Disneyland: When to Go to Avoid the Crowds

Disneyland is without a doubt the most branded, famous and fun amusement park in the United States. There can be problems with a trip to Disneyland however. Disneyland's long lines and crowds can turn a great trip into a 'why did I come here?' faster than you can say Space Mountain. This article will tell you when to plan your trip to Disneyland to avoid the lines and crowds. Avoiding the crowds is well worth learning about. The average waiting time for key rides at Disneyland in peak season during the peak attendance hours of 11:00-7:00 p.m. is 60 minutes and can spike to 90 minutes on certain holidays. Here is a primer based on experience as the best ways to minimize time spent in line and in crowds at Disneyland. I grew up one mile from Disneyland and the place was a second home. These hard learned lessons about the best times to enjoy Disneyland should apply equally to Disneyworld. For a quick lesson on how to best use every hour of the day to enjoy the rides at Disneyland without waiting in line you'll want to read another article I wrote for AC, Best Times of Day For Rides at Disneyland.

1. Avoid Summer Break
If you are taking the family to Disneylad or Disneyworld it will be well worth your trouble to plan to avoid Summer's school vacation period. Do not if at all possible go to Disneyland or Disneyworld between May 31 and August 31. This is the peak season for for Disneyland and Disneyworld. Crowds at Disneyland average 55,000 people a day. Compare this to the month of December where the crowds average around 13,000 per day. Your wait time for key attractions in December will be less than 5 minutes. The average wait time at Disneyland's key rides during the Summer break months will be 60 minutes.
I have access to the park through a family member who used to work there. Two years ago I was there when it was kind of drizzly and cold out, but I walked onto every ride with no wait whatsoever all day and all night. It was incredible.