I’m planning my family’s first trip to Disneyland for next April. Our school district has a really late spring break (April 22nd - May 2nd), so we’re hoping we’ll be able to visit during a less crowded time.
We’re thinking we’ll spend a day at DL, a day at DCA, and a day split between the two parks, in addition to a few extra days to see other sights.
Our original plan was to go to the parks during weekdays, but (from what I’ve read in other posts on here) it seems like we should actually go on the weekend when more APs are blocked out and locals don’t want to pay the higher prices? Is that accurate?
If you have a subscription you can check the crowd calendars for the same time period last year and see how things shook out. It really depends on the actual AP blockout dates for each year - they are different sometimes from year to year and they recently made some changes to the AP types.
But generally, yes—blockout dates are less busy than non-blockout dates, which is usually weekends vs weekdays.
That said, I often try to straddle a weekend so that I have some of each. There is more entertainment on weekends and sometimes longer hours. Things really pick up in the evening, especially on Friday / weekends when APs that are not blocked out arrive. At the same time, mornings on weekdays are often quite slow.
So it’s a mixed bag. You can have fun whenever you go!
Thanks! Yes, I have a subscription but the crowd calendar is all 5 and 6 averages for late April, so there’s no clear low-crowd days. I hadn’t thought about this before with WDW, but since blockout days matter so much to DL, how does TP compute that? If April 25th is a Sunday in 2027, but was a Saturday in '26, and a weekday in '25 - '21, that must lead to muddled results for crowd levels. Unless TP calculates attendance levels by looking at the fourth Sunday in April, regardless of the date?
I think it was actually a past post of yours that I’d read about why it’s harder for TP to be accurate with wait times at DL vs WDW because of the way the park is viewed differently by management (and thank you for that, that was eye-opening).
I’m sure we’ll have a great time. I’m really eager to try the original Pirates which everyone raves about as being far superior to the WDW Pirates, as well as the other rides that WDW doesn’t have.
We just got back from Dollywood a few days ago, and that was incredibly fun (and empty). It was the first theme park that I think is at or approaching the same level as the Magic Kingdom.
I think this far out the DL Crowd Calendar is pretty imprecise and they haven’t made adjustments for year-specific holidays and maybe not days of the week. I would look at the comparable dates last year (which are based on actual wait times for each date) instead of their forecast.
A good place to start, just don’t forget to account for Easter, since that is a moving holiday. It can change the patterns that would otherwise give you good hints. @patricknjnyc you’ll be past Easter for your travel dates, which is good.
I think you can also check the price of 1-day tickets. That is one way to see how popular/crowded Disney expects it to be.
Another thing to watch for is ticket deals for locals and when those end.
The Imagine (SoCal resident) Key is blocked on Apr 30 thru May 2. The next 2 levels up are blocked that Sat. None are blocked M-Th.
I am fairly sure that TP predicts crowds based on the corresponding days of the week in previous years, not on calendar dates.
Like Jeff said, looking at last year’s TP crowd reports can be very helpful. Since Easter is in late March this year, and was on Apr 5 last year, the comparison should be one you can count on.
This year there were big crowds all week long. I’d probably choose the weekend because a larger proportion of the guests during the day will probably be APs compared to during the week. APs more often stay away from buying Lightning Lane, while tourists on a family vacation will more likely purchase it (as you should). APs are very familiar with the parks and don’t clog passageways trying to figure out where to go next. They also are more relaxed since they can come back any time, thus leading to the “laid back So Cal vibe” that sets this park apart from WDW and makes WDW pros want to return.
TP measures crowds between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.. The weekend mornings at Rope Drop tend to be lighter crowds than weekday, when many tourists want to maximize their day.
Don’t be fooled into believing the lowest priced days will be the lowest crowds. Often they are the worst because so many want to economize, especially if a $50 Kid ticket deal is in place. We don’t yet know if one will be offered then; this year it started in late May. They have had very low crowds lately, possibly due to the high heat, or high gas prices. I think they’ll offer deals to try to make up for their low attendance in August and, so far, September.
All that said, I also like isitpacked.com. They are predicting weekdays as lower crowds that week than the Fri and Sat. I don’t know how they measure crowds, but if they factor in evening crowds, I agree Fri and Sat will be more crowded, as local APs come often wait until late in the day to enter.
Bottom line: You will face crowds regardless of which days you choose. With LLMP and Rope Dropping, you’ll have a great time any day. If you can maintain flexibility on your park days within the week you’ll be here, you can flex based on weather and also any updated predictions by TP. Keep in mind that So Cal is experiencing an El Nino of major proportions and is gearing up for a lot of rain. Will it all pass by then? Hopefully. But be prepared for flexibility.
For the first time in my memory, I got a “special offer” with a code just for me. It was for a $149 1-day park-hopper ticket any time this fall until mid-December I believe. Seems kinda expensive for a “special offer” but I’m not going to use it anyway.
Wow! They probably figure you might go and take your family or even just one other person at full price. Sounds like a sweet deal to me since a PH starts at $174 and can go as high as $314 during that time frame.
Do you mean you WILL accept the offer, or you won’t?
Great idea for them to recruit their loyal guests rather than offer cheap tickets to the masses during a time that typically draws crowds. A little safety measure can’t hurt. And it’s hard to discipline yourself to go for just one day. I bet you’ll buy a second day at full price.
