Disneyland at Christmas/Holiday Season Superthread #5

[lorijohnhill]

What do the crowds tend to be like the week of 12/5-12/10?? Is there anything that happens in that time frame that I need to watch out for? I have never been in this time frame, so it is all new to me as far as planning goes.

 

[lunaland]

What do the crowds tend to be like the week of 12/5-12/10?? Is there anything that happens in that time frame that I need to watch out for? I have never been in this time frame, so it is all new to me as far as planning goes.

We go this week every year. Its busy. Normally Candlelight falls during that time frame but this year it will be just before. That should cut down on the congestion on Main Street. We are actually really sad to miss it this year. Its a wonderful time to go, though. Not as bad as closer to Christmas. Can be cold, though.

 

[hsmamato2]

That watched pot finally boiled! Paint the Night is back on the schedule. Oddly, the first day I see it is the 18th. Stay tuned. There could be more fine tuning.

 

[hsmamato2]

So excited about Paint The Night! Now I am hoping theyou announce a special package for dining with a reserved viewing Area! We made blue bayou reservations just in case with hopes we could upgrade our reservation to such a package!,

if you make a res, can you upgrade it if its offered?

 

[mom2rtk]

So I was just looking at my trip plans and checking to see if park hours changed since they added PTN....... and I see the times for the Christmas parade have been changed on Wed 11/16. It had been listed as one running at 4:15. Now there are 2 runs, one at 10:30 and one at 1:15. That seems pretty unusual.

Any guesses what might be up? I was planning on that being one of our less crowded days, but that has me concerned they are up to something......

 

[MacMama0930]

So I was just looking at my trip plans and checking to see if park hours changed since they added PTN....... and I see the times for the Christmas parade have been changed on Wed 11/16. It had been listed as one running at 4:15. Now there are 2 runs, one at 10:30 and one at 1:15. That seems pretty unusual.

Any guesses what might be up? I was planning on that being one of our less crowded days, but that has me concerned they are up to something......

That seems really weird! And it's only on that day! Hmmmmm.....?

 

[mom2rtk]

That seems really weird! And it's only on that day! Hmmmmm.....?

Yes, definitely odd.

I'm still waiting for them to dump a parade taping day into the calendar somewhere, although running the regular Christmas parade at 10:30 doesn't seem like an indication of that.

I'm sure there's another shoe to drop with this.

 

[MacMama0930]

So I was just looking at my trip plans and checking to see if park hours changed since they added PTN....... and I see the times for the Christmas parade have been changed on Wed 11/16. It had been listed as one running at 4:15. Now there are 2 runs, one at 10:30 and one at 1:15. That seems pretty unusual.

Any guesses what might be up? I was planning on that being one of our less crowded days, but that has me concerned they are up to something......

The tour time is still at 2pm on Wednesday, which doesn't make much sense, as preferred viewing for the parade is supposed to be the finale.

 

[mom2rtk]

The tour time is still at 2pm on Wednesday, which doesn't make much sense, as preferred viewing for the parade is supposed to be the finale.

Hmmmm...... Makes no sense at all. Maybe I'll call later and pretend I want to book and ask them about it.

If anyone here has a tour booked that day, it's worth taking a look.

I really just hope it's a mistake and that it changes back.

 

[rentayenta]

When do they generally tape the Christmas Parade?

 

[mom2rtk]

When do they generally tape the Christmas Parade?

It used to be in early November sometime but moved to December last year I believe. I would sure love to hear more details on anything anyone has heard about it this year.

 

[rentayenta]

It used to be in early November sometime but moved to December last year I believe. I would sure love to hear more details on anything anyone has heard about it this year.

That's what I thought; usually before Thanksgiving. I am really hoping we don't overlap with the day they are taping. I would also love the details. We cannot move our trip regardless so I guess I don't really need to know.

 

[mom2rtk]

That's what I thought; usually before Thanksgiving. I am really hoping we don't overlap with the day they are taping. I would also love the details. We cannot move our trip regardless so I guess I don't really need to know.

I would love to hear what has happened on parade taping days in the past and whether these bizarre parade times might be some sort of indication that's what's going on.

We can't move our trip either. But dang, I'm getting weary of getting no information until the bitter end.

 

[Christina-B-Na]

Whats with all the secrecy this year?? They have to know when they are taping as Im sure whatever celeb hosts are lined up for it...are done so WELL in advance. This is such a bizarre year! Entertainment schedule not populated more than a couple of weeks, random closures (critter country), lack of info about holiday festivities...etc. My vacay is locked in as well and I am thankful for the trip in general but I'd at least like to know what I'm in store for and be able to plan accordingly. How can people make educated reservations for things without having any sense of whats going on on which days!?! Uuugh! I'm trying to not be rigid or have a particular schedule for this trip.....but I'm also not a "wing it" kinda girl! Ha!

 

[JessP81]

if you make a res, can you upgrade it if its offered?

We did this once before with the fantasmic package.......so I have my hopes out it would be the same.

 

[DizHanna456]

Were there also lunch packages available for PtN?

 

[cinder-ellah]

Were there also lunch packages available for PtN?

Aladdin's Oasis had lunch with seating for PTNP. I don't remember if the Blue Bayou had lunch or just dinner.

 

[vault19dweller]

Hello!!!!

I have some questions about the 3rd and 4th of December

I, like a few others here, am super excited for PtN to be retuning over the holidays.
We're from Australia and due to family stuff we were unable to make any of the 60th celebrations - so this will be our first & probably last chance to see it.

The schedule for the weekend of the 3rd and 4th if December has just been released, it looks like for both days we'll have:
- Christmas parade: 1pm & 3.15pm
- Holiday fireworks: 8.45pm
- Paint the night: 10.45pm

Though their event schedule is unavailable, I've heard this weekend might also be the weekend for the candlelight procesional?
I'm not 100% though because I can't see it on the official schedule yet.
Guess it could explain why PtN is running only once, and so late.

I can't see BB reservations for PtN yet, but would this be needed for such a late showing?
Would it be better to see it on the Saturday (with Sunday as a backup, in case something crops up on Sat?) or the Sunday? (I'm guessing more people wouldnt want a late night with work / school on Monday?)
Should I just try to keep that time on both nights free, given this is our only ever chance to catch it and I'm super keen on it?

Having the candlelight processional, 2 x christmas parade, fireworks, and PtN all on the same night (two nights in a row) sounds like a logistical nightmare for them, but I guess they must have a way to make it work somehow! I sure don't envy those back stage (in fact I'm super appreciatve for all the hard work that will be going in to make this all happen)

Tbh I picked the first week of December because that's the only month we have this year for travel, and heard that was the lowest crowd option for that month, but with all these events I'm assuming instead it will probably be huge crowds.

Also, I get the idea of the candlelight processional, but have never seen it either.
I'm probably 50/50 on it, like it'd be cool to see, but if it's over-the-top / sardines-in-a-can crowded, or needs to have hours or waiting to get a good spot I'd probably pass... though if I did pass not sure how to avoid that (hop to DCA during candlelight, then back for PtN, or that might be more trouble than what it's worth?)
Is there any way to get a reserved type area for candlelight (like dining packages)?
Is there more than one of these per night?

Sorry for so many questions!

 

[Mamato4boys]

Does anyone know how/if PtN typically affects wait times on rides? We will be there Nov 18th, and unfortunately, my family has no interest in watching it. I'm not a huge parade fan myself, but I was kind of looking forward to seeing what the hype is about. However, my husband has decided to take the 2 little guys back to the hotel early that night and get some rest (we leave for home at 4am Saturday and have a 14 hour drive ahead of us) and my two older boys said they want to use the time to squeeze in as many rides as possible on our last night. I'm hoping a combination of people waiting for the parades and fireworks, us saving Rider Swap passes from earlier in the day, and FPs will mean we can get on several things, despite Friday evenings being pretty crowded and (the first night of??) PtN returning probably bringing in a lot more people.

 

[Niltiac]

Though their event schedule is unavailable, I've heard this weekend might also be the weekend for the candlelight procesional?
I'm not 100% though because I can't see it on the official schedule yet.
Guess it could explain why PtN is running only once, and so late.

I'll try to fill you in on what I know about the candlelight processional. First of all, you won't see it on the official calendar because it's not advertised as a public event. It can usually be assumed that it's going to be the first weekend of December, but we don't have any official confirmation unless one of the invited guests comes on here and informs us.

Also, I get the idea of the candlelight processional, but have never seen it either.
I'm probably 50/50 on it, like it'd be cool to see, but if it's over-the-top / sardines-in-a-can crowded, or needs to have hours or waiting to get a good spot I'd probably pass... though if I did pass not sure how to avoid that (hop to DCA during candlelight, then back for PtN, or that might be more trouble than what it's worth?)
Is there any way to get a reserved type area for candlelight (like dining packages)?
Is there more than one of these per night?

Officially, it's not really for the general public, it's for special invited guests, VIPs, members of club 33, etc. All of the real seating (except for a few benches) are reserved for these guests, and anyone else who wants to watch can fill in the standing areas around/behind the seating. I have heard of instances where they have extra seats available and give them away randomly to people who are waiting for standing spots too, but don't count on it. They don't really make an effort to make sure there's lots of space available since the event is primarily for those seated VIP guests, but they do rope off the areas where you're allowed to stand to help with traffic flow.

If you decide to watch it, there are typically two showings per night. If you want a bench seat, I think you'll have to wait a very long time - possibly all day. But if you just want a reasonable standing spot, you don't have to wait too long. I watched the second showing last year, and I waited in line for my spot while the first show was going on. I don't remember how long I waited, but it was at the end of a long day and I had a curb seat, so it wasn't a bad wait. I've heard that the second showing is less crowded than the first. We were able to get spots right behind the benches for a pretty good view, but since the singers/speakers are on a raised area, I think it would be pretty easy to have an ok view from elsewhere.

If you decide not to watch it, I don't think it's necessary to hop over to DCA. The performance takes place at the very front of the park, so it only affects those who are on their way in and out of the park or who are trying to shop on Main Street. So you might be more encumbered by it if you decide to park hop than if you just stay put in Disneyland. As long as you don't go wandering up to the front of Main Street, you can run all around Disneyland without noticing the processional at all. I would just plan to spend my evening going on rides, up until the point where you want to stake out a spot for PtN. Speaking of which, the people waiting for the second processional last year were in a roped off area that included part of the sidewalk, so once those people stood up to go into the processional area, other people were able to snag those curb spots for the PtN. I can't guarantee it will be situated the same way this year though. Also be aware that there is likely to be one-way traffic enforced on Main Street as the night goes on, so if you want to get a parade spot or do anything else on Main Street, give yourself extra time in case you find yourself needing to loop around the processional to get to the side of the street you want.