When planning your Disney trip, it’s not always possible to avoid some of the most crowded times of the year at the parks. Disneyland crowds and Disney World crowds will fluctuate throughout the year, with some quieter seasons and other busier times like holidays and school breaks.
However, even if you’re visiting during a peak time of year, crowds need not ruin your experience! Visitors often make some mistakes during crowded times that hold them back, but if you avoid these and approach your Disney day correctly, you can still enjoy all the highlights of the parks and have a great time.
See our top 5 mistakes to avoid when visiting Disney during crowded times!
1) Winging it! While there are some times of the year when you might be able to get away with arriving without a solid plan, you do not want to do this when the parks are crowded. While you don’t need to plan your trip down to the minute, you’ll want to do some general planning ahead of time to pinpoint your priorities and develop a solid strategy for each day. During busier times, it’s important to be deliberate about how you spend your time so that you get to all of your must-do experiences.
If you’re visiting Disneyland during a crowded time, be sure to make park reservations well in advance so that they don’t sell out for the day you’re planning on visiting. See our tips on what to do if Disneyland reservations are sold out.
2) Neglecting to make dining reservations. Another big mistake to avoid when visiting during the most crowded times at the parks is waiting to make dining reservations until the last minute. If you have your heart set on a certain dining experience, especially if it is one of the most popular ones, you don’t want to wait to book and then be disappointed that there are no open reservations.
If you know you’re visiting during a peak time of year, familiarize yourself with the hardest-to-get dining reservations ahead of time and be ready to secure them when the booking window opens. See our tips on how to get last-minute dining reservations at Disney World and tips for getting dining reservations at Disneyland.
3) Powering through the day without breaks. A day at Disney can already be very energy-consuming, but this is even more the case when it’s crowded. You might feel pressure to power through a long day without stopping to make sure you get to everything on your must-do list, but this can come at the cost of your enjoyment.
It’s worth it to carve out time for a mid-day break to rest and reset from the crowds, especially if you’re visiting with smaller kids. Whether you decide to go back to your hotel, find a quiet spot in the parks, or engage in a slower-paced activity, you’ll be glad you took this time to reset and escape the crowds. See some of our favorite secret spots at Disneyland to check out. Taking a break is especially important when you’ve had an early start to your day, which leads us to our next point…
4) Sleeping in. If you’re enjoying a Disney vacation during a peak time of year at the parks, sleeping in is one of the most major mistakes you can make. The mornings are extremely valuable as you can enjoy several popular rides with shorter wait times before the lines get longer as the day progresses. If you’re visiting during a crowded time of year, arriving at the parks for rope drop is one of the best ways to make the most of your experience. Be sure to take advantage of Early Entry if you’re staying at one of the onsite hotels!
On a similar note, don’t make the mistake of leaving the parks too early in the evening. During crowded times at the parks, the later evenings or extended evening hours for Disney World Resort hotel guests can be a great opportunity to experience rides with shorter wait times.
5) Neglecting mobile ordering and merchandise mobile checkout. Don’t ignore these features on the app, as they can save you valuable time! During crowded times at the parks, you can mobile order your food items and skip long ordering lines. Make sure you put these orders in early if you’re planning on eating during peak dining hours so that you aren’t left with a later pickup window than desired. See everything you need to know about mobile ordering at Disneyland and mobile ordering at Disney World!
You can also take advantage of merchandise mobile checkout at certain locations to pay directly from your phone and avoid the lines when it’s crowded. This is one of the top Disneyland hacks we frequently use to save time.
See everything you need to know when visiting during the most crowded seasons at Disney for more of our top tips! You can also read our guides on how to beat the crowds at Disney World and strategies for handling the crowds at Disneyland for more guidance on visiting each resort during busy times.
At Mickey Visit, we share the most important tips for planning your trips to Disneyland, Walt Disney World, Disney Cruise Line, Universal, and beyond. Each week, we’ll share some of our top tips here on Laughing Place.