Disneyland attraction queues swelled to peak levels in 2022 during busy school breaks and national holidays when visitors flooded the Anaheim theme park, according to an analysis of wait time data.
Wait times collected by Thrill Data show crowd levels reached their high point at Disneyland and Disney California Adventure more than two dozen times in 2022.
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Thrill Data scrapes wait times released through the Disneyland mobile app and uses data analytics to track trends and generate charts about the visitor experience at the parks. Disneyland officials rarely discuss attendance numbers or crowd levels.
All of the busiest periods at Disneyland and DCA during 2022 fell during school holidays. While dates vary by district, school breaks tend to be tied to national and religious holidays.
Here are the busiest periods at the Disneyland resort during 2022, according to wait times collected by Thrill Data:
- Winter Break/Presidents Day – Feb. 17-24
- Spring Break/Easter – April 9-17
- Start of Summer – June 13-22
- Fall Break/Columbus Day – Oct. 3-16
- Thanksgiving Week – Nov. 19-25
- Christmas/New Year’s – Dec. 21-31
Here are the average wait times on the 26 busiest days in 2022 when the wait factor reached a peak of 10 on a 10 scale at Disneyland and Disney California Adventure, according to Thrill Data. Ties are shown in chronological order.
- Monday, April 11 – 52 minutes
- Tuesday, April 12 – 52 minutes
- Wednesday, April 13 – 52 minutes
- Thursday, April 14 – 51 minutes
- Saturday, Oct. 15 – 50 minutes
- Wednesday, Feb. 23 – 49 minutes
- Tuesday, Dec. 27 – 48 minutes
- Wednesday, Dec. 28 – 48 minutes
- Friday, Dec. 30 – 48 minutes
- Saturday, Dec. 31 – 48 minutes
- Wednesday, Oct. 12 – 47 minutes
- Tuesday, June 14 – 46 minutes
- Wednesday, June 15 – 46 minutes
- Thursday, June 16 – 46 minutes
- Monday, June 20 – 46 minutes
- Wednesday, Dec. 28 – 46 minutes
- Saturday, April 16 – 45 minutes
- Sunday, April 17 – 45 minutes
- Saturday, Oct. 22 – 45 minutes
- Thursday, Dec. 29 – 45 minutes
- Tuesday, Feb. 22 – 44 minutes
- Friday, April 15 – 44 minutes
- Monday, June 13 – 44 minutes
- Tuesday, June 21 – 44 minutes
- Wednesday, June 22 – 44 minutes
- Thursday, July 28 – 44 minutes
Contrary to conventional wisdom, the vast majority of the busiest days of the year at Disneyland and DCA fell on weekdays.
The worst 7-day period at Disneyland and DCA in 2022: April 11-17 when the wait factor hit 10 on a 10 scale every day, according to Thrill Data.
The Disneyland resort experienced the longest average wait times of the year – 52 minutes – three times during that Spring Break period in April, according to Thrill Data.
The best periods to visit Disneyland in 2022, according to wait times collected by Thrill Data:
- Post-Christmas season/Lunar New Year celebration – Jan. 7 to Feb. 14
- End of Summer/Back to School – Aug. 8 to Sept. 30
The best week of 2022 at Disneyland with the lowest wait times was Sept. 4-10. The best day of the year to visit Disneyland also fell during that Back to School week. Average wait times dropped to a yearly low of 15 minutes on Friday, Sept. 9.
The average wait time at Disneyland and DCA for 2022 was 31 minutes, according to Thrill Data.
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