pixleyyy
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Feb 6, 2006
When are you going?
Dec. 4-8. That's one month, 3 weeks and 2 days from now!
When are you going?
DisneytheKid -
Here4mydisneyfix -
Hello, and welcome! I'm glad you made it over to this thread! I remember your posts in the Halloween thread. I'm so glad to see that you had a great time, despite the huge crowds!
Christmas season is 100 times better in terms of overall decorations and seasonal immersion. If you like Christmas, you should love DLR at Christmas time!
I think I'd go with the November week. The holiday season will either officially begin on 11/8, 11/11 or 11/15 in 2013, and probably go through 1/5/14. The hotels may not be decorated yet (sometimes they don't get decorated until Thanksgiving weekend), but as long as the season is officially underway, everything else should be in place. It may still be a bit crowded, but you are limited in your choices of weeks so I think that may be the better choice.
If you are saying that the second option is to go after New Year's (when your DH is free from work), it will not only still be crowded, most likely, but you may also miss out on a few little seasonal things here and there (like Santa could possibly disappear from his photos spots, for example). Also, Disney is so sneaky that we assume the holiday season will be in effect through January 5, 2014, but they could always pull a fast one and end it mid-week. You never know with them.
So I choose your November option because at least you won't miss out on much of anything, as long as it's after the official start date!
It's very hard to plan without more information about Candlelight. It would almost be better if Disney had not even announced there would be dinner packages.Priory said:I can't really plan anything until I know how the Candlelight Processional is going to work. I need to know what show I can get into and based on that book my Christmas Tour/parade viewing, plan Fireworks viewing, and make dining reservations accordingly.
It's very hard to plan without more information about Candlelight. It would almost be better if Disney had not even announced there would be dinner packages.
DisneytheKid -
As far as I know (based on previous patterns - but then again, this year seems to be breaking a few typical DLR patterns, so who knows?), Haunted Mansion Holiday will shut down (after DL closes for the night) late on 1/6/13/early 1/7/13 for the removal of the holiday overlay, and stay down for the next 2 or 3 weeks.
Maybe tksbaskets can verify if that info is correct, as she has done a couple of DLR trips that extended through that time frame!
IASW Holiday should still remain open all the way to mid-January (like somewhere close to MLK Day).
I am not sure if the Storybook Land ride closes immediately after that time to remove its tiny decorations. Right now that ride is closed, but it will open for the holiday season.
I am also not sure if the Holly Jolly Jamboree/Reindeer Round-Up closes immediately after 1/6/13.
Thanks for the insight Sherry! I really appreciate all of your awesome Disney knowledge! I am thinking the first week will be better too, however, it all depends on if DH can get it off work or not. I did ask if he could for sure last night and he said it is cutting it close (to Thanksgiving/Black Friday) and vacation is doled out on a case by case basis during that time. Crossing fingers! I sure would love to see it at Christmas too!! To hear that decor is 100 times better gets me all giddy! I love, love LOVE the sweet themes they add to the park. Having never seen Halloween time before, what they did this year was incredible to me (I know it seems less than to the rest of ya!), I can only imagine CHRISTMAS time!! Squeal!! Here's hoping they start on the 8th next year! I am thinking we will have a MUCH better chance of getting to take vacation then rather than if it starts later on!
Thanks Sherry!
Here4mydisneyfix -
You're very welcome - I'm glad I can be of some help. Thank you for the kind words.
Yes, the Halloween stuff is definitely less than what it used to be - I don't think anyone who has been to multiple Halloween seasons can deny that - but to anyone who has never been in the parks for the Halloween season before, you wouldn't know the difference and it wouldn't impact you in any way! As you said, it was incredible to you - and that's all that counts for your trip!
The Christmas season is 100 times better in terms of being more extensive and all-encompassing. Some folks like Halloween better as a holiday, so they won't really enjoy the holiday season as much. But even the people who prefer Halloween as a holiday have to admit that just in terms of the thorough level of decorations alone, the holiday season wins hands down. For example, there are no decorations in the hotels for Halloween Time at all, but during the holiday season they are all decorated. For Halloween Time you can go into many shops and many restaurants and not really see any Halloween decorations (you may see merchandise, but not decor). During the holidays, every shop and restaurant has something.
And California Adventure? As I'm sure you saw, that park has almost no traces of Halloween Time at all. During Christmas time they at least try to decorate it! A Bug's Land has giant lights and ornaments. The Buena Vista Street and Cars Land decorations should be amazing!
And in Disneyland, New Orleans Square and Toon Town have their own special themed holiday decorations.
Even the holiday music changes theme from land to land, with jazz-inspired Christmas songs in New Orleans Square, country versions of holiday classics in Frontierland and Critter Country, songs sung by the characters in Toon Town, calypso-style Christmas songs in Adventureland...and often times the Main Street vehicles will honk out some familiar songs as they drive down the street!
The beauty of the lights on Main Street at night, and the beauty of the stunning IASW Holiday facade and the Winter Castle glowing in icicles is just - for lack of a better word - breathtaking....awe-inspiring... It's not like that during Halloween Time.
I would say that the holidays at DLR are more of an overall 'sensory experience' on every level, while Halloween Time is simply a lot of fun.
You'll have a lot to see!
Mommy2PrincessAbby said:SO the lovely cm also gave me the tentative hours for my trip... she did say it was subject to change, which we all know:
Wed Dec 5th--DL 9 am to 9 pm, DCA 9 am to 8 pm (DCA EE at 8 am)
Thurs Dec 6th--DL 9 am to 10 pm, DCA 9 am to 8 pm (DL EE at 8 am)
Fri Dec 7th--DL 8 am to Mid, DCA 8 am to 10 pm (DCA EE at 7 am)
Sat Dec 8th--DL 8 am to Mid, DCA 8 am to 10 pm (DL EE at 7 am)
Sun Dec 9th--DL 8 am to Mid, DCA 8 am to 10 pm (DCA EE at 7 am)
Mon Dec 10th--DL 9 am to 9 pm, DCA 9 am to 8 pm (DCA EE at 8 am)
I am really really not used to DCA being open before 10... so that sure is going to be interesting to get used to.
Sherry E said:Thanks, DisneylandPlanner, for the link. It looks like they posted that blog just after I was on their site this morning (which is what happens to me a lot of the time).
Hey all!
Just finished calling to book the Holiday tour! I picked the early afternoon one, so I hope that's the right one to pick!