Disneyland in August 2024: Weather, Tickets, Hours

Disneyland in August comes in at the end of wrapping up summer at Disneyland. August is a popular time to go for tourists and locals alike- depending on what time of the month you visit. You can avoid large local crowds at Disneyland in August if you pick your date carefully.

Everyone has personal preferences to consider when planning the date of their Disneyland trip- each season will have its pros and cons and guests' choices will vary based on those. Make sure to read our Disneyland crowd calendar to get an idea of what to expect when picking a date to visit Disneyland.

Keep reading for everything you need to know about visiting Disneyland in August including current events, what weather to expect, crowd level predictions, and what to pack!

Disneyland Events in August

Here are the current August events at Disneyland to be aware of on your trip.

Pixar Fest at Disneyland

Pixar Fest will take place at Disneyland through August 4th, 2024. Pixar Fest at Disneyland celebrates popular Pixar films including iconic favorites like Toy Story, Up!, and Coco and new favorites like Turning Red and Elemental. Pixar Fest will feature exciting offerings like a new daytime parade, new food marketplaces, a new DJ dance party coming to the Hollywood Backlot, and more.

D23 at Anaheim Convention Center

The D23 Expo is the biggest Disney fan convention in the world and is held at the Anaheim Convention Center right near Disneyland. D23 will take place August 9-11, 2024. The event will also include a D23 member event inside Disneyland on August 8th and an event at the Anaheim Angels baseball game on August 4th.

Halloween at Disneyland

Halloween at Disneyland has become a large event at the parks and has increased in popularity each year so this year Halloween will start early on August 23rd. The entire Disneyland Resort is decorated for Halloween including special park decorations and overlayed attractions with Disneyland Halloween themes. Disney's California Adventure Park has also caught up with the fun over the past few years and you can expect to see the same amount of Halloween decorations and themed attractions.

Oogie Boogie Bash at California Adventure

Oogie Boogie Bash at Disney's California Adventure will run until Halloween. The event consists of Halloween entertainment, opportunities to wear costumes in the parks, meet and greets, and more.

This is an important point for all guests visiting during late-August: If you don’t have a park hopper ticket then you will be forced to leave California Adventure early in the evening and have nowhere to go but back to your hotel or home. Disney will close California Adventure early for the party and force any non-party guests to exit at least an hour before the party begins around 5pm. Make sure to get a park hopper ticket if you don’t plan on attending the ticketed event so you can hop over to Disneyland when the party starts!

Discount Disneyland Tickets

Our favorite Disney-approved re-seller, Get Away Today, offers the best Disneyland discount tickets around. In addition to great discount prices, their customer service and easy support is absolutely fantastic. They have an entire department dedicated to making sure every order has a wonderful experience and they are on-call to help you during your vacation if you need them.

Buying tickets from Get Away Today is easy and convenient since all their tickets are sent electronically. You can take their vouchers and head straight to the gate without needing to wait in any ticket booth lines. They also offer layaway plans so you can pay off your vacation over time.

You can read my review on my personal experiences booking through Get Away Today and find out how much you can save!

Disneyland August Crowd Calendar

The beginning of August is considered peak summer at Disneyland and is one of the busiest times of the year. Although Halloween and the Christmas season tend to draw bigger crowds, you should be prepared for busy days when visiting Disneyland in August. However, if you visit at the middle of August you can hit that ‘sweet spot' of the month as summer begins to wind down with tourists traveling to Disneyland and before all the Magic Key holders are unblocked from visiting the parks. This is my favorite time to visit Disneyland in the summer!

Since Disneyland has a large population of Magic Key holders, it can be helpful to check the blockout date calendar on Disney's website. In August, the lowest tier pass (Imagine Key) is completely blocked out for the entire month. Right around August 15th the passholder calendar starts to shift with the second lowest tier (Enchant Key) pass having their blockout dates lifted so you can expect to see an uptick of crowds- especially during that week! The next tier up on the passholder list (Believe Key) will also see their Saturday block out dates lifted in August so you may notice a slight increase in crowds on weekends again.

You can still have a great vacation even if Disneyland is crowded as long as you plan ahead. Make dining reservations and arrive early to the parks every day. Even on an extremely crowded day, being there 30 minutes before the park officially opens allows you to experience the park with smaller crowds. Those two or three hours before 11AM are the best- don't miss out!

Read our full guide on handling crowds to prepare yourself for visiting Disneyland in August in case you experience crowded days on your visit.

Disneyland Weather in August

Disneyland in August can be hot, hot, hot with the average high coming in at 86 degrees and the average low at 66. You also have the bonus factor of all the concrete in the parks reflecting the sun back at you when you're there.

The perks of visiting in the summer is that the average length of day in August is around 14 and a half hours giving you plenty of time to enjoy the parks. When it comes to Disneyland's operating schedule, the first two weeks of the month they operate on their summer schedule with gates opening at 8am everyday and staying open late. About midway during the month they sometimes will switch to shorter hours with the gates opening at 9am everyday. However, we have seen the park trending towards keeping a solid 8AM opening date so this may to impact August this year.

We've been in the parks before when the hours switched midweek and the first day of the switch definitely had an impact on the lines at the gates. Many people likely didn't realize the opening switched to 9am so they arrived prior to 8am which created huge lines for people who arrived later. If you're there during the hours switch, make sure to get there extra early on the first day the hours get pushed back so you're not at the end of the line. You can check Disneyland's calendar here for the schedule during your trip.

Tips for Visiting Disneyland in August

When it comes to visiting Disneyland in August, we have some tried and true hacks for having a magical time on your summer vacation.

What to Wear 

One of the most frequently asked guest questions is: what should I wear to Disneyland? Always check the weather leading up to your trip. Since you're visiting Disneyland in August, the weather is going to be hot each day of your trip. Even though the days will be hot it can actually cool down quite a bit in the morning and evenings so plan on bringing at least one lightweight hoodie or shirt.

Bring clothes that you will feel comfortable in when it's hot outside. Make sure your kids are wearing cool clothes too because you want to keep them happy on those hot days. Avoid sandals unless they're ones you know you can walk at least 7 miles a day in and be comfortable (Chacos or Birkenstocks come to mind for me!) but at least bring two pairs of shoes so you can switch back and forth.

What to Pack 

Considering the high average temperature for the month of August, plan on packing summer attire for the parks and the pool at your hotel.

Always bring the hot weather necessities like sunscreen, portable fans, cooling towels, and other items all aimed at keeping you cool on hot days. If you find yourself wanting one of these while you're there, you'll end up paying a high price in the parks or at your hotel. On our last visit in August we had some days that reached 90 degrees and by the end of the day I had purchased misting fans, cooling towels- you name it- from the parks. If I would have brought my own I would have saved myself a ton of money. And if you're planning on hitting the beach, don't bother bringing towels and just use the ones from your hotel. You're visiting Southern California during one of the most beautiful times of the year- don't forget to see the beach!

You can read our giant packing list here to make sure you show up prepared for literally anything you need while you're visiting Disneyland.

What to Expect

There are a few things you should expect when choosing August as your month to visit Disneyland:

• Be prepared for hot weather- hot weather at Disneyland in August is unavoidable. You may even have some days that reach 90 which can be really tough to deal with inside the park. If you don't handle heat well, it's so necessary to wake up early and get to the parks at least 45 minutes before they open the gates. The hot weather won't really start making an impact until 11am-12pm depending on the day so getting there early will make all the difference. If you follow our awesome morning strategy for Disneyland here and California Adventure here you can be done with the major rides by lunchtime and go back to your hotel for a swim at the hottest part of the day. And like I said before, bring cooling towels, misting fans, and any other gear you like to have when it's hot. With some advance planning, you can handle the heat!
• Genie+ Replaced FastPass- the new Genie+ system is what permanently replaced FastPass at Disneyland. This paid access allows you to virtually reserve your spot in line for many popular attractions and skip the longer standby line.

But most of all, remember to enjoy your time at the happiest place on earth!

Plan Your Disneyland Vacation!

Keep reading our blog to keep you updated on everything you need to know to prepare for a Disney Parks vacation! We have a team of writers working hard to keep you updated weekly on events in the parks and tips for navigating the magic. Subscribe to our free deals newsletter to receive helpful planning information, exclusive Disney deals, and access to the lowest priced Disney tickets anywhere. You can find more information on planning your vacation here:

• Discount Disneyland Ticket Guide
• Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge Guide
• Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway
• Guide to Parades at Disneyland