The changes in wait times at Disneyland and Disney California Adventure since the yearlong pandemic closure read like a timeline of the phased reopening of the Anaheim theme parks and the roller coaster ride of the COVID-19 pandemic’s ups and downs.

Thrill Data, which uses big data and statistical analysis to track theme park attraction wait times, has been collecting wait time data for Disneyland and Disney California Adventure since spring 2019.

Are wait times up or down at Disneyland and DCA? It depends on what timeframe you look at.

Over the long term, wait times have remained surprisingly steady according to data analysis of historical Disneyland and DCA attraction wait times collected by Thrill Data comparing May 2021 through January 2022 since the parks reopened to May 2019 to January 2020 before the pandemic closure of the parks.

In the nine months since the parks reopened, wait times have inched up about a 1 minute on average across the resort compared to 2019 and 2020 — increasing approximately 2 minutes at Disneyland and 1 minute at DCA.

Since reopening, wait times have averaged 25 minutes at Disneyland from May 2021 to January 2022 compared to 23 minutes during the same period in 2019 and 2020, according to Thrill Data. DCA wait times rose to 27 minutes in 2021 and 2022 from 26 minutes during same period in 2019 and 2020.

Narrowing down the time frame shows the ebbs and flows of the past nine months and the influences of new programs launched by Disneyland, loosened COVID-19 health and safety restrictions and the uncertainties brought by the pandemic.

Since June, when capacity limits were lifted, wait times are up about 3 minutes at both parks, according to Thrill Data. Since December, when Genie+ line-cutting service launched, wait times have increased approximately 5 minutes across the resort.

January had the highest wait times — 29 minutes at Disneyland and 31 minutes at DCA — since the parks reopened in late April, according to Thrill Data. August had the lowest wait times — 19 minutes at Disneyland and 20 minutes at DCA.

A month-by-month look at attraction wait times reflects the changes taking place during the phased reopening of the Disneyland resort.

Disneyland and DCA reopened on April 30 after a yearlong pandemic closure.

Wait times were down 7 minutes at Disneyland and 12 minutes at DCA in May 2021 when the parks faced state-mandated capacity restrictions compared to the same time period in 2019, according to Thrill Data.

Theme park capacity restrictions were lifted in mid-June drawing huge crowds and long lines. Wait times rose 5 minutes on average in June and 3 minutes in July at both parks.

The coronavirus delta variant surged in the middle of the summer. Wait times dropped 4 minutes on average in August at Disneyland and DCA as travelers canceled plans.

Disneyland launched the new Magic Key annual pass program in late August and an increase in attraction wait times followed. The traditionally slower fall months of September (up 3 minutes), October (up 1 minute) and November (up 2 minutes) all saw increases in attraction wait times across the resort.

Reservation requirements helped reduce traditional holiday crowds in December when an omicron surge discouraged travel. December attraction wait times were down 1 minute on average at both parks.

Disneyland launched the Genie+ line-cutting service in early December and replenished Magic Key reservation availability just before Christmas. January saw the highest increase in wait times since the parks reopened — up 6 minutes on average at Disneyland and 5 minutes at DCA.