When is the best time to visit Disneyland?

If you’ve been to the Happiest Place on Earth recently, you’ll notice that the place is packed more often than not these days. Big crowds clog the walkways, wait times for rides stretch to over an hour, and ticket prices just keep climbing. Are there any good days left to go to Disneyland anymore?

Good days to go are unfortunately getting fewer and farther between. A high number of annual passholders and a seemingly endless parade of popular seasonal events throughout the year has made Disneyland and Disney California Adventure more crowded than ever. In fact, Disneyland now averages only about 40 “Ghost Town” days a year on the Crowd Forecast Calendar. That means the park is not crowded at all for just 10 percent of the year, a 50% drop from just four years ago.

The magical off-season at Disneyland, a time when crowds are light and lines are actually bearable, may seem more like fantasy than reality to many guests. We’ve been tracking Disneyland for years now, and while the off-season has definitely gotten shorter, there are still a few days left when the park is just about never crowded.

Let’s take a look at some of the dates we are projecting to be your best bets for light crowds and short lines at Disneyland this year.

EARLY 2024: Disneyland has announced two ticket promotions for the first half of 2024. The Southern California Resident Ticket Offer is back yet again, valid starting January 2 – June 2. The ticket deal is expected to attract bigger crowds during the week, while most weekends (including Fridays) will likely be more manageable.

Higher attendance is now expected on weekdays (Mondays through Thursdays) during the promotion. Most weekends (Saturdays and Sundays) are expected to be less crowded through at least early June.

Disneyland is also offering a brand new ticket promotion for the beginning of the year. The Kids’ Special Ticket Offer, valid January 8 – March 10, prices admission for children ages 3 to 9 for as low as $50/day. Since this promotion overlaps the SoCal deal, we expect parents to take advantage of both deals for the first few months of 2024.

Here are the Best Days to Go to Disneyland in 2024:

Keep in mind that the dates above are projections, so the forecast may be revised as conditions change. Be sure to check the Disneyland Crowd Forecast Calendar for updates.

Early 2024

We are projecting January and February to be the least crowded time of the year, and they are historically the months with the lowest attendance. You have to go after the holiday season though, which ends on January 7, 2024.

Crowds tend to spike again after the holidays for MLK Weekend (January 13-15, 2024).

Other than that, just go on a weekday and avoid holidays (including the whole week after Presidents Day). Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays are historically least crowded.

READ MORE: JANUARY CROWD GUIDE | FEBRUARY CROWD GUIDE

Spring Break 2024

The Spring Break season crowds are expected to start arriving at Disneyland in mid-March. The earlier in March you go, the less crowded it tends to be. In April, go later in the month for a more manageable experience. It’s best to go starting two weeks after the week of Easter Sunday (March 31).

The Spring Break season is expected to peak at the end of March (March 25-28) through early April (April 1-4). Many schools in the area will be out of session then so try to avoid going on these weeks if you can.

READ MORE: MARCH CROWD GUIDE | APRIL CROWD GUIDE

Summer 2024

We recommend going in early May to take advantage of the relatively light crowds before things start to pick up for the summer. Late May through early June can sometimes get ugly, as schools begin summer break and Grad Nite events take place. There does tend to be a small break in the summer season crowds in mid-to-late June though.

Avoid going on a Grad Nite day if you can, as attendance spikes on these days due to large school groups attending the event. Here are the Grad Nite days for 2024:

May 10, 14, 15, 17, 19, 22, 23, 28, 31
June 2, 5, 7, 9, 12, 14

READ MORE: MAY CROWD GUIDE | JUNE CROWD GUIDE | JULY CROWD GUIDE | AUGUST CROWD GUIDE

Halloween Time 2024

Halloween Time takes place on August 23 – October 31, 2024 (confirmed dates).

Go on a weekday in September, the first week of October, or the last week of October to avoid the big Halloween season crowds. Mid-October can be miserable, with many schools out for fall break. Avoid weekends (especially Saturdays) in October as well.

READ MORE: SEPTEMBER CROWD GUIDE | OCTOBER CROWD GUIDE

Holidays 2024

Go on the weeks before or after Thanksgiving to avoid the bulk of the of the holiday season crowds — stay away from Thanksgiving week, which is one of the most crowded times of the year. Otherwise, weekdays on the first or second (earlier is better) weeks of December are your best bets. The week before Christmas through New Year’s Eve is expected to be most crowded during the holidays.

One important note about January 2025: Many schools in the area will still be on winter break on the first full week of the month, so January 2-5 in particular are still expected to be crowded.

READ MORE: NOVEMBER CROWD GUIDE | DECEMBER CROWD GUIDE

We’ll keep this page updated as things change, so check back often. You can also look back at past years on the Disneyland Crowd Forecast Calendar if future dates have yet to be forecast.

When do you think is the best time to go to Disneyland? Have any questions? Let us know in the comments below!

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Disneyland Crowd Calendar