Late Feb/Early March 2019

[SLynn9]

Hi All,

Trying to plan our first trip to Disneyland. I've tried to do my research but its a little overwhelming!

We will be doing 3 days in the parks. Probably either a Thursday, Friday, Saturday or a Saturday, Sunday, Monday.

From what I've seen, some entertainment only happens on the weekends at this time of year? From looking at last years schedule, there doesn't seem to have been fireworks or parades in Disneyland, but from what I've read that's not the norm, but was because of construction on Main Street.

Can we catch a reasonable amount of the weekend only entertainment in 2 days?

Anything else that sticks out that I need to know about this time of year? We could also possibly go mid to late April. Would that give us a better chance of seeing things? Trying to balance crowds vs. closures.

Appreciate any guidance you can give!

 

[smartlabelprint]

The parks are so busy all the time I’d go on whatever dates work best for your schedule. Then just take advantage of the offerings to the best of your ability.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

If mid-late April is still Spring Break, that would give you longer hours and a fuller entertainment schedule. As the pp stated, crowds aren't really the deciding factor at DLR because the parks are routinely crowded these days -- just a matter of regular crowded vs. very crowded. You really want to pick the time that will work best for your schedule and when the parks will be best prepared to handle the crowds. So, for example, Spring Break may be crowded, but DLR will be prepared for that with longer park hours, more staffing, most/all rides running at full capacity (this makes a huge difference in how crowded the parks feel), more entertainment, etc. Of course, with April being so close to the projected opening for SWGE, we don't really know yet exactly what will happen. February this year was surprisingly crowded, and there was a lot of construction, too, which didn't help. So, I would choose the April dates. The parks can deal well with crowds when they schedule for them. You have the advantage of plenty of time to do your research and to make organized plans to deal with the crowds. With good planning and a positive attitude, you can have a great trip!

 

[jlwhitney]

We just booked the end of Feb. 27-march 3, with Thursday-sat in the parks. Same boat hoping we picked good.

 

[LizzyS]

The parks are so busy all the time I’d go on whatever dates work best for your schedule. Then just take advantage of the offerings to the best of your ability.

I try to avoid the bigger events, but yes, I echo this advice. No time is "perfect" to visit the parks.

In saying that, I've visited DLR during this time period multiple times and really like it. Our next trip is at the end of February 2019.

 

[mcjaco]

My last couple trips were in Feb/Mar. I didn't find the crowds bad, but I also went in the middle of the week.

 

[to be tink]

We'll be there 2/22 - 3/2. I'm so very excited! I grew up in SoCal so DL is my where it all started for me. But I've been on the East Coast for decades now and am a WDW girl now. I'm planning on getting the 5 day pass and just taking our time through the parks with a few other local adventures sprinkled throughout. I was lucky enough to get Grand Californian DVC at the 7 month window so we'll be onsite.

 

[SLynn9]

We just booked the end of Feb. 27-march 3, with Thursday-sat in the parks. Same boat hoping we picked good.

These are the same dates we were thinking of as well! Where did you book if you don’t mind me asking?

 

[SLynn9]

Appreciate the advice everyone. I’ve been looking at some hotels and while some have dates available, others haven’t released them yet. Is it too early to book?

 

[Erin M]

We were in the parks last year at the end of Feb and had a great time. The parks were not packed and with MaxPass we were able to get on anything we wanted multiple times in our four days. I think the weeks leading up to spring break are pretty great. For hotel booking, I think it will depend on the hotels you're looking at, some can book way out in advance and if you are particular why not book. You can always change your reservation or cancel and re-book at another location if you find a better deal. We typically book about 6-8 months in advance.