Our Favourite Week of 2025 at Disneyland

There’s a 4-month stretch encompassing Halloween, Christmas, and Lunar New Yr that we love at Disneyland and Disney California Journey. These are our three favourite holidays, however could be very busy. Fortuitously, there’s one window of alternative that we’ve discovered has change into persistently uncrowded. (Up to date Could 11, 2025.)

Let’s begin with the fundamentals. Throughout the aforementioned 4-month stretch–from October by way of January–far and away our favourite time to do Disneyland is Christmas. There’s one thing particular concerning the vacation season, and we make some extent to go to as many occasions as we are able to throughout November and December. (See our Information to Christmas 2025 at Disneyland for all the pieces we love about this time of 12 months.)

The draw back of the Christmas season is that it’s already shorter than Halloween by practically a full month, and it has extra peak season dates which might be unhealthy occasions to go to. We’re truly aggravated that Vacation Time is beginning every week later, as a result of that eradicated certainly one of our different favourite occasions. When you get rid of the excessive crowd weeks round Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Yr’s Eve, you’re left with just a few choices.

Fortunately, we’ve discovered top-of-the-line home windows to go to Disneyland, and it’s nonetheless considerably of a “secret” (nothing is actually a secret in the case of Disneyland, however this window continues to be pretty uncrowded). This timeframe would possibly truly come as much less of a shock to Walt Disney World followers, because it being a good time to go to has been one of many worst-kept secrets and techniques there for ages.

In reality, long-time readers of the weblog would possibly know that our #1 favourite week of the 12 months at Walt Disney World is the one after Thanksgiving. We’ve beneficial it numerous occasions during the last decade-plus, and it’s been our go-to for ages. Again once we lived within the Midwest, our annual WDW Christmas journey normally began the Sunday after the vacation.

Now that we’re Disneyland locals once more, we go to on a weekly foundation and have “unintentionally” found that the identical is true at Disneyland. Effectively, sort of. In contrast to at Walt Disney World, this nice time to go to just isn’t anchored to the bottom of Thanksgiving. Though that isn’t a nasty time to go to, both.

Statistically talking, crowds do drop after Thanksgiving at Disneyland. This usually begins to some extent on that Saturday, with a sharper drop on Sunday and the next week. You’ll be able to anticipate crowd ranges to fall from 8/10 to 10/10 ranges the week of Thanksgiving to 2/10 to five/10 ranges that subsequent week.

Nevertheless, this isn’t essentially the most effective week to go to through the vacation season (and by extension, the complete 12 months). Our favourite week normally happens one week later, and can begin as a substitute on the next Sunday. Our #1 week of the 12 months at Disneyland runs from December 7-13, 2025.

Simply as was the case final 12 months, Thanksgiving is later in 2025. For reference, crowd ranges for this similar week in 2024 had been 1/10 to 4/10, with most dates being 1/10 or 2/10. The busiest days had been Monday, Friday and Saturday. All the things else noticed extraordinarily low crowds. Given day of week developments, it’s secure to anticipate a repeat of this in December 2025, proper all the way down to the most effective days being Tuesday by way of Thursday (December 9/11, 2025).

Let’s talk about why that is our favourite week to do Disneyland…

Candlelight Processional – This would possibly look like an odd beginning place, however this being a good time to go to flows from Candlelight Processional, which is completely completely different from the model at EPCOT. We completely adore it on each coasts, but it surely’s unequivocally higher at Disneyland. Regardless, we’re not mentioning Candlelight Processional for the caliber of the expertise, pageantry, and so on. (For extra concerning the expertise, see our Information to Candlelight Processional at Disneyland.)

Candlelight can be essentially completely different at Disneyland. In contrast to at EPCOT the place it’s an providing for normal company and a way of accelerating attendance and promoting eating packages, it’s none of these issues at Disneyland. Nearly the other, in reality. Candlelight Processional just isn’t supposed for the common company at Disneyland.

It isn’t designed to attract crowds, and Disneyland actively tries to cut back them by not publicizing something about Candlelight Processional in any way. In case you Google “Candlelight Processional,” you’ll virtually solely see outcomes for Walt Disney World. There isn’t something about Candlelight Processional on the official Disneyland web site in any respect.

Disneyland doesn’t need common company to find out about Candlelight Processional because it’s not for them–it’s for VIPs and Membership 33 members. That is additionally as a result of Candlelight Processional is held on the entrance of the park, proper on the Principal Avenue USA Prepare Station.

City Sq. is congested from mid-afternoon on, and principally turns into a stressed mob by the point Candlelight Processional rolls round, packed into the general public areas like sardines. Regardless that Disneyland doesn’t publicize it, locals find out about Candlelight, and present up anyway, usually standing in the identical spot for hours. All of this exacerbates the congestion on the entrance of the park.

Due to all this, typical knowledge had been to keep away from Disneyland throughout Candlelight Processional weekend. Talking from expertise, this was good recommendation for not less than a decade by way of 2019. We had performed Disneyland on this weekend, and it was a madhouse.

In the previous couple of years, we’ve observed that Disneyland just isn’t practically as busy throughout Candlelight Processional. The entrance of the park continues to be a madhouse, certain, however when you get handed Principal Avenue, it’s not practically as unhealthy. Wait occasions and congestion have been low all through the remainder of the park.

There are two causes for this. The primary cause is visitor demographics. This isn’t a well-liked time for vacationers, so it’s principally locals who’re disproportionately doing issues apart from points of interest. They’re there to camp out for Candlelight (outdoors the viewing space), benefit from the spirit of the season, and so forth. They add to congestion, however not wait occasions for rides.

That alone doesn’t clarify it, although, because it’s at all times been the case that this weekend is busier with locals than with vacationers. The most important distinction is nearly assuredly park reservations. Disneyland now has granular management over attendance, with the flexibility to restrict the reservation pool for normal ticket holders and, way more importantly, Magic Key Annual Passholders. This permits Disneyland to successfully block out APs by dramatically decreasing reservation availability. This capability cap is one thing that didn’t meaningfully exist in 2019 or earlier.

In fact, that is at all times topic to vary and Disneyland may open the floodgates on Magic Key park reservations for December 6-7, 2025. In so doing, this is able to go from an incredible weekend to an terrible one–as was the case previously. However we extremely doubt that may occur, as a result of Disneyland has no incentive to take action. Current historical past will probably repeat itself with this being a great weekend to go to from the angle of wait occasions. Simply keep off of Principal Avenue within the afternoon, because it’ll virtually definitely be packed!

Fortunately, the low crowds shouldn’t finish as soon as Monday, December 8, 2025 rolls round…

Crowds & Wait Occasions – As measured by common wait occasions, the primary two weeks of December had been one of many slowest stretches of final 12 months. For each weeks, crowd ranges had been 1/10 with a mean wait time throughout all of Disneyland Resort of 23 minutes. The one slower week within the final 3 months of the 12 months was the week instantly after Halloween, earlier than Christmas began. In reality, it was the slowest 2-week stretch of the total 12 months, surpassing even the low season months of August and September!

In terms of Disneyland crowds, one adage rings true: historical past doesn’t repeat itself, but it surely usually rhymes. On this context, which means that common developments and patterns play out from yearly, however the specifics normally differ. That is due largely, as soon as once more, to park reservations. Natural demand from vacationers is low throughout these weeks, however not amongst locals. All it will take is Disneyland taking a look at final 12 months’s numbers and opting to ‘open the valve’ on Magic Key AP reservations. With that transfer alone, final 12 months’s 1/10 crowd ranges may change into 5/10 or greater. That’s actually all it takes.

Since locals are the first drivers of December attendance outdoors of vacation weeks, different variables that affect their need to go to are at play. If it rains or is unseasonably chilly, it’s recreation over–Californians received’t go to the parks. They’ll, nonetheless, disproportionately accomplish that within the days that comply with. Level being, crowd developments at Disneyland are extra fickle than at Walt Disney World. Vacationer developments are predictable, however that’s solely half (or so) of the equation.

Our expectation is definitely barely greater crowd ranges for the primary two weeks of December 2025. The idea for that is, fairly merely, that 1/10 crowd ranges are very low over the course of a two-week stretch–and it’s troublesome to repeat numbers that good. Already, year-over-year wait occasions are trending up, and that is anticipated to speed up as a result of Disneyland’s seventieth Anniversary.

Frankly, we’re completely satisfied each time crowd ranges are 5/10 or beneath in November and December. The qualitative upsides greater than make up for even common crowd ranges, and reasonable crowds are nonetheless low by vacation time requirements. In case you suppose the primary or second weeks of December 2025 are busy, return between Christmas and New Yr’s Eve. You’ll be disabused of that notion actual quick, and will likely be begging for a return of these first half of December crowds. It’s all relative.

Talking of all of it being relative, it’s additionally value a reminder that late November by way of mid-December is busier now than it was a decade in the past. However that’s true of just about all dates of the 12 months. Disneyland annual attendance has elevated by a number of hundreds of thousands of individuals, and park enlargement has not stored tempo. So crowds are worse, throughout the board, than they had been in 2014! However except you may have a time machine, that doesn’t do you any good.

Crowds and Candlelight Processional are the 2 largest causes to go to Disneyland throughout this week. Right here’s what else we love about this timeframe through the vacation season at Disneyland, and why it’s best to go to throughout certainly one of these weeks should you’re already planning a 2025 or 2026 trip throughout Christmas-time…

“Full” Christmas – In contrast to Walt Disney World, the vacation season isn’t actually phased at Disneyland. It’s doable you would possibly see fewer decorations within the motels should you go to in mid-November, however all the leisure, attraction overlays, and so on., will likely be in full swing proper from the outset.

Accordingly, this comes all the way down to the festive environment outdoors Disneyland. If you wish to expertise Christmas in Tremendous Nintendo World at Common Studios Hollywood, it’s important to go to after Thanksgiving. Identical goes for different Southern California theme parks and vacationer points of interest.

Most of our favourite spots all through Orange County don’t get decked out till the very finish of November or December. We love the Seaside Cities this time of 12 months, and as at all times, our favorites are Dana Level and Laguna Seaside. (The previous truly does begin its vacation lights show in mid-November, in order that’s not the most effective instance.)

Decrease Costs & Higher Offers – With decrease occupancy than the height weeks of the vacation season, it ought to come as no shock that there are higher offers available between the height weeks of the vacations relatively than throughout them. Final 12 months, there have been nice reductions on the Inns of Disneyland Resort on Sunday by way of Thursday nights in early to mid-December, ending the week earlier than Christmas (adjusting for this 12 months, the tip date could be December 18, 2025–however that’s not assured).

Not solely that, however the resort rack charges and different costs are decrease to start with than throughout Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Yr’s weeks. In case you take a look at the Most cost-effective Occasions to Go to Disneyland, you’ll see that these two weeks are the most effective of the vacation season. Nonetheless not as little as the true low season, however fairly shut!

It’s additionally simpler to guide discounted off-site motels by way of Get Away Right this moment to economize for early to mid-December than round vacation weeks. What we’re seeing proper now could be a lot better availability and considerably decrease costs for these first half of December dates. Win-win!

Climate – We love the climate in Southern California at Christmas. Disneyland virtually at all times beats Walt Disney World on this regard, but it surely’s very true all through the vacation season. It’s not likely that the primary half of December is best than later within the month or November, all dates are (roughly) equally good.

Slightly, it’s that November and December are higher than the 2 months earlier than them (too scorching) or the 2 months after (too chilly). With that stated, this time of 12 months isn’t for everybody. It does get chilly in California, particularly within the evenings. To every their very own, however I’ll take having to put on a coat over sweating by way of my shirt any day of the week. You’ll be able to at all times add layers, however there are solely so many you’ll be able to subtract earlier than safety says, “sir, you’ll be able to’t take off your shirt right here.” (Buzzkills.)

Whereas it’s not at all times good, we’ve discovered that 90% of the time, the climate in early to mid-December is our candy spot. As a lot as I really like late August and September for low crowds, I’ll fortunately cope with barely elevated attendance for considerably higher climate. It’s a straightforward commerce off for us.

The one asterisk right here is that that is California’s wet season. There’s an 11-14% likelihood of rain on common throughout these dates, for a grand complete of 1.8 inches of rain over the course of the complete month. That’s principally a extremely wet day or two in Florida, however could be very moist by SoCal requirements. And the upside at Disneyland is {that a} wet day clears out the park, which doesn’t occur at Walt Disney World.

In the end, it must be simple to see why December 7-13, 2025 is the most effective window of the complete 12 months to go to Disneyland. In case your schedule isn’t that versatile, just about any date beginning the Sunday after Thanksgiving (November 30) by way of December 17, 2025 must be good.

Any later than that and also you’re visiting throughout a mix of vacationer occasions and when locals scramble to get of their final visits of the 12 months earlier than heavy-handed blockouts take impact. That introduces too many wildcards for assured suggestions about when crowds will likely be favorable.

In case you’re presently planning a visit, our suggestion could be to make December 7, 2025 your first day within the parks and December 11, 2025 your final day. We at all times advocate avoiding Mondays, and that holds true right here. So the way you need to strategy that is actually as much as you (with consecutive vs. non-consecutive days)–however we love that Sunday of Candlelight Processional, which is a extremely distinctive strategy to see Disneyland.

Drilling down additional, December 9/11, 2025 will virtually definitely be the candy spot for the most effective of crowds, wait occasions, climate, seasonal spirit, and so forth. That was the slowest 3-day stretch final 12 months.

If we had to decide on a next-best set of dates from a qualitative perspective, it’d be troublesome to determine between December 1-6, 2025 and November 16-21, 2025 (final 12 months, the December dates had been a lot much less busy–however that isn’t at all times the case). Regardless, potential journey dates to think about on your future journeys to Disneyland!

Planning a Southern California trip? For park admission offers, learn Suggestions for Saving Cash on Disneyland Tickets. Study on-site and off-site motels in our Anaheim Lodge Opinions & Rankings. For the place to eat, take a look at our Disneyland Restaurant Opinions. For distinctive concepts of issues that’ll enhance your journey, take a look at What to Pack for Disney. For complete recommendation, seek the advice of our Disneyland Trip Planning Information. Lastly, for guides past Disney, take a look at our Southern California Itineraries for day journeys to Los Angeles, Laguna Seaside, and plenty of different SoCal cities!

YOUR THOUGHTS

In case you’ve performed Disneyland post-Thanksgiving, what was your expertise? Have you ever visited throughout Candlelight Processional weekend in any of the final 3 years? If that’s the case, have you ever observed an analogous dynamic of heavy congestion on Principal Avenue however decrease wait occasions all through the park? In case you’ve visited this similar week in prior years, how do you suppose this 12 months compares? Ideas about anything coated right here? In case you’re a frequent customer throughout this timeframe, what’s your tackle crowds, wait occasions, seasonal spirit, climate, and so on? Agree or disagree with our evaluation of those two weeks as the most effective time through the vacation season? Any questions we may also help you reply? Listening to your suggestions is each attention-grabbing to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas beneath within the feedback!