Disneyland: When to go

{Don't forget to enter my giveaway before tonight at 8 pm MST!}

One of the most important decisions regarding a trip to Disneyland is when to go. We're at a good place right now--Jason is done with school and the girls haven't started yet--so we aren't tied down to school calendars and can take advantage of all the perks going in the off-season brings. But even for those of you who have to think of school, I think it's well worth taking them out of school to go in the off-season. Dealing with crowds and spending the majority of the day waiting in lines can turn a great trip into a frustrating trip. I have only been to Disneyland twice, in September and January, and both times were magical. When we went in January, I think the longest we had to wait for any ride was for Space Mountain for about 15 minutes. If you have been there during their busy times, you know that is simply amazing.

If you decide to go in the off-season (Labor Day through the week before Thanksgiving, the weeks between Thanksgiving and the beginning of the Christmas season, and most of January and February) in an effort to avoid crowds, check the Anaheim School District calendar to make sure they don't have a school holiday. I'm not sure how much of a difference this really makes, but the park is bound to be less crowded on regular school days.

Of course, going in the off-season does have some cons. More of the rides are closed for maintenance or holiday prep and the parks have shorter hours. But for families with younger kids who wouldn't be spending 12 hours at the park anyway, this isn't really an issue. If you want to be sure that your favorite ride will be open when you go, check the ride closure calendar at Disneyland.com. You can also find park hours and entertainment schedules on this calendar.

I am pretty bias towards going in the off-season, but if you choose to go during Disney's peak season, you can still have a great trip! I have some tips about crowd control coming up tomorrow.