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Previously, I wrote a post about the most affordable dates to visit Disneyland in 2024 (you can give that one a read here). After publishing it, I started getting questions about which dates people should avoid most.

While some may think there’s no such thing as a bad day at Disneyland, the truth is, crowd levels can get so out of control that even queues at the churro carts get deep, not to mention attractions such as Space Mountain and Radiator Springs Racers.

Shortly before covid, crowd patterns began to shift with the opening of Star Wars - Galaxy’s Edge. Prior to that, predicting crowd levels was relatively easy. Ever since the opening of Galaxy’s Edge and the covid closure, predicting crowd patterns has become quite the craft-shoot.

That said, I cannot guarantee a particular day will be slower or busier than the next. However, despite the change in guest behavior, there are still dates that I can say with a decently high degree of certainty will surely be busy. If your goal is to avoid overly crowded days, pay attention to the list below.

January 1st, 2025 (New Years Day)

This one’s obvious. New Years Day is one of the busiest days of the year at the Disneyland Resort. It hasn’t happened since reservations became a thing but in the past, they’ve had to close the gates its gotten so busy.

To some, kicking off their year at Disneyland seems like a great idea and if it’s worth it to you then hey, do you. However, if you’re looking to avoid soul crushing crowds, definitely skip this day and plan for the last three weeks of January instead.

January 30 - February 2, 2025 (Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend)

After a five year hiatus, the Disney Half Marathon returned to the Disneyland Resort in January of 2024 and of course, it was successful. With it, an influx of joggers (who also happen to be Disney fans) showed up and gave attendance a nice boost during an otherwise slow period for the parks.

While the event takes place in the early morning hours, many of the participants end up making a day out of it and continue their day in the parks (hopefully after a shower). So unless you’re planning to participate in the event, I would recommend avoiding these dates.

Middle of March (Specifically, March 10 - 20, 2025)

No, it’s not because of Spring Break (we’ll discuss that below). I’m advising against these dates because much like they did in 2024, Disney is running a special kids ticket promotion throughout the months of January, February, and March.

These tickets are three-day passes and are use it or lose it, and March 20 is the final day these tickets will be eligible for and you can beat the farm there’ll be a mad dash of guests using up the final day or two. In 2024, my wife and I were in the parks during the final week of that promotion and it was a zoo, to say the least.

If you must go to Disneyland in March, I suggest going either during the first week of the month or the last ten days, after the kids ticket promotion expires. Spring Break isn’t until the end of April in 2025, so you should still be able to avoid heavy crowds at the end of March.

Second Week - Fourth Week of April 2025

While Spring Break is more of a wildcard at Walt Disney World, due to them attracting more international guests, it still has great effect on the Disneyland Resort as well. Obviously, Spring Break in and around Southern California will have the greatest effect, due to Disneyland traditionally being a locals park.

However, you can expect spring breakers to trickle down from the northern part of the state, as from neighboring states, such as Arizona, Nevada, and Utah. The crowds at the parks during Spring Break can have a detrimental effect on your experience, so it’s best to avoid this period if at all possible.

If you must visit Disneyland in April, aim for the first week. You may begin to see initially crowd swells, but you’ll likely avoid the worst of it.

Disneyland Grad Nite Dates in May & June 2025

If you don’t know what Grad Nites are, they’re essentially a souped-up field trip for high school seniors. It’s a congratulatory event for their years of hard work and a way for them to blow off some steam. Avoiding these dates doesn’t necessarily mean avoiding the resort all together, as Grad Nite events take place at Disney California Adventure.

However, attendees are also afforded day access to Disneyland, so be mindful of that. For what it’s worth, I’ve been to the park during a grad nite event and while the walkways were definitely dense, wait times at the attractions weren’t much worse than usual. Just something to consider.

2025 Grad Nites are as follows:

• May 2025: 9, 12, 18, 21, 22, 27, 28, 30

• June 2025: 1, 4, 6, 8, 11, 13

November 27 & 28, 2025 (Thanksgiving & Black Friday)

Thanksgiving and Black Friday are notorious for heavy crowds at Disneyland. In addition to the holiday itself, the proceeding few weeks are the last chance for all Magic Key holders to get in their Disney fix before the key-wide blockout period commences.

Generally, the days leading up to Thanksgiving aren’t all that bad, so if you must go during that week, I recommend doing so between November 24 - 26. Crowds on the weekdays after Black Friday are generally better as well.

December 24 & 25 (Christmas Eve & Christmas Day)

New Year’s Day and Thanksgiving - while crowded in their own right - are nothing compared to the epic crowds that converge onto the parks on Christmas Eve and day. All Magic Key holders are still blocked on these days, but we’re still in the midst of winter school breaks and parents using the last of their PTO.

In addition, for those wanting to do Disneyland in one day, you’ll pay inflated prices for single-day tickets and Lightning Lane. There’s the common misconception that Disneyland is slow on Christmas Day but in fact, it’s the opposite.

December 31, 2024 (New Years’ Eve)

Much like the people who want to start their new year off right - at Disneyland, many of those same people flock to the parks to mark the transition from the old year to new one.

Due to this, New Year’s Eve is a tremendously busy day. Each year, Disney rings in the new year with an epic fireworks show at the stroke of midnight. Believe me, it’s a crowd pleaser, but you’ll pay the price by having to stand in shoulder-to-shoulder crowds.

Multiple 3-Day Weekends Throughout the Year

Any time you have a holiday falling on a Friday or Monday, it creates a three day weekend. If that holiday is a federal one, the school districts and workforce typically get an extra day off, and that almost always translates to a busy day at the resort.

In 2025, there are multiple three-day weekend dates to be weary of. They are:

• January 20 (Martin Luther King Jr. Day)

• February 17 (President’s Day)

• May 26 (Memorial Day)

• July 4 (Independence Day)

• October 13 (Indigenous Peoples Day)

• November 11 (Veteran’s Day)

*PRO TIP: The one exception is Labor Day. Of all holiday weekends, that one generally sees the lowest crowds as locals have returned to school and work from their summer vacations. I’ve been to the parks a number of times through Labor Day and, generally speaking, I’ve never had an issue with heavy crowds.