7 Tips to Help You Decide When to Go to Disneyland
Hey Everyone, it’s Kimberly with Get Away Today, your Disneyland vacation expert. Today I’m excited to share some of our tips on our #1 question we get asked at Get Away Today – when to go to Disneyland! The answer is different for everyone because it really depends on what you’re looking for in your Disneyland vacation.
7 Tips to Help You Decide When to Go to Disneyland
1. If you’re looking for the fewest crowds, anytime the kids are in school is your best bet. That is generally January – May and September – December, minus holidays and holiday weekends. However, keep in mind that there are major pockets for school breaks. March, April, October and December are all known for extended school breaks. Remember that not every state’s school breaks will be the same as your school breaks.
2. Another tip to help you decide when to go to Disneyland if you’re hoping to avoid crowds is to go mid week. If you have to travel over a weekend, that’s OK too! Saturdays normally have fewer locals in the parks than Sundays because of Annual Passes blackout dates.
3. A newer trick for determining crowds is to check the prices of 1-day Disneyland tickets on their website. Earlier this year Disneyland switched their daily pricing model based on anticipated crowds. There are three price levels; value, regular and peak. Obviously, you’ll want to avoid peak if you can. I’ll get into that a little more later. Just be sure you don’t buy your tickets on Disneyland’s website… you’ll pay too much! Simply use their calendar to get an idea of crowd levels.
4. One final tip to check crowd levels before you decide exactly when to go to Disneyland is to check the Anaheim Convention Center calendar. It won’t have EVERY big event in town, but it should have most of them. Don’t get caught off guard thinking you’re going during off-season and find yourself in the middle of one of the biggest conventions!
5. Keep in mind that if you can only go in the summer or during another busy time, that it’s not necessarily a bad thing. If Disneyland is expecting more people in attendance, they’ll normally extend their hours and fewer attractions will be down for refurbishment, so you can see a lot more. With a little planning, you can still totally maximize your time and have a great vacation. If you are traveling during peak season, I highly recommend getting to the parks as early as you can. You should also make the most of the Fastpass system and the rider switch and single rider line options whenever possible. I also suggest making Character Dining reservations well in advance for one on one character time with no waits. Consider taking a break mid-day when crowds are the busiest and come back later at night for the shows.
6. Know when the holidays are held and celebrate a special occasion. You should know that Disneyland completely transforms from its regular magic two times each year; Halloween and Christmas. Halloween Time normally begins in mid-September and continues through Halloween. Then, there’s about a two week time period that’s a little bit quieter and then Holidays at the Disneyland Resort kick-off mid-November. Both times are so incredibly magical and have that extra wow factor.
7. No matter when you decide to go to Disneyland, your trip will be so much better if you have a general plan of what you want to do and don’t try to rush it. If you’re always concerned about rushing from one attraction to another, you’ll miss out on a lot of the fun! So much of the magic of Disneyland is the atmosphere with the small details and entertainment. Soak it all in and enjoy Disneyland year round!
No matter when you decide to go to Disneyland, be sure to book with Get Away Today. With over 26 years of experience, we know all the ins and outs of planning a Disneyland vacation. We negotiate exclusive extras like free breakfast and parking at select Anaheim hotels, and always guarantee the very best price. Book your Disneyland vacation at getawaytoday.com or call 855-GET-AWAY. To save even more on your vacation, use promo code: CraftingChicks for an extra $10 off.
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