Our free Disneyland crowd calendars cowl the perfect instances to go to, and when to keep away from the remainder of this 12 months and in 2023. Higher attendance means longer waits, and this may assist you save time at Disney California Adventure and Disneyland. These month-to-month guides supply information & recommendations on particular occasions climate, costs, reservations, and extra. (Updated October 23, 2022.)
We’ll preface this an vital disclaimer: Disneyland crowds have been a veritable curler coaster since reopening, and it doesn’t seem that’s going to alter within the foreseeable future. As of Late 2022, crowds are crushing and pent-up demand is nonetheless robust. We’ve visited quite a few instances in the previous couple of months, and have constantly encountered excessive wait instances, congestion all through the parks, and lengthy traces–together with Lightning Lane return queues!
It’s unimaginable to overstate simply how dangerous crowds have been at Disneyland this fall. While not day by day has been equally busy, attendance and wait instances have been extremely excessive by historic requirements. As in comparison with October 2019–the final “normal” 12 months at Disneyland (and the busiest 12 months ever till 2022)–the common wait time is up by 8 minutes. That might not look like a lot, however it provides up over the course of the day. On prime of that, our subjective evaluation is that congestion is much, far worse than Fall 2019.
It’s seemingly that crowds and congestion solely worsen for the rest of the 12 months. The busy Christmas season is true across the nook, which was so widespread final 12 months even at top-tier costs that Disneyland ran out of reservations and suspended ticket gross sales. It’s extremely unlikely that November and December 2022 would be the months that crowds lastly decelerate at Disneyland. To the opposite, we’re anticipating these months to attract record-setting crowds.
Looking ahead to January 2023, the 100 Years of Wonder Celebration kicks off with new nighttime spectaculars and the debut of Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway. It’s going to be busy throughout what’s traditionally a slower season, and that’s even with out new Magic Key gross sales.
Speaking of which, new Magic Key gross sales have been paused for months now. In the case of the very best tiers, for nearly a full 12 months. Only renewals are potential at this level, and that’s unlikely to alter anytime quickly. (See When Will Magic Key Passes Go Back on Sale at Disneyland? for our predictions there.) When Magic Key gross sales do resume, that’ll as soon as once more trigger crowds to spike.
Currently, there are unknowns and distinctive variables that affect attendance and crowds at Disneyland and Disney California Adventure. We’ll be blunt with you–we can’t completely predict crowds for 2023 and nobody can. Any different Disneyland crowd calendar that claims clairvoyance is mendacity. There are just a few the reason why…
First, the aforementioned Magic Key program, which is its substitute for Annual Passes. Disney continues to tweak reservation availability for Magic Key holders, and each time this occurs, it modifications the gang dynamic at Disneyland and Disney California Adventure.
Second, points with staffing. Disneyland continues to have an inadequate variety of Cast Members, regardless of enterprise a hiring blitz and just about nonstop adverts touting what a fantastic employer (and company citizen!) Disney is, and urging locals to use for jobs. Consequently, Disneyland tends to allocate extra assets (e.g. Cast Members) to weekends, whereas additionally releasing extra park reservations for these dates.
The finish result’s a whole lot of day-to-day variance based mostly on staffing ranges and park reservation refills. Both of these issues are inconsistent and never simply predictable, and the top consequence could be random weekdays which are or “feel” busier than their adjoining dates. Likewise, some weekends have felt much less busy due to superior staffing or extra restricted reservations for locals. While weekends (Saturdays, particularly) are typically busier, it’s hit and miss.
Third, reservation availability–or fairly, lack thereof–has one other large impression. This is extremely related to Disneyland crowd calendars as a result of if reservations run out, there isn’t a lot variance in crowds in any respect. If day by day is totally booked, they’re normally all equally busy. For the remainder of this 12 months, the largest limiting issue on attendance gained’t be natural demand, however fairly, reservation availability.
During peak season dates like Thanksgiving and Christmas, natural demand is likely to be considerably increased than the variety of accessible reservations. On a random Wednesday in May 2023, natural demand would possibly solely be 2% above reservations. In a standard 12 months, with out capability capped, the previous peak season dates could be far busier. In a capacity-constrained atmosphere, each are equally busy. Sold out is bought out–crowd ranges are the identical for each dates. (In idea–see the above observe about staffing which illustrates why this isn’t at all times true.)
As we stay up for this upcoming winter and spring, there’s one other monkey wrench that would completely upend the 2023 Disneyland crowd calendars. As famous above, Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway opens and the 100 Years of Wonder Celebration kicks off at Disneyland Resort on the finish of January 2023. That celebration brings with it new nighttime spectaculars to every park, plus character costumes, new merchandise, meals & drinks, and all the things else locals love.
To us, this seems like a repeat of some winters in the past, when Disneyland had unprecedented–and unpredicted–crowds within the winter and early spring months. Then, Disneyland was slammed with folks the primary two months of the 12 months on account of a confluence of circumstances: Main Street Electrical Parade’s return, SoCal resident ticket supply, and aggressive advertising and marketing campaigns in Los Angeles and Orange Counties.
While it’s presently unclear what sort of California resident ticket supply shall be launched for January via May 2023, it’s nearly sure there shall be one. (The huge query is whether or not weekends shall be blocked out–in that case, Saturdays is probably not as dangerous as they’re proper now.)
It’s additionally unclear to what extent Disneyland will market the 100 Years of Wonder Anniversary Celebration. Our guess is fairly aggressively. On prime of that, the reimagined Mickey’s Toontown will open and the Magic Happens Parade will return sooner or later in Spring 2023. Those two issues will draw (but in addition take up!) crowds.
Finally, there’s an opportunity this vacation season would be the “last hurrah” for pent-up demand and Disneyland crowds will really lower in 2023. Household financial savings are already down, client debt has reached new information, and inflation is stinging extra. There are additionally rising fears that the U.S. economic system is heading for a recession, or not less than a correction or slowdown. On prime of that, Disneyland has considerably elevated costs on park tickets, meals, merchandise, and nearly all the things else.
Consequently, it appears more and more seemingly that Disneyland will expertise its personal slowdown in demand sooner or later within the not-too-distant future. Who is aware of if any of that may occur, although. I didn’t suppose “revenge travel” would run this sizzling for this lengthy. It’ll be attention-grabbing to see how all of this really performs out. Our expectation is that journey patterns and client habits start to normalize all through 2023, however we don’t have a crystal ball.
Suffice to say, there are a whole lot of wildcards that make 2023 Disneyland crowd calendars are far much less dependable than in regular years. In our view, it’s downright unimaginable to forecast the gang ranges on particular dates subsequent 12 months given the entire above. What is potential is providing projections about particular date ranges relative to at least one one other.
For instance, we all know that the final week of March 2023 and the primary week of April 2023 shall be busier than the weeks instantly earlier than or after them. That’s due to spring breaks for main West Coast faculty districts that happen throughout these time frames. There are a whole lot of weeks all year long like this that we all know shall be higher or worse based mostly on numerous externalities. However, I couldn’t inform you whether or not March 28, 2023 shall be busier than April 4, 2023 or what their exact crowd degree shall be on a scale of 1-10. And nobody can.
With that in thoughts, our suggestion could be to have a look at the final ‘crowd contours’ for busy and less-busy weeks or months (and even refer as a substitute to our Best & Worst Months to Visit Disneyland as a substitute of this put up) and never day-by-day crowd predictions.
Accordingly, what we’re going to do right here is provide the instruments to decide on the perfect days to go to Disneyland–and the worst days to keep away from. Rather than making daring and definitive proclamations, we’ll cowl the underlying variables that impression crowds so you possibly can assess for your self which dates are prone to be good or dangerous. If that’s extra work than you wish to do, we even have loads of suggestions–with the asterisk that Disneyland crowds are topic to alter!
Now, let’s talk about extra specifics on when to go to California and supply some 2022-2023 Disneyland crowd calendar recommendation. For extra on this, and a few of the less-intuitive instances that is likely to be busy, seek the advice of our assets and suggestions beneath…
Crowd Calendars
As we’ve gained expertise visiting Disneyland and Disney California Adventure all through the years as Annual Passholders–and now Magic Keyholders–together with a number of journeys per week whereas locals, we’ve observed traits in crowds and analyzed patterns in wait time information.
Disneyland crowd calendars change repeatedly on account of quite a lot of elements, together with advertising and marketing, reductions, park hours, new attraction openings, particular occasions, Anaheim Convention Center occasions, and even climate (good or dangerous). We attempt to maintain our Disneyland crowd calendars up to date to replicate modifications in attendance traits.
It’s additionally price noting that Disneyland sometimes doesn’t launch park hours quite a lot of months prematurely, which implies the reliability of crowd calendars is decrease additional out from any given month. Same goes for theme park reservations, each for Magic Keyholders and common visitors.
Moreover, the comparatively new tiered ticket system offers Disneyland a better means to govern crowds by merely growing (or reducing) the costs of tickets on sure dates that will in any other case be extra (or much less) widespread. This causes some folks to go to on inexpensive/much less widespread dates, normalizing crowds to a point. Nevertheless, there nonetheless are higher and worse days/weeks/months to go to Disneyland, all of that are coated in our month-to-month guides.
You can entry our Disneyland crowd calendars and month-to-month guides by way of the hyperlinks beneath, every of which can open in a brand new browser tab:
A couple of years in the past, we rolled out crowd calendars for Disneyland that supplied a day-by-day have a look at crowds with pink, yellow, and inexperienced dates for heavy, reasonable, and low attendance, respectively. Many readers cherished these, they usually definitely make it simpler to see when Disneyland crowds shall be good or dangerous at a look.
Unfortunately, that kind of crowd calendar is not correct because of the aforementioned variables. Magic Key bookings alone throw a monkey wrench into that, and make it unimaginable for static color-coded crowd calendars to be actually dependable within the near-term. (We hope to deliver these crowd calendars again later in 2023, however gained’t achieve this till clear attendance traits have emerged and reservations should not repeatedly filling up.)
While we predict it’s nonetheless potential to establish traits in crowds, particularly relative to different dates, we’re not snug with the extent of specificity supplied by a numerical rating or color-coded stoplight system. This is particularly true for planners counting on crowd calendars to decide on dates for his or her dream holidays. This might be not what you wish to hear since everybody loves the clear and straightforward reply, however we predict it’s higher to be clear and sincere with you.
With that stated, we will supply easy-to-access normal attendance traits for Disneyland that may make ‘at a glance’ journey planning and selecting your dates to go to simpler…
General Attendance Trends
Disneyland attendance and wait instances are largely dependent upon vacationer vacationing habits (that are largely dependent upon faculty breaks and California journey traits), park hours (historic information exists for that), Anaheim Convention Center occasions, Los Angeles & Orange County School District calendars, and some different variables.
With that stated, the largest issue of all is native customer habits. Disneyland and Disney California Adventure crowds are at all times worse on weekends. The single-biggest and most vital piece of recommendation is keep away from weekends if in any respect potential. If you study actually nothing else away from our crowd calendars, have it’s that. Visit Los Angeles, museums, seashores, or no matter on weekends–visitors shall be higher, however crowds at these spots will even be worse. (Not as dangerous as Disneyland, although!)
There are undoubtedly different wildcards that make it tougher for Disneyland crowd calendars to foretell attendance or wait instances on particular dates with accuracy far prematurely. However, the variables above are knowable pretty far prematurely, and make forecasting normal seasonal traits a lot simpler. As such, that’s what we’re presenting right here:
Insanely Crowded
- Martin Luther King Day weekend
- Presidents’ Day weekend
- Orange County Spring Break
- Los Angeles Spring Break
- Easter Week
- Mid-March via mid-April (Spring Break season)
- Thanksgiving week
- Christmas and New Year’s weeks
Very Crowded
Moderately Crowded
- Early March
- Mid to late May
- Late June via mid-August
- Third week of November
Least Crowded
- Most of January and February, besides holidays
- Late April
- Early via mid-May
- Late August via mid-September
- First week of November
Overall, we predict Disneyland “feels like” crowds to be heavier all through the rest of 2022. If you’re planning to go to for Christmas 2023, you need to put together for increased crowd ranges. That’ll be very true for weekends, holidays, and faculty breaks for native districts and close by states.
Speaking of which, faculty schedules, climate, particular occasions, park hours, and extra might all have an effect on once you wish to go to Disneyland. Obviously, these variables will even affect crowds.
School Schedules
If faculty schedules are one thing round which you need to plan, chances are high you’re going to go throughout one of many busier (or not less than not one of many least busy) instances of the 12 months, as that’s the paramount consideration for a lot of different households planning journeys, too. It might look like a handy time to go to throughout one of many ‘holidays’ your youngsters have off from faculty, however it’s vital to think about whether or not different colleges have these similar instances off, as properly.
Specifically, listed below are the college districts which have the largest impression on Disneyland attendance:
- Los Angeles Unified (CA)
- Orange County – All Districts (CA)
- San Diego Unified (CA)
- Clark County (NV)
- Long Beach Unified (CA)
- Riverside Unified (CA)
- San Bernardino City Unified (CA)
- Alpine (UT)
- Fresno Unified (CA)
- Davis (UT)
- Elk Grove (CA)
- San Francisco Unified (CA)
- Phoenix Unified – All Districts (AZ)
- Mesa Unified (AZ)
- Washoe County (NV)
- Granite (UT)
- Tuscon Unified (AZ)
Our crowd calendars take all of those districts under consideration, as their tutorial breaks and faculty schedules can have a major impression on Disneyland attendance. There’s sometimes overlap among the many prime 3 districts in Southern California, which implies their breaks are very dangerous, however confined to a small portion of the general calendar.
Major districts in Northern California, Nevada, Utah, and Arizona all can have a noticeable impression on crowds, as properly. (For instance, most districts in Utah share a typical fall break, and that lengthy weekend will get actually dangerous.) By distinction, we’ve by no means noticed a lot of an impression from Oregon, Washington, or every other states. Texas and something east of it are all just about Walt Disney World’s market.
Of the normal faculty holidays, summer season break might be the perfect time to go to, as it’s the longest faculty break so that you don’t have the focus of visitors all visiting throughout the identical week of different holidays. Since summer season break is basically blocked out to SoCal passholders, you possibly can count on to see extra vacationers within the parks this time of 12 months.
Most colleges have the week earlier than Christmas till the shortly after New Year’s off, making this week-plus an particularly busy time. The similar is true for President’s Day weekend, Easter week, Memorial Day weekend, the Fourth of July vacation, and Thanksgiving week. Although colleges do differ their Spring Break schedules, don’t count on the parks to be any much less busy due to somewhat-staggered Spring Breaks. March and April are additionally busy instances at Disneyland.
This isn’t to say you shouldn’t go to throughout these instances, as some folks don’t have many different choices, however in case you do go, not less than deliver your persistence with you, or not less than a superb plan for touring the parks!
Weather
Unlike Florida, Southern California has a reasonably temperate local weather. The typical sizzling seasons are sizzling, however humidity isn’t practically as dangerous as it’s in Florida. It can get colder at night time, and within the winter months, however the climate isn’t practically as a lot of a curler coaster trip like it’s in Florida. Blue skies and puffy clouds are extra uncommon in California, however general the climate is rather more favorable for vacationing than it’s in Walt Disney World.
Rain isn’t as widespread in Disneyland as it’s in Walt Disney World. It does rain within the fall months at Disneyland, however torrential downpours in SoCal aren’t too widespread. In truth, in case you’re a Southern Californian attempting to plan the perfect time to schedule a 1-day go to to the park, the very best time to go is whereas it’s raining.
The parks typically filter (there are normally lengthy traces at City Hall of individuals requesting refunds), and considerably shorter waits are widespread. So, when you have a poncho or umbrella and wish decrease than regular crowds, a wet day is the proper time to go. (By distinction, the day after it rains shall be significantly worse than regular, as locals will postpone their visits.)
Make positive to pack some denims, sweatshirts, and possibly even coats if touring throughout the months of October via March. It gained’t essentially be chilly throughout your journey, however the climate can drop beneath 50 levels throughout these months. Consider your tolerance to chilly, and climate you’re keen to buy numerous $70 Mickey Mouse sweatshirts throughout your journey when, inevitably, members of your loved ones get chilly!
Park Hours
Not contemplating park hours when planning your journey is a large mistake. Usually much less busy days have shorter park hours and busier days have longer park hours. Thus, many really feel they’ll principally get the identical quantity finished in a shorter day throughout a much less busy time of 12 months than they may throughout peak season. With good plans for touring the parks or strategic use of Genie+ and Lightning Lanes, this isn’t true. By strategizing properly, you possibly can accomplish extra throughout a busy day with longer hours than throughout a shorter day with gentle crowds.
Also vital to notice is that on days with longer hours, Disneyland could have extra leisure scheduled. Even throughout brief days and gradual instances of the 12 months, Fantasmic and World of Color play to packed homes. However, on days that supply a number of showings of those leisure choices, the later showings are nearly at all times much less crowded. If you wish to keep away from ready a number of hours for a superb view of Fantasmic, go on an extended day with a number of showings!
Similarly, your sleep habits make a distinction right here. If you’re an evening owl, days with shorter hours could also be a foul thought, as by the point you roll off the bed, you might discover that you just solely have just a few hours to benefit from the parks. Conversely, in case you rise early and usually wish to depart the parks by 7 pm or so, the shorter/much less busy days are nice instances so that you can go to. Make positive you test Disneyland’s park hours calendar when planning your journey. While this calendar is topic to alter, it doesn’t change practically as a lot as Walt Disney World’s calendar, which is sort of by no means correct when first posted.
Special Events
Disneyland doesn’t have practically as many particular occasions as Walt Disney World, however there are some occasions price planning for or round. Basically, these occasions are the D23 Expo (each different 12 months, in direction of the top of summer season or early fall), Gay Days (fall), HalloweenTime at Disneyland (late summer season and fall), CHOC stroll (fall), Holidays at Disneyland (fall and winter), and Grad Nites (spring).
On a private observe, our absolute favourite time to go to is throughout Christmas-time at Disneyland. The parks look beautiful, there are particular attraction-overlays, and plenty of seasonal meals accessible. You can learn extra about Christmas-time at Disneyland in our in-depth information.
Refurbishments
During Disneyland’s slower seasons, count on a whole lot of points of interest to be closed for refurbishments and different development to be occurring. Not solely is upkeep and maintenance higher at Disneyland than Walt Disney World, however Disneyland additionally has just a few seasonal attraction overlays, which result in widespread points of interest prefer it’s a small world, Haunted Mansion, and Space Mountain being closed for just a few weeks every within the fall (and late-winter within the case of it’s a small world and Haunted Mansion).
Traditionally, January and February have been the largest months for attraction downtime, as these are the low-season for crowds. However, it’s at all times sensible to seek the advice of refurbishment calendars to verify your favourite points of interest are operational irrespective of once you go to.
If you need to go to Disneyland when it’s busy (as is the case for a lot of with youngsters at school), it’s vital to have a superb plan of assault once you go to the parks. Determine which attractions are greatest and those to expertise, determine the place you wish to eat prematurely and dine at hours when the parks are busiest, and most significantly, arrive on the park earlier than it opens and get as a lot finished as you possibly can within the first few hours of operation when traces are a lot shorter than they are going to be later within the day.
Planning a Southern California trip? For park admission offers, learn Tips for Saving Money on Disneyland Tickets. Learn about on-site and off-site motels in our Anaheim Hotel Reviews & Rankings. For the place to eat, take a look at our Disneyland Restaurant Reviews. For distinctive concepts of issues that’ll enhance your journey, take a look at What to Pack for Disney. For complete recommendation, seek the advice of our Disneyland Vacation Planning Guide. Finally, for guides past Disney, take a look at our Southern California Itineraries for day journeys to Los Angeles, Laguna Beach, and tons of different locations!
Your Thoughts
Do you might have any favourite instances of 12 months to go to Disneyland? Which particular occasions do you suppose are greatest? Do you agree or disagree with our recommendation about Disneyland crowd calendars, California climate, particular occasions, faculty schedules, or anything right here? Any questions we can assist you reply? Hearing your suggestions–even once you disagree with us–is each attention-grabbing to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas beneath within the feedback!