Disneyland Vacation Tips logo

Disneyland Attendance Tips

Disneyland Attendance Tips

Disneyland Attendance Tips: Looking at crowd trends may help you decide when to plan your trip.

This chart 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.

Disneyland Attendance and Weather Chart

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

Disneyland Attendance Tips

Attendance Tips

  • The days with heaviest attendance at Disneyland are:
    – The 4th of July
    – Christmas day through New Year’s Day
    – Thanksgiving weekend
    – See the full list of busy weekends at the bottom of the page
  • 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.
  • Sunday mornings tend to be light.  Apparently people show up after church.  If you are smart with your FastPasses, you can cover a lot of ground by lunch.  (Thanks to Jen M. from El Dorado Hills, CA for this tip!)
  • Important Disneyland Attendance Tip: If you go when Disneyland is less busy, be aware that:
    – The park hours are shorter
    – More rides may be closed for maintenance
    – FastPasses may not be offered.
Disneyland Attendance Tips
May: Beautiful weather and no crowds
  • 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 Orange County School District Calendar before your trip.
  • Watch for These Monthly Dates with High Attendance
    – January: Martin Luther King Jr. weekend.
    – February: President’s Day weekend.
    – April
    : Spring Break for the local schools AND Easter weekend
    – May: Memorial Day weekend.  There’s also something called Bats Day (aka Goth Day) where ghoulishly-dressed people may spook little kids.
    – July: 4th of July weekend
    – September: 
    Labor Day weekend
    – October: 
    Columbus Day weekend.  Also note that Gay Days Disneyland usually takes place during October.
    – November: Veteran’s Day weekend and Thanksgiving (morning ok but gets busier as the day goes on)
    – December: Christmas break through New Year’s.
  • Check the Weather Tips for today’s forecast and more temperature tips.

Welcome!

Corn dog

I’m Kathy! I collect all the Disneyland tips in one place for your next trip so you can spend MORE time having fun, LESS time in line, and get the BEST deals. I live in California with my husband and labradoodle. My 2 sons in the photos here are now in college.