Our free Disneyland crowd calendars cowl finest & worst dates to go to in 2023. This useful resource will show you how to select when to go and days to keep away from, since increased attendance means longer traces & wait instances at Disney California Journey and Disneyland. These month-to-month guides provide data & tips on particular occasions climate, costs, reservations, and extra that will help you save time…and your sanity! (Up to date Might 10, 2023.)
These 2023 Disneyland and DCA crowd calendars will show you how to select when to go to the parks, primarily based on a wide range of variables: faculty schedules, vacation breaks, typical journey instances to Southern California, and extra. That “and extra” half is the most important key, as there are a variety of little adjustments have an effect on attendance at Disneyland all through 2023.
First, it’s unimaginable to overstate how unhealthy crowds have been at Disneyland and Disney California Journey as in comparison with pre-closure. Not every single day has been busy, however attendance and wait instances have been excessive by historic requirements. As in comparison with 2019–the final “regular” yr at Disneyland–the common wait time has been up by 8 minutes per experience. That won’t appear to be a lot, but it surely provides up over the course of the day. On high of that, congestion has been worse. With that stated, there’s a silver lining that’s beginning to emerge…
After a curler coaster couple of years, Disneyland crowds are beginning to normalize. Pent-up demand has began to exhaust itself, family financial savings are reducing and debt is rising, inflation is stinging extra, shopper sentiment is souring, and the financial system is beginning to sputter. As these developments proceed, it’s more and more doubtless that Disneyland will expertise its personal slowdown.
In truth, that is already evident in Disneyland crowd ranges. There was a slight bump from the opening of Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway and begin of the Disney100 Celebration with the brand new World of Shade – ONE and Wondrous Journeys nighttime spectaculars. Nevertheless, that rapidly cooled and common crowd ranges and wait instances have decreased yr over yr.
Which means that even busier weeks–corresponding to February’s “Ski Week” or Presidents’ Day, Los Angeles and Orange County faculty district spring breaks and Easter week–haven’t been as unhealthy as they had been final yr. To make sure, all of these timeframes noticed elevated and above-average crowds. That’s to be anticipated. What’s noteworthy is that solely a type of weeks was as busy in 2023 as its counterpart final yr. In any other case and throughout the board, 2023 crowd ranges are down at Disneyland.
This pattern has solely accelerated within the weeks after Easter. To date in Might 2023, Disneyland has averaged crowd ranges of three/10, with most particular person days starting from 1/10 to 4/10. The commonest crowd degree has been 3/10, and the common wait time most days is within the vary of 28-32 minutes. There was little day-to-day motion, with the commonest common posted wait time being half-hour post-Easter.
These identical weeks final yr noticed crowd ranges of 5/10. That won’t appear all that vital, however that is the primary time within the final couple of years that we’ve noticed a pronounced downturn in wait time averages at Disneyland. Maybe equally as vital, it’s coming after Magic Key AP gross sales resumed and as park reservation availability improves.
This dynamic is prone to proceed all through “shoulder season” at Disneyland, with our expectation now being low to average crowds. For these unfamiliar with the time period, “shoulder season” is the interval between two peak vacationer seasons–spring break and summer time, on this case. I suppose that’s as a result of the shoulders are beneath the “peak” of the physique, or the top. By which case, maybe we must always begin referring to late August by way of mid-September as butt-season? It has a sure understated stupidity to it! (Extra on present and upcoming crowd patterns beneath.)
Our 2023 Disneyland crowd calendars are additionally turning into extra correct with every passing month. This for a few of the causes mentioned above–attendance normalizing, extra slack within the reservations system, plus fewer capability constraints and staffing shortages. Disneyland continues to be not completely again to regular and possibly gained’t be till 2024, however the monkey wrenches thrown into attendance dynamics during the last couple of years have largely labored their manner out of the system.
Going ahead, the monkeys would possibly begin throwing new wrenches that might disrupt crowd dynamics–every part from the financial system to fuel costs to geopolitical threat to family steadiness sheets and extra. Once more, a lot of that is mentioned above. Suffice to say, if oil costs spike once more or fears of a recession develop in 2023, attendance will drop. However even economists can’t agree on what’ll occur, so don’t count on Disneyland crowd forecasters to know. (As such, the additional out the 2023 Disneyland crowd calendars go, the much less correct they’re.)
Suffice to say, there are distinctive and evolving variables that affect attendance and crowds at Disneyland and Disney California Journey. We’ll be blunt with you: we can’t completely predict crowds for 2023…and nobody can. Another Disneyland crowd calendar that claims clairvoyance is mendacity. Lots of them don’t even strive–they’re merely automated calendars primarily based on faculty schedules and years-old historic information that isn’t even remotely related anymore.
Against this, we’re on the bottom in Disneyland and Disney California Journey each single week. We pair our observations and data of surrounding circumstances with issues like Los Angeles and Orange County faculty schedules, holidays, airport journey stats, Disney’s reservation calendars, and extra. With that, we now have a greater–however nonetheless incomplete–understanding of when Disneyland will probably be extra and fewer crowded.
To not fixate on the shortcomings of 2023 Disneyland crowd calendars, however we need to briefly talk about why our understanding of attendance continues to be incomplete, regardless of common visits to the parks and all of that information. First, some points stick with staffing. Due to this, Disneyland tends to allocate extra assets (e.g. Solid Members) to weekends, whereas additionally releasing extra park reservations for these dates.
The tip result’s a variety of day-to-day variance in crowds primarily based on staffing and park reservation refills. Each of these issues are inconsistent and never simply predictable, and the tip end result may be random weekdays which might be or “really feel” busier than their adjoining dates. Likewise, some weekends have felt much less busy due to superior staffing or extra restricted reservations for locals. Whereas weekends (Saturdays, particularly) are usually busier, it’s hit and miss.
To that time, reservation availability–or slightly, lack thereof–additionally has an impression. It stands to motive that totally booked days are equally busy and worse than ‘accessible’ counterparts. That’s usually the case, however not all the time because the variety of reservations launched varies primarily based on staffing, working hours, and different variables.
Visitor demographics additionally make an enormous distinction. Magic Key Annual Passes have gone again on sale a number of instances in current months, and the Southern California resident ticket deal can be now accessible. These two teams are each locals, however make the most of the parks in numerous methods. (On common, Annual Passholders do fewer points of interest; contributing to congestion however not wait instances.) Out of state vacationers who purchase single and multi-day park tickets are much more totally different.
As mentioned above, pent-up demand is already tapering off and “revenge journey” amongst vacationers is declining. It appears more and more doubtless that Disneyland is already experiencing a slowdown in guests from out of state. As this continues to occur, the steadiness of attendance within the parks will shift away from vacationers and in the direction of locals.
Once more, vacationers prioritize rides, whereas locals and Magic Keyholders do extra consuming, wandering, and buying. With the visitor distribution skewed in the direction of locals, a typical situation is that congestion is worse however wait instances are decrease. (Though the identify suggests in any other case, crowd calendars measure wait instances and not congestion; solely a type of two issues is definitely quantifiable. We’re capable of compile wait time information, whereas ‘appears like’ crowds are anecdotal guesswork which might be unimaginable to measure credibly.)
Whereas we can’t quantify ‘appears like’ crowd ranges, our suggestion for individuals who need to have a look at the overall ‘crowd contours’ or base their choice on “vibes” and different qualitative components, as a substitute seek the advice of our Finest & Worst Months to Go to Disneyland in 2023. That can show you how to select the proper dates to go to; all of that takes wait time information into consideration, however isn’t as beholden to it as these crowd calendars.
Now, let’s talk about extra specifics on when to go to California and provide some 2023 Disneyland crowd calendar recommendation. For extra on this, and a few of the less-intuitive instances that may be busy, seek the advice of our assets and suggestions beneath…
Dates to Keep away from Disneyland in Summer time 2023
With that in thoughts–and provided that I’ve subjected you to an extended and rambling preface–I need to “reward” you with a number of quick-hit predictions for the near-term. In the event you merely need a checklist of dates in Might and June 2023 which might be prone to have the worst crowds, right here’s once we’d keep away from visiting Disneyland:
- Might 22-25, 2023
- Might 27-29, 2023
- June 5-15, 2023
- June 30 to July 4, 2023
Between now and Memorial Day 2023, these are the most important pink flags. Really, they’d be extra like ‘mild yellow flags’ if we had been utilizing the stoplight system for crowd forecasting. Even the dates listed above are nothing as in comparison with the height of spring break, which is now over. Most of the highlighted dates above will nonetheless solely see crowd ranges of round 5/10–they’re solely listed as a result of they’re prone to be worse than the times and weeks round them. (It’s all relative!)
As for explanations, the rationale to keep away from the primary set of dates is as a result of that’s the tip of the SoCal resident ticket deal, and locals will probably be scrambling to make use of these tickets earlier than they expire. With out fail, that occurs each single yr; the ultimate days these promotional tickets are legitimate sees somewhat-elevated crowds.
The subsequent set of dates is Memorial Day weekend, which ought to be self-explanatory. Even then, this isn’t unhealthy by vacation weekend requirements. Final yr, the group degree was 7/10 for that weekend; this yr, it’s prone to be higher.
The subsequent set of dates is 2 issues. First, it’s when a number of points of interest will probably be down for refurbishment, which can worsen wait instances elsewhere. Second, it’s anticipated to be the beginning of summer time season in full power. The ultimate set of dates can be self-explanatory. Not solely is that the weekend earlier than Independence Day, but it surely’s additionally the debut of Rogers: The Musical at DCA.
Outdoors of these dates, we’re anticipating a quiet shoulder season and begin to summer time at Disneyland. As famous above, crowd ranges have been 3/10 on common for the previous couple of weeks. Throughout the identical weeks final yr, the common was 5/10. If wait instances comply with historic precedent, they’ll enhance heading into the tip of this month, lower barely the primary week of June 2023, after which steadily rise over the course of the summer time season. There are a variety of wildcards past that, particularly with pent-up demand and the price of summer time journey, fuel, and so on.
In truth, we’re hesitant to make assured predictions for mid-June by way of late July 2023, as Disneyland hasn’t had a “regular” summer time since 2018. Final yr, pent-up demand collided with hovering fuel costs. The yr earlier than that, the publish reopening rush hit a wall because of the delta variant. The yr earlier than that, the parks had been closed. Even again in 2019, there was the opening of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, which was surprisingly gradual because of fears of a “crowdpocalypse.”
Summer time 2023 is shaping as much as be regular (knock on wooden), but it surely’s been so lengthy that Disneyland has had a standard summer time that we’re not utterly certain what which means when it comes to wait instances and attendance dynamics!
Month-to-month 2023 Crowd Calendars for Disneyland
As we’ve gained expertise visiting Disneyland and Disney California Journey all through the years as Annual Passholders–and now Magic Keyholders–together with a number of journeys per week now as locals, we’ve observed developments in crowds and analyzed patterns in wait time information.
Disneyland crowd calendars change frequently because of a wide range of components, together with advertising and marketing, reductions, park hours, new attraction openings, particular occasions, Anaheim Conference Heart occasions, and even climate (good or unhealthy). We attempt to maintain our Disneyland crowd calendars up to date to mirror adjustments in attendance developments.
Be aware that Disneyland crowd calendars are most correct inside 3 months. Past that, generalized predictions may be made on the premise of holidays, faculty breaks, particular occasions, and previous precedent. Nevertheless, Disneyland park hours are solely launched a number of months upfront, park reservation availability is unknown additional out, and different variables like promotions, reductions, conventions, and so on. all will not be (totally) identified far upfront.
You may entry our Disneyland crowd calendars and month-to-month guides by way of the hyperlinks beneath, every of which can open in a brand new browser tab:
Every month is up to date with remaining forecasts roughly 30 to 60 days earlier than the beginning of that month. Predictions previous to then are much less correct, and don’t embody present developments, park reservations, and up to date wait time information.
Under is extra recommendation about avoiding crowds at Disneyland, in addition to days to go to and keep away from. These basic attendance developments for Disneyland could make ‘at a look’ journey planning and selecting your dates to go to simpler…
Attendance Traits for Disneyland in 2023
Disneyland attendance and wait instances are largely dependent upon vacationer vacationing habits (that are largely dependent upon faculty breaks and California journey developments), park hours (historic information exists for that), Anaheim Conference Heart occasions, Los Angeles & Orange County Faculty District calendars, and some different variables.
With that stated, the most important issue of all is native customer habits. Disneyland and Disney California Journey crowds are all the time worse on weekends. Fridays are particularly unhealthy because of the mixture of individuals taking lengthy weekends and the SoCal ticket deal not being blocked out. Sunday nights are not as unhealthy as the remainder of the weekend–crowds are inclined to die down as vacationers from inside California begin heading dwelling about noon, however the parks stay open later than on weekdays.
However, the single-biggest and most vital piece of recommendation is keep away from weekends if in any respect potential. In the event you be taught actually nothing else away from our crowd calendars, have it’s that. Go to Los Angeles, museums, seashores, or no matter on weekends–visitors will probably be higher, however crowds at these spots may even be worse. (Not as unhealthy as Disneyland, although!)
There are positively different wildcards that make it harder for Disneyland crowd calendars to foretell attendance or wait instances on particular dates with accuracy far upfront. Nevertheless, the variables above are knowable pretty far upfront, and make forecasting basic seasonal developments a lot simpler. As such, that’s what we’re presenting right here:
Insanely Crowded
- Winter Break
- Ski Week
- Martin Luther King Day weekend
- Presidents’ Day weekend
- Orange County Spring Break
- Los Angeles Spring Break
- Easter Week
- Mid-March by way of mid-April (Spring Break season)
- Thanksgiving week
- Christmas and New 12 months’s weeks
Very Crowded
Reasonably Crowded
- Early March
- Mid to late Might
- Late July by way of mid-August
- Third week of November
- First week of December
Least Crowded
- Most of January and February, besides holidays
- Late April
- Early by way of mid-Might
- Late August by way of mid-September
- First week of November
General, we predict Disneyland “appears like” crowds to be heavier all through no less than the primary quarter of 2023. In the event you’re planning to go to for Summer time 2023, you must put together for increased crowd ranges. That’ll be very true for weekends, holidays, and college breaks for native districts and close by states.
Talking of which, faculty schedules, climate, particular occasions, park hours, and extra could all have an effect on while you need to go to Disneyland. Clearly, these variables may even affect crowds.
Faculty Schedules
If faculty schedules are one thing round which it’s essential to plan, chances are high you’re going to go throughout one of many busier (or no less than not one of many least busy) instances of the yr, as that’s the paramount consideration for a lot of different households planning journeys, too. It could appear to be a handy time to go to throughout one of many ‘holidays’ your youngsters have off from faculty, but it surely’s vital to think about whether or not different faculties have these identical instances off, as effectively.
Particularly, listed below are the varsity districts which have the most important impression on Disneyland attendance:
- Los Angeles Unified (CA)
- Orange County – All Districts (CA)
- San Diego Unified (CA)
- Clark County (NV)
- Lengthy Seashore Unified (CA)
- Riverside Unified (CA)
- San Bernardino Metropolis Unified (CA)
- Alpine (UT)
- Fresno Unified (CA)
- Davis (UT)
- Elk Grove (CA)
- San Francisco Unified (CA)
- Phoenix Unified – All Districts (AZ)
- Mesa Unified (AZ)
- Washoe County (NV)
- Granite (UT)
- Tuscon Unified (AZ)
Our crowd calendars take all of those districts into consideration, as their educational breaks and college schedules can have a big impression on Disneyland attendance. There’s usually overlap among the many high 3 districts in Southern California, which implies their breaks are very unhealthy, however confined to a small portion of the general calendar.
Main districts in Northern California, Nevada, Utah, and Arizona all can have a noticeable impression on crowds, as effectively. (For instance, most districts in Utah share a typical fall break, and that lengthy weekend will get actually unhealthy.) Against this, we’ve by no means noticed a lot of an impression from Oregon, Washington, or some other states. Texas and something east of it are all just about Walt Disney World’s market.
Of the normal faculty holidays, summer time break might be the very best time to go to, as it’s the longest faculty break so that you don’t have the focus of visitors all visiting throughout the identical week of different holidays. Since summer time break is essentially blocked out to SoCal passholders, you’ll be able to count on to see extra vacationers within the parks this time of yr.
Most faculties have the week earlier than Christmas till the shortly after New 12 months’s off, making this week-plus an particularly busy time. The identical is true for President’s Day weekend, Easter week, Memorial Day weekend, the Fourth of July vacation, and Thanksgiving week. Though faculties do range their Spring Break schedules, don’t count on the parks to be any much less busy due to somewhat-staggered Spring Breaks. Mid-March by way of mid-April are busy instances at Disneyland.
This isn’t to say you shouldn’t go to throughout these instances, as some individuals don’t have many different choices, however in case you do go, no less than convey your persistence with you, or no less than a great plan for touring the parks!
Climate
Not like Florida, Southern California has a reasonably temperate local weather. The standard sizzling seasons are sizzling, however humidity isn’t practically as unhealthy as it’s in Florida. It may possibly get colder at evening, and within the winter months, however the climate isn’t practically as a lot of a curler coaster experience like it’s in Florida. Blue skies and puffy clouds are extra uncommon in California, however total the climate is rather more favorable for vacationing than it’s in Walt Disney World.
Rain isn’t as frequent in Disneyland as it’s in Walt Disney World. It does rain within the fall months at Disneyland, however torrential downpours in SoCal aren’t too frequent. In truth, in case you’re a Southern Californian attempting to plan the very best time to schedule a 1-day go to to the park, the very best time to go is whereas it’s raining.
The parks usually filter out (there are normally lengthy traces at Metropolis Corridor of individuals requesting refunds), and considerably shorter waits are frequent. So, you probably have a poncho or umbrella and need decrease than regular crowds, a wet day is the proper time to go. (Against this, the day after it rains will probably be significantly worse than regular, as locals will postpone their visits.)
Be certain to pack some denims, sweatshirts, and perhaps even coats if touring throughout the months of October by way of March. It gained’t essentially be chilly throughout your journey, however the climate can drop beneath 50 levels throughout these months. Contemplate your tolerance to chilly, and climate you’re keen to buy numerous $70 Mickey Mouse sweatshirts throughout your journey when, inevitably, members of your loved ones get chilly!
Park Hours
Not contemplating park hours when planning your journey is a big mistake. Normally much less busy days have shorter park hours and busier days have longer park hours. Thus, many really feel they will principally get the identical quantity completed in a shorter day throughout a much less busy time of yr than they may throughout peak season. With good plans for touring the parks or strategic use of Genie+ and Lightning Lanes, this isn’t true. By strategizing effectively, you’ll be able to accomplish extra throughout a busy day with longer hours than throughout a shorter day with mild crowds.
Additionally vital to notice is that on days with longer hours, Disneyland can have extra leisure scheduled. Even throughout quick days and gradual instances of the yr, Fantasmic and World of Shade play to packed homes. Nevertheless, on days that supply a number of showings of those leisure choices, the later showings are virtually all the time much less crowded. If you wish to keep away from ready a number of hours for a great view of Fantasmic, go on an extended day with a number of showings!
Equally, your sleep habits make a distinction right here. In the event you’re an evening owl, days with shorter hours could also be a foul thought, as by the point you roll off the bed, chances are you’ll discover that you simply solely have a number of hours to benefit from the parks. Conversely, in case you rise early and usually need to go away the parks by 7 pm or so, the shorter/much less busy days are nice instances so that you can go to. Be sure you examine Disneyland’s park hours calendar when planning your journey. Whereas this calendar is topic to vary, it doesn’t change practically as a lot as Walt Disney World’s calendar, which is sort of by no means correct when first posted.
Particular Occasions
Disneyland doesn’t have practically as many particular occasions as Walt Disney World, however there are some occasions price planning for or round. Mainly, these occasions are the D23 Expo (each different yr, in the direction of the tip of summer time or early fall), Homosexual Days (fall), HalloweenTime at Disneyland (late summer time and fall), CHOC stroll (fall), Holidays at Disneyland (fall and winter), and Grad Nites (spring).
On a private word, our absolute favourite time to go to is throughout Christmas-time at Disneyland. The parks look beautiful, there are particular attraction-overlays, and many seasonal meals accessible. You may learn extra about Christmas-time at Disneyland in our in-depth information.
Refurbishments
Throughout Disneyland’s slower seasons, count on a variety of points of interest to be closed for refurbishments and different building to be occurring. Not solely is upkeep and maintenance higher at Disneyland than Walt Disney World, however Disneyland additionally has a number of seasonal attraction overlays, which result in standard points of interest prefer it’s a small world, Haunted Mansion, and Area Mountain being closed for a number of weeks every within the fall (and late-winter within the case of it’s a small world and Haunted Mansion).
Historically, January and February have been the most important months for attraction downtime, as these are the low-season for crowds. Nevertheless, it’s all the time good to seek the advice of refurbishment calendars to ensure your favourite points of interest are operational irrespective of while you go to. See our 2023 Disneyland Refurbishment Calendar for particular dates that points of interest will probably be closed.
In the event you should go to Disneyland when it’s busy (as is the case for a lot of with youngsters at school), it’s vital to have a great plan of assault while you go to the parks. Decide which points of interest are finest and those to expertise, work out the place you need to eat upfront and dine at hours when the parks are busiest, and most significantly, arrive on the park earlier than it opens and get as a lot completed as you’ll be able to within the first few hours of operation when traces are a lot shorter than they are going to be later within the day.
Planning a Southern California trip? For park admission offers, learn Ideas for Saving Cash on Disneyland Tickets. Study on-site and off-site motels in our Anaheim Resort Opinions & Rankings. For the place to eat, try our Disneyland Restaurant Opinions. For distinctive concepts of issues that’ll enhance your journey, try What to Pack for Disney. For complete recommendation, seek the advice of our Disneyland Trip Planning Information. Lastly, for guides past Disney, try our Southern California Itineraries for day journeys to Los Angeles, Laguna Seashore, and tons of different locations!
Your Ideas
Do you could have any favourite instances of yr to go to Disneyland? Which particular occasions do you assume are finest? Do you agree or disagree with our recommendation about Disneyland crowd calendars, California climate, particular occasions, faculty schedules, or the rest right here? Any questions we will help you reply? Listening to your suggestions–even while you disagree with us–is each attention-grabbing to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas beneath within the feedback!