Update: August 14, 2019:
While there are many useful tidbits in the following post that was originally posted in 2013, with the addition of annual pass payment plans and other changes in pricing, it's really hard to say what days of the week are the best to visit on. Really the best thing to do is to look at the Annual Pass block-out calendar on Disneyland.com and book your vacation when the Deluxe and below annual passes are blocked out. Also, and I can't emphasize this point enough, get to Disneyland at least 30 minutes before the park opens. Disney starts letting people into the park 15 minutes before opening. The "rope drop" then takes place inside the park right at opening time. The rope drop itself is a very magical experience but most importantly, this is the time when Disneyland is least busy. The first 2 hours are crucial to getting on many of the big attractions with minimal waits or to be able to walk on many other attractions. Typically attendance peaks around 2:00pm. It then usually decreases bit by bit until it is manageable again about 2 hours before close on most nights (although this may not be true when special parades are brought back such as the Main Street Electrical Parade or Paint the Night). So, long story short, TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE MORNINGS!
Disneyland is most crowded on any normal given week on weekends. Accordingly, if at all possible, arrange your visit toward the beginning of the week. We normally get to our hotel late Sunday afternoon/early evening, pick up our park tickets at the ticketbooth which we've already ordered from getawaytoday.com, and stroll along the downtown Disney district. We try to get to bed early as we will need our sleep for the next 4 days! We spend all day and night Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday in the park, and Thursday morning as well, before checking out of our hotel and either heading south to Sea World or back home to Utah. (UPDATE: In May 2016, Disneyland changed their pricing structure, charging more money on weekends in an attempt to more evenly distribute it's guests across the entire week. So far it has worked. In 2016 we attended Disneyland on a Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday and Sunday, which typically would have been the most crowded day in years past, was the least busy. So it seems that in the early stages of the new pricing structure, Disney's strategy is working. Now the time of day (going in the early mornings and late evenings) is a more important factor to avoid large crowds that the day of the week).
In the past, I always enjoyed going in the early part of June, just before most of the California Schools got out for the summer. Unlike Disney World in Florida which is more of a tourist destination, much of Disneyland's attendance comes from local Southern Californians. So one way to beat the crowds is to research when the LA School District lets the kids out of school for the summer and try to get there a week or two before. That had worked very well for us, other then two years ago when Thunder Mountain Railroad was closed for refurbishment until the day after we left. That's the drawback of going in early June - you never know what rides are going to be closed.
Typically during the peak times (mid June through August and major holiday times) Disneyland will make sure that no rides are closed for refurbishment. An exception to this is when Disneyland completes major renovations on rides which makes it necessary to close the attraction for an extended period of time. For example, in 2013, Disneyland completed a major renovation on Thunder Mountain and it was closed from Jan 7th through the fall. Also in 2015, Peter Pan didn't open until July 1st after the refurbishment process took longer than expected. The Disneyland website will list their refurbishment schedule about a month and a half early which, for people who plan their vacations well in advance like my self, is about 4 months too late.
In 2000, we thought it would be fun to visit Disneyland for the 4th of July. Never have I felt more like a sardine swimming upstream against a school of salmon then I did after the fireworks show was over! Needless to say, I won't be going back on the fourth of July, and I definitely don't recommend it for others! There is a very nice fireworks show on nights that the park stays open late, which is most nights in the summer.
My mom, a local, used to go to Disneyland every year on Christmas after I had moved out to college in the 1990's. She mentioned that she loved going because the crowds were minimal. Not any more!I've never been there around the holidays, but from what I read, now the crowds are pretty big since most schools are out. Also, the holiday lights and decorations at Disneyland around Christmas are a big draw to a lot of people since it's only a seasonal thing (usually from just after Thanksgiving until the first Monday in January). Disneyland didn't decorate as much for the holidays back when my mom used to go on Christmas which may be one of the reasons the crowds weren't as big then.
From the middle of September to the end of October, Disneyland is transformed for Halloween. The rides that are the primary focus are the Haunted Mansion, Space Mountain, and the Tower of Terror. Halloween isn't my cup of tea so I've never been to Disneyland around Halloween time, but from what I hear, the crowds do pick up a little to see the changes to the park.
The first two weeks of November is a great time to avoid crowds. This is the time when Disneyland is busy taking down the Halloween decorations and starts putting up the Christmas decorations. It is the short lull in between holidays. Because of this, some of the rides close to get ready for the holidays so be prepared to possibly miss some of your favorite rides. A couple of the rides that are transformed for the holidays are Small World and Jungle Cruise while the rides that were re-themed for Halloween are also transformed back to normal.
Typically Spring Break in March is also a time to avoid if at all possible since the lines for rides can be longer than normal. Again, check to see when the LA School District's Spring Break is, because that is the time to avoid. In early spring, it is common for Disneyland to be refurbishing it's water rides such as Splash Mountain and Grizzly River Run since the weather is still a little cold for water rides.
An important part of planning any Disneyland trip is to make sure you plan your visit when the park stays open late. Even if it's just for one night, and even if you have little kids - take them back for a nap around mid day - there is something special about Disneyland after dark. From the lights on Main Street, to Sleeping Beauty's Castle all lit up, to Fantasmic, to It's a Small world lit up, to the fireworks - there is just a special feeling. Night time at Disneyland is one of my favorite memories from my childhood. And despite being completely worn out as a parent of a 6 year old, 5 year old, and 3 year old when the day is over at Disneyland, I enjoy the walk back to our hotel room, watching the kids happily dance along as we start heading back to the hotel, and then watching as one or two of them has completely fallen asleep in the double stroller by the time we get to our room.
A new and glaring issue facing Disneyland is their Annual Pass problem. With the number of Disneyland's Annual Passes issued estimated at close to 1 million, their current Annual Pass program has led to massive overcrowding. As of February 2017, Disneyland sells its bottom tier annual pass (SoCal select) to southern California residents for $339. That's $11 CHEAPER than what a regular guest has to pay for a 5 day park hopper ticket! To make matters even worse, Disneyland allows "payment plans" after a down payment. So not only do southern California residents get 170 days for $11 cheaper than out-of-town guests get 5 days, but they end up only paying about $21 per month after about a $100 down payment. What that means is many southern Californians wisely take advantage of this deal and create a massive overcrowding problem on days that were typically considered "off-season" at the time I originally wrote this post.
Because the lowest tier annual pass is blocked out for the majority of the busy summer months and the holiday times, it is much more common now for Disneyland to be busy when you typically wouldn't think it would be. The best thing to do is to go to Disneyland's website or google "Disneyland Annual Pass blackout dates" and try to plan your vacation when the Southern California and Southern California Select Annual Passports are blocked out. It is estimated that of the 1 million annual passports sold, about 75% fall into one of these two categories. By going when these annual passports are blocked out, you might encounter more out-of-towners, but will probably be able to enjoy a slightly less crowded Disneyland.
In summary, my favorite time to go to Disneyland used to be the first couple of weeks in June, right when the park has started staying open later at night. This was the best time to avoid large crowds, while at the same time taking advantage of the magical Disney nights. The only drawback to going at this time was that one or two rides might be closed for refurbishment. But with all the rides and attractions, even when Thunder Mountain was closed in 2013 when we went, we still weren't able to see all there was to see and do! Now that the Annual Passes are part of the equation, make sure to book your vacation around when the Southern California Select Annual Passport is blocked out, and you should be able to have a little more room to move around the park!
