Why 2028 Could Be the WORST Year To Go to Disneyland

No one wants their Disney vacation to be filled with huge crowds and long lines. If you agree, then there are certain days when you might want to AVOID the Disney theme parks.

Disneyland crowds

Holidays, summer break, and days when major events are happening in the parks are usually the most crowded (with some exceptions). And if you’re REALLY planning ahead, you should know that Disneyland might have some massive crowds in 2028!

We know that 2028 seems like a super long way away, but it’ll be here before you know it. As you’re planning out your dream vacations for the next few years, you might want to consider the 2028 Olympic Games, which will be taking place in Los Angeles.

The Games will start on July 14th and run through July 30th, 2028. Then the Paralympic Games will begin on August 15th and run through August 27th, 2028.

©AP Photo/Richard Vogel | Obtained via The Orange County Register

Los Angeles is not technically the home of Disneyland (that’s Anaheim), but the two cities are less than an hour away from each other. That means that Disneyland might become a hot spot for tourism (even more than usual) during that time as L.A. is flooded with people who want to see the Olympics.

Those people might take a break from watching the Games to pop down and visit Mickey Mouse, and we’re expecting that to mean BIG crowds in the parks.

Crowds in Disneyland

However, it’s also possible that the OPPOSITE will be true, as was the case in 1984, the last time the Olympics were held in L.A. The Orange County Register reported that “In 1984 […] Disneyland experienced some of the smallest summer time crowds in its history then.” They attributed the unexpected phenomenon to the fact that many locals left town in order to avoid the influx of tourists.

Disneyland

It’s possible that Disneyland will announce some new attractions or events in order to attract more visitors at that time. The Register pointed out that Disney announced several upgrades for Tokyo Disney Resort before the Tokyo Games, apparently to entice people to stop by the theme parks during their Olympics trip. Of course, that Olympics event was postponed until 2021, and even then there were very few spectators allowed due to the global coronavirus pandemic, so it’s impossible to say whether Disney’s efforts would have paid off.

Overall it seems like it’d be a gamble to visit Disneyland during the Olympics! To be safe, we’d recommend visiting Disneyland before or after the Games take place.