Disneyland in April

Are you headed to the Disneyland in April? This post will give you all of the information on what to expect and all of the happenings at the Disneyland in April! Everything from attraction openings and closures, special events, weather, crowd calendars and more! 

 

 

April is a great time to visit! There is a lot happening at the parks and minimal closures however, you can expect higher crowds than normal with all of the school spring breaks happening. No matter what time of year you visit Disneyland, there will be so many fun things happening in the parks such as the Food and Wine Festival and ways to beat the crowds!!  Keep reading and I will give you some tips on how to beat the crowds during a busy Disneyland day!

Here is everything that’s happening at Disneyland in April 2023!!

Closures

• Tarzan’s Treehouse- Opening TBA
• Big Thunder Mountain Railroad- April 4th-13th
• Dumbo -April 10th-11th
• Matterhorn- April 17-TBA
• Silly Symphony Swings- Opening TBA
• French Market- Opening later 2023

 

Openings

None announced

Shows, Fireworks and Parades happening

Here is a quick overview of all of the shows, fireworks and parades happening at the parks in March.  Check out this link to find out the days and times the shows are running on specific dates.

Disneyland

• Wondrous Journeys with Fireworks: Runs one time every evening. Times vary
• Magic Happens Parade: Runs 2 times per day
• Fantasmic: Runs 2 times per day on weekends only
• Storytelling at Royal Theatre: Runs multiple times per day
• Tale of the Lion King: Runs multiple times per day

 

California Adventure

• World of Color One: Runs 2 times per day
• Alice in Wonderland Bakery Unbirthday Party: Runs multiple times per day (during the Food and Wine Festival.  Ends April 25th)
• Culinary Demonstrations at DCA Food and Wine Festival:  Friday and Saturday only (during the Food and Wine Festival.  Ends April 25th)
• Disney Jr. Dance Party: Runs multiple times per day

Check out the schedule for more atmospheric entertainment and specific showtimes happening throughout both parks as well as Downtown Disney

Photo credit: Disney Parks Blog

Disney 100 Celebration

Happening all year long!  You can find the park and the characters dressed to the nines in Disney 100 Celebration gear!

• Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway is open!
• World of Color One is new in DCA
• Magic Happens Parade is back in Disneyland
• Tons of new specialty food and drinks around the parks
• Brand new fireworks show- Wondrous Journey with Fireworks

Photo credit: Disney Parks Blog

Easter at Disneyland

Every April, you can celebrate Easter at Disneyland with a special Easter egg hunt throughout both of the parks and Downtown Disney through April 9th. Search high and low for characters painted on eggs and try to find them all!

Pick up a game board at a sales location in the parks or Downtown Disney. Click here for the specific locations. Then let the search begin! After you’ve found the eggs, return your game board for a special prize at the redemption location. In Downtown Disney the redemption locations are World of Disney or Disney’s Pin Traders.  In Disneyland the redemption location is Disney Showcase and in DCA it is Elias and Co.

Game boards are different between Disneyland Park, Disney California Adventure Park and Downtown Disney. Make sure to search in your game board’s designated location.

Food and Wine Festival

Runs March 3- April 25th

The Food and Wine Festival takes place in California Adventure and features food and drinks at kiosks around the park.  You can get bites, wine, beer and specialty beverages.

• Friday-Sunday’s during the festival, chefs will prepare their favorite recipes on stage. Featuring some celebrity chefs as well!
• Fun for the whole family! There will be an activity zones and demonstrations for everyone in the family.
• Live music
• And Soarin’ Over California returns to DCA during the Food and Wine Festival!

Dapper Day

Dapper Day happens on April 16th at the Disneyland Resort.  The Dapper Day Expo is at the Disneyland Hotel and is a celebration of vintage style clothing worn to Disneyland in the early days.

 

Disneyland After Dark Events

Throwback Nite April 18th and 20th

After Dark Events are separate ticketed specially themed events that take place after park hours at Disneyland.  The event and festivities begin with a 3 hour pre party from 6-9pm at Disneyland Park.  At 9pm the private party begins and goes until 1am! There is specialty food, entertainment, and photo ops as well as characters and collectible merchandise.

If you are planning to visit Disneyland on any of those days, keep in mind the park will close early and will be a little more busy with people attending the private party.  You will have to leave the park at 8pm those 2 nights, but if you have a park hopper, you can hop over to California Adventure!

 

Tickets for the party start at $129 per person. *At the time of writing this post, there are still tickets available!

Weather

The weather in Southern California in April is typically high 60’s to mid 70’s. It could still get chilly at night so bring something warm to wear after the sun goes down with lows in the 50’s. April is usually when the rain starts to die off and you get those gorgeous Southern California days…however this year, you just never know.  There has been record rainfall and even snow within the last month. I recommend watching the weather before you go and pack accordingly.  Always bring a warm outfit or two just in case and pack a few pieces of rain gear such as ponchos, umbrellas and waterproof shoes!

 

Crowd Calendar

With Spring break happening in April crowds will be high. However, towards the end of the month, it should lighten up a bit. And just because the crowds are high does not mean you can’t still have a great time!  The last trip I took was during the holidays and it was packed!  We were still able to do everything we wanted and had the best time!

Tips for Busy Days: Plan well, buy Genie +, take advantage of rope drop and early entry (if you’re staying at a Disneyland Resort hotel) and hit rides during the shows/fireworks for shorter lines.  Also, if a ride has a single rider line, that is a great option as well.

Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday will be the least busy day of the week so if you can go on those days you will see lower crowds.

*Keep in mind this is just a prediction.  Crowds may be higher or lower on any of these days

Reservations

You still need reservations to enter Disneyland and can make those when you buy your tickets through Get Away Today or Disneyland.  Make sure the dates you want are available before purchasing your tickets.  And if they aren’t, check back every day because sometimes new reservations will pop up. And you can now park hop starting at 11am instead of 1pm!  YAY!

Save with Get Away Today

Want to save a little money on your next trip to Disneyland?  Get Away Today has got you covered!  They are always running great deals such as free nights hotels or free park days!  You really can’t beat their prices or their customer service!

Get Away Today is an authorized Disneyland ticket seller and is cheaper than buying directly from Disneyland. Get an extra day free when you purchase a 4 day ticket! It works on both single day tickets and park hoppers!  Click here to book and use code MMSA10 on any vacation package for an additional discount!

Disneyland Tips for April

• Use rope drop, early entry, single rider lines and Genie+ to maximize your time in the parks and deal with high crowds.
• Check the local weather and pack accordingly
• Make dining reservations for restaurants or utilize mobile ordering!

 

April is a great time to visit Disneyland because the weather is lovely and there is so much going on!  Have the best time ever and let me know if I can help you so you can plan the most magical vacation ever!