There are a lot of things to consider when you are planning a trip to Disney, but one of the biggest factors is how busy the parks are going to be. While you can’t completely know if it’ll be busy during your trip of not, you can get an idea of what to expect by looking at previous years crowd patterns, off season times, major events, and more. But nobody has the time to look at all of those things when they’re trying to plan a trip to Disneyland.

So to make your life easier, I have created a crowd calendar to help you more easily decide when to visit the parks! Not only have I predicted crowds for all of 2022 for you, I have also included major events in the parks that you may want to be aware of. To most accurately represent crowd levels, I have color coded days to make it even easier for you to see how crowd levels will differ. The darker green days are your best bet for the lowest crowds. The light green indicates light crowds and yellow is what you would expect on an average crowd day. The light orange means moderate crowds, but still manageable. The orangish red indicates heavy crowds, and red… well, I would avoid those days if you can! Now that you’ve got the basic breakdown, let’s take a look at the month by month breakdown!

Note, not all dates are completely accurate this early in the year as exact dates haven’t been announced for many events. The dates for the Holidays are my estimate based on previous years and will be updated once official dates have been announced. Also keep in mind, these crowd levels are based on my own research and estimates based on previous years as you can’t really know for sure how busy the parks will be in the future.

Another thing to keep in mind is that during the off season crowds will be lower but you can expect to see shorter park hours and more attractions being closed for refurbishment. If you visit during May-December, generally speaking the parks are busier but the park hours will be extended and less attractions will be closed for refurbishment. Definitely pros and cons to visiting during each time so I’d factor that in to planning your trip!

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Before you plan your trip, I recommend you book your vacation through Get Away Today. They are the only way I book my trips to Disneyland. Their ticket prices are lower than Disneyland’s gate prices, you can purchase a package that also includes your hotel stay which often times they offer free parking, extra nights free, and more. You can also add transportation and other services to your package so you have everything you need in one place! You will always get the best prices available with Get Away Today and with their amazing customer service, planning your trip will be easier than ever. You can also save additional money off your 2+day/2+night packages by using code RAMBLING10 at checkout! You can book your trip here! I would also recommend that if you are visiting during the busier months, or if you just want to, add Disney Genie+ to your Get Away Today tickets and skip the extra step of purchasing them in the parks. When you select your tickets when booking your trip, select the option that says “with Disney Genie+” to take advantage of the lightning lane options in the parks and skip the lines!

Not sure which hotel to stay at? Check out my review of the Disneyland Hotel here or other hotels I have visited here.

JANUARY

The first week of January is usually pretty busy, but the rest of the month isn’t a bad time to visit. Here’s what you’ll want to look out for:

• The Holidays end on January 9th

• DCA’s Lunar New Year begins on January 21st

• Martin Luther King Jr. Day is January 17^th so that long weekend will be busier

• The California Gymnastics invitational will be held on January 21-23 at the Disneyland Hotel which will draw in higher crowds to the parks

Not sure where to eat at Disney? Check out this post for a breakdown of some of the most popular quick service restaurants in the parks and if you’re wanting a relaxing meal, check out this post for a review of some of the most popular sit down restaurants.

FEBRUARY

February is a great time to visit the parks because many days have low crowds as well as various events happening throughout the month. Here are some things to look out for in February:

• There are 5 Disneyland After Dark: Sweethearts’ Nites to look out for on February 1^st, 3^rd, 8^th, 10^th, and 14^th. This will take place in Disneyland and requires a separate ticket that are $114 each. These events will have dancing, character experiences, photo ops, entertainment, special food offerings, attractions, and more!

• Valentine’s Day on February 14th, but you can expect to see Valentine’s decorations throughout the park in February. I would expect higher crowds due to the holiday and an after hours event on the same night.

• Lunar New Year ends at DCA on February 13^th

• February 13^th is the Super Bowl which is in LA this year so you can expect to see higher crowds that weekend

• President’s Day on February 21^st will draw in larger crowds that weekend

•Villains Day is February 6th. While this is not an official Disney event, you will see many people in the parks channeling their favorite Disney villains.

MARCH

If you are planning on visiting the parks in March, go earlier in the month because towards the middle of the month you will see the spring break crowds coming into the parks!

Here are all the happenings in the parks in March:

• Mardi Gras is on March 1^st. Head over to New Orleans Square for decorations, entertainment, special characters, celebratory food offerings, and more to celebrate!

• The DCA Food & Wine Festival begins on March 4th and runs all month long

• There is a mini Gay Day on March 5^th

• Disneyland After Dark: Villains Nite on March 8^th and 10^th at California Adventure. This separate ticketed event includes photo ops, event-themed food selections, attractions, character experiences, commemorative keepsakes, and more. Tickets start at $119 and go on sale January 11.

• St. Patrick’s Day is March 17th

• Spring Breaks begin in the middle of the month- expect higher crowds for the last half of March

Make sure you’re prepared for your Disney trip with these must have products for the parks!

APRIL

The first half of April is the time to avoid at the parks! You are still in the spring break period so it will be super crowded. After Easter crowds should start to ease up, but the best time to visit in April will be the last week of the month.

Here’s what to expect in April this year:

• Leading up to Easter, Disneyland usually does an Eggstravaganza hunt. Nothing official has been announced yet but they will most likely do something similar to previous years with Easter egg hunts and more!

• Easter is on April 17th, I’d be prepared for higher crowds that day

• The first Dapper Day of the year is April 14th so expect the parks to be very crowded

• Night time entertainment is returning to the Disneyland Resort on April 22nd. World of Color will be resuming at California Adventure while the “Disneyland Forever” Fireworks resume in Disneyland along with the Main Street Electrical Parade which will be celebrating the 50th anniversary of its debut. I would expect high crowds that weekend as people try to be there on the first days they return.

• There is a Dapper Day Expo April 23-24 at the Disneyland Hotel. I would expect to see the parks a bit more crowded in correlation with the expo

• The DCA Food & Wine Festival runs through April 26th

MAY

May isn’t a bad time to visit the parks, especially on weekdays. You will notice higher crowds on the weekends and on the holidays during the month, but overall this would be a great month to visit. But even though the crowds are usually low, that could change as there are a lot of events happening this month.

Here’s what’s happening in the parks in May:

• Disneyland After Dark: Star Wars Nite will be on May 3^rd, 4^th, and 27^th. This separate ticket event will take place at Disneyland and includes fireworks, photo ops, dancing, event-themed menu items, attractions, Star Wars themed merch, keepsakes, character experiences, and more! Tickets start at $134 per person and go on sale January 11^th.

• May the Fourth be with you on May 4th. You will find some things around the park to celebrate Star Wars Day

• May 8th is Bats Day so you may see some people in steampunk, goth, and Halloween type costumes with a Tiki twist

• Mother’s Day is May 8^th, expect higher crowds that weekend

• CHOC Walk in the Park will be May 22^nd. This 5k walk for the Children’s Hospital of Orange County will bring in many people so be prepared for some crowds

• Star Wars Celebration, will be held May 26-29. This convention brings in many Star Wars fans so be prepared for large crowds

• Fantasmic! will be returning to the Rivers of America on May 28th. This weekend should already be seeing high crowds so just be prepared for lots of people that weekend.

• Memorial Day is May 30^th, expect heavy crowds that entire weekend

• Also be aware there are various Grad Nites throughout the month where graduating seniors will be in the parks so it will be more crowded. Those dates are the 13^th, 14^th, 18^th, 20^th, 25^th, 26^th, and 31^st.

If you’re visiting Disneyland during the busy months, you may want to take a break from the lines. Here’s a list of the non-ride activities you can find in the parks to get the most of your trip even during busy season!

JUNE

Just like previous years, June is going to be busy pretty much all month because it’s summer vacation. If you are planning on visiting in June, your best guess is the first or second week of the month on weekdays, I would avoid weekends.

Even though June is a pretty open month with few events happening, here are a few things to expect:

• Father’s Day is June 19^th

•Juneteenth on June 19th

• More Grad Nites for high school seniors on the 1^st, 3^rd, 4^th, 7^th, 8^th, 10^th, 11^th, and 17^th. Expect higher crowds those days.

JULY

July is probably one of the worst times to visit the parks because summer vacation is in full swing so no matter when you go, it’s going to be busy.

Here’s what to look forward to in July:

• The Fourth of July Celebration- The parks will be decked out in red, white, and blue with a special fireworks performance, flag raising ceremony, and more on Independence Day

• Disneyland’s 67th Birthday is on July 17th! There will be fun birthday celebrations throughout the park to celebrate the big day. Just be aware that this day always comes with large crowds.

While you’re in the parks, don’t miss the chance to grab these top 10 best treats in the parks!

AUGUST

The first few weeks of August are still pretty busy, especially the weekends. If you are wanting to visit the parks, the last week or two in August usually aren’t too bad because kids are heading back to school so the crowds should die down a bit. There also haven’t been any major events announced for August which may make it an even better time to visit.

SEPTEMBER

This is a great time to visit the parks as the seasons start to change and the crowds die down after a busy summer. While there are some dates you may want to avoid, overall this is a great month to head to the parks.

Here’s what you can expect in September:

•Labor Day is September 5^th, so expect higher crowds that weekend

• Halloween Time at Disneyland- Halloween Time will begin on September 2^nd. There will be decorations, holiday treats, Haunted Mansion Holiday, merch, and more!

• This years D23 Expo will be held September 9-11 at the Anaheim Convention Center. This event draws in a lot of people so be prepared for large crowds these days.

• Oogie Boogie Bash will take place on various days throughout September. Oogie Boogie Bash will be held in DCA on September 6th, 13th, 15th, 18th, 20th, 22nd, 25th, 27th, and 29th. There will also be an exclusive D23 member Oogie Boogie Bash on September 10th. Tickets go on sale for Magic Key members and D23 members on June 28th at 9am and will go on sale to the general public at 9am on June 30th.

• Gay days will be September 16-18, so crowds will definitely be higher that weekend

Maximize your time in the parks with these tips to make the most of your trip!

OCTOBER

October is hit or miss when it comes to crowds. Weekdays aren’t too bad but weekends are generally pretty busy. Schools also have fall break during this time and the parks get busier as Halloween approaches, so keep that in mind as you plan your trip to the parks.

Here’s everything to look forward to in October:

• Halloween Time runs through the entire month of October. Head to the parks to get seasonal treats, décor, characters in costumes, Haunted Mansion Holiday, and more!

• Columbus Day and Indigenous Peoples’ Day is on October 10th so that long weekend will be pretty busy.

• Many schools have fall break, usually October 13-15^th or 20^th-22^nd which will make the parks extremely busy those weeks.

• Oogie Boogie Bash will be held all through October as well on the 2nd, 4th, 6th, 9th, 11th, 13th, 16th, 18th, 20th, 23rd, 25th, 27th, 29th, and 31st. Tickets go on sale for Magic Key members and D23 members on June 28th at 9am and will go on sale to the general public at 9am on June 30th.

• Halloween falls on a Monday this year so I would expect the weekend leading up to it to be busier than previous years.

NOVEMBER

If you want to avoid crowds in November, go the very first week. But, if you are wanting to experience the Holidays at Disneyland, you will have to wait until the second week or later. I will update as soon as Disney announces their exact plans. When you get closer to the holidays the parks are going to get way busier!

Here are the details of what’s going on in November:

• The Holidays begin at Disneyland. Disney has not announced the official start date yet, but I am guessing the holidays will start on the 11^th. There are ride overlays, holiday treats, decorations, events, you can meet Santa, and more! For more information about what the Holidays at Disneyland are like, check out my full review of the 2019 season here

• Veteran’s Day is November 11th so the crowds may be a little higher because some people have that day off of work. And since it falls on a Friday this year, it will create a long weekend so expect higher crowds.

• There is usually a Dapper Day in November. No exact dates have been announced so as that information comes out I will update it here.

• Mickey and Minnie’s Birthdays are on November 18th so you can expect some fun birthday surprises throughout the park that day!

• Thanksgiving is on November 24th. If you are in the parks that day, many restaurants will have Thanksgiving options that they only offer that day. Make sure to make your reservations in advance to secure your Thanksgiving Dinner!

For everything you need to know about the Holidays at Disneyland, check out this post!

DECEMBER

If you’re planning on visiting in December, the first two weeks aren’t usually too bad. Those are your best bets if you are wanting to visit in December. Once you get halfway through the month, crowds will go up because kids are out of school and families are traveling for the holidays.

I will also say DO NOT visit the parks after Christmas. So many families buy their kids trips and come in that week so it is ridiculously crowded.

Here’s what else you can expect in December:

• The Holidays at Disney run through the entire month so you’ll be able to experience the treats, ride overlays, decor, and more anytime you visit!

• Candlelight processional- This is a super cool thing they do every year around the holidays. A celebrity narrator is brought in to retell the Christmas Story and there is an orchestra and a choir that perform Christmas songs throughout. If you want to experience this, it only happens on two nights and is super hard to get a seat for. Once Disney announces the dates, I will update them here.

• Christmas Eve and Christmas Day may see a little drop in crowd levels but I would still expect them to be crowded.

• New Year’s Eve is also a super crowded day in the parks so beware if you are there that day!

BOOK YOUR TRIP TODAY!

Now that you know when the best times to visit are, all you need to do is head to Get Away Today to book your hotel and tickets! They have amazing prices, excellent customer service, and I promise you will have a great experience with Get Away Today! I use them for all of my Disney trips and have always had such a stress free trip knowing that all the big stuff is taken care of. At checkout, make sure you use code RAMBLING10 for additional money off of your package of 2+day tickets/2+ night hotel stay! You can also secure your tickets/package $175 down at the time of booking with the full balance being due shortly before your trip.

And there you have it! A complete run down of the crowds and events at Disneyland Resort for 2022! Hopefully this helps take the stress out of planning your trip so you can have a magical vacation!