If you are deciding on a trip to Disneyland the first question is when do you want to go. If you ask Patrick he’ll say right now. We all know that isn’t super practical, and we haven’t just hopped in the car and driven to Disneyland – yet.

The answer to that question is – it depends. What are you looking for? Are you looking for a down time in the Park so lines are shorter? Are you looking for some holiday magic? Do you want to hunt for hidden Easter Eggs? Do you need a break right now, or at least in a week or two?

All things considered – our favorite time to be in Disneyland is the early Spring. Late February, or early March. Be sure to miss spring break. The crouds are a little smaller and it is a great time to get away from the snow, and cold. There are a few drawbacks though. The park will open a little later, and close a little earlier (check the calendar at https://disneyland.disney.go.com/calendars/day/), the entertainment doesn’t happen everyday, and it can be a little chilly for water attractions.

Our second favorite time to be there is early December. Christmas in Disneyland is truly magical. They do their best to make the holidays come to life. Snow on Main Street is always a fun time.

Halloween in Disneyland is also a fun time. The characters are in costume. There is also a special Halloween party the moved from Disneyland to California Adventure. They turn down the lights, you wear a costume, and trick-or-treat through the park. If you want to catch an attraction they are open as well. The thing to know is that the Halloween party is a special ticket which sell out fast, so you have to buy them early and they aren’t cheap. If you do have tickets to the Halloween party you to exit the park, and re-enter when it is starting, about 5PM. If you don’t have a ticket you have to leave the park, and go over to the other one which is usually a little more crowded because that is what all those who didn’t get a ticket have to do,

If you are worried about crowds there are published crowd calendars that will give you a guess at what the crowds will be like. Know that the week of holidays are going to be crowded, also know that times in which Utah schools are closed are like holidays in Disneyland.

In the end if you are in need of some magic – go – the lines might be a little longer, but you should be able to find some magic if you look around a bit.