Which is better June, August, or September?

[TinkBride]

I am planning our Vegas and DL trip currently. We are going to be in DL on a Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. We will only have about 2.5 days and since this is our first trip, we hope to cover as much ground as possible in those 2.5 days. (Just us, no kids.)

I am trying to figure out when the best time would be to go......our options are June 29, 30 and July 1 - August 24, 25, and 26 - or September 21, 22, and 23.

I know DL is more of a "local" spot than WDW so the weekends and summers tend to be most crowded. We are not very concerned about the weather - we are more concerned about the crowds since we want to see a lot in a little amount of time........

SO based on the above dates - when would you plan your trip for maximum exposure to the parks and lower crowds?

 

[HydroGuy]

I am planning our Vegas and DL trip currently. We are going to be in DL on a Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. We will only have about 2.5 days and since this is our first trip, we hope to cover as much ground as possible in those 2.5 days. (Just us, no kids.)

I am trying to figure out when the best time would be to go......our options are June 29, 30 and July 1 - August 24, 25, and 26 - or September 21, 22, and 23.

I know DL is more of a "local" spot than WDW so the weekends and summers tend to be most crowded. We are not very concerned about the weather - we are more concerned about the crowds since we want to see a lot in a little amount of time........

SO based on the above dates - when would you plan your trip for maximum exposure to the parks and lower crowds?

It depends on your priorities.

For me it would be a no-brainer to choose June 29 because the entertainment will be maxed and the refurbs will be zero or close to it.

August 24 is next best bet. Sept is lowest.

However, Sept will allow you to see Halloweentime. But it will mean reduced park hours and entertainment.

The questions you need to ask are:

1. How important is it to see some of DLR's excellent shows?

2. How important is it to avoid refurbs and rides being down?

3. How important is it to avoid crowds?

4. You have already answered the weather question but for others, they have to decide how important it is to avoid heat, cold or rain.

Here are some posts to read to get a handle on what all of this means at DLR:

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

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

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

 

[Sherry E]

If I recall correctly, HydroGuy and resident DIS'er blackjackdelta really like going to DLR in August, so that may be a good option for you.

I do think that the time frame in September you are considering is normally a bit less crowded than, say, full mid-summer crowds because a lot of students are back at school. However, keep in mind that Halloween Time at DLR begins on September 16th this year, so that always increases crowds a bit.

This year, with the arrivals of the new Little Mermaid ride and Star Tours 2.0, I would expect the crowds to be pretty 'healthy' most of the year, although there will still be times when it is less crowded than others.

Just in case you decide that a Halloween trip is of interest to you, here's our Halloween at DLR Superthread-Part 2, which has lots of great info, links to blogs and other Halloween Time-related information and photos. It will give you an idea of what there is to see during the season.

 

[Sherry E]

Hee hee - I was just referencing HydroGuy in my post above - not realizing he was posting at the same time!!

 

[TinkBride]

Well - I am trying to find the delicate balance between crowds, longer park hours, availability of shows and attractions and low refurbs.........so correct me if I am wrong........but August sounds like the winner? correct?

 

[Sherry E]

Well - I am trying to find the delicate balance between crowds, longer park hours, availability of shows and attractions and low refurbs.........so correct me if I am wrong........but August sounds like the winner? correct?

Yep - I think it may very well be.

If you want to catch Haunted Mansion - the original, not the one with the Nightmare Before Christmas overlay for Halloween & Christmas - I think you will get there just in time to see it. It will likely shut down at the end of August (as it did last year) to get the overlay ready for the September 16th Halloween season.

 

[Sherry E]

Just for reference, these were the park hours and entertainment schedules for September of last year:

http://www.wdwinfo.com/disneyland/park-hours.cfm?month=9&year=2010

 

[HydroGuy]

Well - I am trying to find the delicate balance between crowds, longer park hours, availability of shows and attractions and low refurbs.........so correct me if I am wrong........but August sounds like the winner? correct?

Yes probably.

Late August at DLR is kind of a no man's land between summer peak season which generally ends around August 20 and Labor Day weekend. Sometimes it is crowded and sometimes it is not. Sometimes DLR starts taking things down for refurb but usually they wait until the Tuesday after Labor Day. Last year HM went down for the holiday overlay in late August as Sherry points out.

 

[TinkBride]

Oh no! I hope HM is still up! That is my fave at WDW and a must do for me at DL! I will have to watch the refurb calendar.......and adjust dates accordingly if need be!

 

[blackjackdelta]

As Hydroguy has stated that the end of August is a no mans land. I would do the end of August since I am more familiar with what goes on in the parks but the last few years, each one of the years has been different in respect to the crowds.
If any of the attractions are down it is for very short periods of time and we really like the weather at this time of the year. Tried June many years ago and just did not suit our needs. Because of our work we are limited to August for vacation time.

Jack

 

[skiingfast]

Oh no! I hope HM is still up! That is my fave at WDW and a must do for me at DL! I will have to watch the refurb calendar.......and adjust dates accordingly if need be!

You don't have to watch for the HM refurb. Because they are taking it down for the Halloween Overlay it's very predictable. It will go down about the last week of August and first two weeks of September. So for either 3 or 4 weeks because depending on how the weekends fall it can stretch or squeeze between 3 or 4 weeks.

I would choose late september or mid august. Mostly depening on if you want the Halloween decorations or not. Though I if you I would really suggest seeing the HM and Space Mountain overlays for Halloween.

 

[Hummingbird15]

I would choose either late Aug. or Sept. for DL. But considering you're also going to Vegas, August can be brutally hot there. So if it were me, I'd choose the Sept. dates.

 

[Dobie]

The Dobies really like the last two weeks of August. Southern California passes are usually blocked (as compared to June) so there are fewer locals during weekdays. This summer, there will probably be a LOT of locals coming in June before the blockouts set in to see the new Star Wars/Little Mermaid rides. The weather is dry and sunny, and a lot of families are in back to school mode vs. vacation mode. The days are longer and the park is open later than in late September.