A Guide to Visiting Disneyland in May 2024
Are you planning a trip to the Disneyland Resort for May 2024? Whether you’re still deciding or you’ve already booked and are looking for more information, I have you covered.
In this post, I’ll discuss what the weather is typically like in May, how crowded it is or isn’t, which attractions are going to be closed, ticket prices and more.
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Anaheim Weather in May
As May unfolds, Disneyland basks in pleasant weather, creating an ideal atmosphere for a magical adventure.
Temperatures range from a delightful 55 to 75 degrees, providing both a comfortable warmth during the day and tolerable chill in the evenings.
As the month progresses, the nightly lows will begin to increase, capping off at around 60 degrees by the end of May.
Be sure to pack sunscreen for the warm days and a light jacket or sweater for the evenings. An umbrella is unnecessary, as Anaheim sees very little, if any, rain in May.
May also brings an explosion of color to Disneyland as flowers bloom, transforming the parks into a floral spectacle. The meticulously landscaped gardens, iconic topiaries and vibrant floral arrangements add an extra layer of beauty to the already magical surroundings.
Is Disneyland Crowded in May?
Generally speaking, May (or part of it, anyway) is a great time to visit Disneyland. It’s in that sweet spot between spring break and summer crowds and as mentioned above, the weather is pleasant.
Two major caveats to that are Grad Nites (discussed below) and of course, Memorial Day and the weekend leading into it.
While there will be one Grad Nite on the 10th of the month (a Friday), the events mostly begin to ramp up in the second half of the month, leading well into June.
Memorial Day weekend is a three-day’er for many people and the crowds reflect that. Expect dense crowds that weekend and on the holiday itself.
Another wildcard that can affect crowds is if Disney will resume Magic Key sales in April, much like they did in 2023. On January 10 this year, Magic Keys went on sale and mostly sold out in the first day.
With that much pent-up demand, it wouldn’t surprise me to see Disney do another round of sales in the spring to pad the books for the next earnings call.
Additionally, special events such as Star Wars Nites, Season of the Force and Pixar Fest will be in high gear. May 4th (May the Fourth - be with you) being an unofficial, fan-driven event day that’ll surely increase crowds, particularly inside Galaxy’s Edge.
Lastly, Disney confirmed back in November that Fantasmic would be making its highly anticipated return to the Rivers of America on May 24th! The devastating fire last year caused an abrupt pause on this fan-favorite spectacular, so the demand for it, especially for the first few performances, will draw hoards of locals and tourists alike.
These are my recommendations for avoiding crowds in May:
Avoid Memorial Day weekend at all costs.
Book for the first week of May, but be mindful of Star Wars After Dark dates (see below).
Keep to weekdays as much as possible.
Avoid Grad Nite dates (see below).
May Ticket Prices & Magic Key Blockouts
Similar to airlines and hotels, Disney utilizes a dynamic pricing structure to price its single-day tickets. Meaning demand will dictate the price you’ll pay on the particular day you want to visit.
The high end of the price range for single-day, one-park tickets can flirt with $200 on many days, especially as summer approaches and on weekends. This is why I always recommend planning a multi-day trip.
Multi-day ticket prices are not affected by demand. Those have a set price, and the more days on your ticket, the less you’ll pay per day. Unless you’re hopelessly restricted to one day, try to plan for at least three to get the full experience and most value for your money.
May 2024 single-day ticket prices are as follows:
Single-Day Adult: $119 - $194
Single-Day Child: $112 - $183
If you’re planning to visit during Memorial Day weekend, expect to pay the highest price (currently $194). As of the publishing of this post, May 8th is the only date listed at the lowest price ($119). Every other weekday date is at least $134, with most weekend dates topping out at $184.
Of course, this could always change as dates approach (remember, they’re subject to demand). The price you see for a particular date today could jump later that afternoon. So if you’re keen on going for one day, secure your ticket while the price is right.
Fellow Magic Key holders - like it or not - we’re beholden to the reservation calendar. As you all know, depending on which key you hold, the day you want to visit could be unavailable to you (blocked or no available reservations).
The blockout dates for Magic Key holders for the month of May 2024 are:
Imagine Key: Blocked on all Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.
Enchant Key: Blocked on all Saturdays, 5/19 (Sunday), 5/26 (Sunday) and 5/31 (Friday).
Believe Key: Blocked only on 5/4 (Saturday) and 5/25 (Saturday).
Inspire Key: No blockout dates.
May Special Events & Showings
There’s going to be a broad spectrum of special events throughout the month of May. There will literally be something for everybody!
The two big draws for the month will be the two official Star Wars related events; Season of the Force and Star Wars Nite events. The former is a seasonal celebration of Star Wars, available to all ticket holders, while the latter is a hard ticket event requiring a separate purchase. (read about Disneyland After Dark events here.)
The other major draw this month will be Pixar Fest, a summer long celebration of all things Pixar. Showings include a new parade at DCA, Pixar themed food and drink offerings, a new fire work show at Disneyland Park, rare character sightings, and more!
Keep in mind that Pixar Fest runs throughout the summer into late August, and begins in the last week of April. So if you’re a huge Pixar fan and can’t make it in May, you’ll have three additional months to make it out.
Lastly, I’d be remiss if I didn’t discuss the return of everybody’s favorite nighttime spectacular - Fantasmic. Last year, the show abruptly ended after a devastating fire destroyed Murphy, the Maleficent animatronic, during a live performance.
It’s been absent from the schedule ever since and there was serious doubt over its future. Alas, Disney announced last November that it would make its grand return to entertain audiences on May 24th. (read about Fantasmic! dining packages here.)
While not confirmed, Murphy is rumored to have been repaired and will make his return to the show. Confirmed to return is the pirate ship Peter Pan/Captain Hook battle scene. Additionally, new floats are expected to debut, along with a new battle scene between Sorcerer Mickey and Maleficent.
May 2024 special event dates are as follows:
Season of the Force: All month.
Star Wars Nite: May 5th, 7th and 9th.
Pixar Fest: All month.
Grad Nites: May 10th, 14th, 15th, 17th, 19th, 22nd, 23rd, 28th and 31st.
Fantasmic Return: May 24th
Memorial Day Weekend: May 25th - 27th.
Mother’s Day: May 12th
Disneyland Ride Closures in May
At the time of this post’s publishing, attraction refurb information for the month of May hasn’t yet been released. Disney typically releases this info 45-days ahead of time.
That said, we do know of two attractions that will definitely be down all month; Haunted Mansion and Splash Mountain. The former is currently going through a remodel of its queue and exit while the latter is being reimagined into Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.
While I don’t expect too many extended refurbs this year due to the aforementioned reason, don’t be surprised to see short term refurbs on a few additional attractions pop up on the calendar.
*UPDATE: Disney has recently announced the impending (temporary) closure of Critter County beginning May 1. No official reopening date was announced with the closure announcement. The purpose of this closure is to convert two of the land’s gift shops into themes for two supporting characters from Princess and the Frog - Raymond the Firefly and Louis the trumpet-playing Gator.
Disney will also take this opportunity to take down the land’s sole operating attraction, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, for a refurbishment, though I don’t foresee it being a long one. My guess is they’ll reopen the Pooh attraction within three weeks or less, while keeping the rest of the land behind construction walls. As mentioned above, no reopening date for Critter Country has been released, but I’m predicting it’ll reopen by July or August. You can read a more in depth analysis about it here.
The following attractions will be down for refurbishment in the month of May 2024:
Critter Country: May 1 - TBD
Haunted Mansion: January 21 - TBD (I expect it to be down until the start of the Halloween season)
Splash Mountain: Permanently closed in May 2023 (expected to open as Tiana’s Bayou Adventure in late 2024)
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh: May 1 - TBD
To stay updated on Disneyland attraction refurbishments and park projects, read and save my 2024 Disneyland Refurbishment Calendar post.
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