back - and the thought of not knowing when we're heading back to Disney makes me really, really sad.

So in a nutshell, the dilemma is whether we go (and I end up hating the crowds and lines, and by extension, end up having my most recent Disney memories be bad ones), or we don't go (and I end up with a giant pit in my stomach every time I see a Disney commercial on tv)?

Logically, I know that there is a third alternative - go with a positive attitude and don't let myself get stressed and anxious about crowds/lines/rudeness, but I'm just not in that head space right now.

And before this turns into a "maddysdaddy is having a pity party for himself" post, I totally understand how very, very fortunate I am to have had the ability to have visited Disney multiple times over the past few years, and that the things that cause stress in my life are what have allowed my family to have made those trips, so I should just suck it up and stop whining - and quite frankly, given how many people never even get the chance to go to Disney, and have trouble just keeping a roof over their heads and food on the table, I feel immense guilt about even posting such a trivial problem - "poor baby, stressing about whether he should go to Disneyland yet again". I just figured that if any group of people could relate to what's rolling around in my head right now, it would be the diehards on the Disboards.

The sharing of any insight (or conversely, insults) is appreciated - I know I've set myself up to be flamed, so I promise not to get defensive.

 

[wakica]

In the end you have to do what feels like it will be the best solution for you but I would have a hard time being close to a Disney park and not going to it as well!!! Seems such a shame to not go to your happy place.

With that the only other thing I want to say is that if you do it right, you can enjoy it for the most part without those huge crowds.

Get to the park before opening, visit the most popular rides then and save the less popular rides for later in the day.

I think you can do it AND enjoy it if you do it this way

Good luck making your decision!

 

[Mugglemama]

I don't know if this helps, because the visits I'm talking about took place between 6 months and 2 years before Cars Land opened.

My family visited DLR for 5 days in July of 2010. I, too, was concerned about crowds, but due to the fact that we were treating some of our extended family to this vacation, we could only go when the 2 kids in their group were out of school (our immediate family can go whenever we want because we homeschool).

So, we went in July. And it was SO tolerable. I was extremely surprised. Granted, I spent weeks planning like crazy, which meant we had a very solid game plan every day (which we used sometimes and sometimes we didn't...). Also (and this might be a biggie), back then you could still use FP's after the timeframe listed on them (that trip was actually the first of only 2 times my family ever took advantage of that little trick - and we only needed to use it minimally, to be honest - but it definitely helped).

The next time we went was at the very end of January (29th, 30th, 31st) of 2012. And you know something? It actually felt MUCH more crowded that visit.

We have also visited for 5 days in August (again, pre-CL), and despite my concerns about crowds, that trip was BETTER crowd-wise than the trip we took the following year which occurred in September.

So, I don't really know what any of that means (and I also don't know if any of it is relevant now that Cars Land has opened and I know that has affected crowds in a big way), but I just thought I'd share what our most recent Summer vs. non-Summer experiences were like in regard to crowds.

Good luck!

 

[Aladora]

We're heading to TO in July...how much worse could Ahaheim be, heat-wise?

Joking aside, I get your debate, it is going to be hot and it is going to be crowded but it is going to be Disneyland!

You mentioned going for 1 day...is it possible to extend that by a day or even two? If you have a few days in the park it might take some of the pressure off and allow you to enjoy it a bit more even with the crowds.

On the flip side, as for missing a week of school, as a child I used to travel to South Africa for the entire month of December every 2 or 3 years so your daughter starting grade 5 might not be the death of your off-season trips. You just might have to get her to do a bit of school work in the evenings!

 

[FreshBakedDisney]

I understand your concerns about the park, and it is busy, and crowded, and expensive. But if your heart is at Disneyland, you should go.

The best advice I can give to someone struggling with Disneyland anxiety is to let Disneyland happen to you. Don't enforce your will on the park. I find that for many, the reasons they get stressed at the park is because they can't do what they want when they want. But it's not about that at all.

Disneyland, to me, is something that happens to you when you're there. Not something TO DO. Open you heart and your mind to the Disneyland experience. Consider one of my favorite quotes "Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished." We do not ask the tree to hurry up and grow, but it does. And it does so wonderfully. Same for Disneyland. It's not a checklist, it's an experience.

It will be crowded. There will be lines. There will be rude people. Patience for them will give you peace, as well as make their day better too. And that's the magic of Disney. All that is there, is there JUST FOR YOU. Be a part of that and there will never be a bad day at Disneyland again.

 

[BensWife]

My 2 cents:

I would say go for it. Yes, it is the busy time of year, but if you get there early, you can get quite a bit done. DH and I are going in July and a little worried about crowds too, but we have been a couple other times, so we are making a list of the must sees for us, and the rest is gravy. We are usually pretty go, go, go from ride to ride, but this time we are going to try to slow down and do some things we have skipped in the past. Of course, if it is too busy then you don't have to stay and chalk it up to a learning experience and never plan at that time again. Yes, it would be an expensive lesson, but you really don't know until you try. Good luck whatever you decide! And for me, even a busy day at Disney is a better day than one at home!!

 

[HydroGuy]

Here are some thoughts that may help...

I have four kids - now all adults (the youngest turned 18 last month) - and I understand all the issues of going with kids

I usually have done a 2-4 day trips to DLR with my kids - but have done day trips too, usually in busy season.

Summer is hit or miss with regard to heat. Usually miss as it is not that hot most of the time.

Summer does have crowds which tend to be quite manageable if you can get there early and use a smart strategy and have reasonable expectations for the day.

It is hard to drive from SD to DLR on a weekday for a day trip in that you either need to leave SD real early in order to arrive early and have less crowds at DLR or get more sleep and arrive later and have more crowds.

You can have a lot of fun on a day trip with kids during a busy time. I have done it multiple times.

So, here are some ideas...

1. If at all possible get a hotel near DLR the night before your day trip. That will simplify getting to DLR early.

2. Plan to do some things in the afternoon when it is warmest that will keep you out of the heat. If I was at DCA it would be the Aladdin show, ITTBAB show, and the Animation Building. At DL it would be Tiki Room, Captain Eo, Abe Lincoln, Innoventions, etc. Also catch Mickey and the Magical Map perhaps - not air conditioned but in the shade.

3. Maybe plan to do some things you often do not do - or at least I do not often do. Like Mark Twain Riverboat, Pirates Lair on Tom Sawyer Island, Castle Walk Through, etc.

Good luck!

 

[crystal1313]

We have gone in July on a Saturday the past two years and were pleasantly surprised with the crowds. We are going again this year Mon-Wed and are hoping it will be a similar situation. I say if you start to get overwhelmed, find a shady spot with a cool treat and relax. Or head into an attraction with AC. I'd much rather be at DL when it's crowded than not be there at all!

 

[bumbershoot]

We were there in July about two years ago and it was awesome. Not horribly crowded, not horribly hot. Awesome.

And then we were in San Diego over Labor Day last year and it was in the middle of a heat wave and it, along with the rest of Southern California, was hot hot hot.

 

[mickey+minnie91]

Last summer I was faced with a similar delemia. We drove to San Diego and I had a very hard time driving past Disneyland and not going... We ended up going for one day , 7/3... We got up early, got there pretty close to rope drop. We followed different tips we have found around the board and used fast passes accordingly. We had a great time! We didnt have anything that we felt we missed. We were only there for one day and went to both parks. Didnt feel dissappointed at all. Yes it was busy, hot and crowded.

I find it very helpful to make a list of how I want to tour for that day. Its not perfect but it works.

 

[2tinkerbell]

If you could extend you trip for a few more days to take the pressure off you, I would say to go for it. I might say to go for it if you could get a hotel close for the night before and after your day trip. If you went knowing that you were coming back in a few months, then I would go for it.

I think I am kind of like you in that the pressure of knowing this would be our last trip for awhile, combined with the heat and the crowds would be setting myself up for not the most pleasant experience ever.

 

[GatorChris]

First off, "Ergo"??? Right over my head.

If the extra money to buy tickets will set you back, don't do it. Judging by your post, you're value kinda person. You don't want to get there and feel like you've wasted money to ride 6 rides because of massive lines.

But if the money really isn't an issue, you'll regret not going. Especially if a trip in the near future isn't going to happen. Just make sure you hit weekdays. It'll be crowded but not overwhelming.

 

[SpacecadetNZ]

I feel your pain, maddysdaddy. We are going in July too and I am quietly stressing about the crowd levels too. Like you, we have little flexibility in our travel times now that the kids are in school. Although travel can of course be very educational, my husband and I feel strongly about not taking the kids out of school unless it's for a very good unavoidable reason. So we are travelling in July which is NZ (and of course north American) school break.

I think we just need to be mentally prepared for it to be very very busy. Hope for the best but plan for the worst?

Which will you regret more - driving past and not going OR going and it being crazy busy?

 

[HydroGuy]

I feel your pain, maddysdaddy. We are going in July too and I am quietly stressing about the crowd levels too. Like you, we have little flexibility in our travel times now that the kids are in school. Although travel can of course be very educational, my husband and I feel strongly about not taking the kids out of school unless it's for a very good unavoidable reason. So we are travelling in July which is NZ (and of course north American) school break.

I think we just need to be mentally prepared for it to be very very busy. Hope for the best but plan for the worst?

Which will you regret more - driving past and not going OR going and it being crazy busy?

To put your mind at ease a bit...

I have only seen it very, very busy in the summer once over the last 10 years. That was in August, 2005 during the 50th anniversary.

Otherwise it varies from "not that bad" to "busy" which tends to be more mid-afternoon to early evening and often in certain areas of the parks.

Now, I almost always am able to avoid weekends in the summer so that may help. Also, we do put in effort to get to the parks early and take afternoon breaks, then come back in the evening. Getting back and forth to a nearby hotel (we almost always stay walking distance) tends to be easy. With all of that it is really not that bad. Sometimes it does feel a bit crowded, but rarely does it feel like "OMG, this is horrible!".

We also use FP to the maximum and, now that my kids are older (youngest turned 18 last month), single rider lines.

I really dislike waiting in lots of lines for days on end. We manage to leave feeling like we did not wait in tons of lines. Bottom line is we always have a total blast during June-August!

 

[Mimi2Cam]

I have never regretted taking advantage of an opportunity but I have regretted it when I have not.

Go for it.

 

[Cheshirecatty]

I have never regretted taking advantage of an opportunity but I have regretted it when I have not.

Go for it.

LOVE THIS……and so true!!!!!

 

[vladimir p]

if you had the patience to write this post, i don't understand why would you hate the crowds

 

[Rubygoose]

We went last July, after going two years in a row in late September. It really wasn't as crowded as I expected. We stayed onsite and took advantage of the early entry. We chose rides based on the lines, but we had 5 days, so we were able to be picky. We rarely waited more than 15 minutes for a ride. The longest line I stood in was 30 minutes for our food at Tomorrowland Terrace. It also helped that it rained on the Saturday and we did the Discover the Magic tour when it was busy on the Sunday.

 

[bumbershoot]

First off, "Ergo"??? Right over my head.

"A Latin word meaning "therefore" as in Cogito ergo sum."

 

[tstidm1]

I think putting a mindset that everything is going to have long lines and making the best of it is the way to go on the lines issue. I am expecting to get one attraction (ride/show/meet and greet) done every 90 minutes at any point on July day (not reasonable i concede). In my mind, I put it at nearly the worst situation and then it usually ends up to be a better trip. Strange mindset indeed, but I think a good one in the sense of keeping things in perspective on waits.