We took the kids for a rainy weekend trip (early February) to Disneyland CA and enjoyed 25% of the traffic we've experienced over school vacation times. We purposefully chose a non-holiday weekend, took the kids out of school on Thursday to fly in Thursday night, went to California Adventure on Friday and Disneyland on Saturday, and returned Sunday. I think the rain cut back on some of the season-pass-holding locals attending, but many of them showed up when the weather cleared each day.

I say if you're going to spend the bucks it takes to go, take the kids out of school and go on weekdays. It's so worth it! We did every ride we loved 2-3 times and the biggest wait time was 30-40 minutes (most were 5-15 min). AND we did it with a teen in a cast/wheelchair! (Note: California Adventure is all wheelchair-accessible, so we didn't get to cut in any lines.) For more details/info on our trip, and ways to cut down on the time spent on things such as ticket booth lines, see my report at www.FamilyTripster.com

Posted By Lisa Bergren on March 9, 2009, 4:22 PM

I think the reason for the drop in profits at the Disney Parks (and Universal, too) has less to do with steep drops in attendance and more to do with changing spending habits. Having paid so much to get in the gates, tourists aren't spending as freely within the parks. That's why the lines are just as long but the profits aren't as big.

I wrote about what's going on at AOL's WalletPop.com:
http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/02/25/who-moved-my-cheese-mickey-mouse-gnaws-away-at-theme-park-jobs/

Posted By Jason Cochran on March 9, 2009, 4:25 PM

Jason, Thanks for your comment.

For readers with short memories, Jason was one of the editors of Budget Travel magazine that shaped its signature focus and feel. He knows travel well. Pay attention!

Posted By Blog Editor on March 10, 2009, 11:37 AM

Last summer, there was a lot of buzz about whether travel would decrease due to the skyrocketing price of gasoline. Turned out the travel didn't decrease so much, but people were shifting their spending away from things like expensive hotels & restaurants, and pricey souvenirs. As such, it's no surprise Disney lines are long, but profits down due to fewer mouse ears and t-shirts going out the gate. People will have their vacations, even in a recession!

Posted By Irv on March 10, 2009, 3:59 PM

I went to Orlando in early January, and the crowds were pretty much the same as they have been in the past. There were a lot of people from South America there and I think a lot of people are taking advantage of the deals that both Disney and Universal are offering. I also think that there are probably almost as many people going as before, but they are just spending less money when they are there.

Posted By Vickie OConnor on March 12, 2009, 4:21 PM

We were at Disney Orlando the first week of December 2008. Monday afternoon, December 1st, was crowded, Tuesday morning was similar but the crowds began to thin by Wednesday. By Friday, December 6th, there were no lines even in the afternoon. We stayed off-site at a Staybridge Suites. If you stay in the Park you get early entry, before the regular opening time.

Head for a ride that has a Fast Pass that you want most, get a fast pass for that ride for later and then go to your second choice and ride that one. Depending on the time of day you have to wait 60, 90, or 120 minutes to get another Fast Pass.

We found that the Fast Pass ride availability changes from day-to-day and time of year. In one of the parks on Friday there were only 3 rides that had Fast Pass that day compared to like 5 on Monday.

Posted By Rich on March 13, 2009, 10:35 AM

Re: Lisa Bergren msg on March 9th.
Sure take the kids out of school to save a couple of bucks. What msg does that send to their children about how much you value their education? People blame teachers for the students lack of knowledge. How 'bout mom and dad who value "fun" over learning?

Posted By Michael on March 15, 2009, 5:43 PM

We have just returned from Disneyland. It was a great trip with our two grandchildren, ages 3 and almost 5. The magic was still there altho the park was pretty full. We did have my husband's three legged cane, and this gave us the access to the handicapped entry. What a huge difference for him, since he would not have stood up (literally) to the long lines, having suffered two knee implants, heart troubles, and other impairments. The prices for tickets, items, and food are not cheap, but the park still sparkles and the magic is there. The new California themed park is quite wonderful, and I am glad that we bought the parkhopper passes. We had been told that it was mainly themed for the older youngsters, but the look in our 3 year old eyes when he saw Lightening MacQueen was worth it all. It was shock and awe. Their parades are the best and worth the que. All the employees that we encountered at Disney were amazingly polite and helpful. We even got free coffee refills at the little country story just off Mainstreet. Also did the Princess Dinner, and that was quite nice once it got moving. The 3 year old slept through it, but he was free, thank goodness! The redo on the Small World is worth a spin.

Posted By Donna Hunter on March 27, 2009, 11:45 AM

We happen to be going to Disneyland this coming week for Memorial Day Weekend with my daughter's school. We have been Annual Passholders in the past, and have encountered every kind of crowd at the Happiest Place on Earth. Disneyland is always crowded. Especially during the summer and Holiday weekends. During the weekdays in the off seasons is the best time to go to avoid the crowds. Also it gets unbearably hot in the summer so we always stay at a hotel with a pool and take a mid-day break. We're all in a much better mood when we go back to the park. The worst is the line jumpers - the people who have one person save their place in line, and you see 8 people walk by you after waiting in the line for two hours.

Posted By Sari Pierre on May 14, 2009, 12:55 PM

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Posted By odżywki on February 17, 2011, 3:22 PM

Expect massive crowds at Magic Kingdom from January 1st till December 31st. 365 days per year, non holidays, holidays, doesn't make a difference. Parents take their kids out of school all the time throughout the year making it July 4th every single day at Magic Kingdom. You will wait 100 minutes per each major attraction and 100 minutes to eat food.

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