Our free 2024 Disneyland crowd calendars cowl greatest & worst dates to go to. This helps you select when to go and days to keep away from, as greater attendance means longer strains & wait occasions at Disney California Journey and Disneyland. These month-to-month guides additionally supply data & tips on particular occasions climate, costs, reservations, and extra that will help you save time…and your sanity! (Up to date Could 2, 2024.)
These Disneyland and DCA crowd calendars will allow you to select when to go to the parks, primarily based on quite a lot of variables: faculty schedules, vacation breaks, typical journey occasions to Southern California, Anaheim Conference Middle occasions, and extra. Suffice to say, there are a whole lot of little modifications have an effect on attendance at Disneyland all through 2024.
First, it’s unattainable to overstate how dangerous crowds have been at Disneyland and Disney California Journey the final two years. Not day-after-day has been busy, however attendance and wait occasions have been excessive by historic requirements. As in comparison with 2019–the final “regular” yr at Disneyland–the typical wait time was up by 8 minutes per trip within the final two years. That will not appear to be a lot, nevertheless it provides up over the course of the day. On prime of that, congestion has been worse. With that stated, there’s a silver lining that’s beginning to emerge…
After a curler coaster couple of years, Disneyland crowds are beginning to normalize. Pent-up demand is exhausting itself, and with that, crowd ranges at the moment are down as in comparison with the identical dates final yr. There have been a number of spikes, however common crowd ranges and wait occasions have decreased yr over yr.
Which means that even busier weeks within the first half of 2024–reminiscent of Presidents’ Day, Los Angeles and Orange County faculty district spring breaks and Easter week–weren’t as dangerous in 2024 as they had been final yr or in 2022. That’s the excellent news.
The dangerous information is that Disneyland anticipated this slowdown, particularly after Walt Disney World skilled its personal exhaustion of pent-up demand final yr. (Walt Disney World reopened practically a yr earlier than Disneyland and pent-up demand on the latter has lagged, so developments at WDW basically supply a sneak peek of what’s to return in California.)
Fairly than being caught flat-footed, Disneyland ready for the slowdown with extra ticket offers and a full calendar of occasions and leisure aimed toward attractive locals and vacationers to go to or return to the parks. Most critically, Disneyland reopened Magic Key Annual Cross gross sales and left them open. Earlier than, these APs would promote out in hours or days. Now, there are indicators on the entrance gate encouraging friends to improve their common tickets to Annual Passes!
All of this has made an enormous distinction, and but once more disrupted the gang dynamic. Whereas 2024 has principally been slower than final yr, there have been exceptions to that–together with throughout what was in any other case the winter “low season.” There have been many dates throughout the first few months that ought to have been gradual, however Disneyland was capable of increase attendance with offers, occasions, leisure, and so on.
All through 2024, it’ll be fascinating to see what “levers” Disneyland pulls to aim to lure locals, diehard followers, and even vacationers again to the parks. Proper now, each Star Wars Season of the Drive and Pixar Fest are underway, and people are two choices which have helped transfer the needle a bit–however not a lot. However Pixar Fest simply began and extra friends may very well be enticed to go to for that when faculty is out of session. (The advertising and marketing blitz for Pixar Fest has been aggressive and arguably efficient, with a lot of viral social media posts that includes it.)
No matter what Disneyland does to spice up attendance going ahead, it’s necessary to notice that each Disneyland and Disney California Journey are nonetheless busier now than pre-closure. Not solely that, however in-park congestion can really feel even worse than wait occasions recommend.
To that time, one essential factor to bear in mind is that crowd ranges are relative. They’re primarily based on mixture posted wait occasions, as in comparison with the prior one year. Which means that the present comparability may be very powerful, to a time when pent-up demand was off the charts. There have been a whole lot of 5/10 days within the final yr, however they’re as in comparison with a really busy 2022. That context about what “slowdown” at Disneyland means is necessary. The parks are usually not going to be useless or ghost cities, and even on par with Walt Disney World.
Suffice to say, Disneyland is much less busy by round 20%, which is a major drop from year-to-year, however crowd ranges are nonetheless very a lot elevated by historic requirements. Hopefully this makes a point of sense, and places into context studies concerning the parks being “gradual.” As a result of should you stroll into Disneyland for the primary time in a number of years or ever, you’re very a lot going to be scratching your head about that. They don’t really feel gradual in absolute phrases…simply much less busy than one yr in the past!
The opposite excellent news is that our Disneyland crowd calendars have gotten extra correct with every passing month. A few of the causes for this are attendance normalizing, extra slack within the reservations system, plus fewer capability constraints and staffing shortages. Disneyland remains to be not completely again to regular and possibly gained’t be till mid-2024, however the monkey wrenches thrown into attendance dynamics during the last couple of years have largely labored their manner out of the system.
Going ahead, the monkeys may begin throwing new wrenches that would disrupt crowd dynamics–every little thing from the financial system to gasoline costs to family steadiness sheets and extra. However even economists can’t agree on what’ll occur, so don’t anticipate Disneyland crowd forecasters to know. (As such, the additional out the Disneyland crowd calendars go, the much less correct they’re.)
Visitor demographics additionally make a giant distinction. Vacationer conduct is predictable, and it’s their attendance (or lack thereof) that makes crowd calendars helpful. By contract, locals and Magic Key Annual Passholders are a complete totally different ball recreation. Between California resident ticket offers (or lack thereof) and park reservations (or lack thereof), there’s an enormous factor of unpredictability there.
You may assume that park reservations would act as a tough cap on crowds, and that the parks can be busier when reservations run out. That’s usually the case, however not at all times. Regardless of utilizing the reservations system for 3 years, Disneyland nonetheless doesn’t have fine-tuned management over crowds. Some days, the parks are absolutely booked and solely reasonably busy. Different days, the parks are slammed and reservations are nonetheless out there.
Suffice to say, there are distinctive and evolving variables that affect attendance and crowds at Disneyland and Disney California Journey. We’ll be blunt with you: we can not completely predict crowds…and nobody can. Every other Disneyland crowd calendar that claims clairvoyance is mendacity. A lot of them don’t even attempt–they’re merely automated calendars primarily based on faculty schedules and years-old historic information that’s not even remotely related anymore.
What we are able to inform you is that we’re on the bottom in Disneyland and Disney California Journey each single week. As quickly as we discover altering developments, we report on them right here. We pair our observations and information of surrounding circumstances with issues like Los Angeles and Orange County faculty schedules, holidays, airport journey stats, Disney’s reservation calendars, and extra. With that, we’ve got a greater–however nonetheless incomplete–understanding of when Disneyland will probably be extra and fewer crowded.
Whereas we can not quantify ‘seems like’ crowd ranges, our advice for many who wish to take a look at the overall ‘crowd contours’ or base their choice on “vibes” and different qualitative components, as an alternative seek the advice of our Greatest & Worst Months to Go to Disneyland. That can allow you to select the precise time of yr to go to–and in addition incorporates some particular suggestions. From there, it is best to nonetheless slim down your journey dates.
For that, see our month-by-month crowd calendars beneath. One other useful useful resource is our rundown of the Greatest & Worst Days of the Week to Go to Disneyland. (That additionally covers 3 particular occasions of day which can be actually nice!)
DATES TO AVOID DISNEYLAND IN SUMMER 2024
Provided that I’ve subjected you to a protracted and rambling preface–I wish to “reward” you with a number of quick-hit predictions for the near-term. In case you merely need a record of dates this month by June 2024 which can be more likely to have the worst crowds, right here’s after we’d keep away from visiting Disneyland:
- Could 10, 14, 15, 17, 19
- Could 22 to June 2, 2024
- June 5, 7, 9, 12, 14
- July 1-7, 2024
Between now and mid-Summer time 2024, these are the largest purple flags. Truly, they’d be extra like ‘gentle yellow flags’ if we had been utilizing the stoplight system for crowd forecasting. Even the dates listed above are nothing as in comparison with the height of spring break, which is now over. Most of the highlighted dates above will nonetheless see reasonable crowd ranges–they’re solely listed as a result of they’re more likely to be worse than the times and weeks round them. (It’s all relative!)
As for explanations, the rationale to keep away from the primary set of dates is as a result of they’re all Grad Nites (see this submit for a dialogue of crowd dynamics throughout Grad Nites). On a considerably associated word, we’d equally advocate being conscious of Disneyland After Darkish occasions, which happen Could 7 and 9, in addition to June 18 and 20.
The assorted Disneyland After Darkish ‘nites’ additionally throw a monkey wrench into crowds, with Disneyland beginning slower within the mornings on these dates and each parks getting progressively busier because the day goes on. Count on DCA to be very busy within the evenings, as Disneyland closes early and pushes extra individuals to DCA.
The following set of dates spans from Could 22 till June 2, 2024. This stretch will probably be busy for 3 causes. The primary is extra Grad Nites. The second is the return of Fantasmic, which has been on hiatus for over a yr and returns on Could 24, 2024; there will probably be pent-up demand amongst locals to see it.
Additionally a part of this vary is Memorial Day weekend, which must be self-explanatory. That is usually not that dangerous by vacation weekend requirements. Final yr, the gang stage was 6/10 for that weekend. This yr will possible be worse, nevertheless it gained’t be primarily as a result of vacation–that will probably be a contributing issue, however every little thing else would be the principal trigger.
Lastly and most significantly, there’s the top of the Southern California resident ticket deal, which began manner again in January and expires on June 2, 2024. To one of the best of my recollection, that is the longest that deal has ever run. Locals will probably be scrambling to make use of these tickets earlier than they expire. With out fail, that occurs each single yr. The ultimate week-plus that these low cost tickets are legitimate sees significantly-elevated crowds as individuals rush to ‘use it or lose it.’
Following there, there are extra Grad Nites in June 2024 after which the week main as much as Independence Day. Final yr, this was not notably dangerous at Disneyland, which was largely on account of ticket costs and Magic Key blockouts. We’re anticipating it to be worse this yr, particularly if Disneyland releases one other ticket promo earlier than then.
To that time, we hesitate to make any concrete crowd calendar predictions past early July. Admittedly, even our Independence Day forecast might find yourself being completely off relying upon what Disneyland does with park reservations. However the greatest driver of crowds and the x-factor that’s as-yet unaccounted for is ticket offers. One other will probably be launched for summer season; it’s a query of when, not if.
Exterior of these dates, we’re anticipating a quiet shoulder season and begin to summer season at Disneyland. Crowd ranges have been far and wide because the finish of spring break, however principally nicely below-average for the previous few weeks. Throughout the identical weeks final yr, the typical was 5/10.
If wait occasions observe historic precedent, they’ll improve heading into the top of this month, lower barely the primary week of June 2024, after which progressively rise over the course of the summer season season. There are a whole lot of wildcards past that, particularly with pent-up demand and the price of summer season journey, ticket offers, park reservations availability, and extra.
The opposite motive we’re hesitant to make assured predictions for mid-June by late July 2024 is that Disneyland hasn’t had a “regular” summer season since 2018. The story for the final couple of years has been pent-up demand and discounting. The yr earlier than that, the submit reopening rush hit a wall as a result of delta variant. The yr earlier than that, the parks had been closed. Even again in 2019, there was the opening of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, which was surprisingly gradual on account of fears of a “crowdpocalypse.”
Summer time 2024 is shaping as much as be regular (knock on wooden), nevertheless it’s been so lengthy that Disneyland has had a standard summer season that we’re not utterly certain what which means when it comes to wait occasions and attendance dynamics!
Month-to-month 2024 Crowd Calendars for Disneyland
As we’ve gained expertise visiting Disneyland and Disney California Journey all through the years as Annual Passholders–and now Magic Keyholders–together with a number of journeys per week now as locals, we’ve observed developments in crowds and analyzed patterns in wait time information.
Disneyland crowd calendars change recurrently on account of quite a lot of components, together with advertising and marketing, reductions, park hours, new attraction openings, particular occasions, Anaheim Conference Middle occasions, and even climate (good or dangerous). We try to maintain our Disneyland crowd calendars up to date to mirror modifications in attendance developments.
Word that Disneyland crowd calendars are most correct inside 3 months. Past that, generalized predictions will be made on the idea of holidays, faculty breaks, particular occasions, and previous precedent. Nevertheless, Disneyland park hours are solely launched a number of months upfront, park reservation availability is unknown additional out, and different variables like promotions, reductions, conventions, and so on. all are usually not (absolutely) identified far upfront.
You possibly can entry our Disneyland crowd calendars and month-to-month guides through the hyperlinks beneath, every of which is able to open in a brand new browser tab:
Every month is up to date with ultimate forecasts roughly 30 to 60 days earlier than the beginning of that month. Predictions previous to then are much less correct, and don’t embody present developments, park reservations, and up to date wait time information.
Beneath is extra recommendation about avoiding crowds at Disneyland, in addition to days to go to and keep away from. These basic attendance developments for Disneyland could make ‘at a look’ journey planning and selecting your dates to go to simpler…
Attendance Developments for Disneyland
Disneyland attendance and wait occasions are largely dependent upon vacationer vacationing habits (that are largely dependent upon faculty breaks and California journey developments), park hours (historic information exists for that), Anaheim Conference Middle occasions, Los Angeles & Orange County College District calendars, and some different variables.
With that stated, the largest issue of all is native customer habits. Traditionally, Disneyland and Disney California Journey crowds are normally worse on weekends. Nevertheless, even that’s not at all times the case for the explanations mentioned above–it wasn’t true for many of final summer season, however weekends did worsen over the Halloween and Christmas seasons. We’d anticipate an analogous development in 2024.
There are undoubtedly different wildcards that make it harder for Disneyland crowd calendars to foretell attendance or wait occasions on particular dates with accuracy far upfront. Nevertheless, the variables above are knowable pretty far upfront, and make forecasting basic seasonal developments a lot simpler. As such, that’s what we’re presenting right here:
Insanely Crowded
- Winter Break
- Ski Week
- Presidents’ Day weekend
- Orange County Spring Break
- Los Angeles Spring Break
- Easter Week
- Mid-March by mid-April (Spring Break season)
- Thanksgiving week
- Christmas and New 12 months’s weeks
Very Crowded
Reasonably Crowded
- Early March
- Mid to late Could
- Late July by mid-August
- Third week of November
- First week of December
Least Crowded
- January and February, minus holidays or faculty breaks
- Late April
- Early by mid-Could
- Late August by late September
- First week of November
College schedules, climate, particular occasions, park hours, and extra could all have an effect on once you wish to go to Disneyland. Clearly, these variables may also affect crowds.
College Schedules
If faculty schedules are one thing round which you will need to plan, likelihood is you’re going to go throughout one of many busier (or at the least not one of many least busy) occasions of the yr, as that’s the paramount consideration for a lot of different households planning journeys, too. It could appear to be a handy time to go to throughout one of many ‘holidays’ your youngsters have off from faculty, nevertheless it’s necessary to think about whether or not different faculties have these similar occasions off, as nicely.
Particularly, listed below are the college districts which have the largest affect on Disneyland attendance:
- Los Angeles Unified (CA)
- Orange County – All Districts (CA)
- San Diego Unified (CA)
- Clark County (NV)
- Lengthy Seaside Unified (CA)
- Riverside Unified (CA)
- San Bernardino Metropolis 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 educational breaks and faculty schedules can have a major affect on Disneyland attendance. There’s usually 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.
Main districts in Northern California, Nevada, Utah, and Arizona all can have a noticeable affect on crowds, as nicely. (For instance, most districts in Utah share a standard fall break, and that lengthy weekend will get actually dangerous.) In contrast, we’ve by no means noticed a lot of an affect from Oregon, Washington, or another 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 one of the best time to go to, as it’s the longest faculty break so that you don’t have the focus of friends all visiting throughout the identical week of different holidays. Since summer season break is essentially blocked out to SoCal passholders, you may anticipate to see extra vacationers within the parks this time of yr.
Most faculties have the week earlier than Christmas till the shortly after New 12 months’s off, making this week-plus an particularly busy time. The identical is true for President’s Day weekend, Easter week, Memorial Day weekend, the Fourth of July vacation, and Thanksgiving week. Though faculties do differ their Spring Break schedules, don’t anticipate the parks to be any much less busy due to somewhat-staggered Spring Breaks. Mid-March by mid-April are busy occasions at Disneyland.
This isn’t to say you shouldn’t go to throughout these occasions, as some individuals don’t have many different choices, however should you do go, at the least deliver your endurance with you, or at the least plan for touring the parks!
Climate
Not like Florida, Southern California has a reasonably temperate local weather. The standard sizzling seasons are sizzling, however humidity isn’t practically as dangerous as it’s in Florida. It may possibly get colder at evening, 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 total 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 actual fact, should you’re a Southern Californian making an attempt to plan one of the best time to schedule a 1-day go to to the park, the very best time to go is whereas it’s raining.
The parks usually filter (there are normally lengthy strains at Metropolis Corridor of individuals requesting refunds), and considerably shorter waits are widespread. So, if in case you have a poncho or umbrella and need decrease than regular crowds, a wet day is the proper time to go. (In contrast, the day after it rains will probably be significantly worse than regular, as locals will postpone their visits.)
Be certain to pack some denims, sweatshirts, and possibly even coats if touring throughout the months of October by March. It gained’t essentially be chilly throughout your journey, however the climate can drop beneath 50 levels throughout these months. Think about 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 big mistake. Normally much less busy days have shorter park hours and busier days have longer park hours. Thus, many really feel they will principally get the identical quantity finished in a shorter day throughout a much less busy time of yr than they might throughout peak season. With good plans for touring the parks or strategic use of Genie+ and Lightning Lanes, this isn’t true. By strategizing nicely, you may accomplish extra throughout a busy day with longer hours than throughout a shorter day with gentle crowds.
Additionally necessary to notice is that on days with longer hours, Disneyland could have extra leisure scheduled. Even throughout brief days and gradual occasions of the yr, Fantasmic and World of Shade play to packed homes. Nevertheless, on days that supply a number of showings of those leisure choices, the later showings are virtually at all times much less crowded. If you wish to keep away from ready a number of hours for view of Fantasmic, go on an extended day with a number of showings!
Equally, your sleep habits make a distinction right here. In case you’re an evening owl, days with shorter hours could also be a foul concept, as by the point you roll off the bed, it’s possible you’ll discover that you just solely have a number of hours to benefit from the parks. Conversely, should you rise early and usually wish to go away the parks by 7 pm or so, the shorter/much less busy days are nice occasions so that you can go to. Be sure you verify Disneyland’s park hours calendar when planning your journey. Whereas 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.
Particular Occasions
Disneyland doesn’t have practically as many particular occasions as Walt Disney World, however there are some occasions price planning for or round. Principally, these occasions are the D23 Expo (each different yr, in the direction of the top of summer season or early fall), Homosexual 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 word, our absolute favourite time to go to is throughout Christmas-time at Disneyland. The parks look beautiful, there are particular attraction-overlays, and many seasonal meals out there. You possibly can learn extra about Christmas-time at Disneyland in our in-depth information.
Refurbishments
Throughout Disneyland’s slower seasons, anticipate a whole lot of points of interest to be closed for refurbishments and different building to be occurring. Not solely is upkeep and maintenance higher at Disneyland than Walt Disney World, however Disneyland additionally has a number of seasonal attraction overlays, which result in common points of interest prefer it’s a small world, Haunted Mansion, and Area Mountain being closed for a number of weeks every within the fall (and late-winter within the case of it’s a small world and Haunted Mansion).
Historically, January and February have been the largest months for attraction downtime, as these are the low-season for crowds. Nevertheless, it’s at all times good to seek the advice of refurbishment calendars to ensure your favourite points of interest are operational irrespective of once you go to. See our 2024 Disneyland Refurbishment Calendar for particular dates that points of interest will probably be closed.
In case you should go to Disneyland when it’s busy (as is the case for a lot of with youngsters in class), it’s necessary to have plan of assault once you go to the parks. Decide which points of interest are greatest and those to expertise, determine the place you wish to eat upfront 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 may within the first few hours of operation when strains are a lot shorter than they are going to be later within the day.
Planning a Southern California trip? For park admission offers, learn Ideas for Saving Cash on Disneyland Tickets. Find out about on-site and off-site lodges in our Anaheim Resort Critiques & Rankings. For the place to eat, take a look at our Disneyland Restaurant Critiques. 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 Trip Planning Information. Lastly, for guides past Disney, take a look at our Southern California Itineraries for day journeys to Los Angeles, Laguna Seaside, and tons of different locations!
Your Ideas
Do you’ve got any favourite occasions of yr to go to Disneyland? Which particular occasions do you assume 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 may also help you reply? Listening to your suggestions–even once you disagree with us–is each fascinating to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas beneath within the feedback!
