Disneyland Attendance Tips

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The chart below shows the estimated monthly attendance alongside average daytime temperatures.

You can see that the weather overall is pretty nice but it's best if you can hit the 75-80 range. Colder and you'll be chilly after the wet rides, and warmer will feel downright hot out on that pavement.

As you can see, if you go in May or early September you'll have the best chance of light crowds and balmy weather.

• The days with heaviest attendance at Disneyland are:
  • The 4th of July
  • Christmas day through New Year’s Day
  • Thanksgiving weekend
  • See specific 2012 dates

  May: Beautiful weather and no crowds!

• The days with lightest attendance are:
  • The first week in January until the President’s Day weekend in February
  • After Labor Day weekend to the week before Halloween. (But watch for those half-school days around this time!)
  • After Thanksgiving weekend until the week before Christmas
  • Some say Super Bowl Sunday is light but others say it's the same as any other Sunday.

• In general, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday are the least busy days.

• Important Disneyland Attendance Tip: If you go when Disneyland is less busy, be aware that
  1. The park hours are shorter
  2. More rides may be closed for maintenance
  3. FastPasses may not be offered

• Weekends are about twice as busy as weekdays, and 3-day weekends are 3 times as busy

• Saturdays are busier than Sundays

• Schools have random Fridays off and half-days, which can impact attendance. Consult the local School District Calendar before your trip.

• 2012 Dates with High Attendance
  1. January 13-16, 2012 Martin Luther King Jr. weekend.
  2. February 18-20, 2012 President's Day weekend.
  3. April 2012 Spring Break for the local schools.
  4. April 7-8, 2012 Easter weekend.
  5. May 6, 2012 Bats Day (aka Goth Day)
     NOTE: Ghoulishly-dressed people may spook little kids.
  6. May 26-28, 2012 Memorial Day weekend.
  7. 4th of July weekend
  8. Labor Day weekend
  9. October 5-12, 2012 Gay Days Disneyland.
  10. October 6-8, 2012 Columbus Day weekend.
  11. November 10-12, 2012 Veteran's Day weekend.
  12. November 22, 2012 Thanksgiving (morning ok but gets busier as the day goes on)
  13. December 22-30, 2012 Christmas break

• Check the Weather Tips for today's forecast and more temperature tips.

There are nearly 40,000 daily visitors at Disneyland in Anaheim, California. That’s like if the entire city of Annapolis, Maryland decided to go to Disneyland one day. And more on the busier days!

Curious what the Top 3 Most Attended Theme Parks in the world are? Here’s 2010 data from the TEA/ERA Theme Park Attendance Report:

1. Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom, 17 million visitors
2. Disneyland, Anaheim, 16 million visitors
3. Tokyo Disneyland, 14.5 million visitors

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