If there's one thing to know, it's that any crowd forecasts or ride closure expectancy calendars will not necessarily be accurate for this year at the Disneyland Park.They planned refurbs to take place before the 60th celebration was underway to ensure that maximum rides could remain open for the remainder of the year. Therefore, you can safely go any time of year and assume that the rides will be open.
Of course, there are often ride closures during the day. What you have to remember is that these rides are on all day, almost every single day. There is bound to be some mechanical issues or a problem every now and then. What I recommend in this case is that if the line is short, stand in line for a little while. When we went to Disneyland in June 2 years ago, Splash Mountain's line was constantly a few hours long. Which makes sense because of the weather. However, one day, the line was unusually short. So, we overheard that the ride was closed down. I told my husband that we should wait in line as it probably would not be long, as I could hear that they were already doing testing within the ride. And to our surprise, within ten minutes the ride was functional and there were only about 20 people ahead of us in line!
And of course, I always recommend getting fast passes for the busiest rides of the day. Matterhorn doesn't have fast pass option, so I always recommend making a beeline for that ride first thing in the morning. Finding Nemo also doesn't have a fastpass, so I always make that my second ride of the day to ensure shortest lines for both.
If you're a big fan of Indiana Jones, I highly recommend getting a fast pass for this ride. It routinely has some of the longest wait times in all of Disneyland Park. Another good option is to try and get in line during a parade or other show when the lines are destined to be short. Of course, other big fast pass musts are Radiator Springs Racers, Space Mountain, and Tower of Terror. And during the hot months, add Splash Mountain and Grizzly River Run to that list.
In hot seasons, I recommend avoiding waiting in line too long in Jungle Cruise. It is an all outdoor queue, and can get extremely hot when packed full of people. Same goes for Toy Story's midway Mania. If you can, I would ride these in the early morning or evening when the heat is not as severe outside. In fact, riding jungle cruise during the fireworks can be an awesome experience!
If you're looking for a quick way to cool down, I can always suggest Pirates. It's refreshing and relaxing and even if the line is long it usually moves quite quickly. Same goes for the Haunted Mansions. These rides are designed to take a large amount of people better than any ride.
The best rule of thumb is that if there are some rides you absolutely want to do that day, then get up and get to the park as early as you possibly can.
During the 60th anniversary, it's going to be a little more tough to predict how busy it will be. But you can bet that any long weekend and the Christmas season will be busier than ever, so avoid these times at all costs. September is generally a low season month and it is another reason I chose to go at this time. I have only experienced Disney at high volume times so I will be interested to see the difference. If you are debating between Christmas and Summer, I vote summer. While it can be quite hot, the lines are significantly shorter than in the Christmas/New Year's window. Any time this year will be special because of the Diamond Celebration,
