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.

Don't go around Christmas. Just don't.
Don’t go around Christmas. Just don’t. malingering

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.

IMPORTANT UPDATE FOR SUMMER 2023: Disneyland is bringing back the California Resident Ticket Offer for the summer season, starting on June 12 – September 28.

Read more about it here: Days to Avoid Going to Disneyland This Summer

EARLY 2023: Disneyland has announced yet another ticket promotion for early 2023 through May. The Southern California Resident Ticket Offer is valid on weekdays starting January 9 – May 25. The ticket deal is expected to attract bigger crowds during the week, while most weekends will likely be more manageable.

Higher attendance is now expected on weekdays (Mondays through Fridays) during the promotion. Most weekends (Saturdays and Sundays) are expected to be less crowded through mid-May.

Here are the Best Days to Go to Disneyland in 2023:

Best Days to GoCrowd Forecast
JANUARY 2023
January 15The off-season begins a week after the Holidays
January 21-22The days after MLK Day are historically quiet
January 25-26The last week of January is hardly ever crowded
January 31
FEBRUARY 2023
February 2, 7, 9The off-season continues into weekdays in February
February 12, 16Avoid going after Presidents Day (February 20) -- schools have mid-winter break
February 26
MARCH 2023
March 4-5Early March (before Spring Break season) is historically very manageable
March 11-12
APRIL 2023
April 16, 22-23, 29-30Crowds are anticipated to drop after Spring Break season
MAY 2023
May 6-7Before Grad Nite events begin for the summer
JUNE - AUGUST 2023
August 29-31Check Calendar for best dates
SEPTEMBER 2023
September 6-7The days after Labor Day are almost never crowded
September 12-13Off-season continues before Halloween
September 19-20
OCTOBER 2023
October 25-26Check Calendar for best dates
October 31
NOVEMBER 2023
November 1-2Crowds drop right after the Halloween season
DECEMBER 2023
No "Ghost Town" days projectedCheck Calendar for best dates

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 2023

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 8, 2023.

Crowds tend to spike again after the holidays for MLK Weekend (January 14-16, 2023).

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
No matter what day you go, arrive early to take advantage of the short lines in the morning. GrigLager

Spring Break 2023

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 after the week of Easter Sunday (April 9).

The Spring Break season is expected to peak at the end of March (March 25-31) through mid-April (April 1-15). 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 2023

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 2023:

May 12, 14, 17, 19, 21, 24, 25, 30, 31
June 2, 4, 7, 9, 14, 16

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

Halloween Time 2023

Halloween Time takes place on September 1 – October 31, 2023 (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 2023

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 2024: Many schools in the area will still be on winter break on the first full week of the month, so January 2-7 in particular are still expected to be crowded.

READ MORE: NOVEMBER CROWD GUIDE | DECEMBER CROWD GUIDE
The holiday season is the busiest time of the year at Disneyland. kuabatty

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