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  1. #1
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Apr 2001
    Location
    Sacramento, CA

    When is Disneyland least crowded?

    Hi to all,
    I'm new here, hardly ever post but love to read them all. I'm hoping all you AP'ers out there can answer a question for me. We're thinking of going to Disneyland sometime after the new year (in 2004) , but we want to go when there are hardly any crowds. I've read alot of posts about certain times being better than others but the trade-offs are the weather, hours, etc. I'm not at all concerned about how cold it is, how rainy it is or if the park closes early...it's the throngs of people that bother me. We will be traveling with a toddler and it's just too hard to deal with the stroller and long lines and nowhere to sit down and rest when there are a million people around. We went last year the first week in December and I was shocked at how busy it was. A two-hour wait for Pirates!!?? Never again.

    I hope I don't sound like I'm people-phobic or anything...I just want to have a nice vacation where I can take my time walking around the parks, enjoying the atmosphere and being with my family. Any ideas???

    Thanks


  2. #2

    I have no numbers to back this up, but Super Bowl Sunday is said to be the slowest day.

    ~Jeff

  3. #3
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Oct 2001
    Location
    Woodland, California

    I know it's a year away, but we went the Thursday-Sunday after Labor Day last year and it was wonderful. Thursday being the best (no lines) day. Weather was summer like, a few things things weren't running, but we were able to ride everything we wanted to on Thursday......sigh.....wish I were there now


  4. #4
    From another lifetime lisap's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2001
    Location
    Sweet and spicy

    If you are not concerned about the parks closing early be sure to book the bulk of your vacation for weekdays in the winter or early spring--crowds are always lighter.

    As far as time of year--right after the Christmas season in January is good, as well as into February and March during the week. You might risk a bit of rain during those months, but SoCal rain is nothing compared to other parts of the country. And a drizzle will keep the locals home .

    Have a great trip.


  5. #5
    O K so now I'm a LOSER
    Join Date
    May 2003
    Location
    State of Confusion

    I just looked up a table of attendence throughout the year in an old unofficial Disneyland guide. The table showed from right after the first week in September to mid Febuary is about 20, thousand a day execpt for Thanksgiving weekend and Christmas week. The couple of weeks between Thangiving and Christmas are the lowest attendence, plus it is in it's Holiday splendor.

    I should change my name to Exit, that way anywhere I go I can see my name in Lights!

  6. #6
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Mar 2002
    Location
    Gardena, CA

    I agree with Lisap. Those months are usually the best to go in.

    God Bless the USA!

  7. #7

    wait, is this one of those trick questions, like

    "How many pieces of toast do you need to put into your toaster to make a BLT?"
    None, you put bread into a toaster.



    "When is Disneyland least crowded?"
    When it's closed.


  8. #8
    Originally posted by dshimel
    wait, is this one of those trick questions, like

    "How many pieces of toast do you need to put into your toaster to make a BLT?"
    None, you put bread into a toaster.



    "When is Disneyland least crowded?"
    When it's closed.
    No comment.....just thought it was worth quoting
    ~Jeff

  9. #9
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Aug 2003
    Location
    Eugene, OR GO DUCKS!!!!
    Originally posted by sleepyjeff
    I have no numbers to back this up, but Super Bowl Sunday is said to be the slowest day.
    My husband and I went to the park for Superbowl weekend this January, thinking it would be totally barren, because the game was in California, and we figured even the local crowds would be less, because of that. We were sort of wrong - Saturday was actually great - very light crowds all day long. But Sunday was easily twice as crowded as Saturday, and it was mainly the folks who had the kind of annual passports that don't allow them to go on Saturdays at all, and a cast member told me alot of park employees were there that day as well. The good news was that as far as crowds go, these were all people who totally knew their way around the park, and were extra courteous and very friendly.
    We've found the least crowded times to be about the first two weeks of December, right before most school vacations start. Also, obviously mid-week. It's great - the holiday decorations are up, the weather (in my opinion) is perfect - not too hot, and you get the Holiday Haunted Mansion and the Holiday Small World.
    Then again, I've also actually gone on Labor Day weekend, when it was so packed it was insane, and still had a great time. And that was before fastpasses!
    So have fun whenever you go!
    "Kenny Wheaton's gonna score! Kenny Wheaton's gonna score!
    Touchdown Oregon!"

  10. #10
    Originally posted by stagedoorjonny
    The couple of weeks between Thangiving and Christmas are the lowest attendence, plus it is in it's Holiday splendor.
    This is a very good time go, because of the Christmas stuff and the park is "relatively" less crowded. However, with the explosion of AP's in the last few years, this time period seems to still get quite crowded, especially on weekends. Still a good time to go in my opinion.

  11. #11
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Sep 2003
    Location
    Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada

    Thumbs up

    My family went the week after President's Week and the crowds were light. We practically walked on to every ride in fact we did Indiana Jones 6 times in a row without waiting more than 5 minutes. Walking through the empty cue took longer than the tiny wait. We did wait for 40 minutes to get on Mulholand Madness and 30 minutes for the Gadget Coaster.
    All in all, my family had such a great time, we are going again in 2004 the week after President's Week.


  12. #12
    Originally posted by mrscoach
    My husband and I went to the park for Superbowl weekend this January, thinking it would be totally barren, because the game was in California, and we figured even the local crowds would be less, because of that. We were sort of wrong - Saturday was actually great - very light crowds all day long. But Sunday was easily twice as crowded as Saturday, and it was mainly the folks who had the kind of annual passports that don't allow them to go on Saturdays at all, and a cast member told me alot of park employees were there that day as well. The good news was that as far as crowds go, these were all people who totally knew their way around the park, and were extra courteous and very friendly.
    We've found the least crowded times to be about the first two weeks of December, right before most school vacations start. Also, obviously mid-week. It's great - the holiday decorations are up, the weather (in my opinion) is perfect - not too hot, and you get the Holiday Haunted Mansion and the Holiday Small World.
    Then again, I've also actually gone on Labor Day weekend, when it was so packed it was insane, and still had a great time. And that was before fastpasses!
    So have fun whenever you go!
    I stand corrected.

    Oh, yeah..............GO OREGON!.....ALL THE WAY!
    ~Jeff

  13. #13

    how about the first weekend in november? i gotta postpone our september stay at GCH to november because our (the people going with me) schedules conflicted. =( i still am going near the end of this month though.


  14. #14
    Registered User
    Join Date
    May 2003
    Location
    Stanwood, WA Autzen in the Fall

    Sleepyjeff - see you at the Michigan game?

    Ya buddy!

    can't wait for next Fall...

  15. #15
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Aug 2003
    Location
    Eugene, OR GO DUCKS!!!!

    Sleepyjeff and Rangnar -

    The Michigan game is gonna ROCK!!

    "Kenny Wheaton's gonna score! Kenny Wheaton's gonna score!
    Touchdown Oregon!"

  16. #16
    Originally posted by donatello3000
    how about the first weekend in november?
    I would say that it's a rather good time to go. Weekdays are WAY better though, but I think Fantasmic is only on Fri-Sat-Sun. Tradeoffs abound.

    I agree with those that say that mid-Jan through mid-March is the best time to go. Being Jewish, I'm not a Christmas person and like the park in its standard form. People are less apt to be on vacation and the weather keeps others away. And even those that do come may come early and leave early as they have work the next day. A brisk weeknight in February - can't beat it!

    Of course, this is when lots of rides go down for refurbishment.

  17. #17
    Insufferable Know-It-All
    Join Date
    Apr 2001
    Location
    Location: Location

    Rainy Tuesday in February (I've seen attendance drop below 10,000 on occasion - ghost town)

    The Constitution is there to PROTECT rights, not to take them away.

  18. #18

    About 1am in February.

    Oh, you want to ride rides and shop? Silly me.


    January, February, March are blissfully dead. However, you have to deal with closures and shortened hours.


  19. #19
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Jul 2002
    Location
    Seattle, WA

    I'm not a fan of crowded walkways or long lines. If I had to choose, I'd rather have the long lines - not thrilled with fastpass. I've visited the last week of January, second week of February, first week of March, first week of April and first week of November.

    The least crowded visits were the last week of January and second week of February. Most crowded were first week of April and first week of November. I've done multiple trips the last week of January and prefer it, despite rehab closures and shorter days.

    It's so nice to walk freely through the park and walk onto rides without waiting. If it rains, all the better, as it's usually light and thins the already sparse crowds. The last two trips were March and November, which were really too crowded for my pleasure.

    This year I was planning for the first week of December (because I really love HMH), but got talked into the November 18-22. I'm a little apprehensive about crowds, but since I'll be alone the first three days, I'm warming up to it. Next year, it's back to February...which means two visits within months of each other...a financial sacrifice that just can't be avoided.


  20. #20

    Our best trip so far has been early March. We went last March around the 10th or so (Sunday- Wed) and it was wonderful. Sunday was the busiest and it still was slow. My Monday afternoon we had ridden every ride 2+ times and still had the evening. We LOVED it. In all the pictures with the characters there is no one behind. It's so funny to see about 30 people on all of main street at 1pm Our longest line was 15 minutes for Small World.

    The weather was nice. We wore shorts during the day and pants/jackets at night.

    Since my girls are yound we didn't ride any roller coasters so I don't remember what was closed for rehab, but there was still plenty to do. The hours were 10am-8pm. We left every day for a nap and still saw most everything we wanted. We did some rides over and over without ever getting off. It was great.

    Sonya in Boise

  21. #21
    Land of the free!
    Join Date
    May 2001
    Location
    Las Vegas

    Why was it so busy in November? I can understand during Thanksgiving but why earlier?

    We are planning to go weekend before Thanksgiving hoping to avoid large crowds. We usually go the first weekend in December but it has gotten much busier the last few years.

    Thanks for the info.

    "To all who come to the happy place welcome. Disneyland is your land. Here, age relieves fond memories of the past, and here youth may savor the challenge and promise of the future. Disneyland is dedicated to the ideals, the dreams, and the hard facts that have created America…with the hope that it will be a source of joy and inspiration to all the world," Walter Elias Disney, July 17, 1955

  22. #22
    Livin' in my own private Idaho
    Join Date
    Aug 2003
    Location
    .....can I get back to you on that

    Hello disneyfan,
    Let me throw my 2 cents worth into this bank of advice.
    We (me, my husband, and 2 kids) have gone to DL in:

    96', 98', 99', & 2001. We always go the 2nd or 3rd week in September. We have always found minimal crowds and great weather!
    I know that Sept. 2004 sounds like a looooong way off. If you were wanting something between the first of the year and summer my only personal experience is I went once at Spring Break and it WAS busy. Then I went another year on Spring Break and it WASN'T busy??
    I have also gone once in May, it was either the 1st or 2nd week and it was not crowded then. We have a friend that goes at time every year and swears by it.

    Good luck with all your planning!


    Only 5 days, 8 hours, and 20 min. til we go to WDW!

    5 minutes ago he was sitting on my shoulders pointing at the cows in Munger's field....And then you blinked...
    Enough with the blinking, no more blinking!

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