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Best Time to Visit Disneyland in 2023 and 2024

by Leap on May 1, 2023 2919 Los Angeles

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It’s one of the most popular questions we get. I even have friends of friends message me and ask ... "Just when is the best time to visit Disneyland?" My answer is always "whenever you can!" It’s the truth. Whenever you and your family can make the trip to The Happiest Place On Earth is the best time. But, of course, just like at Walt Disney World, there are better times to visit Disneyland than others. In this post, we're outlining the best times to visit Disneyland in 2023 and 2024.

Best Time to Visit Disneyland in 2023 - Partners Statue in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle

Planning the Best Times to Visit Disneyland in 2023 and 2024

Best Time to Visit Disneyland - Dates by Season

We'd be toadally remiss if we didn't talk about the biggest changes coming out of the pandemic — and that's the theme park reservation system. Many days sell out, but even so, there are more crowded days than others. While we do have years of experience and data collection under our belt, there are many more factors at play that put us in new territory when making our predictions.

With so many locals at Disneyland, who have a bigger influence on crowds than at Disney World, we knew crowds would return to Disneyland after its reopening — and boy, did they ever! We will talk more below about Magic Key holders and how they influence crowds.

We've taken that into account when adjusting our Crowd Calendar. Keep hopping back because we will continue to update both this post and our Crowd Calendar as we learn more!

Best Time to Go to Disneyland - Disney 100

2023 and 2024 are gearing up to be big years at Disneyland. In 2023, Disneyland kicked off the 100 Years of Wonder Celebration Jan. 27, which will run through the remainder of the year — and Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway opened the same day! The Magic Happens parade returned Feb. 24, 2023. A reimagined Toontown made its debut March 19, 2023.  And further down the road, Tiana's Bayou Adventure will open in late 2024, which means guests visiting in 2023 and 2024 should be prepared for Splash Mountain to undergo a refurbishment, starting May 31, 2023. As we look into 2023 and 2024, there will be some sweet spots to time your visit if you're looking for the least busy time to hop into the parks.

Is It Packed at Disneyland? Here's the Easiest Way to Tell

This post is going to dive into all the nitty-gritty details, and the whys and hows of crowds, but let's just cut to the chase. The easiest way to know if it will be crowded at Disneyland is to ask yourself:

  • Is it a major U.S. holiday?
  • Are most kids out of school?

If the answer is yes to one or both of these questions, there will be bigger crowds. Another thing to be aware of is major school breaks, and not just in California, and not just for spring or summer break. Many Arizona schools have breaks in the first half of October. Utah schools also have a fall break in mid-October. The spring breaks at major universities in California in late March also influence crowd levels.

Want to Know for Sure?

  • Hop straight to our Disneyland Crowd Calendar. You can view the busiest times on the Disneyland Crowd Calendar for the day, month or year.
  • If you're planning a visit but don't see your particular dates discussed below, leap down to the comments. We frogs — and some of the Disneyland community — are hoppy to share answers.

Visiting During a Busy Time? Don't Fret!

Even during the busiest times, there are ways to skip the lines and make the most of your time. Here are our best tips to reduce waits! FASTPASS and MaxPass have been officially retired and replaced with the paid Genie+ system. Again, our best advice is to purchase your tickets and make your Disneyland theme park reservations as soon as possible to secure your spot. Reservation availability is released 120 days in advance (or 90 days for Magic Key holders). You'll get the best price on Genie+ if you purchase it with your tickets as the price can fluctuate for day-of-use purchases.

Factors That Influence the Best Time to Go to Disneyland

Best Time to Go to Disneyland - Magic Happens Parade with Sorcerer Mickey

If you’re more familiar with Cinderella Castle than Sleeping Beauty Castle, it's important to know that the best time to visit Disneyland isn't the same as at Disney World.

The biggest difference is the locals. Disney World has a good amount of locals, but not nearly as many as those in the Los Angeles/Orange County area. Many of those Disneyland locals are Magic Key holders (annual passholders). Magic Key holders still need to make a park reservation to enter the parks, and their availability calendar is also limited. Depending on the type of pass they have, Magic Key holders might find themselves blocked out of the park on certain days or weeks, particularly those times that are especially popular with tourists — namely summer, spring break and holidays.

The Disneyland blockout calendar provides a fairly good idea of the very busiest dates of the year because those are the times when most Magic Key holders (especially for the more affordable passes, such as the Imagine and Enchant Keys) are not allowed to enter the parks. For example, during most of June through mid-August, certain Key holders are typically blocked from entering at least one or both parks, a strong sign that there will be tourists! One important thing to keep in mind in the future: Crowds are higher right before and after major blockout periods. (Who wouldn't want to hop back into the Happiest Place on Earth or make a last visit before the blockout period?!)

Best Times to Visit Disneyland - Pixar Pier Lit Up at Night

Even if park capacity is the same each day, Magic Key holders influence the park crowds. During school days and workdays, Magic Key Holders might visit the park for just the morning or just the evening, making the park seem less crowded than on a Saturday or holiday, when many more people arrive early and stay all day long, making the park feel more crowded.

Outside of the Magic Key holders, other limited-time local promotions can influence crowds for certain periods of time. When Disneyland offers special ticketing promos for California residents or Southern California residents, more locals flock to the parks. That can make it hard to predict crowd levels as it attracts more guests during typically quieter times. As the promo end dates draw near, everyone rushes in to use the tickets before they expire. Undercover Tourist typically offers these same promo tickets for an even steeper discount than the parks, so our Disneyland ticketing page can offer insight into promo dates when available.

A more recent crowd forecaster is Disneyland's 1-Day Ticket Availability Calendar. Disneyland's 1-Day tickets are sold in tiers based on projected crowd levels, giving us a sneak peek at when Disney is expecting things to be the busiest. (Psst ... Undercover Tourist also offers 1-Day tickets to Disneyland, and they include our 365-day refund policy!)

Another factor that has more influence on crowds at Disneyland than at Disney World is the conventioneers. The Anaheim Convention Center is right across the street. What out-of-town visitor wouldn’t enjoy popping over in the afternoon and early evening for some Disney magic? It’s generally not necessary to rearrange your vacation based on a convention, but there might be one exception. Disney’s own D23 Expo, held every other year, brings flocks of fans. Those folks will plan to spend some of their hours before, during and after the Expo playing in the parks. The next D23 Expo is planned for summer 2024.

Best Time to Go to Disneyland - Mickey Pumpkin on Main Street

Keep in mind that special events and holidays also influence crowds. Many people visit during Disneyland Halloween Time or the holidays to experience the magic of these seasons, and there are special events at different times throughout the year. The Food and Wine Festival at Disney California Adventure brings foodies and wine aficionados flocking to the parks in March and April. This is yet another reason to review our Disneyland crowd calendar — we list the holidays and special events! We are so frogcited to get special event dates for 2023 and 2024 on the calendar — you'll see those reflected on the Crowd Calendar as soon as they are announced, so keep hopping back! Our Crowd Calendars also offer a look at the weather at Disneyland so you can pack accordingly for that May Gray and June Gloom :)

Based on all of this information, historical crowd levels during holidays and other data, we have a pretty good idea of the very busiest dates of the year at Disneyland. But, as you probably guessed, there are some variables.

Best Time to Visit Disneyland - Cars Land Holidays

Expected Busiest Days at Disneyland in 2023

Here are the days we expect to be the busiest at Disneyland Resort in 2023:

  • Jan. 1-8, 13-16, 27-30
  • Feb. 2-6, 9-26
  • March 11 - April 16
  • Weekends and Grad Nite dates in May, plus Memorial Day
  • Weekends in the first half of June
  • July
  • Weekends in August
  • Sept. 1-4; Sept. 22-25
  • Oct. 2-23
  • Nov. 17-26
  • Dec. 17-31

Expected Busiest Days at Disneyland in 2024

Here are the days we expect to be the busiest at Disneyland Resort in 2024:

  • Jan. 1-7, Jan. 10-15
  • Feb. 16-19
  • March 9 - April 30
  • Weekends and Grad Nite dates in May, plus Memorial Day
  • June 14 - July  7
  • Aug. 30 - Sept. 2
  • Oct. 2-20
  • Nov. 22 - Dec. 1
  • Dec. 21-31

*The fall of Easter impacts Disneyland crowds in the spring. Some school districts base their spring break around Easter; others do not. When Easter falls earlier in the season, March or early April, it has the effect of making a more intense, but shorter spring break season. This is the case in 2023 — Easter is on April 9 — and 2024 — Easter is on March 31. These two years, you can expect a fairly consistent, condensed spring break season. When Easter falls later, the effect is a longer but less intense spring break season. Many California universities consistently have spring break at the end of March, which can affect crowds then.

Other Dates That Will Likely See Higher Crowds

Here are other days that see higher crowds, but not as high as the absolute worst days. Some of the dates listed are isolated, with the days around them generally fine, but they do bring in more locals. Know of other dates that are popular with locals? Share in the comments below.

  • Rosh Hashanah (when it falls on a weekday) - It falls on weekends in 2023 and 2024
  • Yom Kippur (when it falls on a weekday) - Sept. 25, 2023
  • Columbus Day - Oct. 9, 2023, and Oct. 14, 2024
  • Utah and Arizona fall breaks in October
  • Veterans Day (and Veterans Day Observed) - Nov. 11
  • Martin Luther King Jr. Day - Jan. 16, 2023, and Jan. 15, 2024
  • Presidents Day - Feb. 20, 2023, and Feb. 19, 2024
  • Caesar Chavez Day (when it falls on a weekday) - March 31, 2023
  • Memorial Day - May 29, 2023, and May 27, 2024
  • Disneyland's anniversary - July 17
  • Labor Day - Sept. 4, 2023, and Sept. 2, 2024

Best Time to Visit Disneyland in 2021 and 2022 - Small World Exterior

Best Time to Visit Disneyland in 2023

While these are traditionally the best times to visit Disneyland, we expect higher crowds than usual around these times with all of the fun hoppening in the parks in 2023.

Keep in mind that "off-season" low crowd levels can also mean shorter Disneyland hours and that less entertainment is available or that more rides undergo refurbishment. During some seasons, such as Halloween Time, September weekdays are less crowded, but only weekends include fireworks, so take that into consideration as well. We find Sundays to be less crowded than Saturdays.

  •  Jan. 9-12, 17-19, 23-24, 26, 31 
  • Feb. 1, 7-8
  • The first few days in March (until March 11)
  • Weekdays in May (except for Grad Nites and Memorial Day)
  • Weekdays in the first half of June
  • Weekdays in August
  • Tuesdays through Thursdays for the month of September and the last week of October
  • Mondays through Thursdays in November (minus the week of Thanksgiving)
  • Mondays through Thursdays during the first half of December

Best Time to Visit Disneyland in 2024

  • Weekdays in January (minus the week of New Year's Day and the days around MLK Day, when runDisney events return to the resort)
  • Weekdays in February (minus the days around Presidents Day)
  • The first few days in March (until March 9)
  • Weekdays in May (except for Grad Nites and Memorial Day)
  • The first half of June
  • The month of August
  • Tuesdays through Thursdays for the month of September and the last week of October
  • Mondays through Thursdays in November (minus the week of Thanksgiving)
  • Mondays through Thursdays during the first half of December

January and February generally have low crowds and beautiful weather (if not a little chilly), but do offer scaled-back entertainment and shorter hours. Disney California Adventure's Food and Wine Festival generally starts in early March and brings in some foodie-loving froggies, followed by spring break crowds in March and April. Summer break kicks off for most school districts in mid-June when you'll see an uptick in crowds — but in our opinion, it's pretty manageable over an extended period of time, longer park hours, and LOTS of entertainment! In summer, the thing to keep in mind is the weather. June gloom offers some respite from the heat, though those temperatures do rise throughout the remainder of summer.

Avoiding Early Park Closures Due to After-Hours Parties

Best Times to Visit Disneyland in 2022 - Oogie Boogie Bash Overlay on Disney California Adventure Park Entrance

One other thing to be aware of is any separately ticketed events that may be scheduled even during the best times to visit. Sometimes a park or an area of a park closes early for private events. That's why you always want to look at the hours for the dates you want to visit so you don't encounter any surprises. Here are the most common causes of early park closure:

  • The Disneyland Halloween Party — The Oogie Boogie Bash at Disney California Adventure  for select days Sept. 5 to Oct. 31, 2023 (closing early Sundays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Halloween)
  • Sweethearts' Nite at Disneyland Park took place Jan. 31, Feb. 2, 5, 7, 9, 14 and 16, 2023
  • Princess Nite took place at Disneyland Park on March 7 and 9, 2023
  • Throwback Nite at Disneyland Park took place April 18 and 20, 2023
  • Star Wars Nite at Disneyland Park took place May 2, 4, 8 and 11, 2023
  • Pride Nite at Disneyland Park will take place June 13 and 15, 2023
  • In the past, additional Disneyland After Dark parties have taken place at Disneyland Park on select dates in May and at at Disney California Adventure Park on select dates in March
  • Grad Nites on May 12, 14, 17, 19, 21, 24, 25, 30 and 31, 2023, at Disney California Adventure Park

These after-hours parties can cause the park to close earlier than usual. If you look forward to an evening at Disneyland with all the nighttime entertainment, then avoid visiting these days unless you have a party ticket. Or get a park hopper, visit in the morning and hop to the other park in the afternoon. Otherwise, your fun may be cut short, and you may not get the most out of your visit for your money. (Sometimes the park that closes early for an event is quieter than usual during the day since people avoid that park.) Since Disneyland hours are generally released only up to six weeks in advance, keep an eye out for news of parties and note any upcoming dates to avoid (or to buy a ticket for). You can look to our linked posts for upcoming events or for guidance on predicting the next season's shenanigans.

Ta-da! There it is — the best time to visit Disneyland in 2023 and 2024! Don't froget that you can purchase discount Disneyland tickets from your favorite frogs! Ribbit!

Related: 40 Tips to Maximize Your Time at Disneyland

Keep hopping!

Keep hopping, Leap!
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801–850 of 1770 comments
May 15, 2018 at 3:59 p.m. Rebecca Goble Says...

This is very helpful! Hopefully planning a trip soon and it's good to know when the crowds will be low so we can enjoy our trip more!

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May 15, 2018 at 3:59 p.m. Kendra Williams Says...

I love your site!! I have used it both when we visited Disney World and Universal!! It made a huge difference in planning when we actually took our trips and what to do when we got there! Thanks for all the tips!!!

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May 15, 2018 at 3:58 p.m. Misty Werley Says...

Your site is always so helpful when planning Disney trips!

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May 15, 2018 at 3:58 p.m. Rachele B Says...

This is such a great post! I loved reading about all the times that are best to go and which times are busiest. Turns out, the time we plan on going will actually be a good time!

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May 15, 2018 at 3:57 p.m. Denise McChesney Says...

I love all the info and help you guys provide! heading to Disney in Jan 2019!!! Can't wait!

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May 15, 2018 at 3:57 p.m. KYLIE Says...

This info was perfect for our trip in October. We used the crowd calendar to plan our park days, and it totally helped! I got engaged at Magic Kingdom! (The last sentence is celebratory for only me, but I tell the world at every opportunity!)

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May 15, 2018 at 3:57 p.m. M. McBurney Says...

Great Information! Thank You!

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May 15, 2018 at 3:56 p.m. Sheri DeOrio Says...

Thanks for the detailed info on the best (and worst) times to visit Disneyland. It's very helpful.

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May 15, 2018 at 3:56 p.m. Jayson Says...

Great blog post! Thanks for what you do...you've helped my family have tremendous vacations!! :)

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May 15, 2018 at 3:56 p.m. JW Says...

This is a comment

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May 15, 2018 at 3:56 p.m. teresam Says...

Would love to visit during early March, and it looks like it is not peak times. YAY! But again, ANY TIME is a good time to be immersed in Disney. <3

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May 15, 2018 at 3:56 p.m. L. Cody Says...

Make sure to check Halloween party historical dates when planning a trip in Sept. We planned in June for a September trip and lost both evenings in DL because they were ticketed events. The schedule wasn't out until 30 days ahead and our plans were already made.

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May 15, 2018 at 3:55 p.m. Paula Erickson Says...

I love your site! I’ve used you tips to plan my last for Walt Disney World vacations and I’m currently using you site to plan our very first trip to Disneyland next March! I recommend your crowd calendar to everyone I know planning a trip!

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May 15, 2018 at 3:55 p.m. Tricia Says...

Awesome!

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May 15, 2018 at 3:54 p.m. Jenny Says...

Can’t wait to upgrade to premier passport for CA!!

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May 15, 2018 at 3:54 p.m. Stephanie Mendez Says...

Thank you so much for writing a post about this! I need all the information I can get to plan my trip!

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May 15, 2018 at 3:54 p.m. Melinda Says...

So much wonderful information! Good page to bookmark for us that live on the east coast!

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May 15, 2018 at 3:54 p.m. Liam Sullivan Says...

We visited Animal Kingdom and the Magic Kingdom on the Tuesday and Wednesday after Presidents Day last year and the crowds weren't all that bad at all (except for the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, that was impossible to get on).

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May 15, 2018 at 3:54 p.m. krgmjgmama Says...

summer! No time constraints - kids on vacay!

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May 15, 2018 at 3:53 p.m. Debra Says...

Your crowd calendars are always on track.Saving this one!!

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May 15, 2018 at 3:53 p.m. Tim Keasler Says...

Great insight.

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May 15, 2018 at 3:53 p.m. Jake Says...

Awsome tips! Super excited for our trip and these are very helpful!

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May 15, 2018 at 3:53 p.m. afall Says...

can't wait for star wars land!

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May 15, 2018 at 3:53 p.m. Jessica Padilla Says...

I love that there is a Disneyland crowd calendar. It is very helpful.

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May 15, 2018 at 3:53 p.m. Kristy A Says...

Ah, having kids means we always have to travel in the worst times! But we will have a good touring plan under our belt!

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May 15, 2018 at 3:53 p.m. ALE9687 Says...

Would love to win and take my 1yr old son on his first Disneyland trip!!!!!

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May 15, 2018 at 3:53 p.m. Autism Mommy Says...

If you go during the school year it can be especially helpful when you have a child with Autism! The shorter lines makes a huge difference!

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May 15, 2018 at 3:52 p.m. The DisNerd Says...

Hoping to get back to Disneyland in the next few years! We just went in June of 2015 and it was fantastic! Our home park is WDW - we usually go there annually! Can't wait to go back :)

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May 15, 2018 at 3:51 p.m. Samantha Brown Says...

I would love to visit Disneyland especially since I've never been to California and my nephew who is a Marine is stationed there.

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May 15, 2018 at 3:51 p.m. Alisha Gravette Says...

Thanks for the info! Planning a trip out for May 2019!!

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May 15, 2018 at 3:51 p.m. Aubrey hohman Says...

i think this article is helpful in planning a trip. It will allow me to know when the crows will be.

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May 15, 2018 at 3:49 p.m. CRYSTAL Says...

Love the post

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May 15, 2018 at 3:49 p.m. Liz Says...

I love the reminders of when the best time to visit Disneyland are. I follow another blog/website that does some of the same stuff and I was find these tips to be very useful and spot on.

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May 15, 2018 at 3:49 p.m. Kristin Says...

I just wanted to say that I love all of your posts, the app is such a lifesaver, and we purchased hopper passes from your website and we were thrilled to get a day for free!! Awesome job and you make vacationing at Disney so much easier!!

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May 15, 2018 at 3:48 p.m. Alison Snow Says...

Great to know, thanks!

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May 15, 2018 at 3:48 p.m. Natalie Says...

This is very helpful!! I think no matter what there will be crowds so the best time to go is anytime. There is always something new to see or eat and rides are worth the wait!

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May 15, 2018 at 3:48 p.m. Ivegotadream Says...

Love Undercover Tourist! Thank you!

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May 15, 2018 at 3:48 p.m. Kelly Elledge Says...

Can't wait for a trip back for MNSSHP this fall! :)

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May 15, 2018 at 3:48 p.m. Amanda Bachman Says...

Disneyland and Disneyworld are the best vacation spots!

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May 15, 2018 at 3:47 p.m. Jennifer Anderson Says...

My number one source for all things WDW!

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May 15, 2018 at 3:47 p.m. Polina Sheehan Says...

Very helpful information. Usually we are visiting Disneyland or DisneyWorld during summer time and it always very crowded but it's still fun!

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May 15, 2018 at 3:47 p.m. Thomas Says...

Thanks for these tips! We're planning a visit to Disneyland for the first time this November!

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May 15, 2018 at 3:47 p.m. DanF Says...

Early February is best.

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May 15, 2018 at 3:47 p.m. Gayle Chezick Says...

Great website!

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May 15, 2018 at 3:47 p.m. eviarar SCHWARTZ Says...

Thanks for the great tips!!!

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May 15, 2018 at 3:47 p.m. Brent Says...

What a great thing!

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May 15, 2018 at 3:46 p.m. Michael Says...

Was thinking Feb 2019, not considering May...

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May 15, 2018 at 3:46 p.m. Adam E Says...

Love the Undercover Tourist email updates, and looking forward to our next Orlando trip!

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May 15, 2018 at 3:46 p.m. Susan Morris Says...

I've been a subscriber for a few years now. I always recommend you to my friends when they ask about Disney. Your best times to visit is a great help!!

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May 15, 2018 at 3:46 p.m. Jennifer Says...

I always follow the crowd calendar during my Disney vacations. It is very accurate and saves us time by not having to wait in longer lines.

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