What time of year for DL??? HELP

[taben]

First of all, we have NEVER been to CA or DL so this may be our only trip. We haven't booked our trip yet but was thinking Feb. because it is low peak and not a lot of crowds. Help, when do we go? Just the two of us, no kids and we want to see and do it all. I have read that Feb. is the wettest time of the year in CA and that time of year there will be several of the big rides closed for refurbs. But, with that said, a lot of folks love going at the beginning of the year to get a great deal on hotels and to play in the park with less crowds to deal with. HMM?

The summer time...well, from what I have read on the internet and forums in general...forget about it. LOL Yes, the parades, attractions, shows will all be up and running and the park will stay open longer but you will have the droves of crowds to deal with.

When do we go? I would like to still see Electronica (read that it will be there through Spring 2012) and know that to see this you have to plan for the weekend in your trip for parades and shows as well. I am so confused as to when to plan...don't want to lose out on the big rides, don't want to experience a lot of rain or tons on people. YEP! I know, asking for the world huh?

What do you suggest? We want to see other things out there as well like LA, ocean, you know, the ever-cheesy touristy attractions. We plan on spending about 6 days out there flying in from STL. We have two hotels in mind so what is the most important to us is getting the most bang for our trip and having a great first-time experience to So. Cal.

Please send your thoughts/experience my way to help me figure out the best time to go.

Thank you so much everyone!

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

1. It is less crowded during off peak times, but that also works against you because attractions are down for refurb AND the big shows only happen on the weekends. Oh and did I mention Saturdays can be very crowded even in the off season? Though it certainly is very crowded in the summer, those crowds don't hit right away. You can get a lot in in the mornings, head out in the heat of the afternoon, and then come back for things like Fantasmic in the evening. It's still crowded. But there are plenty of things to do.

2. The New Carsland is under construction as is the new Hollywood area in DCA. If this is a once in a lifetime deal, then you might want to hold off unitl these things are open. It would probably be wise to hold off scheduling until they have a better idea of when these things will be finished. Right now, it's looking like June for Carsland with a time cushion and late June with no time cushion for the rest. They should have a better idea once the winter is over. And the Matterhorn is down for the first 6 months of next year. On the other hand, if Electronica is more important to you, you might want to schedule for the spring.

 

[skiingfast]

While the end of Jan and start of Feb are the peak of precipitation for LA, it is not rainy compared to MO. So you might not want to worry about that.

If you want a mix of slow time and rides open aim for 16th-23rd of March. It is usually when then end seasonal rehabs and crowds pickup but aren't full on Spring Break crowds. But you need the weekend 16th-18th to get full entertainment.

If you want ElecTRONica, don't wait until the end of April. It's scheduled to end that month and probably means right after crowds slow and Spring Break is over.

 

[Peace.love.mickey]

Make sure you don't come out around the President holidays, since those are generally more crowded!

 

[HydroGuy]

First of all, we have NEVER been to CA or DL so this may be our only trip. We haven't booked our trip yet but was thinking Feb. because it is low peak and not a lot of crowds. Help, when do we go? Just the two of us, no kids and we want to see and do it all. I have read that Feb. is the wettest time of the year in CA and that time of year there will be several of the big rides closed for refurbs. But, with that said, a lot of folks love going at the beginning of the year to get a great deal on hotels and to play in the park with less crowds to deal with. HMM?

The summer time...well, from what I have read on the internet and forums in general...forget about it. LOL Yes, the parades, attractions, shows will all be up and running and the park will stay open longer but you will have the droves of crowds to deal with.

When do we go? I would like to still see Electronica (read that it will be there through Spring 2012) and know that to see this you have to plan for the weekend in your trip for parades and shows as well. I am so confused as to when to plan...don't want to lose out on the big rides, don't want to experience a lot of rain or tons on people. YEP! I know, asking for the world huh?

What do you suggest? We want to see other things out there as well like LA, ocean, you know, the ever-cheesy touristy attractions. We plan on spending about 6 days out there flying in from STL. We have two hotels in mind so what is the most important to us is getting the most bang for our trip and having a great first-time experience to So. Cal.

Please send your thoughts/experience my way to help me figure out the best time to go.

Thank you so much everyone!

For infrequent or once-in-a-lifetime trips, it is worth it to go during high season like summer. The larger crowds are outbalanced by the availability of rides and shows and longer park hours. Learn how to efficiently tour and summer is a great time to go. About the only folks I would suggest off-season on a once-in-a-lifetime trip are those with serious mobility issues or - maybe - those only with very small children (all 5 and under). Otherwise I think you are making a mistake going off-season.

For anyone dead set on off-season regardless of the previous advice, then please go in May. The weather is warmer and a majority of the larger scale refurbs are usually complete in prep for summer. It rarely rains in May. Next best month for off-season is probably October - but there are bigger crowd surges in October because of Halloween. And please overlap your trip over a Friday and Saturday to catch the shows.

February would be one of the months I would most recommend against.

For those who go to DLR more frequently, or only have very young kids (and hence don't care about headliners being refurbed - and often can't stay up late enough to see the shows because of bedtime), and those with mobility issues who simply can't navigate in a crowd, then off-season is a better match. And May is best. Late April and October and late September are also good.

My two cents. Hope you make a good choice that fits you best!

 

[Rob S.]

I have the same question too. I will be visiting DL for the first time next near (long time WDW vet). I was looking at either late August or early September. I do not have kids so the school schedule does not matter. I want to go when it is not REALLY crowded so that's why I was thinking September. But, since it will be my first trip, I wanted to go before all the Halloween decorations are put up. I want to see the "regular" Disneyland, not the Halloween version.

Is there a big difference in crowds between late August and early September (not counting Labor Day weekend - I would definitely avoid that).

 

[taben]

WOW!!! Thank you everyone for your great advice....Nope, would rather see and do as much as possible and skip Electronica. Yes, and to think about it, it would be more of a fun experience to go to Cali. in the wamer months and get in the ocean where the water does pass your ankles. I really think that visiting in the summer when it all is open would be the best bet. I am getting excited about having a trip to look forward to and not blow it at the beginning of the year. Just now to pick a good month, but yet, knowing that the hotels will be more expensive...what are you going to do So, with this said, and we are planning on staying 6 days, think we should get a park hopper for 6 days? Knowing there will be a lot of crowds to deal with so thinking we can come and go and still get it all in of what we want to see and do while we are out there. Your thoughts?

Thanks again EVERYONE for being so helpful and kind. Not like this is going to be a cheap trip. So, any kind of advice with budgeting and tips I really welcome.

 

[LuvLuvLuv]

We don't have kids, and frequent WDW, but are trying out DL as a second honeymoon. We chose the first week of February because of the low crowds, less heat, and we more or less want to "try" it out and see if we like it. I got us the Premier Passports for WDW and DL and rented DVC points for the GCV. If we like it, we will try and make it back after Carsland opens and will risk the crowds then. We also already have trips to WDW planned for May and November so those months were out. I know they say it rains more, but it can't rain anymore than it does in Cincinnati--it rains from January to May everyday, lol.

Hope you have a great time!!

 

[GenGen22]

DL vet here.. I would suggest summer too.. I live in Northern CA and have been to DL several times and mostly I go during summer. I did go at Christmas time/NYE and I have to say the crowds were 3 times heavier at that time of year and unmanagable!!! They say summertime has heavy crowds however even though a lot of families travel to DL during the summer they have fastpasses for most of the major attractions like Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, Indiana Jones etc. and it makes it completely managable. In my personal opinion, I would go to fantasyland in the later evening as it clears out as little ones don't last late in the evening and do the other attractions early in the day. In the evening it's a small world has no wait and you can walk onto it. I haven't had to wait much in line accept for the Matterhorn (I would make this one you do at RD) or the Finding Nemo ride (this one has a crazy line too) & Fantasmic is every night during the summer months and is a must see!! You will need a fastpass for World of Color at DCA (I would suggest eating at a TS restaurant that has WOC dinner plan) Also TSM is a crazy line but well worth the wait.

Enjoy your trip.

 

[skiingfast]

Nope, would rather see and do as much as possible and skip Electronica.

go to Cali. in the wamer months and get in the ocean where the water does pass your ankles.

I really think that visiting in the summer when it all is open would be the best bet.

knowing that the hotels will be more expensive...what are you going to do

we are planning on staying 6 days, think we should get a park hopper for 6 days?

So, any kind of advice with budgeting and tips I really welcome.

In May it will probably be between the atmosphere shows in DCA. Electronica will end after Spring Break and it's replacement, the Mad T Party will begin for Summer.

May is warmer than the 4 months of the year before it, but won't hot. If you really want to swim, July-September are the hot summer months in SoCal.

If you want all open, meaning Carsland, aim for much later. July or later.

If you want cheaper also go during a less crowded time because they both happen at the same times. Also 6 days may be more than you need so shaving a day of the trip help reduce the cost.

For construction done, warm weather, low crowds. I would aim for August after the 23rd or early September. Though at that time Haunted Mansion will be closeing for it's Holiday overlay.

 

[GenGen22]

I also wanted to add that you can get good deals on getawaytoday.com they have like 4th night free. I would look at free breakfast deals as well.

Hope this helps.

 

[IBLarsen]

Our first trip I really wanted to avoid summer crowds, so we went in October (the beginning) with our 2 young children in tow, and the parks were not busy at all. We fell in love with that time of year! So we went the next year the same time and the crowds were huge! We still loved it. 2 summers ago we decided to go for a summer trip and we actually got a GREAT deal through Expedia with an air/hotel package, it was cheaper than our Oct trip. So check out package deals and on Expedia you can plug in different hotel names, or if you put in SNA for airport, it seems a lot of the hotel choices are near DL anyways. Hope that helps! As far as our summer trip that I had dreaded the crowds, it didn't seem bad at all. Yes busy, but do able and not much different than our 2nd October trip. I still like October better but not scared of summer anymore.

 

[quantumottle]

WOW!!! Thank you everyone for your great advice....Nope, would rather see and do as much as possible and skip Electronica. Yes, and to think about it, it would be more of a fun experience to go to Cali. in the wamer months and get in the ocean where the water does pass your ankles. I really think that visiting in the summer when it all is open would be the best bet... <snip>

I couldn't agree more, summer is the best time to go. If you read all of HydroGuys Tips, you'll be fine. One tip that I have not seen mentioned in this thread yet is Annual Pass Blockout's. If possible, you want to go during summer, but NOT during a time when Annual Passes are active. Try to schedule a time when AP's are blocked out, if you can. Again, if you read HydroGuys Tips, this is well covered.

 

[disheadz]

I have the same question too. I will be visiting DL for the first time next near (long time WDW vet). I was looking at either late August or early September. I do not have kids so the school schedule does not matter. I want to go when it is not REALLY crowded so that's why I was thinking September. But, since it will be my first trip, I wanted to go before all the Halloween decorations are put up. I want to see the "regular" Disneyland, not the Halloween version.

Is there a big difference in crowds between late August and early September (not counting Labor Day weekend - I would definitely avoid that).

There is a huge difference. IMHO the weeks between school starting and Halloween is one of the best times to visit. Crowds are very low and HM and SM are usually the only closures. We homeschool and don't do Halloween so we have gone at the beginning of this time period several times. Ah yes- the weather is fantastic!

 

[nana50]

I'm in the minority as I prefer January and February. I HATE crowds. I am often with children so that makes a difference. If you are both young and no kids then summer might be best for you. Don't forget to come on down to San Diego for a day or so.

Just noticed my post #

 

[SFMommy]

We went in early May and loved it! The weather was great...not to hot, but warm enough to enjoy the pool every afternoon. The crowds were very low and almost everything was a walk-on. There weren't any parades, but we didn't mind. And there were still fireworks every night. Have fun planning!

 

[HydroGuy]

I'm in the minority as I prefer January and February. I HATE crowds. I am often with children so that makes a difference. If you are both young and no kids then summer might be best for you. Don't forget to come on down to San Diego for a day or so.

Just noticed my post #

Yah, but you do not fit in the "once-in-a-lifetime" crowd. So any advice I give related to avoiding Jan/Feb is not applicable to you.

Off-season works better for more frequent visitors.

 

[HydroGuy]

WOW!!! Thank you everyone for your great advice....Nope, would rather see and do as much as possible and skip Electronica. Yes, and to think about it, it would be more of a fun experience to go to Cali. in the wamer months and get in the ocean where the water does pass your ankles. I really think that visiting in the summer when it all is open would be the best bet. I am getting excited about having a trip to look forward to and not blow it at the beginning of the year. Just now to pick a good month, but yet, knowing that the hotels will be more expensive...what are you going to do So, with this said, and we are planning on staying 6 days, think we should get a park hopper for 6 days? Knowing there will be a lot of crowds to deal with so thinking we can come and go and still get it all in of what we want to see and do while we are out there. Your thoughts?

Thanks again EVERYONE for being so helpful and kind. Not like this is going to be a cheap trip. So, any kind of advice with budgeting and tips I really welcome.

I have the same question too. I will be visiting DL for the first time next near (long time WDW vet). I was looking at either late August or early September. I do not have kids so the school schedule does not matter. I want to go when it is not REALLY crowded so that's why I was thinking September. But, since it will be my first trip, I wanted to go before all the Halloween decorations are put up. I want to see the "regular" Disneyland, not the Halloween version.

Is there a big difference in crowds between late August and early September (not counting Labor Day weekend - I would definitely avoid that).

These threads may help.

"Choosing When To Visit DLR: Summary of High and Low Season and When Each Happens" www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=36509602

"Understanding AP Blockouts and Impact on Crowds" www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2365983

"Getting The Most Out of a Summer Visit To DLR" www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1345319

"What You Should Know About Off-Season at DLR" www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=18462889

 

[rrbar]

I have been at the beginning of Sept and it is nice and slow. At the end of August, you have to check the dates at the southern california passholders are allowed back after being not allowed in all summer so lots of them do come back before school starts and I have found early September much less crowded than early october. The Jewish holiday in early september is a bit more crowded that day as LA unified is out of school that day.

 

[skiingfast]

I have been at the beginning of Sept and it is nice and slow. At the end of August, you have to check the dates at the southern california passholders are allowed back after being not allowed in all summer so lots of them do come back before school starts and I have found early September much less crowded than early october. The Jewish holiday in early september is a bit more crowded that day as LA unified is out of school that day.

For construction done, warm weather, low crowds. I would aim for August after the 23rd or early September. Though at that time Haunted Mansion will be closeing for it's Holiday overlay.

Most APs get unblocked the week of the 20th-23rd, second most the 20th-24th.