We all wish we could have the parks to ourselves. Ride after ride with no waiting. And yet as these dreams fade and we’re faced with reality, lines and crowds of people can make us a bit nervous. In fact, wait times and crowds have been listed as the 3rd thing guests worry about the most behind ticket pricing and hotel. This is exactly why we’ve put together a FREE Disneyland Crowd Calendar. We want to help put your mind at ease as you glance over each month of the year and see which weeks and days are busiest and which ones are slowest.
A valid question you might have is “how do you know which days are going to be busy or not?” Fantastic question. First, we like to think that our 20+ years of studying and visiting the parks on a regular basis counts for something. When we say “studying” we mean staring at the Disneyland App when we’re not there and watching wait times. It’s very nerdy but it’s all for you so…you’re welcome.
We’ve visited the parks on slow days, busy days and insane days. We know what each crowd set is like and what it can be like to try and maneuver and wait in line during each one. We’ve seen what one closed attraction can do to the surrounding area and where it tends to push crowds. We know what lands are the slowest in the morning times vs. afternoon and evening.
On top of this there are several common factors that go into making a crowd:
- School’s out – Spring Break, Fall Break and Summer
- Holidays – School’s out, work’s out and people will travel
- Weekends – School’s out, work’s out and locals will party
- Special Events – Attraction openings, new shows, runDisney events, themed nites and Festivals
All of these things will draw more guests which means bigger crowds and longer wait times. Combine all of these things and you’ve got yourself a pretty solid Disneyland Crowd Calendar. Of course we’ve put all of this together for you so you don’t need to worry about doing it on your own.
Below you’ll find our free Disneyland Crowd Calendar broken into months. We continue to add months as we progress through the year so that you can plan in advance. The calendars are pretty self explanatory.
[fullcalendar]Best Months to Visit Disneyland
For 2023 the best months to visit Disneyland Resort are going to be:
- January
- February
- First week of March
- Two weeks in May
- End of August
- September
- First week of November
- First two weeks of December
These weeks typically avoid the above mentioned crowd factors and have proven to be less crowded than the rest of the weeks in the year. Some may change slightly as we receive more information throughout the year including dates of special events like Halloween Parties, Holiday Decor Reveals and Attraction Openings. We make adjustments accordingly to the crowd calendars above as these happen.
You can dive deeper into this by reading our in-depth guide on the best times to visit Disneyland.
How Does The Park Reservation System Factor In?
It’s actually very helpful as we’re able to look at what reservations are still available for Magic Key Holders and regular admission tickets. If all Magic Key Holder reservations are booked up then we know it’s already going to be a busy day. If we see that general admission reservations are also all gone, we know it’s for sure going to be a busy day. If one or the other still has reservations left, it’s probably going to be a moderate day at the parks.
Of course this is also factored in with weekends, special events, holidays, school schedules etc. Either category (Magic Key or park guest) could be just a few away from being sold out or several away. That’s why we look at the whole including the other crowd factors.
What Do I Do If Disneyland Is Crowded?
Follow a touring plan like the one we’ve put together. Crowds tend to follow a certain trend each day which makes a touring plan the perfect idea for helping you move in the opposite direction and maximizing your time with smaller wait times. Plus, if you’re not interested in shows or entertainment like parades or fireworks, you can get even more done as most guests tend to attend these events, leaving attractions with much smaller lines.
You can also park hop if you have the option. Disneyland Park may be crowded but California Adventure Park may be a bit less busy. It’s always worth a shot. May guests visit the parks with 1 park per day tickets which leaves them in one park the entire day. If the majority of them choose Disneyland that day, California Adventure could be slower. This is why we always recommend adding the park hopper option to your ticket.
Saving Time Is More Than Just Crowds
You want to be prepared and proficient with the Disneyland App and the Genie service. We highly recommend that guests form out the extra money for the Genie+ service. Or go beyond that and book a VIP Tour. We offer a fantastic guide on how to use Genie+ plus two very special hacks to make you a pro: Genie+ Stacking and Genie+ Refills. The latter can get a bit crazy but applies to Disneyland and Walt Disney World the same.
On top of this, arriving early for rope drop (park opening) can give you a leg up on that one attraction you know carries the longest wait time (Rise of the Resistance, Racers ahem). Getting that out of the way can free up over an hour of your day to be doing other things.
Again, spend some time learning all about these services and by the time you roll up to the parks you’ll be a Genie wizard plus you’ll have chosen some fantastic days to visit from a crowd calendar. The combination of both may end up creating the greatest vacation ever.
