jojo7

Planning a trip to Disneyland next year and wanted to know which time of year is better as far as less crowded. I would like to go either spring break which hopefully might be a different week in California than Washington OR right after school ends the end of June. I am sure both these times are bad but is any worse than the other? I have to go when the kids have no school. Can't keep them out of school for week. Would love to hear any comments and suggestions. Thanks!

ssm

Well during the times you mentioned, it is going to be crowded, no matter what. I would not recommend Spring Break. It will be a lot more crowded then as opposed to end of June (but not too close to the 4th of July).

There will be LESS crowds if you go mid week, like a Tuesday or Wed (again, assuming you forget Spring Break). Arrive early. Take breaks by going back to your hotel (get a hotel by the park) for a swim in the pool. Come back early evening, stroll Dowtown Disney for some dinner and then go back into the park.

I have annual passes for the family and live maybe 20 minutes from the park. Every summer we actually "vacation" a few days at the Paradise Pier and or Disneyland Hotel and do this. It is amazing how much more we enjoy the parks (we go to both DL and Calif. Adventure) during those days as opposed to the days when we rush..rush..rush.

Lex1

Go during the middle of the week when it rains. We went during the recent deluge (it was misting that day). The parks were so sparsely attended that they were not issuing fast passes (reserved times) for the attractions. No lines of which to speak during the day. We loved the Tower of Terror-Hollywood Hotel (which we rode 6-8 times) and the California Soaring attractions, both in CA Adventures.

jojo7

I kind of figured those times would be bad. Which leads me to my next question. How is February? My kids get a week off of school in February . Also wanted to know how the weather is in California that time of year? Never been to California so pardon my ignorance! Also, any hotel recommendations close to disney would be greatly appreciated. THANKS!

Surfergirl

February is our rainiest month. Which is USUALLY not that rainy (forget this year!). Disneyland is way less busy in Feb. than it is at Spring break or in the summer. The downside is it closes early in winter. The upside is the locals get cheaper rates.

I'd pick Spring Break over right after school lets out in June, because many grad nights are held at Disneyland in June.

In Spring, it's usually not raining, fairly warm, and a great time to visit.

sfamylou

Spring break can work. I've taken guests the past few years, dreading it, and it was OK. Right now, our local grocery has a deal where you buy a Disneyland ticket and get a free CA ticket. The way I'd approach it is to go mid week, and head to Disney first-thing. Get fast passes and line up early for the big rides (Matterhorn etc). When things start feeling too crowded, go to CA. The crowds are not usually that bad there.

Orcas

Hi jojo,

Are you going to rent a car? We went when our two were little and didn't rent a car. We stayed off-site and regretted that decision. Yes, the hotel provided shuttle service to the park, and taking it was okay, but returning, we had to go half-way out in the parking lot and wait and wait. The shuttle was crowded on the return, and people sometimes had to wait for the next one. It took a long time. Also, going back to the hotel during the day and returning to the park was too time-consuming. So, think about staying on site or within walking distance if you don't plan on a rental car.

jojo7

Hi Orcas:
No, I didn't plan on getting a rental car IF everything is within walking distance. I may rent a car for a day or two to go to Seaworld and The San Diego Zoo, but not sure. I know there is a price for tickets and shuttle to Seaworld. I also have heard the exact same thing you have mentioned about the shuttles. It can get very crowded and waiting for them can waste a lot of time unless I stay at the Candy Cane Inn which has it's own shuttle. Do you know if the Disney Californian is what everyone claims it is? I would hope so if one is willing to pay $300 or more for a standard room. It looks like the nicest one out of the three Disney properties. Could you recommend any hotels that are within walking distance other than the Disney Hotels. There are just so many hotels to pick from with so many different people giving so many different opinions, it's mind boggling and all the hotels claim to be within a walking distance but that could be 5 minutes or 20 minutes. Any comments on the Howard Johnson Hotel and anything else you could suggest would be great. THANKS!

Jayne1973

We went during our spring break five years ago and the crowds weren't bad at all. I can't remember the exact dates, but I think it was about March 10-15.
Also, the weather was great!

byfaith1983

I heard Sunday is actually the best day to go becuase it is always less crowded.

suzmardav

Midweek always Spring is cooler than summer and although the heat is much more bearable than the tortuous summer heat in Orlando it can sometimes be a bit much in So Cal. There is a moderate hotel called Park Vue right across from the entrance Nothing special but you can get there quickly rest and than go back to the park. If you want to pay a bit more, the convenience of the park hotels is very nice.

kimamom

We always go to DL during the week, but there will always be crowds. We were there on a Wednesday the first week of June once and it was really crowded, I think we were only able to go on around ten rides. But it was still very fun!

One March we went mid-week and must have had hit it just right, we went on over 21 rides in one day. I want to stay at the Grand Californian but also love the Disneyland Hotel. ***kim***

Orcas

Sorry, I know nothing about the hotels right around the park. Only that we didn't stay in the right place, given the inadequacy of the shuttle service. There are some Disneyland websites on the interenet and some books on how Disney that you can look at if you don't get the info you need here.

endlessvacation

Hi
We are also going to Disney over springbreak. What local grocery store has a free pass to California Adventure when you buy one for Disney. I read this infor in a a prior post.
Thanks Karen

Lex1

Check the schedules before planning which park to visit first. We were there in late February and Disneyland closed two hours later than CA. Consequently, we went to CA first.
That grocery promotion would be worth about $20/ticket, for a one-day, 2 park pass.

ltt

not sure what the hours are in march but the summer is nice cause they stay open late at night. nice to be able to go back to your hotel in the afternoon, enjoy the pool, relax, have dinner and then go back for a few hours before bed.

chepar

The Howard Johnson is a 10-15 minute walk from the park entrance - depending on how fast you walk. It's several blocks away - right next to the highway entrance. We stayed there a few years back - walking to the park was ok, but after a long day at the park, the walk back seemed like forever. The shuttles were ok, but yes, they can be crowded.

Otherwise, the Howard Johnson was pretty nice.

This coming June we'll be there again - this time we're staying at a place right across the street. Off the top of my head, the places I looked into were the Best Western, Park Inn and Desert Inn and Suites. I decided to go with Park Inn - but the Best Western also looked pretty good.

sfamylou

OK, I mentioned the grocery promotion in an earlier post. I looked it up at pavilions.com. Apparently you need to live in Southern California to get this deal. Maybe someone at the store would be nice enough to buy for you? The tickets need to be used by April 28. Hope this helps.

jojo7

Thank you everyone for all your helpful advise. I think we will take our chances and go during spring break. I will definitely check out the hotels mentioned. It would be nice to be able to walk and not have to rely on the shuttles but like someone had mentioned, after walking in the park all day even the shortest walk can seem like forever when your feet are tired. Staying close is definitely a priority but I really think the Disney Hotels are so overpriced. I guess I will have to research some more and find one that is the closest for the price and take a chance and just weigh out the pros and cons. Thanks again!

KathrynT

I believe you mentioned the Candy Cane Inn which I would recommend. It has been a few years but I remember they had a free continental breakfast which was a nice way to quickly start the day. I believe their shuttles left every half an hour or so but the Inn was close enough that we walked one time. We also have stayed at the Sheraton which we were happy with (nice pool.) Yes, waiting for a shuttle can be a bit tireseome, but we didn't find it too bad at all.