A lot of parents dream of having Disneyland all to themselves – no waits, no queues, no tantrums from frustrated children. Unfortunately, Disneyland’s crowds are largely local SoCal residents, meaning that even during the off-season the park will usually be fairly full. The next best thing is figuring out how to work the crowds.
Best Time of Year to Visit Disneyland
For out-of-town visitors, finding the best time of year to visit the theme park is important. However, it’s not as simple as “off season = better”. The cons of Disneyland’s off-season include reduced park hours, fewer parades and shows, and the loss of some rides as they are closed down for refurbishment. For visitors who aren’t concerned about these things – young children are often “over it” before the nightly parade begins, and don’t mind missing out on a few scarier rides – going off-season is an effortless way to avoid the worst of the crowds. Similarly, Disneyland is somewhat quieter during the week than the weekend, and on rainy days rather than sunny.
Strategies for Avoiding Long Queues on Disneyland Rides
If possible, get to Disneyland before the gates open early in the morning. A lot of visitors will still be sleeping at their resorts and won’t make it to the park until late morning or early afternoon – the busiest times. Queues are much shorter at the beginning of the day. Some Disneyland veterans recommend leaving the park in early afternoon to give children the chance for a nap, then returning later once the crowds have thinned and staying until the bitter end. Queues also thin out during parades while guests watch the show – multi-day guests may prefer to watch the parade one night, then ride popular rides on subsequent nights.
If you enter Disneyland as soon as it opens, it can be worthwhile to head to the back of the park. A lot of visitors will ride the first attraction they see, so by working backwards through the park you may beat the crowds. On the other hand, very popular rides such as Splash Mountain will have shorter queues earlier in the day, so it may be worthwhile to visit those attractions first and ride less popular rides during the peak hours.
For guests with park hopper tickets, visiting Disney’s California Adventure during Disneyland’s busiest hours may be worthwhile. The majority of visitors consider Disneyland the preferred park, so DCA is sometimes comparatively slow, particularly during Disneyland’s parades.
FastPasses, Child Swap, Single Rider and Magic Morning Tickets
If possible, secure Magic Morning passes to get early openings to Fantasyland and ToonTown. This allows small children to ride some tame rides without long queues and before they’re tired from walking around the park all day; it also extends the day, giving adults more time to spend in the other lands later on. Magic Morning passes are available to all guests with tickets for three or more days, and for guests staying at the Disney resorts. Sundays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays are “Magic Morning” days, and the park opens one hour early.
The best tip for avoiding long queues is to make full use of the FastPass system. This system is free and can cut down wait times from forty-five minutes to virtually nothing.
Single Rider passes are another good way to skip lines, for guests who aren’t concerned about riding together or purchasing group photos from the ride. The system allows guests to fill up extra spaces in order to prevent wasted seats. Not every ride offers the Single Rider pass,
For parents with young children, the Child Swap pass can be a lifesaver. This pass allows one parent to hold the baby while the other rides; the parents then swap and the second parent can ride without having to wait in line again. Child swap is a great option if a child is unsure if she wants to ride – if she decides at the last minute that it looks too scary, the parents can simply ride separately.
By using the above tips wisely, Disneyland visitors can have more memories of rides and fewer of queues! If in doubt about any of the systems such as Single Rider or FastPass, take the time to ask a Cast Member for help and you may save several hours of standing in line.
Sarah Tennant - Sarah Tennant is a onetime English major who lives in New Zealand with her husband and two small children. Her interests range from ...
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