2026 Busiest Days at Disneyland to Avoid
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Previously, I wrote a post about the most affordable dates to visit Disneyland in 2024 (you can give that one a read here). After publishing it, I started getting questions about which dates people should avoid most.
While some may think there’s no such thing as a bad day at Disneyland, the truth is, crowd levels can get so out of control that even queues at the churro carts get deep, not to mention attractions such as Space Mountain and Radiator Springs Racers.
Shortly before covid, crowd patterns began to shift with the opening of Star Wars - Galaxy’s Edge. Prior to that, predicting crowd levels was relatively easy. Ever since the opening of Galaxy’s Edge and the covid closure, predicting crowd patterns has become quite the craft-shoot.
That said, I cannot guarantee a particular day will be slower or busier than the next. However, despite the change in guest behavior, there are still dates that I can say with a decently high degree of certainty will surely be busy. If your goal is to avoid overly crowded days, pay attention to the list below.
January 1st, 2026 (New Years Day)
This one’s obvious. New Years Day is one of the busiest days of the year at the Disneyland Resort. It hasn’t happened since reservations became a thing but in the past, they’ve had to close the gates its gotten so busy.
To some, kicking off their year at Disneyland seems like a great idea and if it’s worth it to you then hey, do you. However, if you’re looking to avoid soul crushing crowds, definitely skip this day and plan for the last three weeks of January instead.
January 29 - February 1, 2026 (Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend)
After a five year hiatus, the Disney Half Marathon returned to the Disneyland Resort in January of 2024 and of course, it proved to be a hit. With it, an influx of joggers (who also happen to be Disney fans) showed up and gave attendance a nice boost during an otherwise slow period for the parks.
While the event takes place in the early morning hours, many of the participants end up making a day out of it and spend significant time in the parks (hopefully after a shower). So unless you’re planning to participate in the event, I would avoid these dates.
February 8, 2026 (DCA’s 25th Anniversary)
In 2026, Disney California Adventure will surpass its first major milestone - its twenty-fifth anniversary. Of course, the twentieth is cause for celebration as well, but the parks were closed due to covid restrictions during this period.
There hasn’t been anything announced by Disney regarding an official celebration and anniversaries at DCA aren’t held in the same regard as Disneyland’s, so this is more of a cautionary tip on my part. You likely won’t deal with dense crowds on this day, but it’s possible.
Middle of March (Specifically, March 10 - 20, 2026)
No, it’s not because of Spring Break (we’ll discuss that below). I’m advising against these dates because of the potential of Disney running another $50 kids ticket deal for 2026. There hasn’t been an announcement yet, but they’ve ran this promotion for the past two years so I do expect it.
These tickets are three-day passes and are use it or lose. Typically, March 20 (give or take a day) is the final day these tickets can be used and you can bet the farm there’ll be a mad dash of guests using up the final day or two. In previous years, my wife and I were in the parks during the final week of that promotion and it was pure madness.
In 2026, spring breakers will descend upon the parks around the beginning of April, leaving a small window of time in March to visit before the heavy crowds arrive. Of course, if Disney decides against running the promotion, then the first few weeks of March will generally see moderate crowds at best.
Second Week - First Half of April 2026
While Spring Break is more of a wildcard at Walt Disney World due to them attracting more international guests, it still has great effect on the Disneyland Resort as well. Obviously, Spring Break in and around Southern California will have the greatest impact, due to Disneyland largely being a locals park.
However, you can also expect spring breakers to trickle down from the northern part of the state, as well as from neighboring states like Arizona, Nevada and Utah. The crowds at the parks during Spring Break can have a detrimental effect on your experience, so it’s best to avoid this period if at all possible.
If you must visit Disneyland in April, aim for the first week. You may see the initial crowd swells, but you’ll likely avoid the worst of it.
Disneyland Grad Nite Dates in May & June 2026
If you don’t know what grad nights are, they’re essentially a souped-up field trip for high school seniors. It’s a congratulatory event for their years of hard work and a way for them to blow off some steam. Avoiding these dates doesn’t necessarily mean avoiding the resort all together, as Grad Nite events take place at Disney California Adventure.
However, attendees are also afforded day access to Disneyland, so be mindful of that. For what it’s worth, I’ve been to the park during grad nights and while the walkways were definitely dense, the wait times at the attractions weren’t much worse than normal. Just something to consider.
2026 Grad Nites are as follows:
May 2026: 8, 12, 13, 15, 17, 20, 21, 28, 29 and 31
June 2026: 3, 5, 7, 10 and 12
July 17, 2026 (Disneyland Anniversary)
Disneyland’s opening day on July 17, 1955, kicked off what would become a hotly anticipated celebration at the park. In 2025, Disneyland celebrated its 70th and the crowds responded in kind.
While the 71st anniversary probably won’t garner nearly the same amount of attention, there’s still a large demographic of locals, who largely make up the bulk of Disneyland park-goers, who make it a point to visit the park on that day.
Additionally, Disney announced that the 70th celebration would continue into the 2026 summer season. That means the decor, special food and drink offerings, merchandise and more will be available. If you missed it in 2025, you still have a chance.
August 14 - 16 (D23 Expo Weekend)
D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, takes place at the Anaheim Convention Center on a bi-annual basis. In 2026, it will take place throughout three days in mid-August, adding to the already heavy summer crowds.
Unless you’re wanting to attend the event, I would avoid visiting the parks during this timeframe. D23 may take place off property at the convention center, but once the festivities are finished for the day many of those guests flock to the parks, causing an uncomfortable swell.
November 26 & 27, 2026 (Thanksgiving & Black Friday)
Thanksgiving and Black Friday are notorious for heavy crowds at Disneyland. In addition to the holiday itself, the proceeding few weeks are the last chance for all Magic Key holders to get their Disney fix before the key-wide blockout period commences.
Generally, the days leading up to Thanksgiving aren’t all that bad so if you must go during that week, I recommend doing so between November 23 - 25. Crowds on the weekdays post-black Friday are generally better as well.
December 24 & 25 (Christmas Eve & Christmas Day)
New Year’s Day and Thanksgiving - while crowded in their own right - are nothing compared to the oppressive crowds that converge onto the parks on Christmas Eve and day. All Magic Key holders are still blocked on these days, but we’re still in the midst of winter school breaks and parents using the last of their annual PTO.
In addition, for those wanting to do Disneyland in one day, you’ll pay inflated prices for single-day tickets and Lightning Lane. There’s the common misconception that Disneyland is slow on Christmas Day but in fact, it’s the opposite.
To make matters worse, Christmas Eve and day at on a Thursday and Friday, respectively, in 2026. This perfect storm stirs up the ever-elusive four-day holiday weekend, which will undoubtedly bring the heaviest crowds of the year.
December 31, 2026 (New Years’ Eve)
Much like the people desiring to start their new year off right at Disneyland, many of those same people flock to the parks to mark the transition from the old year to new one.
Due to this, New Year’s Eve is a tremendously busy day. Each year, Disney rings in the new year with an epic fireworks show at the stroke of midnight. It’s a crowd pleaser for sure, but you’ll pay the price by having to deal with shoulder-to-shoulder crowds.
With New Years Eve taking place on a Thursday in 2026, you can ensure many will take advantage of the proceeding holiday weekend leading to two consecutive four-day weekends.
Multiple 3-Day Weekends Throughout the Year
Any time you have a holiday falling on a Friday or Monday, it creates a three day weekend. If that holiday is a federal one, the school districts and workforce typically get an extra day off, and that almost always translates to a busy day at the resort.
In 2026, there are multiple three-day weekend dates to be weary of. They are:
January 19 (Martin Luther King Jr. Day)
February 16 (President’s Day)
April 3 (Good Friday)
May 25 (Memorial Day)
June 19 (Juneteenth)
July 4 (Independence Day - takes place on a Saturday in 2026, but many companies observe it on the preceding Friday, leading to a three-day weekend)
October 12 (Indigenous Peoples Day)
December 24 & 25 (Christmas Eve and Day - Four Day weekend!)
December 31 (New Years Eve - four day weekend due to New Years Day 2027 being the next day)
*PRO TIP: The one exception is Labor Day. Of all holiday weekends, that one generally sees the lowest crowds as locals have returned to school and work from their summer vacations. I’ve been to the parks a number of times through Labor Day and, generally speaking, I’ve never had an issue with heavy crowds.
