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View Full Version : So... Why do you go in the summer?



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Omnitographer
08-07-2006, 11:56 PM
Everyone here knows that the peak season is the busiest, the hottest, and the most unpleasantly crowded. The lines are so long that you can spend hours waiting for a 2-3 min ride, and the price of a cold beverage is so high that you will go broke trying to stay hydrated. So my question is, why do you go in the summer, and not during the off season, say oct through april. What makes it so much better to go during the hot, humid, miserable summer than the winter/spring months?

potzbie
08-08-2006, 12:41 AM
For one thing, DL has stuff every day during the summer which would be strictly WEEKEND ONLY otherwise.

• Parade, twice (instead of once) per day
• Fireworks
• Club Buzz bands
• Carnation Plaza Gardens swing bands (Friday and Saturday instead of just Saturday)

I bet there is more than my modest list.

backsthepack
08-08-2006, 05:19 AM
For us the main reason is that the kid is out of school. Another reason is while it seems hot to most over there, it is much cooler than the temps here (Arizona). Also the extended hours play a role.

We do enjoy our October visits though during the little ones fall break.

yellowrosedtxn
08-08-2006, 06:12 AM
I am with backsthepack as far as the weather goes. I am in Texas, so going during the summer is not bad. The weather is perfect, cool in the morning/evenings and not overly hot during the day.

And like potzbie I like the extended hours, the parades, fireworks and most shows run all week long. That way I can go during the week and it won't be a crowded as it is on the weekends.

But the other reason is because I have three kids that are in school. If the school went year round then I would change my plans on when I could take them to more off season times. I would go every day of the year if I could! :-)

cpeak
08-08-2006, 07:00 AM
I go during the summer because I am on summer vacation. I would love to go when everyone is in school, but being a teacher I can't do that. I wish my school was year around so that I would have a chance to go during non-peak times. My husband is much happier when it is not as crowded.

On our last trip in June it was also much cooler than it was at home in the Sac. Valley. It has been so hot up here. It's funny everyone thinks it is so hot in Southern Ca, but it gets much hotter in the valley.

Skunker
08-08-2006, 07:01 AM
This is silly, but it seems like there is that "real" vacation feeling in the summer, the kind you get as a kid. Just something magical about it. But I do have to say that the off season is less crowded and still magical!

annieb727
08-08-2006, 07:27 AM
hahaha....that's one reason (JUST ONE REASON, and not my MAIN reason) for wanting to homeschool my kids...we can have a vacation ANY TIME of the year - heck, we can make DL a school trip (involve learning and stuff and count the hours - well some of them anyway). :fez:

Tinkermommy
08-08-2006, 07:30 AM
Because I just can't wait that long between visits!!

If I had to wait from mid-June until Sept, I'd go craaaazy. Nope, just can't be done.

I "need" to go about every other week, even if it's just stopping in for lunch and Indy.:)

10-97
08-08-2006, 08:17 AM
We go to DL in the summer because that's when our kids are out of school.

Before the kids were born, my wife and I usually went to DL in May or October.

hbquikcomjamesl
08-08-2006, 09:02 AM
The only major visit I make during the summer is July 4th. Why then? Why on one of the busiest days of the busiest season?

First, it's a tradition. Up until some years ago, when Fountain Valley unconditionally outlawed all amateur fireworks, I had a fairly elaborate (and strictly legal) display. Beginning the year the ban fell (the year when I would otherwise have made my first attempt to set part of the display to music, most likely Copland's Fanfare for the Common Man), I responded to the ban by boycotting the city limits from as soon as I could make it out the door in the morning until after midnight, and spending the entire day at Disneyland. I had only recently become a passholder, with my pass renewal being my major birthday present from my parents, and within a few years, my pass effective/expiration date had slipped to July 4th, since that was the one day I was certain to be there.

Then came the experimental backstage tour program. Two different itineraries, one in the morning, and one in the afternoon. I missed the morning tour that day, but made it into the afternoon tour, and somewhere, I still have a half-filled backstage tour passport. I returned the next time I was available in the early morning, in order to do the morning tour, but it was too late: the program had been terminated.

Then, I think it was the following year, the Walt's Footsteps tour had its debut, and I began taking it every year on July 4th, beginning a second tradition. With the tour taking up much of the day, long lines aren't much of an issue. Heat and UV are problems, but industrial-strength sunscreen works wonders on the latter.

hg0079
08-08-2006, 09:15 AM
we go in summer because that is when the kids are out of school and since we also visit family they are able to take vacation easier....besides it's Summer!

Jon Vincible
08-08-2006, 09:23 AM
Quite simply, school is out during the summer. I work a 40 hour week and take night classes 4 nights a week, so I literally have no time to take vacations outside of Christmas and Summer. Plus, all my friends who are away at universities don't like to take time off school. This way I'm 110% sure I'll be able to fit Fantasmic, my favorite thing at Disneyland, into my vacation schedule. We just "deal" with the crowds and the heat. The FastPass tricks I learned about were awesome. And the heat? We didn't even wear sunblock a couple weeks ago when we went, and none of us got burned. But cpeak, I think we're a little bit spoiled here in the Bay Area, it never gets as hot as Sac.

stagemomx3
08-08-2006, 10:07 AM
- heck, we can make DL a school trip (involve learning and stuff and count the hours - well some of them anyway). :fez:


;) We are starting homeschooling September 1st (they picked that date so they could be like Harry Potter) and the kids don't know it yet, but their first projects will involve Disneyland and our trip there for Halloween.

annieb727
08-08-2006, 11:40 AM
;) We are starting homeschooling September 1st (they picked that date so they could be like Harry Potter) and the kids don't know it yet, but their first projects will involve Disneyland and our trip there for Halloween.

very cool! i'm sure they'll LOVE it!

mad4mky
08-08-2006, 12:52 PM
I went last summer in July...because the National Down syndrome Congress Convention was in Anaheim then.

I thought we would be miserable, as we always go in the 'off season'.

But, I was pleasantly surprised at how nice the visit was to the parks. We went in the middle of the week, before the convention...and...everythingwas up and running. The parades ran twice a day. Fantasmic ran two or three times...and every attraction was running to full capacity. Meaning they rean all the trains, cars, boats, etc. Not just a small few.
The wait times were not bad at all, and it really was not over crowded because of the full operation of everything (including characters out, street bands and entertainers being out, etc).

It was warm. But, if you got wet on a ride, you didn't mind. We drank lots of fluids, and sat in the shade to cool off.

Would I purposely choose to go again in July? Probably not, unless there was a reason such as the above compelling me to go.

But, honestly, it wasn't that bad at all.:)

Jill
08-08-2006, 09:28 PM
We always go the end of August and it's really not that busy. The worst of the heat is gone, but it's still hot enough to make these Canadian's happy. We return home with a warm glow and a lot of "WHERE have you been?!" :)

Also, with all of my kids in Highschool/College now, they really can't afford to take time off school to go other times. They could go on Spring Break but that's when everyone goes from here and it's much busier than it ever is for us the end of August

charpaul
08-08-2006, 10:18 PM
A mid-week visit in August is a special thing! The crowds are not too bad - the weather is not too hot - the nights are warm - I go on all the "wet" rides - I have ALL the attractions and entertainment to choose from - the landscaping and flower beds are terrific in summer and change almost every week - the park is open from 8AM till 11PM.
I have summers off (I am a teacher) - and so do several pass-holdling friends who also teach. We meet at the park on a Thursday afternoon and spend the rest of the day there together. We take our time and do what ever we are in the mood to do. It is a wonderful summer treat to spend a weekday at Disneyland!!

HydroGuy
08-08-2006, 10:53 PM
o Maximum number of rides are running

o Maximum number of shows are performed

o Parks hours are at maximum

o Like going when it is warm and we can wear shorts and tee-shorts from early morning until midnight

o No fear of getting wet on water rides

Mark Mywords
08-09-2006, 08:13 AM
We try to go as early in June as possible. That way we get all the advantages of Disneyland in summer (park hours, shows, parades, rides up, schools out) while avoiding some of the crowds.

Although, during this past 50th anniversary, all bets were off when it came to crowds at any time of the year...

Pat-n-Eil
08-09-2006, 08:46 AM
For us the main reason is that the kid is out of school. ...

+1

Also.. a couple of years ago we went toward the end of June during the week and Disneyland was very pleasant with quite manageable crowds. I think it was a Tuesday to Friday trip. After the 50th, I'm hoping that this time of year on a non holiday week - with enhanced FastPasses in hand - that it will be that way again. I recall Tuesday and Wednesday as being very light.

kohl
08-09-2006, 08:51 AM
Our last trip was February and we are having Disneyland withdrawls!
Since the kids are out of school right now we might as well go.
Also, this is the first time my stepdaughter can come with us. We are so excited!!!!!!

Alisonsmom
08-09-2006, 09:14 AM
I usually go in the "off season" but this summer I made an exception and took my niece in July for her birthday. It was enough to reaffirm my decision to never go in the summer. I was miserable. Long lines and my mistake was going when that heat wave was going on.

I completely understand those who go because of school and work issues. I am one of the lucky ones who work from home, own my own business and my kid isn't in school yet.

All in all it would take a lot for me to go in the summer again. I find one parade during the weekend is fine. I don't find a lot of rides down because of off season. And the weather and crowds are much more tolerable for me. To each his own!

ghoofie
08-09-2006, 01:16 PM
Well I say "We NEVER go to the park in the summer". Yet.. every summer, somehow we endup at the park. For example, (see my post "What would YOU do), we will be at the park either this Saturday or Sunday. Now how's THAT. Not only summer...but weekend summer.

We never plan a summer trip. Sometimes we visit people in southern california and figure..well we are nearby...let's take an extra day and visit. We can at least see Fantasmic and fireworks in the evening. And we'll just fast pass what we can and be glad we were there.

Rhiannon8404
08-09-2006, 01:24 PM
hahaha....that's one reason (JUST ONE REASON, and not my MAIN reason) for wanting to homeschool my kids...we can have a vacation ANY TIME of the year - heck, we can make DL a school trip (involve learning and stuff and count the hours - well some of them anyway). :fez:

Hee, hee, us, too! Actually, it's really more like an added bonus to homeschooling. And you can always consider a trip to DCA as state history! ;)

ChelleR
08-09-2006, 03:59 PM
Just out of curiosity...does anyone take their kids out of school to go off-season??

My kids have been in pre-school up until now...and we've always gone to Disneyland in mid-May. We love it that time of year...good weather, no crowds, etc. My son is starting kindergarten this year and I'd still like to go in May...but will I be an irresponsible mom for having him miss a week of school for a vacation to Disneyland?

Michelle