The kids have a teacher inservice this Friday. Being Disney nuts, we are grabbing the opportunity and going to DL Wed-Sat, booking out before the Memorial Day crowds go bonkers. Anyone have any ideas what it should be like?
Thanks!

The kids have a teacher inservice this Friday. Being Disney nuts, we are grabbing the opportunity and going to DL Wed-Sat, booking out before the Memorial Day crowds go bonkers. Anyone have any ideas what it should be like?
Thanks!

My guess would be low crows on Wednesday and Thursday. Friday will start out slow and grow by the afternoon (local families coming after school) and be busy the rest of the weekend.

Spent about five hours at the park today with my son. Crowds seemed quite a bit heavier than usual for a Sunday (we usually go on Sundays.) We tried to go to Red Rocket's Pizza Port for our usual lunch, only to find that the line snaked well beyond the door, and once we got inside there were no trays available anywhere. After we each grabbed a slice of pizza, we noticed that the cashier line also was winding to beyond the soda machines. Not looking forward to having the pizza get completely cold before we could even pay for it; we set it back on the counter and left. Even with these crowds, half of the cashier lines at Red Rocket's were unmanned, which just made the problem worse.
Oddly enough, we noticed that the Stage Door cafe and Coke Corner had almost no lines at all.
Today was probably an unusual case; Disneyland park closed early yesterday for the Pirates premier, so many families that had plans to go this weekend probably chose Sunday over Saturday

My guess would be low crows on Wednesday and Thursday. Friday will start out slow and grow by the afternoon (local families coming after school) and be busy the rest of the weekend.

Thanks! That was I was thinking/hoping for! Now the praying for a soft Nemo opening begins...slim chance, I know, but a girl can dream!!:)

Mom's b-day is the 4th and we're going open to close! Our group has expanded to 15 (2 infants, 4 children, and 9 adults). Most of us are going to arrive for opening. We know it's going to be busy and aren't expecting to enjoy too many rides. We have lunch reservations for 1:30 at Cafe Orleans (it's the only one that would take that large of a group). Mom wants to make sure we catch Flag Retreat and wants to view the fireworks from the Hub, preferably castle-side.

How can we guarantee getting good seats and keeping them without being so incredibly tacky as to leave tons of blankets everywhere? Is it possible to still find decent Hub seats after 3pm that day (or whenever we get done with lunch)? Some of the group won't mind missing Flag Retreat to save seats and we'll all plan on taking shifts so no one person is stuck just sitting around all day. How early will we need to get there to get in line to get our tickets for the day (it's blocked out for us), rent the necessary strollers, and get in before they close down the park?

I'm sure I'll have more questions... but that's all I can think of for now. TIA!

Elizabeth

Actually, you should be able to get decent areas as late as 5pm or so. Last year we got the street right in front of the castle at 530pm. And you can't leave "tons of blankets", you need to stay with them. The park usually doesn't hit capacity til 11 or noon, and even then it doesn't go to a full close til usually 1 or so. (There are about 5 stages.)

If you get there in the morning it will actually be a fairly normal opening summer day. Hit Fantasyland first thing to get as many of those attractions done. Get a couple of FastPasses for later in the day as soon as you can.

You WILL be able to do some of the attractions early. BUT as the day wears on it will get more and more crowded....
Plan on NOT leaving the park after about 1:00PM (it might be "closed" for reentery at that time.)
Plan on getting a HANDSTAMP for EVERYONE in your party in case you DO leave at some point in the day... (that Handstamp MIGHT get you in becasue you have been in previously even if others are being turned away at the gates...)
Plan on staking out a prime viewing spot as soon as you can AFTER the 2nd parade of the day. IF your family is willing to wait and stake it out for hours - this is the time/day to do it. With a large party - that may be the ONLY way to guarantee a good spot later.... 5:30 would not be too early.. 3:00 probably WOULD be too early...
Plan on being flexible and having a good sense of humor - and a good supply of water or drinks to keep cool!!

You have already taken care of LUNCH - I would try to make that a BIG meal and then "snack" on something for dinner later. Every year I see many people who cannot find a place to eat dinner that night because of the crowds and trying to stake out space...

Flag Retreat is a Great thing to experience- but it is done other times/days also...

Remember - there are TWO firework shows that night -
The first is REMEMBER - which is in itself a magical thing to see..
The 2nd is a Salute to America - usually with the "Golden Dreams" music from the American Experience in Epcot.. LOVE THAT TUNE!!!
There is only a few minutes pause between the two shows usually.

The lines for strollers/tickets /entry should not be too bad IF you get there for opening. A LOCKER is a good thing to get early if you think you might need one. They tend to sell out quickly on this day...


I have been there on the 4th for the past 4 years. It has been a wonderful day each time. Just go with the flow and enjoy whatever you DO get to experience at the park that day. Chances are it will be more than you originally thought is would be - especially if you get there for opening.

Have a great time!!

Is is too early to ask what they expect in the way of crowds for Father's Day weekend? My family is open to coming and going on the Friday before as opposed to Saturday of that weekend. Would Friday be a better bet?

We went to DTD for lunch with friends. We expected total chaos at the park but found the tram cue empty at 12:30 and no one parked on the top two levels. I half expected to the sign saying DLR was full but even DTD was not very crowded. If my DD and DH had premiums instead of deluxes, we would have seized the opportunity to go today. Maybe we will try tomorrow. We just found it very odd!

We've never been to Disneyland on the 4th of July. How crowded? Will there be any special events going on to celebrate the 4th?

The Lovely Mrs. tod nailed it years ago:

If you go to Disneyland on the Fourth of July and -- God forbid -- you die, it'll take you half an hour to fall over.

--t

That is exactly when we are going...I hope to survive :)

We've never been to Disneyland on the 4th of July. How crowded? Will there be any special events going on to celebrate the 4th?

It could be the busiest day of the year. If it is not the busiest it will be one of the closest.

My suggestions:
Arrive early (especially if you want to go on rides)
Camp out for fireworks (They have extra fireworks after the typical evening show)
Get dinner early (We got food at 5 pm and waited an hour when it normally takes 10-15 minutes)
Bring a Costco size cannister of patience
Bring things to entertain yourself while you wait
Don't expect to go on many rides after about noon as the crowds get bigger and bigger.
Last one, don't leave right after the fireworks. It's painful. Wait till midnight or later if you can. (We stayed at the Ho Jo and it was really nice walking back to the hotel and avoiding the parking structure all together)

Actually, given that it's on a Wednesday this year, I don't think it'll be that bad, relatively speaking. It tends to be much worse when it falls on a weekend or weekend-adjacent. You also have to know what to expect and how to manage while inside.

. . . Bring a Costco size cannister of patience. . .
Costco doesn't sell patience--I wish they did!
Currently, the only states of mind they sell are "antipathy" (in boxes of 48) and "mild-strength gregariousness--non-alcoholic" (in twelve-pound bags).

Costco RARELY has the exact product I want, which would be much less annoying if I hadn't purchased a membership!
GRRRR! :mad: :~D

But my 4th of July advice: just spend the day and night eating, drinking, and seeing movies in Downtown Disney. And if you do go into the park, see the flag ceremony (It's the 4th!), fireworks, and remember: if you get overwhelmed by the crowds (and you will), you'll still have Innoventions all to yourself!

Having done July 4 numerous times, and doing NYE daily, they are about the same crowd wise. The big difference? July 4th heat brings shorter tempers.

Having done July 4 numerous times, and doing NYE daily, they are about the same crowd wise. The big difference? July 4th heat brings shorter tempers.
Having only been there (for both holidays) as an employee in the 1980s, I will defer to Malcon10t and Ctstevens. So as is often the case, you're better off ignoring my advice above.

What are the crowds like during the first two weeks of August? I'll be there from August 6-10 and am curious. I've read about the crowds often, but I would like some personal input (if possible). My family usually visits at the end of August, but we planned our trip during a different time this year. Thanks in advance!

Having only been there (for both holidays) as an employee in the 1980s, I will defer to Malcon10t and Ctstevens. So as is often the case, you're better off ignoring my advice above.Actually, I agree with you. We are skipping July 4th this year. While I deal fine with the crowds in the winter cold, the summer heat just causes me to be more irritated on days with capacity crowd days.

Also note, according to Disneyland.com, the Park closes at 11pm on July 4. I saw that a couple months ago and thought it had to be an error on their calendar, which happens a lot. But so far, it still says 11pm closing time. Seems very weird considering July 4 can be one of the busiest days of the year, as has been said. But maybe since it is on a Wednesday, they figure everyone will clear out pretty quick after the fireworks.

We were there for the 4th last year, and it honestly wasn't nearly as bad as what I was expecting. The times when you notice the crowds the most are during the parades and DEFINATELY during the fireworks. Other than that, it was more than tolerable. I'd go back.

If you do go, be sure to follow the advice about eating at times that are not that common (try to beat the rush by eating early, or miss it by eating late) and be sure to make the most of fast-pass early in the day. Take it at your own pace. Also - I thought that the fireworks were spectacular.

Actually, given that it's on a Wednesday this year, I don't think it'll be that bad, relatively speaking. It tends to be much worse when it falls on a weekend or weekend-adjacent. You also have to know what to expect and how to manage while inside.


It doesn't matter what day the 4th falls on, be prepared for very large crowds and very hot weather. I have been going every year for the 4th for years and the crowd does not change. Bring lots of water, and sunscreen. Come early and ride the big rides first. If you have kids hit FL as soon as you get there. If you want a good spot for the fireworks, plan to save your spot at least 2 hours before the show.

Also note, according to Disneyland.com, the Park closes at 11pm on July 4. I saw that a couple months ago and thought it had to be an error on their calendar, which happens a lot. But so far, it still says 11pm closing time. Seems very weird considering July 4 can be one of the busiest days of the year, as has been said. But maybe since it is on a Wednesday, they figure everyone will clear out pretty quick after the fireworks.

I was also VERY surprised by this...I thought that being 4th of July not to mention the fact that it is summer they would close later :confused:

Also note, according to Disneyland.com, the Park closes at 11pm on July 4. I saw that a couple months ago and thought it had to be an error on their calendar, which happens a lot. But so far, it still says 11pm closing time. Seems very weird considering July 4 can be one of the busiest days of the year, as has been said. But maybe since it is on a Wednesday, they figure everyone will clear out pretty quick after the fireworks.

July 4 used to be one of those days when they'd be open until 2am or even 3am if it was a weekend. I remember walking back to the car which was parked in Puumba at something like 2:45am. They haven't done that in a while. They usually only stay open until midnight. With it being mid-week, I'm not surprised they're closing at 11pm.

It doesn't matter what day the 4th falls on, be prepared for very large crowds and very hot weather. I have been going every year for the 4th for years and the crowd does not change.

Ummm, ok, maybe the crowds just follow you around and not me. I don't think I've missed a July 4th at the park since 1997, and while it's never dead, I've definitely noticed a difference in crowd when the day is on a weekend versus a weekday.

Disneyland is short on employees and can't hire cast members who stay because of the low pay. The casting center is now having a job fair every two weeks and the park is short staffed. This summer will be a interesting time at Disneyland if the short staff situation continues. I think the parking lot and foods departments are the most short staffed right now. If you see the park closing at 10pm during the summer months this year, its due to not having enough employees.