You know how I mentioned it's the slow season for theme parks? Well, that's my first tip this week - go now. Heck, go any weekday when kids are in school around the theme parks you want to visit. Non-holiday weekdays between late August and mid-May see the fewest average number of visitors at the year-round parks in Central Florida and Southern California.
Schools in Southern California used to run from early September until mid-June, but most major districts are moving back their calendars to match the same mid-August to late-May calendar you'll find in use in Central Florida (and around the country). That's also helping to tighten up the busy spring break schedule to mid- to late-March, instead of bleeding into mid-April as it used to do in Southern California.
With kids in school and their families at home, you'll often find nearly empty queues, wide open streets, and short to non-existent wait times throughout the parks. You'll also find abundant deals, include free dining plans at the Walt Disney World Resort, and reduced hotel rates for both on-property and nearby upscale hotels.
But there are a few tradeoffs. You'll also find great reduced operating hours, and reduced show schedules. Don't expect to find all the parades, street shows, character greetings and night-time spectacles that you'll find on the schedule if you visit in mid-summer. But sharp off season visitors usually report that they still can do even more visiting on a school day than they could on a July visit, even with the reduced hours and fewer shows.
So those aren't really that big a deal as tradeoffs. The tradeoff you really have to watch for is refurbishments. Theme parks use the slow season to fix and refresh their most popular rides, the ones they don't dare close to repair during the busy seasons, if they don't have to. That brings us to our second tip in this Tip of the Week - be sure to check the park's refurbishment schedule before you visit, if there's a specific ride you have your heart set on experiencing.
You can find schedule attraction closures and refurbishments on top theme parks' calendar pages:
I'd still encourage you to visit during the off-season, if you can. Popular rides can - and do - suffer unplanned closures during the busy seasons, too. So coming in mid-summer provides no iron-clad guarantee you'll get on that dream ride the day you visit, either. But visiting on a slow, off-season day gives you a chance to do more in a park, at a more leisurely, relaxed, enjoyable pace than visitors get to experience during the hot days of summer. If you don't have kids, or they're on an unusual school schedule, give an off-season visit a try.
For more tips and advice for planning a theme park vacation, visit our 100 Travel Tips for Visiting Theme Parks page.
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Disneyland Resort: Weekdays in Jaunuary, May, September, and early December (excluding holidays)
Knott's Berry Farm: Any weekday between Labor Day and Memorial Day, except during holiday periods
Legoland California: Any weekday when school is in session (check operating calendar...not open all weekdays in off season)
Universal Studios Hollywood: Any day between Labor Day and Memorial Day, except Saturdays and holidays
SeaWorld San Diego: Any day between Labor Day and Memorial Day
Six Flags Magic Mountain: Any Sunday during weekend-only operation (except holidays)
Yes, attractions will be closed, but unless you've never been to the park or you're going for one specific attraction, the low crowds make up for missing one or two rides (I'd delay a visit if three or more major attractions will be closed). However, at the seasonal parks or parks I've never visited before, I'd much rather visit in the middle of the season during daily operation and hope for low crowds. If it's crowded, I'll just buy the skip the line pass offered at that particular park (almost all major parks now offer some form of this).
Oh, and yeah rides go down for refurbishments. Just want to gloat about the current Indy closure. Please read the comments on this post from two years ago.
http://www.themeparkinsider.com/flume/201002/1689/
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