Is Disneyland Busy in October? | 2024 Forecast

October means the beginning of Fall, more mild weather, and one of the least busy times to visit Disneyland!

While October is generally a great time to visit Disneyland, there are a few considerations including special events that will impact crowd levels and how you should spend your time at that park.

Our Disneyland Crowd Guide details what you can expect in terms of busyness in October including some tips on how to make the most of limited operating hours and early closures!

Questions We'll Answer About Disneyland Crowds:

• What Is The Best & Worst Time Of Year To Visit Disneyland?
• Is Disneyland Busy In October?

 

What Is The Best & Worst Time Of Year To Visit Disneyland?

There once were very clear "Busy Seasons" and "Off Seasons" at Disneyland where you would see extremely high crowds and then other times where the park sometimes felt empty.

However as Disneyland has become increasingly popular, and a ticket pricing structure was introduced that offers cheaper tickets if you visit during "slower periods" busyness at Disneyland has spread throughout the year.

We see less of a slow season and busy season these days (except a few weeks out of the year) and generally high crowding throughout the year, but some times are better than others to consider visiting.

While there isn't ever a bad time to visit Disneyland you may want to keep in mind some periods of the year to avoid if you have flexibility. 

To optimize your visit to Disneyland, we've provided some of the best and worst times of the year to visit Disneyland: 

BEST TIMES OF THE YEAR TO VISIT DISNEYLAND

• January - beginning the second week of the month and avoiding MLK weekend.
• February - all month.
• March - the first two weeks before Spring Break begins.
• May - all month.
• June - the first week before Summer Break begins.
• September - all month after Labor Day weekend.
• October - all month.
• November - the first two weeks before Thanksgiving Break begins.
• December - the first two weeks of the month before Christmas Break begins.

 

WORST TIMES OF THE YEAR TO VISIT DISNEYLAND

• January -  The week of New Year's Day and MLK weekend. We especially recommend avoiding New Year's Day.
• March - The last two weeks of the month which kicks off Spring Break.
• April - A large number of schools are on Spring Break all month creating a lot of crowding.
• June - The first three weeks begin Summer Break for many schools. around the country, kicking off the continually busy Summer season.
• July - Most of the USA is deep into Summer Break at this point bringing many families to the parks. We recommend especially avoiding the 4th of July weekend.
• August - The first two weeks of the month are particularly busy as Summer Break is still in effect. Crowds begin to moderate substantially in the last two weeks of the month. 
• September - Labor Day weekend is extremely busy and should be avoided if possible.
• November - Thanksgiving week is another extremely popular time and we recommend generally avoiding this time of year.
• December - The week of Christmas and the week following Christmas leading into New Year's Eve is one of the busiest times of the year at Disneyland.

Is Disneyland Busy In October?

October is generally one of the best months of the entire year to visit Disneyland!

The weather will be great, crowds will be mostly low with no major holidays keeping kids out of school, and best of all... a lot of Halloween and Fall decorations will be on display!

However, there is one major consideration to keep in mind when visiting Disneyland in October: Oogie Boogie Bash

Oogie Boogie Bash is known as a separately ticket or "hard ticket" event which means it's an event separate from general admission to Disneyland or California Adventure.

A regular day ticket, multi-day ticket, or Magic Key pass will not allow you access to Oogie Boogie Bash - you will need to purchase a special ticket just for the event!

Even if you aren't interested in attending Oogie Boogie Bash, the event will impact everyone visiting Disneyland and California Adventure.

Because Oogie Boogie Bash takes place at California Adventure, the park will close significantly earlier than normal so that Disney cast members can prepare the park for the event.

On Oogie Boogie event days California Adventure can close as early as 5 or 6 PM.

This means you'll have a very limited amount of time to experience California Adventure, but you'll also see an uptick in busyness.

A significant amount of people who were at California Adventure earlier in the day, but do not have Oogie Boogie Bash tickets will head straight to Disneyland when the park closes to continue their day. 

Because of how early California Adventure closes many people will start their day there before heading to Disneyland later in the day which isn't totally bad news, it actually creates a good opportunity for you!

If you're only interested in the attractions at Disneyland or have California Adventure planned for another day, the early mornings and early afternoons at Disneyland will likely be noticeably slower than usual as many folks will try to make the most of limited operating hours at California Adventure.

With low crowds in general, cooler weather, and some careful planning around Oogie Boogie Bash, October is one of the best, if not THE best time of year to visit Disneyland!

 

RELATED GUIDES!

Is Disneyland Busy In September? | Our End Of Summer Guide!

Is Disneyland Busy In November? | Thanksgiving Tips!

Is Disneyland Busy In December? | Holiday Tips & Guide

Is Disneyland Busy In January? | New Years Planning Tips

Is Disneyland Busy In February? | The Best Time To Visit!

Is Disneyland Busy In March? | Spring Break Forecast