As we are starting the new year, many visitors are wondering when the best time is to plan a Disneyland trip. Crowd patterns tend to fluctuate at Disneyland throughout the year, as we explored in our recent article on the exact best and worst dates to visit Disneyland according to crowd data.
Today, we will be looking specifically at the busiest months to visit according to wait time data. This is all helpful information to consider if you are planning a visit in 2026. At Mickey Visit, we cover all of the latest Disney news, including Disneyland’s Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar closing for renovations and why Disneyland fans need to mark their calendars for January 22.
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Busiest Months to Visit Disneyland
We’re looking at the busiest months of the year based on wait time data beginning in December 2024 and ending at the beginning of December 2025. This data is based on average wait times and peak wait times. We’ve recently been taking a look at data like this for the past year, including an analysis of the Disneyland rides that had the longest wait times and most downtime in 2025.
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There are certain months out of the year at Disneyland that we can always expect to be busy. Peak times of year typically include the holidays in mid to late December, Spring Break in March and April, Thanksgiving week in November, and Halloween in October.
The busiest and least busiest months to visit that you’ll see below all generally line up with our overall commentary and crowd projections in our Mickey Visit Disneyland crowd calendar and look at the best times to visit Disneyland in 2026.
It’s important to preface this data by saying that the highest wait times don’t always equal the biggest crowds in the parks. This is especially true when there are special seasonal offerings available that will still attract a ton of visitors who may not be exclusively focused on riding attractions.
While the Spring Break months win out over the holidays for the busiest months according to wait time data, this makes sense. Most families are there to experience the rides during this time, whereas during the holidays, there is a ton of non-ride entertainment, seasonal food and dining experiences, decor, etc. to enjoy that draw big crowds.
According to the wait time data for 2025, March comes out on top as the busiest month. This is an extremely busy month that often coincides with several events like the Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival, Disneyland After Dark events, and special events like the 70th anniversary celebration or Season of the Force (in past years). On top of this, Spring Break crowds are in full force as families take advantage of the time off from school to plan a visit.
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If March is your only window during which you can visit, it shouldn’t stop you from having a great time. As a matter of fact, I often visit right in the middle of March during peak crowds for my birthday and always have a great time. It’s just a matter of managing your expectations and utilizing some smart strategies for beating the crowds.
You may be a little surprised to see that February makes the top 5 busiest months. Though there are still definitely some quieter stretches with lower crowds, this month has become increasingly busier in recent years. Despite this, it remains one of the best months to visit Disneyland if you time your trip correctly.
It should come as no surprise that August and September rank the least busy months, but some may not expect July to be close behind. July is one of the hottest months of the year at the resort, and the weather can sometimes be a deterrent for locals, especially. Plus, we can assume that many families prefer to plan their summer visits earlier on, right when kids are let out of school.
You can see all of the data and the ranking by month below.
Busiest Month by Wait Times (Rank – Month – Avg Wait – Peak Wait)
#1 – March – 24.4 min – 300 min
#2 – April – 22.9 min – 200 min
#3 – December – 22.6 min – 240 min
#4 – February – 22.3 min – 205 min
#5 – October – 21.0 min – 300 min
#6 – November – 20.9 min – 300 min
#7 – May – 20.8 min – 190 min
#8 – January – 20.7 min – 210 min
#9 – June – 20.5 min – 200 min
#10 – July – 19.0 min – 200 min
#11 – August – 18.5 min – 180 min
#12 – September – 17.2 min – 180 min
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