ANAHEIM – Patrick Chan used a single word to describe Disneyland on Christmas: madness.

The 41-year-old and his family from San Francisco have visited the theme park on Christmas the past four years, but this time attendance seemed unusually large.

“Of course, it’s always packed,” Chan said. “But this year, you couldn’t move. It was really bad.”

Sometimes, Disneyland has a problem – it is just too darn popular, even at $96 for an adult ticket.

So the theme park will refuse to let guests flow in for a few hours, like it did on Christmas Day, when guests on social media complained of not being let in while others, lucky enough to get inside, vented at having to endure extremely long lines for rides.

With New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day approaching, guests should be prepared for similar circumstances.

“The days post-Christmas leading up to New Year’s are always the busiest days to visit the park,” said Robert Niles, editor at ThemeParkInsider.com, which bills itself as a consumer’s guide to the world’s top theme parks.

At what point Disneyland temporarily shuts its gates – to balance letting in a lot of people without allowing the park to get too crowded by Disney standards – is a mystery to outsiders.

Disney officials won’t divulge any number.

The Anaheim Fire Department has capacities for buildings but not one for the overall park because most of it is considered outdoor space, said police Lt. Bob Dunn, spokesman for the police and fire agencies.

Several years ago, Disney posted the park’s capacity at 65,000 on a company website that no longer exists. If that figure is still the mark, the figure might periodically change based on temporarily closed attractions or areas. Disney fan sites estimate that the cutoff is 55,000 to 65,000.

Once the park stops admitting guests, late arrivals can purchase park-hopper tickets for the price of entrance to one park; they then go to nearby Disney California Adventure and are given a time to enter Disneyland. At least once, California Adventure stopped admitting newcomers.

Those who are allowed in at Disneyland can leave and return with hands stamped.

Melissa Britt, a Disneyland Resort spokeswoman, said Disney’s procedure to temporarily stop admitting guests happens “infrequently.” Several annual pass-holders say it usually happens on holidays such as the Fourth of July, Christmas, New Year’s Eve and when the park is open for 24-hour celebrations.

“Visiting the Disneyland Resort is a holiday tradition for many of our guests,” Britt said in an email. “We work to accommodate all of our guests and ensure a great experience, whether they visit Disneyland or Disney California Adventure park.”

Niles said that with the new “Frozen” attractions at Disneyland and Disney California Adventure and with kids out of school and many people on vacation, it’s no surprise why Disneyland is so popular this time of year.

For those who aren’t hurting financially and are looking for a fun thing to do, “Disneyland tops that list,” he said.

Jonathan Lee, 30, plans to visit Disneyland on New Year’s Eve, a tradition he and his friends have done the past couple of years. He said Disneyland usually stops admitting new visitors around 5 or 6 p.m. on New Year’s Eve; on that night this year, Disneyland will close at 2 a.m.

“I’m coming with a two-liter CamelBak, granola bars, snacks, protein powder and plenty of five-hour energy drinks,” said Lee, a first lieutenant in the Air Force based in Las Vegas. “I know it’s going to be cold, so I’ll also pack jackets, sweatshirts and beanies.”

David Derks of Studio City said he’ll be at Disney California Adventure on New Year’s Eve; it will close at 1 a.m. that night.

“I know it’s going to be crowded, but I go without expectations,” Derks said. “Go with the flow.”

Contact the writer: 714-704-3764 or jpimentel@ocregister.com