Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Not to overstate the case: We want to emphasize that you can have a great time at
the Disneyland parks regardless of the time of year or crowd level. In fact, a primary
objective of this guide is to make the parks fun and manageable for those readers who
visit during the busier times of year.
Of course, crowds are not the only consideration when deciding what time of
year to visit Disneyland. Holidays are celebrated at Disneyland like nowhere else, and
the festive decor is almost worth the price of admission. The parks are decked out for
Halloween from late September until the end of October. Be aware that after-hours
extra-cost Halloween parties (tickets are about $60) cause Disneyland to close early
to day guests on several evenings in the fall, as a Tucson, Arizona, family found:
unofficial
TIP
If it's not your first trip to Disneyland and you must join the holiday-weekend
crowds, you may have just as much fun enjoying Disney's fantastic array of shows,
parades, and fireworks as you would riding the rides.
TheHalloweeneventfrommid-SeptembertotheendofOctoberchangesthelowsea-
son to a zoo. Every local with an annual pass showed up in the afternoon. The park
closedearlyforthisevent,[and]DCAbackedupbecauseoftheearlyclosureofDis-
neyland [Park].
Christmas trappings transform Disneyland Park from mid-November until after
New Year's Day. There's also a Christmas parade, and several attractions such as The
Haunted Mansion and It's a Small World offer a special holiday version. Some hol-
iday entertainment (such as the special parade and fireworks) may require a special
ticket to an after-hours event, similar to Orlando's popular Mickey's Very Merry
Christmas Party, expected to be introduced in Anaheim in 2013.
THE SPOILER
SO YOU CHOOSE YOUR OFF-SEASON DATES
and then find it almost impossible to find a
hotel room. What gives? In all probability you've been foiled by a mammoth conven-
tion or trade show at the Anaheim Convention Center. One of the largest and busiest
convention venues in the country, the convention center hosts meetings with as many
as 75,000 attendees. The sheer numbers alone guarantee that hotel rooms will be hard
to find. Compounding the problem is the fact that most business travelers don't have
roommates. Thus a trade show with 8,000 people registered might suck up 13,000
rooms (including people who registered late)! The final straw as you might expect is
that room rates climb into the stratosphere based on the high demand and scarcity of
supply. In regard to increased crowds at the theme parks, it's estimated that less than
10% of convention attendees will find time to enjoy the parks. It's also true, however,
