understanding crowd influences in June

[longtimedisneylurker]

So we chose the 16-21st as the 17,18,19 and 20th are blocked dates for SoCal AP's. Just curious why these dates weren't on anyones "advice" lists. Is something happening that I don't know about? LOL!

June 17 and June 19 are grad nights, so that may be why no one has been particularly recommending those dates.

 

[californiamomof4grls]

June 17 and June 19 are grad nights, so that may be why no one has been particularly recommending those dates.

Oh got ya! I didn't realize kids were still in school this late in to June. We were there last year when there was some Grad Nights, (the last week of May) they weren't really that bad. But thanks for the heads up!

 

[imatinkerfairy]

If it was me, I wouldn't be fussed about the weekends. For 4 park days, I would pick one of the following:
June 26-29
June 26-27 and June 29-30
June 27-30
June 27, June 29-July 1
June 28-July 1
June 29-July 2

Reasons: Grad nights are over. So-Cal blockouts have kicked in. Park hours should be at their maximum. Weather could be very nice.

Why skip June 28? In my experience, during the last few years Sundays generally feel more crowded than Saturdays. If you have the opportunity to have a skip day but would like to brave a weekend day, pick Saturday over Sunday. Weekend days are not to be entirely feared/avoided though. But maybe that's just me. Why pick June 28-July 1? You need to do four straight days and are more concerned about the beginning of July 4 crowds than Sunday crowds. Reason to possibly hang in there until July 2 - if Disney does what they have done for the last few years, that could be the first night with the July 4 fireworks before crowds hit their full holiday spikes. Then again, with the new fireworks show this year and all the excitement that is expected to generate, maybe they won't bother running the July 4 fireworks on multiple nights. Anyway, just my two cents of what to consider.

We went that weekend last year for my 40th. I used the same logic that Grad nights would be done, lower tiered passports blocked out, June gloom, and people vacationing for the 4th starting the Wednesday or Thursday. I fretted and fretted but was quite surprised at the outcome.

We had one day in each park and one afternoon poolside so we had to make the best use of our time. We did the pool at DH on Saturday, Disneyland on Sunday, and California Adventure on Monday. The weather was gorgeous about 78-80 degrees. Crowds were minimal. I think the most we waited for rides was 20 minutes. I think we waited longer at In n' Out to get dinner Saturday night.

How the 60th will affect this, I don't know which is where I am at now. Going back and forth between a Halloween trip or this weekend. My son starts middle school this year I have a a huge fundraiser during October so I don't think that Halloween time will work. The only weekend would be Oct 31 weekend I am just afraid that it will be madness. Next choice this June weekend.

Good luck.

 

[loveysbydesign]

so were were thinking of going last week of June, but could go last week in July...which would be better for 1st timers?

 

[ktlm]

Fellow WDW vet here- although pretty soon I think I am going to have to call myself a DL vet as well (although I kind of reserve that term for all the CA people who go about once a week!). We have gone to DLR the first week in June (the first full week after Memorial Day) three out of the last 4 years. We have been at the parks from Saturday to Wednesday each year. What we have surprisingly found to be consistent in all those years was that the weekends were better than the weekdays. Saturday and Sunday definitely had the lowest crowds and were very manageable- I would say it was probably equivalent or even better than the crowds when we usually visit WDW which is typically in low to moderate crowd times. Monday and Tuesday felt pretty crowded, and then the crowds lowered back down on Wednesday. I believe it is because those weekend dates are AP block out dates for a lot of AP holders so it keeps the crowds down. Also, I believe the crowds have been high that Monday and Tuesday because that week typically has the last weekdays before the SoCal Select APs are blocked out for most of the summer. I can't say how it compares to the rest of June as we have never gone later in June, but we have enjoyed our trips very much although we much preferred the weekend days to Monday and Tuesday. We went in July last year as we had scheduling conflicts in June, and I was expecting the crowds to be horrible. They were not nearly as bad as I thought they would be even on the weekends. We were pleasantly surprised. I don't know how the 60th will impact crowds this year throughout the summer. I would think it might be better before the area schools get out, but that is pure speculation.

 

[ktlm]

Oh- since you said you will be there at park opening, I will also add that even that Monday and Tuesday have always been terrific the first couple of hours the park is open. It is way less crowded than we have ever experienced at WDW park opening. I think it is because it is more of a local crowd instead of a ton of people already on resorts on property. Plus, in our experience the parks open at 8:00 a.m. and early entry starts at 7:00 a.m. There is usually a good 2 hours (3 with early entry) that you can get a ton of stuff done before crowds start to build.

 

[kharoof13]

I've been going to DLR in late June for the past few years since I'm in college now and have no other time I can miss class, and I love it! Rides are going full capacity, no refurbs, and the crowds were surprisingly low. Queues would get down to 20 min waits by the end of the night; me and my brother were able to ride Splash Mountain non-stop without having to get off. The weather is also great. 70s-80s with it actually getting down to sweater weather at night. I don't know what impact the 60th would have, but I still think it's one of the best times to go!

 

[D1sneyfam1ly]

Thanks for this! That helps to keep it in perspective.
I think my general apprehension is that everything I'm reading makes me think that for how we like to tour, we shouldn't really be going in the summer at all! With 3 kids in middle school, though, we are limited in our availability. We're in the midwest and have only ever driven to WDW, so we're trying to justify the cost of airfare by making DL part of a larger CA sightseeing vacation...this further limits our availability.

We went the last few days of June and the first few days of July a few years ago. I was expecting that the crowds were going to be awful and braced myself for a different type of trip than we usually have in the off season. Obviously it was crowded but we didn't have that much of a different experience than we had in the past and loved the trip. The extra hours, shows and no ride closures seem to help with the crowds. If you know how to utilize fastpass, get to the park early, and generally know your way around the park it will be just fine.

 

[DharmaLou]

Glad to see these dates. We'll be there the 26th-28th.