Disneyland in April 2024: Everything to Know About Easter, Spring Break, Weather
Disneyland in April is part of the Spring Break season so you can expect to see crowds increase along with more park entertainment! A big local hit this time of year is the Food and Wine Festival in California Adventure which is a must see for anyone visiting Disneyland this time of the year.
Everyone has personal preferences to consider when planning the date of their Disneyland trip- each season will have its pros and cons and guests' choices will vary based on those. Make sure to read our Disneyland crowd calendar to get an idea of what to expect when picking a date to visit Disneyland.
Keep reading for everything you need to know about visiting Disneyland in April including current events, what weather to expect, crowd level predictions, and what to pack!
In this article:
Disneyland Events in April
Here are all the current events to know about impacting Disneyland in April!
Food & Wine Festival
The Disneyland Food and Wine Festival continues in Disney's California Adventure park until April 22 which offers a variety of special festival food booths, cooking shows, celebrity chefs, music, and more. Many of the events are extremely popular so make sure you sign up enough in advance! Read about our favorite Disney California Adventure Food and Wine Festival foods here.
Easter at Disneyland
Each April Disney celebrates Easter with an Easter egg hunt throughout both theme parks along with Easter themed food, characters and special merchandise. If you want to participate in the Easter egg hunt you can purchase a scavenger hunt packet from participating shops throughout the resort, find all the eggs, turn in your packet, and then receive a prize.
Dapper Day
Dapper Day usually takes place at Disneyland in April with the Dapper Day Expo at the Disneyland Hotel. This is a celebration of the vintage style clothing that used to be worn to Disneyland and that was featured heavily in early concept artwork. You can also get discount hotel rates for the Disney property hotels if you participate in the event and the expo!
Season of the Force
The Star Wars celebration Season of the Force will run through the month of April starting April 5th. It will feature the return of Hyperspace Mountain, specially-themed food and beverage, merchandise, and more. You'll also see new scenes on Star Tours as well as a new perspective on the Disneyland fireworks from Galaxy's Edge with “galactic music.”
Disneyland After Dark Star Wars NiteÂ
The Disneyland After Dark Star Wars Nite will be returning with multiple parties during the month of April. The event will include rare Star Wars characters, special themed entertainment and food items, and more. The parties will take place in April on the following dates:
- April 16, 18, 23, 25, 30
Pixar Fest at DisneylandÂ
Pixar Fest, a celebration of friendship featuring favorite Pixar characters, colorful decor, themed menu items, and special entertainment, will return near the end of the month on April 26. It will feature an all-new daytime parade “Better Together: A Pixar Pals Celebration!” at Disney California Adventure and the returning “Together Forever – A Pixar Nighttime Spectacular” with new scenes at Disneyland Park.
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Disneyland in April Pros
One of the biggest pros of visiting Disneyland in April is being able to experience the Food & Wine Festival at California Adventure. This is a popular event that draws a lot of locals along with tourists due to the great variety of food booths and the entertainment offerings.
Another pro of visiting this time of year is this is often just a convenient time to visit if you have kids. Being able to go during their Spring Break and not take them out of school is a huge pro in itself. The weather is also more mild this time of year with highs rarely exceeding the average high temperature of 74 degrees making it perfect for those that don't do well in the heat.
Since this time of year is popular to visit, Disneyland will begin extending their operating hours with the park averaging an opening schedule of about 11 hour a day on weekdays and longer hours up to 16 a day on the weekends. The entertainment options will always be more plentiful on weekends as some shows (like the fireworks) may not run during the week.
Disneyland in April Cons
The biggest con of visiting Disneyland in April is the chance for higher crowd levels as the Spring Break season is a popular time of year to visit. But the crowd levels can vary depending on which week in the month you visit. Many schools in that area of the country have their Spring Breaks at the beginning of the month so if you want to avoid crowds then I recommend visiting towards the end of the month when things start calming down.
Easter weekend will always be a draw for crowds regardless of the impact of Spring Break so that is also something to keep in mind. The good news about larger crowds is that Disney will adjust their park hours and entertainment hours accordingly so guests have plenty of time to enjoy their days.
What is the Spring Weather Like in Disneyland?
Disneyland in April is a pleasant time of the year to visit with mild weather and fewer rainy days than earlier months in the year. This is still always the potential possibility for a rainy day but overall the area experiences mainly sunny and dry weather.
The average temperature for Anaheim in April is a high of 74 degrees and a low of 54 degrees. These are great temperatures for people that don't enjoy heat but still want to experience Disneyland with warm weather.
What Should I Wear to Disneyland in April?
Your first step is always to check the weather leading up to your trip when you visit Disneyland in the Spring. The weather might vary this time of year but if you dress for layers you should be comfortable in the parks. I would always plan on bringing shorts plus rain gear- you just never know which direction the weather might swing in.
You can always rent a locker to store any sweatshirts, rain gear or jackets in if you don't want to carry them in the parks. You can likely expect mild, warm and sunny weather so dressing for your own comfort level will be best. If you plan on being in the parks during Easter, it can be fun to dress up for a nice lunch and you could always go back to your hotel to change into more comfortable clothes for the evening. You can read our full Disneyland packing list for more ideas on what you should bring to Disneyland.
Disneyland in April Tips
Here are a few tips when choosing March as your month to visit Disneyland:
- Make dining reservations-Â don't forget to make your dining reservations before you visit! You can make your dining reservations up to 60 days in advance of your trip. This is a must as popular restaurants will fill up!
- Use Genie+ to Beat Lines-Â if you're not familiar yet with Genie+ I recommend reading through our Genie+ guide so you have the best tips on how to maximize your time on your trip. Genie+ is a program that allows you to save your spot in line virtually and return later when the line is shorter by using the “Lightning Lane” which greater reduces your wait.
- Check the weather-Â be sure to check the weather leading right up until your trip so you're away of any trends that may influence your packing choices like rain, heat, etc.
Plan Your Disneyland Vacation!
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