Avoid the busy times of year. When kids are out of school, the parks are at their busiest. If you want to avoid the biggest crowds, therefore, don't plan your trip close to Christmas or during summer or Spring Break.
According to DisneylandVacationTips.com, the days with lightest attendance are the first week in January until the President's Day holiday weekend; after the Labor Day holiday weekend until the week before Halloween; after the Thanksgiving holiday weekend until the week before Christmas.
If you already have travel dates in mind, check them against the Annual Pass Member calendar on the Disney websites. Days that are blacked out for pass members are usually the busiest days at the Disney parks.
If possible, plan your trip for the middle of the week. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays are less crowded than other days. If you must go on a weekend, choose a Sunday--a day when many vacationers are traveling home--rather than a Saturday.
Regardless of the day of the week, holidays are always busier than non-holidays.
Many experienced visitors to Disney theme parks have found that it's best to ride the Fantasyland rides early in the day. These rides won't always have the shortest lines, but they seem to be shorter earlier in the day than in the afternoon or evening.
Go on rides or eat during parades and fireworks. The majority of the crowd will be lined up watching the parade or fireworks, meaning shorter wait times for other attractions.
To avoid long lines, Disney has implemented a FASTPASS system. This enables visitors a chance to wait in a shorter line for certain attractions at certain times. Each visitor puts his ticket into the FASTPASS machine and a ticket will come out with a designated time for that ride. Come back at that designated time, and wait in the FASTPASS line, a much shorter, quicker line. You can use this system several times during the day: in general, about every one or two hours.
If you stay at certain Disneyland and Disney World park hotels, Extra Magic Hours are available. These extended hours make it possible to get into the park an hour before it opens and up to three hours after it is closed to others. Be aware that only certain attractions are open and these hours are available only at one designated park each day.
Be sure to eat during non-peak hours. This means shorter lines and more tables available. It also means a more relaxed meal.
Don't leave right after a big parade or the fireworks. Most of the people at the parks will be leaving at this time, meaning long and crowded lines going out of the park and waiting for trams. Instead, enjoy one more ride, or relax on a bench until the crowd subsides.
