A Guide to Visiting Disneyland in March 2024
March brings the promise of spring, and what better way to celebrate the season than by visiting Disneyland, the happiest place on earth.
This post will guide you through the magic that awaits at the resort during the month of March. A time when crowds are mostly moderate and the weather pleasant.
We’ll explore everything you need to know to make the most of your Disneyland experience. Whether it’s your first time or just haven’t been in a while.
Let’s get into the benefits (and negatives) to visiting Disneyland in March 2024.
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Weather in Anaheim
March is when Anaheim emerges from its winter slumber and begins transitioning into spring, offering fairly pleasant weather. Here's a breakdown of the average weather conditions throughout the month:
Daytime Temperatures: Expect daytime highs ranging from 65°F to 75°F. The weather is comfortably mild, providing a perfect atmosphere for a day in the park.
Nighttime Temperatures: Nighttime lows typically range from 48°F to 55°F. While it can be cooler in the evenings, a light jacket or sweater should keep you comfortable.
Rainfall: March sees a minimal amount of rainfall in Anaheim. On average, there are about two to three rainy days during the month.
The weather is the main reason why I love going to the parks in March. Especially the prospect of rainy days. Rain scares away a lot of guests, often leading to lower wait times.
Since there are so few rainy days, though, it isn’t something you should concern yourself with if you’re not a fan of rain. Chances are you’ll experience plenty of clear, cool days.
Is Disneyland Crowded in March?
A major concern for those venturing to Disneyland is how busy the parks will be during their visit. Disneyland is the second most visited theme park in the world. Consequently, you’ll never avoid crowds completely, but there are ways to soften the blow, so-to-speak.
Post covid, crowd patterns and guest trends have changed so significantly that it’s become a craft shoot as to how busy the parks will be. Times of year that were once considered slow periods, are now even busier than summer (lookin’ at you, Halloween).
Other factors, like magic key sales, local ticket offers and promotions have also been big draws. Despite continuing to raise the price of entry (and everything else, for that matter), the demand for Disney is there and doesn’t appear to be slowing down.
That said, there are still certain crowd patterns that hold true to this day, despite the insanity of a post-covid world. I don’t guarantee anything, but I’m confident in the advice you’ll find below.
The first half of the month will start slow. As the weather improves and spring breakers begin their vacations in the second half of the month, though, the difference will be noticeable.
When the final week of the month arrives, when SoCal, Nevada, and Utah students have begun their spring break, the crowds get heavy.
Additionally, Easter falls on March 31 this year. As with any holiday at Disneyland, expect the crowd levels at the resort to be colossal. In short, avoid the final week of the month, if at all possible.
Another monkey wrench to be conscience of is the fact that two major attractions, Splash Mountain and Haunted Mansion, will be down for the majority of the year (one of which will never, as we know it to be, return).
These attractions have high rider capacities, with Splash capable of handling 1,500 riders per hour and mansion having a colossal capacity of 3,500 riders per hour.
Without these attractions operating, those 5,000 combined riders per hour will be absorbed into the other attractions, causing their wait times to swell more than normal for this time of year.
Additionally, there are two promotions Disney’s currently running that may impact crowds. They are the $50 per day kids and SoCal resident ticket offers. The former of which expires on March 10th, while the latter runs through June 2nd.
Of the two, the $50 kids ticket offer is the one I see having the biggest impact, for obvious reasons. The SoCal ticket very well may increase crowds but because its dates are spread further out and there’s an additional two months left in that promotion, it’ll likely be minimal.
*NOTE: If you want to take advantage of either of these offers (and save even more on them), head over to our partners, Get Away Today!
If your goal is to enjoy the parks without having to fight through a dense crowd, I would suggest booking dates between March 4th and March 7th (weekdays) to maximize your time. The second best dates would be between March 11th and March 14th (also weekdays).
After the 14th, crowd levels will likely rise sharply and with it, single-day ticket and Genie+ prices. Do yourself (and your sanity) a favor and adhere to the following:
Don’t book dates for the second half of the month (especially the final week).
Do book dates early in the month, preferably weekdays.
Don’t, under any circumstance, go on Easter.
Do have a blast and make the best of it, no matter which days you decide to go.
March 4, 2024 UPDATE: On the morning of March 4, Disney made the surprising announcement that Magic Keys would be going on sale again on March 5. Seeing as to how Magic Keys sold out in record time during the January 10 sale, I fully expect it to happen again and thus, I can state with full confidence that it’ll have a large effect on crowds, post-sale. Look for the first few days after the conclusion of the sale to have larger than usual crowds for this time of year.
Ticket Prices & Magic Key Blockout Dates
Due to their dynamic pricing structure, single-day tickets prices are based on predictive demand. Essentially, if, based on their proprietary data, Disney thinks a particular day will be busy, that day is going to command a higher price.
Conversely, if it looks like it’ll be a “slow” day, they’ll cut you a break on the price to entice you to visit on that day over another one that’s busier.
This strategy may appear to be price gouging on the surface, but it’s actually smart business. It helps Disney to regulate crowds by encouraging guests to go on a slower day by offering a lower priced ticket and allows them to maximize profits off those willing to pay, no matter what.
In March, single-day ticket prices are as follows:
Single Day Adult: $134 - $194.
Single Day Child: $127 - $174 ($50 for the first ten days).
The 4th through the 7th are the only days priced at the lower amount of $134. The highest price, $194, only appears on a few Saturday and Sundays. The rest of the month, with the exception of the final week, appears to be mostly in the middle of the spectrum.
You have until March 10th to purchase and use the $50 child ticket. If you’re visiting during the first ten days of March, definitely take advantage of that offer. After that, dynamic pricing kicks in and mirrors the pattern of the adult ticket.
*NOTE: Keep in mind that these prices are for single-day, ONE park tickets. The price is the same for both Disneyland Park and DCA. If you want to park hop, you’ll have to pay an additional $65, per ticket.
SoCal residents can take advantage of a promotion that, dependent upon which version they buy, can lower the per day price to $75 or $92, respectively. You can read my comprehensive guide on this and other discount ticket offers here.
Magic Key holders will need to consider the blackout calendar for their particular key. Blockouts for Magic Keys are as follows:
Imagine Key: This key is blocked on all Saturday and Sundays, the last three Fridays, and the entire final week.
Enchant Key: This key is blocked on all Saturdays and the entire final week.
Believe Key: This key is blocked on the last three Saturdays and the entire final week.
Inspire Key: No blockout dates.
Special Events in March
March is a busy month at the resort with numerous special events, showings and a holiday taking place. Those events are as follows:
Disney Channel Night (After Dark Event): Taking place on March 5th and March 7th
DCA Food & Wine Festival: Taking place March 1st - April 22nd
Wondrous Journeys: Taking place March 22nd - April 14th
Spring Break: Starting in the second half of March
Easter: March 31st
Disney’s hosting only one of the many after dark events this year in March. On March 5th and 7th, Disneyland Park will host Disney Channel Night.
These after dark events are hard-ticketed. Meaning your regular park ticket won’t be valid. Consequently, the park closes to regular park guests at 8pm on both these nights.
While these events don’t have a direct impact on day-time crowds - as they take place after park closing - ticket holders of this event will be allowed into the park starting at 6pm. So for the those final few hours, expect an uptick.
If your visit coincides with one or both of these dates and you’re not attending the event, I suggest securing a reservation for DCA and spending your day there to get the most bang for your buck.
Remember, you’re paying the full price of the ticket whether the park closes at 8pm or midnight. Unless you’re springing for the park hopper, opt for DCA on those days to avoid getting shortchanged.
The other noteworthy event is the Food and Wine Festival at California Adventure. This event kicks off on March 1st and runs through the entirety of the month, bleeding over into April.
I don’t see this event having too big of an impact on crowds in the first two weeks (aside from bringing in more locals after 5pm), but it’ll definitely add to the spring break swell.
Attraction Refurbishments (Closures)
Refurbishments are an important aspect of park operations. They’re needed for safety improvements, new additions, routine maintenance and more.
In 2024, I don’t foresee an abundance of attractions going down for refurb since there’s already two massively popular ones, Haunted Mansion and Splash Mountain, going down for the majority of the year.
At DCA, it’s possible that Grizzly River Run, which is currently in its winter refurb, will still be down for part of the month. I don’t see it missing the onslaught of spring breakers towards the middle of the month, though.
*Edit: Grizzly River Run reopens from its winter slumber on March 1st!
Another major refurb in DCA that’ll occur in March is Radiator Springs Racers. Thankfully, the refurb begins in late February and is for less than a week. So unless you’re planning to visit only on March 1st, you won’t miss it.
The following attractions will be closed in all or part of March 2024:
Astro Orbitor: November 17, 2023 - March 20
Disneyland Monorail: March 15 only
Haunted Mansion: January 21 - TBD (likely until the Halloween season)
Incredicoaster: March 4 - March 14
Radiator Springs Racers: February 26 - March 1
Redwood Creek Challenge: March 4 - TBD
Splash Mountain: Permanently closed in May 2023 (currently being reimagined into Tiana’s Bayou Adventure)
To keep up to date with Disneyland and DCA attraction closures, read and save my 2024 Disneyland Refurbishment Calendar. It is constantly updated.