Disneyland Crowd Calendar for April

Photographed by Michael of Countdown to Magic

Visiting Disneyland is an event that has found its way to the top of many people’s bucket lists. There’s nothing quite like stepping foot into the place where the magic began. Since its opening in 1995, over 726 million guests have roamed the park, with an average of 18 million visitors per year. This makes it the second most visited theme park in the world, behind Walt Disney World in Florida.

Given the immense popularity of Disneyland for guests all over the world, considering how busy the park is going to be during your trip is highly important. The busier the park, the longer the lines and less chance you have to experience some unique attractions, including character meet and greets and one of a kind shows. 

Thankfully, Disneyland typically has an average number of visitors during specific months, weeks and days that they have been able to observe over recent years. This helps provide guests with helpful insight of when to plan visits to the park based on capacity and expected guest numbers. 

Special events, weather, holidays and more can impact the typical crowd level that Disneyland sees during specific times throughout the year. These crowd levels can also depend on days of the week and specific weeks within a month that are more popular times to visit than others.

If you are considering visiting Disneyland in April, it would be wise to take a peek at the Disneyland Crowd Calendar for April. Doing so will help you identify which days and weeks are likely to be the least busy, ensuring you have a higher likelihood of having a fun, comfortable time at the parks. 

So in this article, we’ll break down Disneyland capacity, crowd levels, why to visit, what to expect and major events that are typical for the month of April to help you have a better plan for your April Disneyland trip.

Why Visit Disneyland in April?

When it comes to planning your Disney trip, timing is very important. Some seasons offer warmer weather, other festive holiday decorations, and all will impact your experience in one way or another. Depending whether you prefer warmer or colder weather, some months may be more preferable than others. 

California weather is relatively mild, but winter months can be relatively rainy and summer months can have some pretty high temperatures. You can expect temperatures between 65 and 75 degrees during the day in April, making it a mild climate to be walking around all day.

April is a great time to visit Disneyland for a variety of reasons. Southern California weather is typically becoming warmer, making it possible to explore the park without a heavy winter jacket. In addition, daylight savings has begun at this time meaning the sun will typically set between 7 and 7:30 P.M.. This will give you a good amount of daylight to explore the park during and compared to some of the shorter winter and spring days that come in earlier months of the year.

Another perk of visiting the park during April is that the summer crowds have not begun, along with hot weather. June, July and August are known for very large crowds at Disneyland, as well as some pretty hot days. If you are looking to avoid the masses as well as too much sun, but don’t want to come during colder months either, April can be the perfect time to visit. Just be sure to take a look at the weather forecast before you arrive so you can pack accordingly.

Finally, if you are planning to ride water attractions such as Splash Mountain in Disneyland or Grizzly River Run in Disney California Adventure, the best time to do so is typically between April and October. Other months may have temperatures that are too low to enjoy these water rides without being cold for the rest of your visit.

It’s important to note that though April is less wet than preceding months, there are still some scattered showers during this time in Southern California. Be sure to check the weather before arriving and bring necessary rain supplies, such as ponchos and umbrellas, just in case of unexpected downpours. Rain in Southern California usually shrinks crowd size significantly without closing a lot of attractions, making an April rainy day the perfect time to visit Disneyland or Disney California Adventure.

What to Expect When Visiting Disneyland in April

When visiting Disneyland in April, you can expect longer days, mild weather and smaller crowds than those typically seen during summer. It’s important to note that crowds vary greatly during the month of April, especially due to Spring break for schools taking place. 

Disneyland is a popular destination for those who have spring break, whether they are local or traveling to visit the parks. This can cause large crowds, and with large crowds come longer wait times. No one wants to plan their exciting Disney trip during a usually slow month only to find they have arrived during one of the busiest weeks.

The best way to avoid these Disney spring break crowds is by planning your visit during the last two weeks of the month. Spring break depends on the school regarding actual dates, but usually falls within the first or second week of April. If you are looking to dodge crowds and enjoy more attractions, the last two weeks are the way to go. 

Weekends are best to avoid when visiting Disneyland during April. Many local guests know that this is a good month to go to avoid large crowds and hot weather and take advantage of this during their off time. Crowds are typically significantly smaller during the weekdays than on Saturday and Sunday. If you’re able to plan your trip during the week, we highly suggest you do so.

Arriving in California on a Sunday and entering the park any day between Monday and Friday is a great way to get the most out of your trip. With these smaller weekday crowds, you will be able to get the most out of your visit and not spend as much time waiting in lines. It’s important to note that while weekdays are usually less busy than weekends, this isn’t the case with weekdays during typical spring breaks. It’s best to avoid visiting during these weeks all together, weekday or weekend.

Major April Events

Disneyland is known for not only its magic and great attractions, but also their unique events that they host throughout the year. From Oogie Boogie Bash in fall to Dapper Day scheduled throughout the year, there is almost always something fun going on within the Disneyland and Disney California Adventure parks. Unique events offer something exciting for everyone, adults and children alike that many love to take part in.

April hosts some wonderful events in both parks that guests can look forward to. One of the most notable and well loved is the Disney California Adventure Food and Wine Festival which takes place during March and April. This fun event is one of the most popular amongst guests with good reason. Celebrating various tastes and drinks of California, guests can visit Festival Marketplaces located throughout the Disney California Adventure park. 

Reservations with famous chefs at one of a kind experiences are also available, and rarely seen characters make their appearances around the park. The festival even has its own line of merchandise including apparel, home decor and even cooking tools to bring home with you. 

For this special event Disney also offers the Sip and Savor tag for purchase which allows you eight different menu items from any Festival Marketplace. But don’t worry, if you want to attend the festival as budget friendly as possible, this is a free event that doesn’t require purchase of a Sip and Savor tag.

Another well loved April Disney event is Egg-stravaganza. During Egg-stravaganza guests can go on the hunt for hidden Easter eggs throughout Disneyland, Disney California Adventure and Downtown Disney for the chance to take one home with them. This scavenger hunt spans the entire Disney property and is fun for all ages. 

You can even purchase a game map and accompanying stickers for less than $10 within the park to track your findings. Returning a map covered with stickers that represent found eggs to a redemption location will reward you with a collectible egg themed item. This is a great way to celebrate Easter and the arrival of spring along with all of your Disneyland favorites.

One of the independently planned, but most popular, April events at Disneyland is called Dapper Day. During this event, guests wear vintage clothing that would have typically been worn within the park during its opening years in the 1950s. Though the event is independently planned, it can draw in large crowds, which is important to consider when planning your April Disney trip. 

If you choose to participate in Dapper Day, you can head on over to the Disneyland Hotel Exhibit Hall, which is filled with bands, dancing, and tons of clothing and accessory vendors just for this special occasion. 

The last but far from least April Disney event worth noting is Disneyland After Dark: Villains Night. One of the best things that makes a movie great is a good villain. Without them, our beloved Disney heroes may not have become heroes afterall. Villains Night is a fun chance to dress up as and dance along with your favorite Disney villains. This night time event takes place in Disney California Adventure and runs from 6 P.M. to after the park closing. 

During these wicked hours you can expect to see a cast of villains and outlaws throughout the park, DJ hosted dancing and singing, famous villain layers and thrones available for one of a kind photos and some evil inspired decor, eats, drinks and apparel.

No matter what type of event you are looking to enjoy during your April Disney trip, you’re sure not to be disappointed. From villains to nostalgic times, there is truly a Disney event for everyone during this fun spring month. These fun events do have an impact on the Disneyland Crowd Calendar for April and should be noted by those planning to visit. 

Disneyland Crowd Limits

Disneyland can become very busy with their average 18 millions annual visitors. Since their closure due to COVID-19, crowd levels have been limited though they are slowly returning back to normal. Disney has been limiting their capacity in accordance with local and state regulations, though they have officially returned to full capacity of about 85,000 guests. On a typical day of medium crowd size you can expect to find around 51,000 visitors roaming through the park. 

Disney California Adventure sees smaller crowds and also has a much lower capacity than Disneyland. Disney California Adventure can hold 50,000 guests maximum and typically sees around 27,000 per day. It’s important to note that this park is smaller than Disneyland, with a total of 72 acres compared to Disneyland’s 85 acres. Because of this smaller size, the difference in crowd size can be difficult to notice.

Crowd limits are an important part of making sure each guest has an enjoyable experience, which is why Disney strongly enforces them. They will sell less tickets than capacity to allow room for Annual Pass Holders, as well as instill blackout dates for various passholders on days of high traffic. All of these measures help minimize crowds on even the most popular days to visit and in turn will keep ride wait times to a minimum.

With Disneyland crowd limits come shorter lines for attractions and experiences. When planning your day, it’s important to keep in mind the busier rides that most want to experience during their trip. Given the new warmer weather, many guests may be wanting to go on water rides that they weren’t able to ride during colder months. If you are going to Disneyland on a rainy day, outside attractions may be less busy while indoor ones have longer lines. When visiting Disneyland or Disney California adventure, it’s a good idea to utilize the Disneyland app. This awesome app will allow you to see wait times that are constantly updated as well as ride closures.

If you are wanting to ride some of Disney’s newer and most popular rides, consider using the Disney virtual queue to hold your spot on the attractions that are hardest to get on. Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance and Avenger’s Campus’s Web Slingers both require a virtual queue reservation to ride, so becoming familiar with the queue system is a good idea. 

Disney plans to introduce the Disney Genie+ system to both Disneyland and Disney California Adventure in coming weeks. This new system will allow you to access Lightning Lanes and pay for rides that you otherwise may not have been able to access. Since the discontinuation of the Fastpass system, guests are ecstatic for a new option to spend less time waiting for attractions while visiting the parks. 

Disneyland Crowd Levels

Crowd levels have a large impact on any Disneyland visit. Smaller crowds mean shorter lines, more time spent on attractions and easier moving throughout the park. COVID greatly lessened the crowds in the parks when they first reopened, but in recent months they have grown to regular size once again.

The morning is one of the best times to visit Disneyland and Disney California Adventure. During this time there are less crowds as they tend to fill in throughout the day. The earlier you arrive, the better chance you have of securing a spot on the most popular rides without a long wait time. 

Besides crowd levels impacting attractions, they can also impact other aspects of your visit such as mealtimes and experiences. On busy days, it can be much more difficult to have interactions with characters who are wandering throughout the park. These characters can have extensive lines on busy days, and waiting to meet them can take up a good chunk of time. 

On days with larger crowds, you may have to find yourself prioritizing the things that you want to do most due to how long waits are rather than having your choice of activities and rides throughout the parks.

Restaurants in Disneyland are highly popular due to their delicious food of various cuisines. People worldwide know how flavorful and unique the food served at Disneyland is and all want to try a bite. On busy days, waits for the most popular restaurants can be up to hours. Even small food stands serving pretzels, popcorn and more can see lines that take up to an hour or so. If you want to be the most efficient during your Disney trip when it comes to attractions, eating and experiences, going on a day with smaller crowds is the best way to do so. 

If you’re unable to avoid the busier April days that Disneyland and Disney California Adventure typically sees, you can still combat crowds and make the most out of your visit. Once Disney Genie+ is available to the public, this will be the best way to skip the longer lines and fit the most attractions into your trip. Attractions that have been closed have the shortest lines right after reopening. Keeping an eye on  your Disneyland app for newly reopened rides near you is a great way to get on some of the most popular rides without waiting as long as you usually might.

Ordering food ahead of time for pickup on the Disneyland app is another great way to save time. You can browse menus and place your order right from your phone while waiting in line for an attraction or exploring the park. This will allow you to walk right past the line and pick up your food to enjoy wherever you desire. 

Wrapping Up

Visiting Disneyland and Disney California Adventure during any time of the year is a magical experience that no one will ever forget. These parks are world famous for good reasons. They are full of one of a kind attractions, delicious foods and drinks, loved characters and uniquely themed lands of all sorts.

April is a great time to visit Disneyland for a variety of reasons. Weather, crowd levels and events are just a few of the perks of visiting Disneyland and Disney California Adventure during April. Colder weather has typically subsided by this time but larger summer crowds are yet to make their way to the parks. 

These great perks don’t go unknown to guests, especially locals making it a somewhat popular time to visit. This in combination with spring breaks for schools can draw in large crowds on specific days, especially during the first two weeks of the month. It’s a good idea to try and plan your April Disney trip in the later two weeks of the month and around weekends. Weekdays are an ideal time to visit as the parks are more empty than on weekends.

Specific events can draw in larger crowds due to their popularity. For some, these events may be their reason for visiting the parks, but for others who aren’t participating they can be a hassle. Checking the event calendar for exact events can help you plan your April Disney trip to attend or avoid these popular and beloved Disney events. The Disneyland Crowd Calendar for April is the best way to try and predict what crowd levels will be like on the days that you are hoping to visit.

No matter when you visit Disneyland, you are sure to return home with an abundance of memories and new favorite experiences. If you are considering making a Disney trip in April, there are an abundance of reasons as to why you should. The most magical place on earth during spring is the best way to welcome in the new season, enjoy the warm Southern California weather and celebrate the end of a long winter. Be sure to plan your trip ahead of time to get the most out of your experience. 

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