So... When Is the Best Time to Go This Summer (Disneyland)?

[BrianJ844]

So my wife and daughter (4) along with another couple and their daughter (3) had a trip planned for May 20th - 23rd with us being in the parks 4 days. But my wife broke her ankle yesterday and with surgery next week, her surgeon today told her that Disney 3 weeks after surgery should be avoided.

We all have the Disneyland Anniversary Ticket Offer which limits us to August 14th. So when in July / early August would yall recommend going for best crowds? Which crowd calendar do you think does the best job? Should we consider to see if we can pay the difference and change our tickets into normal 4 day tickets and open up the possibility of late August into September?

Yes, the cost of hotel and flights for this new time frame will have to be considered as well but we are thinking to let the crowd forecast at least let us narrow down the possibilities.

Thanks for the help,
Brian

 

[LKing]

I'm sorry your to hear about your wife. I hope the surgery is successful and that she has a speedy recovery.

@OlliePop27 can likely give you some good advice about visiting in July.

My two cents are...

The lower two Magic Keys (annual passes) are blocked in July. Only the top Magic Key has Saturdays available in July. When the Magic Key summer block-outs start to be lifted the first week of August, there will be a surge in guests. You can view the Magic Key calendars here.

July 4 during the day, is not as busy as one might expect. At night, Disneyland gets very busy for fireworks. Note that Paint the Night parade and Wondrous Journeys fireworks will not take place on July 4.

July 17 is Disneyland's 70th birthday. Expect the parks to be busy July 16-20.

 

[LKing]

September isn't calmer than July. Oogie Boogie Bash (OBB) starts on August 17. Halloween Time begins on August 22. The Halloween season is very popular (and crowded) at Disneyland.

The Dance the Magic weekend in July will also be crowded.

You can view the schedule of official (and unofficial) events in the thread below. Note that Paint the Night & Wondrous Journeys will run through August 21 and then pause for holiday entertainment until sometime in 2026.

Thread 'Disneyland Resort Calendar 2025'

Mar 6, 2025

I'm going to attempt to consolidate all of the official events and unofficial events happening at DLR this year.

I will need help. If you see a large convention, dance show, or event that might impact the resort, please let me know. I will try to update the first few posts as we go.

Disneyland Resort 2025 Event Dates and Details




January
January 1-6 Holidays
January 21, 23, 28 Sweetheart's Nite
January 24 Anaheim Ducks Day
January 15-31 Lunar New Year

February
February 1-2 Run Disney
February 1-16 Lunar New Year
February 4,6, 9, 11, 13...

• LKing
• Replies: 13
• Forum: Disneyland (California)

• 
• 

 

[OlliePop27]

Per @LKing, July is an excellent time to go! The only dates to avoid are the Dance the Magic event and the anniversary on the 17th (unless you want to be there that day). Late July would be great! I encourage you to schedule a Saturday park day, best crowds of the year are July Saturdays!

July is great because max hours and entertainment every day and all nighttime shows daily too. Can be warm to hot, but manageable. Arrive for rope drop, take a midday break at the pool, and head back in the evening! It's always crowded at DL, but July crowds are quite manageable and among the best you'll find all year. As others have noted, things start to change in August and especially September.

 

[BrianJ844]

Thanks y'all. This Disney trip is going to be great motivation for recovery!

Great thoughts on all of this. Considering 4th of July, Dance the Magic and then the actual birthday; the last two weeks in July into the first days of August is seeming to be the target.

And I would think Saturdays would be the worst but yes, I see it now. Imagine and Enchant keys are blocked out into August and Believe keys are blocked out Saturdays. Leaving just the Inspire Keys to contend with...

 

[LKing]

Yes and Inspire Keys are expensive so tend to not be families. They can go year round so meander in and out of the parks much more leisurely. They don't arrive until later (after 10 am) and don't generally go on the pre-school rides that your kids are interested in.

Speaking of pre-school attractions. The Pixar Pals Playtime Party in the Fantasyland Theater is a nice break. The characters from Toy Story, Inside Out, and The Incredibles dance on stage and then come into the audience to dance with the kids. It is not very crowded in the theater so kids can easily meet and interact with the characters.

 

[Aspencreek]

Good advice on here. I think the crowd calendars have become nearly worthless over the last few years, due to the reservation system and constantly changing ticket deals making it almost impossible to predict crowds. Disney has done a good job of smoothing out the demand/crowds (for the most part), so the best thing you can do is use the Magic Key blockouts as a guide and try to go when they can't. There are still some insanely packed times (like October), but otherwise the parks just feel moderately busy no matter when we go. Which is fine, we just always get LLMP and plan to either go early, stay late, or both.

The most useful feature of the calendars for me now is just as an easy way to double-check for special events. Almost booked a visit on a Star Wars night but thankfully checked this calendar, saw the conflict, and was able to move our reservation: https://mickeyvisit.com/disneyland-crowd-calendar/. I think July is a great time to go. We went mid-July a year ago and had a wonderful time with very moderate/pleasant weather and not-bad crowds.

 

[LKing]

I think the crowd calendars have become nearly worthless over the last few years

Case in point, the crowd calendar you linked to is predicting normal crowds on July 17.

 

[Pluto468]

I think your idea of going in the second half of July sounds great. I'd book your hotels soon so you have more options. Sorry your wife was injured! Wishing her a quick and smooth recovery.

 

[crystal1313]

I would love to be there July 17, as I was there on that date for the 50th and the 60th….but we are leaning towards the 22-24. We love going in July!