Avoiding crowds can be one of the hardest tricks of the day to accomplish. It takes courage, endurance and knowledge of how to get around that mass of people Disneyland likes to call guests. The number one key in avoiding the busy areas is to keep away from them… obviously, but really… Remember one thing; stay away from Parade, and Show viewing areas at all costs, that is unless you are watching the show. These areas are always the busiest and it is very difficult to get through these areas directly before, during and after the shows.
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Afternoon Parade Crowds
& Those That Leave
The afternoon parade is not all that bad, but once it is over expect to see a sea of people leaving the viewing areas all along the streets from It's a Small World to Main Street. Since the afternoon parades are not as popular as the nighttime spectaculars, crowds do not get overly large, but they can be difficult to navigate through on busy days. To avoid these crowds give about a half-hour before and after the scheduled show time to let the crowds to watch the parade and then leave after the parade is over. During this time you will want to check out the attractions on the west side of Disneyland. It is also after the last afternoon parade that many people exit the park to eat at outside restaurants or return to their hotels for a while. I would not recommend leaving at this time because it will be difficult to get out of the park and the parking lot.
Evening Shows
& the Mass Exodus
The nighttime shows are the busiest of any of the shows. This is the worst time to try and get around the park, unless you are willing to stay in Adventureland, Critter Country, or Tomorrowland.
If at anytime during the shows you want to cross the parade
route to get to the other side of the park, you will want to
be careful and expect to wait a few minutes to get over.
Cast Members do open up walkways across the street during
small break in the parade to allow guests to cross.
Fantasmic! causes a huge crowd mess. Starting about an hour before the first show, it is very difficult to get through the New Orleans Square area. Cast Members have a very elaborate set up for guest control that helps out, but the walkways that they have set up can still get pretty crowded. Make sure that you listen to the Cast Members in the area so you know where you should be going. Once the show has started it is very easy to move through the walkways because everyone has stopped to watch the show, and cast members force those that stop to stand on the viewing side of the ropes. This allows for a clear walkway. Once the show is over you feel like you have become a cow, and are being herded out of a meadow. I would suggest staying out of the area for about 20 minutes to 40 minutes after the scheduled start time. Before that time is fine because the show is still going but after that you will be stuck in heavy crowds.
The Fireworks have the largest crowds of all because they combine the crowds that were watching both of the shows. Everyone pictures the Fireworks over the Castle, probably because of the Wonderful World of Disney TV show that was on for many years. Because of this most head over to the Hub, and Main Street area to watch the fireworks. There is absolutely no way to get around in this mess, once you are in a spot you're there for a good half-hour. Your best bet is to be in line waiting for an attraction during this time rather than trying to get anywhere in the park.
Once the Fireworks are over, most of the people turn around and head out of the park. It is at this time that most people leave. If you want to leave in the evening, I would suggest going at about 8:30 p.m. or wait until about 10:15 to 10:30 p.m. This of course is for days when the park is open late and you don't want to stay until closing. By leaving at these time you will avoid the rush after the fireworks and save a good half hour to an hour waiting just to get onto the freeway or surface streets other than West St.
Generally speaking Monday-Thursday is usually less crowded
than the full weekend Friday-Sunday on any week throughout
the year. There is NO way to predict crowds on any given day
or weekend, so the following is a good guess-timation of
crowds:
January-February
The beginning of the year starts with the massive removal of
all the Holiday decorations adorning the Disneyland Resort and odds are
January will find Haunted Mansion and it's a small world
closed for the removal of their Holiday overlays, probably
beginning the second week of the month. Expect to find as
many as six attractions undergoing refurbishment at any one
time during January and February. Generally the first
quarter of the year finds the parks remarkably less crowded
than the rest of the year, and there is a strong chance of
rain as Southern California moves into their wet season
(known as winter everywhere else!). The one good thing about
rain is that almost every ride in the Parks will have NO
wait!
Weekends still get crowded, but not near what you find
during peak seasons, but if the weather is nice and sunny,
Park Attendance will reflect the good fortune. While the
first week of January may still maintain holiday hours, the
next six weeks will find Disneyland opening from about 10am
- 8pm M-Th, 9am - 10pm or 11pm F-Sun and Disney's California Adventure opening at 10am
each morning while closing at 6pm M-Th and 8pm or 9pm F-Sun.
The last two weeks of February usually have extended hours
at both parks. Hours do vary, so be sure and check the
INTERCOT Park Schedule or the Official Disneyland Resort
Calendar for up to date hours.
March-May
One of the least predictable times of the year seems to be
March, April and May. Spring Break crowds are hard to
predict as so many schools schedule them at so many
different times, some scheduling them around a semester
calendar and others scheduling them around the floating
Easter Sunday. With corporate America descending on southern
California and the Disneyland Resort for meetings, the parks tend to be
busier during Thursday-Sunday but Monday-Wednesday can still
the best friend to the dedicated Disney Lover. Easter
Weekend and Mother's Day weekend are normally very busy. As
an added incentive to visit the Resort, the Disney's
California Food and Wine weekends run from April-May.
Disney's Electrical Parade returns to Disney's California Adventure on the weekends
during the Spring.
Attraction closures remain high as the
parks prepare for the approaching busier months. March &
April will have hours running approximately 9am-9pm or 10pm
on weekdays, 8am-11pm or 12am on weekends at Disneyland.
California Adventure
will normally open 1-2 hours later and close 2-3 hours
earlier than Disneyland. The two weeks surrounding Easter
generally are scheduled with weekend hours every day at both
parks. May's Park Hours will be shorter, with Disneyland
closing as early as 8pm during the week and weekends having
the normal 11pm-Midnight closing time and DCA having the
same later opening & earlier closing. Remember, there's a
good chance that either park will close abnormally early due
to corporate functions. Hours do vary, so be sure and check
the INTERCOT Park Schedule or the Official Disneyland Resort
Calendar for up to date hours.
June
With the end of Spring and beginning of the beautiful Summer
that makes Souther California one of the top 5 destinations in North
America, the Disneyland Resort really heats up, and the Park
Hours open to accommodate the droves of guests that flock to
find their Laughing Place. High season officially kicks off
on Memorial Day weekend, and with groups of kids making
their way to DLR for their end of the year Class Trips, Grad
Nights, Conventions, etc the DLR will start to feel the
summer crowds from early in the month.
By the end of June
the park will be super busy on weekends and even mid-weeks
will start to feel more crowded, but as always
Monday-Thursday should be less busy. Refurbishments may
still be underway on quite a few attractions at the
beginning of the month, but will probably dwindle down to
one or two by mid June. The good news is Disneyland will
close at 11pm or Midnight every day, except for Grad Nights,
and Fireworks light up the sky every night. DCA will close
anywhere from 7pm-9pm. Hours can still vary, so be sure and
check the INTERCOT Park Schedule or the Official Disneyland
Resort Calendar for up to date hours.
July-August
Here comes SUMMER! With the full on explosion of summer
vacation, the kids are out of school and it's time to go
to Disneyland! There will be crowds, there will be
parades, fireworks, the full summer heat and LOTS of
tourists from all over the world. Pack your patience and
all your dreams because high season runs all the way
through Labor Day weekend! There will probably be no
refurbishments during these months unless there is a major
attraction redevelopment underway. "Remember . . Dreams
Come True" Fireworks light up the sky every night at
9:25pm and DCA offers Disney's Electrical Parade nightly
at 8:45pm as an option to the big crowds at Disneyland's
fireworks.
Remember that the parade starts late for a
reason. There is hardly time to make it across the
Esplanade and into Disneyland for the fireworks, so plan
accordingly so you won't miss out and you won't hurt
yourself or anyone else trying to run to the other Park.
For 16 hours of non-stop fun, Disneyland maintains it's
summer hours and closes at Midnight every day during the
week. DCA will close at 9pm. Even though summer hours are
pretty set in stone, they can still vary, so be sure and
check the INTERCOT Park Schedule or the Official
Disneyland Resort Calendar for up to date hours.
September
After Labor Day weekend, the Parks are better known as "Refurbland"
so plan on lots of attractions being closed for their
yearly face-lifts and in depth services after the long
summer of ride after ride. Haunted Mansion closes
early-mid September to begin the transformation to Haunted
Mansion Holiday, and normally reopens around the last week
of the month. Park hours are cut back as crowds slow down
and the hard working Cast Members can finally take some
vacation time and relax after a long summer of Dream
Making. Entertainment and parades are at a minimum.
The
same rule of thumb Monday-Thursday are slower and weekends
pick up considerable apply. Disneyland closes at 8pm
Monday-Thursday and 11pm on Friday-Sunday and DCA will
close at 6pm Monday-Thursday and 9pm on the weekends.
Sundays can be a little different as both parks normally
close 1 hour earlier than normal during the month of
September. Check the INTERCOT Park Schedule or the
Official Disneyland Resort Calendar for up to date hours.
October
Enjoy the season as DLR decorates the parks and characters
in autumn and Halloween finery. Woody's Halloween Round-up
and Golden Screams are just two of the seasonal
attractions to enjoy. Thursdays and Fridays (with a few
extra days right around the 31st) usually offer "Mickey's
Halloween Treat" at DCA, a separate ticket nighttime
event. The end of October finds it's a small world closing
for its grand Holiday overlay. Typically, there's a good
chance that one of the major rides will be undergoing or
completing a refurb, but by the end of the month most all
the rides will be up and running and it's full steam ahead
for the beginning of the Holiday Season. There is one
specific weekend to keep in mind if you are visiting the Disneyland
Resort
during October.
Gay Days, which is one of the biggest
NON-Disney endorsed weekends, falls on the first
Friday-Sunday of the month, and the crowds will be out in
force. There will also be an increase in attendance as
Haunted Mansion Holiday revelers enjoy the Nightmare
Before Christmas overlay. During October Disneyland will
keep its shorter hours and Monday-Thursday stay a little
slower while weekends pick up considerable. Disneyland
closes at 8pm Monday-Thursday and 11pm on Friday-Sunday
and DCA will close at 6pm weekdays and 9pm on the
weekends. Remember, "Mickey's Halloween Treat" at DCA will
be a private party with a separate ticket required for
entry, and this means DCA may close early depending on the
party night.
November
The Holiday Season officially kicks off (normally) the 2nd
weekend in November with the taping of the Christmas Day
Parade for NBC. The park will be packed with fans showing
up to celebrate Christmas Day in November, and a chance to
be seen on camera and to catch a peek at the celebrities
during their cameos or performances in the Holiday Parade.
For the best weekend in November, try the 1st weekend as
the crowds are usually very low all week, but after that
it's no-holds-barred celebrating. Thanksgiving weekend
tends to be busy, and the Disneyland Hotel will host a
Thanksgiving Feast in the Grand Ballroom as well as most
of the fine dining locations offering up their normal grub
and assorted Thanksgiving yummies.
The beautiful Holiday
version of it's a small world will open it's doors about
10 days in to the month and refurbishment of other
attractions will probably be minimal. Park hours vary
during the month depending on projected attendance and
parties, but tend to remain close to the previous month's
trends with Disneyland closing at 8pm Monday-Thursday and
11pm on Friday-Sunday and DCA closing at 6pm weekends and
9pm on the weekends. By the end of the month crowds will
be heavier and therefore park hours should be longer, so
be sure and check the INTERCOT Disneyland Hours or the
Official Disneyland calendar for updated hours.
December
The beginning of December is one of the MOST magical times
to visit the DLR. The crowds really cut back as school is
still in session, there aren't a lot of vacations going on
since Thanksgiving just ended and the park is in its full
decorated glory. Historically the first weekend of
December hosts the Candlelight Processional and park
attendance will skyrocket for those few days. After the
2nd weekend in December the park hours open back up to
accommodate the December busy season, the crowds pack
their warmer clothes and hit DLR in force.
The Holidays
show DLR in one of its most magical times. Snow on Main
Street, fireworks, "A Christmas Fantasy" Parade, hot
chocolate and some beautiful decorations all in the style
of their specific Lands (except for Tomorrowland, there is
still no Holiday season in the Future!). Most, if not all
attractions, should be up and running! Christmas Day will
have a grand feast in the Disneyland Hotel Ballroom, and
lots of amazing food in the sit-down restaurants at the
Resort, and crowds from around the world will be heading
to Disneyland to find some Holiday Cheer! December Park
hours vary greatly with parks closing as early as 6pm or
as late as midnight, so be sure and check the INTERCOT
Disneyland Hours or the Official Disneyland calendar for
updated hours. To end the year, on New Years Eve you can
party at Disneyland until 2am or at DCA until 1am!!
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