Tell me about Disneyland end of August

[Frozen2014]

These are from my notes about previous years:
First Day Closed: Mon, 08/30/10; Start of HalloweenTime: Fri, 09/17/10 (Labor Day: 09/06/10)
First Day Closed: Mon, 08/29/11; Start of HalloweenTime: Fri, 09/16/11 (Labor Day: 09/05/11)
First Day Closed: Mon, 08/27/12; Start of HalloweenTime: Fri, 09/14/12 (Labor Day: 09/03/12)
First Day Closed: Mon, 08/26/13; Start of HalloweenTime: Fri, 09/13/13 (Labor Day: 09/02/13)
First Day Closed: Mon, 08/25/14; Start of HalloweenTime: Fri, 09/12/14 (Labor Day: 09/01/14)
First Day Closed: Mon, 08/24/15; Start of HalloweenTime: Fri, 09/11/15 (Labor Day: 09/05/15)

The start of HalloweenTime has been creeping earlier and earlier each year, which makes sense given its popularity. The general rule of thumb is that HalloweenTime typically starts somewhere within two weeks after Labor Day. Labor Day is Monday, September 5 this year, so if they follow the same schedule from 2015, it would mean HalloweenTime would likely start on 09/09/16. If they go back to the schedules from earlier years, HalloweenTime would likely start about 2 weeks after Labor Day, which would be closer to 09/16/16.

Thank you so much for sharing the historical dates! Yikes...so for this summer, it is "likely" that ti'll be closed from Sept 16th onwards (I realize this is just speculation based on past dates). It would be such a shame to miss HM. When we returned from Disney World, my then 5 year old was constantly talking about it asked when she could go to HM again.

So there is nothing making us come the last week before labor day. We were just speculating based on crowds. The funny thing is if I look at this August (even though we are looking at August 2017), the week of

• Mon August 15th - Sun Aug 21st shows as "OK Crowds"

compared with

• Mon Aug 22 - Fri Aug 26 sows as "It's Packed" in terms of crowds

(on http://www.isitpacked.com/disneyland-crowd-forecast-predictor-calendar/)

The week leading up to labor day is similar to the week of Aug 15th in that it shows as "OK Crowds".

Note: We can't come after labor day since the idea is so that our kids don't have to miss school.

Any idea why this week of Aug 15th is less crowded? We could book anytime in the summer as we're trying to avoid our kids missing school.

 

[figment_jii]

See, my thinking is that they'll take down HM around 8/24-25 so that it will be back up sooner after Labor Day and have less impact on the other rides that will go down once the 60th ends.

For the last several years, it's taken 18-days to install the NBC overlay, so if they closed HM on 8/22, it would likely re-open on 9/9 (4 days after Labor Day - same basic schedule as 2015). If they wanted to re-open it earlier than that, they'd likely close HM even early in August. The only reason I think a later start date is a possibility is because of the summer schedule. Based on the AP blockout calendar, it seems like DLR expects the peak "summer" season to last through 8/21. So if HM goes down on 8/22, the SoCal and SoCal Select folks won't have a chance to ride HM before it is converted to HMH.

Thank you so much for sharing the historical dates! Yikes...so for this summer, it is "likely" that ti'll be closed from Sept 16th onwards (I realize this is just speculation based on past dates).

Sorry, I'm not quite sure you mean by September 16th...From somewhere in early-to-mid September through early-January, Haunted Mansion has its seasonal overlay in place. The attraction is open, it's just not the traditional version.

So there is nothing making us come the last week before labor day. We were just speculating based on crowds. The funny thing is if I look at this August (even though we are looking at August 2017), the week of

• Mon August 15th - Sun Aug 21st shows as "OK Crowds"

compared with

• Mon Aug 22 - Fri Aug 26 sows as "It's Packed" in terms of crowds

SoCal and SoCal Select Summer AP Blockout period ends on Monday, August 22. There is usually an uptick in crowds that week as folks that have been blocked out since the start of summer return to the parks.

 

[Frozen2014]

Sorry, I'm not quite sure you mean by September 16th...From somewhere in early-to-mid September through early-January, Haunted Mansion has its seasonal overlay in place. The attraction is open, it's just not the traditional version.


SoCal and SoCal Select Summer AP Blockout period ends on Monday, August 22. There is usually an uptick in crowds that week as folks that have been blocked out since the start of summer return to the parks.

Sorry...meant to say closed from August 16th (i.e. not September)

Thanks for explaining about AP Blockout periods and why Aug 15th week may be a little lighter than the following.

 

[SMD]

For the last several years, it's taken 18-days to install the NBC overlay, so if they closed HM on 8/22, it would likely re-open on 9/9 (4 days after Labor Day - same basic schedule as 2015). If they wanted to re-open it earlier than that, they'd likely close HM even early in August. The only reason I think a later start date is a possibility is because of the summer schedule. Based on the AP blockout calendar, it seems like DLR expects the peak "summer" season to last through 8/21. So if HM goes down on 8/22, the SoCal and SoCal Select folks won't have a chance to ride HM before it is converted to HMH.

I didn't say it had to reopen right after the 60th ended or other rides need to go down right when it ends or other rides won't go down until it reopens. I said less impact. Refurbishments of headliners frequently overlap by a few days. But it also seems like they make an effort to scatter ride closures. Disney doesn't care about delaying ride closures around block outs. They close rides right after long blockouts end all the time. They also run summer time AP promos that completely leave out the lower level APs. Like the Splash annivesary a few years ago.