Disneyland at Christmas/Holiday Season Superthread #5

[DisKH]

Waiting in the airport for my flight home. Had an amazing trip and will try to post some pictures later of what we did. I accomplished everything and more and within the past four days have gotten a total of 25 hours of sleep which is not enough for me, but definitely worth it.

Right now I'll post some of the frozen fun soft release pics that I had since that seems to be a main interest point right now.




Here's my olaf meet and greet which I grabbed a fastpass for right as they started giving them out. The line was an hour long wait and while I got my fastpass around 10, they were gone when I got back at 11:40.



Here's some of the Anna and Elsa meet and greet including a hidden mickey that they had me search for before they let me into the meeting room.






And here is some freeze the night stuff which was cool but kind of dead around 8:30 when we walked by.

 

[Sherry E]

A holiday flashback to 5 years ago (including a candy cane-making video)...

"Video Rewind: Holidays at Disneyland Park, 2009" -- Disney Parks Blog; posted on December 22nd, 2014 by Erin Glover, Social Media Director, Disneyland Resort

I am quite glad that Erin posted this blog with the 'vintage' video footage, as, for some odd reason, I was not getting the Parks Blog email updates until 2010 and couldn't find much from 2009 when I looked on the Parks Blog last year. When I have scoured the Parks Blog in the past, while researching and collecting all of the links I have included on page 1 of this thread, I could not find much of anything from 2009 at all. I'm not sure if the 2009 stuff was hidden under some different category that I didn't know about, or if it was not archived. Lo and behold, there is a surprise candy cane-making video from 2009 that I never knew about!

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New:

"How Well Do You Know… Disneyland Resort’s Holiday Transformation?" -- Disney Insider; posted on December 19, 2014

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New:

"It’s a Holiday Hoedown at the Jingle Jangle Jamboree at Disneyland Park" -- Disney Parks Blog; posted on December 23rd, 2014 by Erin Glover, Social Media Director, Disneyland Resort

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DisKH --

Thank you so much for sharing the Frozen Fun photos with us! You're right -- I guess it's what people want to see right now, even though it is not fully operational yet -- but we will welcome seeing your other holiday photos too, when you have a chance to share them!

Your pictures of Freeze the Night look much better than they did in the MiceChat/MiceAge photos I was looking at earlier this morning. Their photos showed all of the flaws and "cheap" aspects. Your photos actually make it look much cooler (no pun intended) and prettier!

I'm so glad you had a great trip! Get some sleep!

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Am I the only one who has that catchy "song from the Glade commercial" stuck in her head?

You know the one -- it's the current ad that has been running since early November, for the Winter/Holiday collection of Glade candles, etc., this year. There's a guy at the piano, singing, and -- conveniently -- there is a Glade holiday-scented candle burning nearby.

The song is called This is My Wish, sung by Kevin Ross, but the lyrics that are prominent in the commercial are:

Fill the air with joyful noise
Ring the bell and raise your voice
Let there be peace on Earth
Let there be peace on Earth
Lift your light, let it shine
Shine, shine, shine
Let every voice be heard
Let there be peace on Earth


I can't get the song out of my head!!!!!! Once the holidays end and we're on to Valentine's Day, I will still be humming it!

Not only that, but after repeated viewings of The Christmas Ornament (one of my favorites) on the Hallmark Channel, I can't get the opening scene's song -- which is called Mittens -- out of my head. And, to my horror, I discovered that the song is sung by Cary Rae Jepsen (of Call Me Maybe fame)!!

So that's what I come away with this holiday season -- songs from a Glade commercial and from Carly Rae Jepsen stuck in my head... oh, and my favorite new Christmas movie of the year featured a cat (I love that Ambrose!).

Speaking of which, if you are planning to record any of the new 2014 Hallmark movies to keep on the DVR for a while, Christmas Day is the day to do it -- when there are either no commercials or very few commercials. You'll use less space on the DVR.

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[qckrun]

We went to DCA on Sunday the 21st & DL on the 22nd.

Upon opening I got FPs for RSR, return time for 10-11, FPs for World of Color and FPs for A&E. I did A&E last and still got a FP for return at 915... I do not think many people know about A&Es new location, especially when we were at DL and the hordes of people looking shocked that A&E weren't in the Royal area.

My daughter had a great time with A&E they were the best.

But also wanted to report they were giving FPs out for A&E well past the 3pm range.

Olaf even was giving FPs out at 230 when we returned for our visit.

DL was definitely more crowded, but still rode everything we had hoped to. Rode ToT 3 times with our 5yr old.

 

[DisneyJamieCA]

Hallmark Christmas Movie update:

Finding Christmas - LOVED it! Thank you for making sure I caught this one!
Best Christmas Party Ever - liked it. It was cute and I'm a sucker for anything that included the Nutcracker
The Christmas Parade - didn't like this, mostly because for some reason I didn't really like the lead actress.

 

[DisneylandPlanner]

Watched The Christmas Ornament last night and this morning. Cried for the first 45 min turned it off, finished it this morning really enjoyed the next 20 min, then cried and was bewildered the last 25 min and the it was over. Not my cup of tea maybe because I hate crying. I am pregnant so that might have helped with some of the tears.
Not sure which movie tonight but looking forward to it.

 

[Sherry E]

Watched The Christmas Ornament last night and this morning. Cried for the first 45 min turned it off, finished it this morning really enjoyed the next 20 min, then cried and was bewildered the last 25 min and the it was over. Not my cup of tea maybe because I hate crying. I am pregnant so that might have helped with some of the tears.
Not sure which movie tonight but looking forward to it.

Maybe the pregnancy did coax some of the tears! I'm not sure what you were crying about during the movie!? I loved the movie, but I wasn't crying through it at all. What left you bewildered?

 

[DisneylandPlanner]

Maybe the pregnancy did coax some of the tears! I'm not sure what you were crying about during the movie!? I loved the movie, but I wasn't crying through it at all. What left you bewildered?

I cried she was so sad with out her husband and she played the part sad. But then she put up all those ornaments and did not shed a tear. Bewildered because in a matter of days she went from morning and not talking about her husband, to taking her best friend to a guy's property she just met planning to work there. It just moved way too fast. I also think the skating and leaving the light on were overplayed, but I did like that she lost her mittens a lot.

I did LOVE the cast

 

[Sherry E]

I cried she was so sad with out her husband and she played the part sad. But then she put up all those ornaments and did not shed a tear. Bewildered because in a matter of days she went from morning and not talking about her husband, to taking her best friend to a guy's property she just met planning to work there. It just moved way too fast. I also think the skating and leaving the light on were overplayed, but I did like that she lost her mittens a lot.

I did LOVE the cast

That makes sense. Very interesting! I think that all of the romances in all of the Lifetime/Hallmark/ABC Family/Up/Ion movies move too fast -- that's one of the elements of implausibility that they all entail -- but some of them just 'work' for viewers and some of them just don't work, for whatever reason. It sounds like The Christmas Ornament just didn't work for you.

It could be said that Alicia Witt's character dumped her fiancé and fell in love with her "destiny" way too fast in A Very Merry Mix-Up -- within a couple of days, literally -- but it "worked" so it can be forgiven!

 

[DisneyJamieCA]

Merry Christmas, Sherry & all the fellow Disers. What an amazing holiday season it's been!

 

[Sherry E]

Merry Christmas, Sherry & all the fellow Disers. What an amazing holiday season it's been!

Jamie --

Thank you! Merry Christmas to you as well.

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Apparently Disneyland did not wait until tomorrow to hit capacity (as we all know it does every year at some point after Christmas and by New Year's Day) -- it actually hit capacity today!!!!!!!! I could be wrong -- maybe it just wasn't publicized or well-known -- but I don't think that DL has hit capacity on Christmas day before, or least not in a long time. Has it? Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but we always hear about the capacity issues after Christmas.

And, in case anyone wants to quickly blame AP holders and locals, keep in mind that all levels of AP holders except for Premiums and Premiers were blocked today. I would not be shocked if a lot of Premium AP holders who live locally popped in for a while, but certainly not all of them.

I figured that the addition of Frozen Fun right in time for the Christmas and New Year's weeks was going to be making an already crowded situation a lot worse, and it seems to be the case! Unless rain is in the forecast, the parks just get busier with each holiday season -- and I don't think it will be any different for the 60th anniversary year's holiday season.

Anyone who is in the parks today and tomorrow, and was there in the middle of the masses of people, please report back to us! I know that Cindy (meljensmom) is there.

 

[stich626]

Enjoying everyone's photos! Can't wait to go next year!

 

[Sherry E]

Happy post-Christmas day! Or, happy Boxing Day, to those who celebrate it! I hope that everyone had a wonderful Christmas. It was lovely weather here -- well, lovely for me, that is! The air was really chilly and there was lots of wind. It actually seemed more like what a proper Autumn Day should be than a Winter day, but that's Southern California for you. Our seasons are delayed, so our Fall weather comes in Winter. Winter weather often comes near the end of Winter or start of Spring. Summer weather lasts well into Fall.

Today I bring to you visions of Christmas past. This Yesterland blog/article -- titled The First Christmas at California Adventure -- is a real treat for anyone here who is a Disney holiday season fan. It focuses only on the very first holiday season at DCA, in 2001.

In the piece, it is fascinating to see the decorations (especially to those of us who are 'Disneyland Resort seasonal decorations aficionados'!) that were up in 2001, in comparison to later years, and in comparison to what's there right now. Judging from the assortment of photos that you all have posted in previous Theme Week Countdowns over the past few years, I am going to guess that most of you have either not seen some of the old DCA holiday decorations shown in this article's photos, either -- or you just weren't taking photos of decorations at that point in time.

I am kicking myself for not going into California Adventure in 2001! Look at what I missed -- holiday scarecrows! A Santa ears hat on the water tower! Rustic Santa Claus greeting guests by the waterfalls, wearing green pants and a plaid shirt!!! Extra garland and décor in the Pacific Wharf area! The main Christmas tree was in a totally different spot!

I was there, right across the Esplanade at Disneyland, in November 2001. I was there for the debut season of Haunted Mansion Holiday. I was in Downtown Disney. I was at the Disneyland Hotel and at the Grand Californian Hotel. I saw the first GCH Christmas tree, on the very first day it was put up -- right after Thanksgiving. But, sadly, during that 2001 holiday season trip, my friends and I did not go to California Adventure. We thought, "Why go there? It's all roller coasters and thrill rides, and it's not like Disneyland."

In fact, I didn't make my first foray into California Adventure until -- gasp! -- 2007!!! And I had to talk my friend into going into DCA, because she was wondering why we would possibly need to see DCA since were already in Disneyland. Thankfully, I got there in time to enjoy Candy Corn Acres during Halloween Time for a few years before it disappeared, but the Christmas/holiday season offerings were minimal that year, in a way. It actually looks like 2001 may have been a better "decorations year" at DCA than 2007 was.

In any case, even though DCA's holiday festivities are better today than they were back then, in many ways, I will admit that I would not mind seeing a return of the holiday scarecrows and Rustic Santa! Nothing beats the charm of Buena Vista Street, or the whimsy of Cars Land, or the charming holiday touches in the other lands. But there should always be a place for holiday scarecrows and Log Cabin Lumberjack Santa!

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Welcome, stitch626! I'm glad you joined us! I think that 2015 should be an interesting year, in terms of how the 60th anniversary events affect the holiday season events.



Thank you, also, to qckrun, for reporting in and letting us know how things went on your trip!

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[Melknor]

I want thank everyone for their information provided on this thread! We surprised our boys with a trip 12/21 - 12/23. Without all of you I would not have known about The jingle jangle jamboree, holidays haunted mansion ( which we rode five times), it's a small world lighting, wrist bands for fresh candy canes and when we were able to see the snow not to mention ice skating at downtown Disney. Crowds are manageable Sunday and Monday but Tuesday were really hectic. However I remembered to take it slow and take in the magic and we had a wonderful trip with lots of great memories!!!

 

[Sherry E]

I want thank everyone for their information provided on this thread! We surprised our boys with a trip 12/21 - 12/23. Without all of you I would not have known about The jingle jangle jamboree, holidays haunted mansion ( which we rode five times), it's a small world lighting, wrist bands for fresh candy canes and when we were able to see the snow not to mention ice skating at downtown Disney. Crowds are manageable Sunday and Monday but Tuesday were really hectic. However I remembered to take it slow and take in the magic and we had a wonderful trip with lots of great memories!!!

Thank you so much for reporting back to us, Melknor! I'm very happy that this thread is helpful for people who are planning holiday trips.

It sounds as if you had a great trip and made the most of your time all around Disneyland Resort, doing all sorts of fun things. You probably got a lot done before the crowds set in, which is good.

Did you enjoy the candy cane? It is pretty expensive (and huge) for a candy cane -- and some seem to think it's worth it, while others think it's too much.

 

[Melknor]

Thank you so much for reporting back to us, Melknor! I'm very happy that this thread is helpful for people who are planning holiday trips. It sounds as if you had a great trip and made the most of your time all around Disneyland Resort, doing all sorts of fun things. You probably got a lot done before the crowds set in, which is good. Did you enjoy the candy cane? It is pretty expensive (and huge) for a candy cane -- and some seem to think it's worth it, while others think it's too much.

My son loves and really wanted one of the candy canes. Since I knew you could get you candy cane but not necessarily a fresh made one I wasn't stressed over trying to get that wristband. We lucked into it at DCA when I happened to see the sign and popped in line for one. I don't really like candy canes and peppermint too much but did try his and have to say it is very good. Not overly minty. And they are HUGE!!

 

[Sherry E]

My son loves and really wanted one of the candy canes. Since I knew you could get you candy cane but not necessarily a fresh made one I wasn't stressed over trying to get that wristband. We lucked into it at DCA when I happened to see the sign and popped in line for one. I don't really like candy canes and peppermint too much but did try his and have to say it is very good. Not overly minty. And they are HUGE!!

I'm so glad you were able to get a fresh cane! I think the main 'thing' about the candy canes is supposed to be the freshness of them, and getting them right after they have been made that same day. No one makes a big deal about the wrapped ones sold in the shops because I guess they're not special -- other than being huge. You could get a wrapped candy cane in one of the shops, but those are made off-property and not fresh.

I like things such as peppermint ice cream, or bits of crushed peppermint mixed into other things, or a small peppermint stick or small candy cane stuck in a cup of hot chocolate -- but that giant candy cane is too much for me!

 

[HappiestHaunt]

We were there Christmas day. We arrived at Mickey and Friends Parking at around 9:40 and got into the park by 10:15. When we first arrived at DL, main street was crowded so we took the fire truck down the street which made for a nice way to get through the street without fighting crowds to do it.
The park was very busy, but since I go slow, we ambled and enjoyed the decorations and the blessing on being able to visit on Christmas Day. Managed to ride BTMRR, HM, POTC, and Winnie the Pooh rides. Had a lovely treat from the candy shop in pooh corner and a skewer at Bengal. Then we left and enjoyed DD for a bit prior to our dinner reservation at Storytellers (so good). We then headed to DCA, which was busy but not insanely so (crowds disperse better there than DL). We rode Screaming, Toy Story, and TOT before calling it a night at 8. Frankly, DCA was pleasant and did not feel nearly as crowded. It was a nice way to finish off the day actually. And the cast members everywhere were outstanding! All in all, we would go again, doing DL in the morning and switch to DCA again. That was ideal to get the best of both.

 

[Sherry E]

We were there Christmas day. We arrived at Mickey and Friends Parking at around 9:40 and got into the park by 10:15. When we first arrived at DL, main street was crowded so we took the fire truck down the street which made for a nice way to get through the street without fighting crowds to do it.
The park was very busy, but since I go slow, we ambled and enjoyed the decorations and the blessing on being able to visit on Christmas Day. Managed to ride BTMRR, HM, POTC, and Winnie the Pooh rides. Had a lovely treat from the candy shop in pooh corner and a skewer at Bengal. Then we left and enjoyed DD for a bit prior to our dinner reservation at Storytellers (so good). We then headed to DCA, which was busy but not insanely so (crowds disperse better there than DL). We rode Screaming, Toy Story, and TOT before calling it a night at 8. Frankly, DCA was pleasant and did not feel nearly as crowded. It was a nice way to finish off the day actually. And the cast members everywhere were outstanding! All in all, we would go again, doing DL in the morning and switch to DCA again. That was ideal to get the best of both.

HappiestHaunt --

Thank you so much for reporting back to us! So you were there on a day when DL reached capacity!

I think you're on to something when you say that DCA didn't feel as crowded because the crowds disperse differently and better than they do in Disneyland. DCA always feels roomier and more spacious, whereas a lot of the walkways in DL are just narrow and packed with people.

It sounds as though you had a wonderful day.

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It looks as though Olaf's Snow Fest is open. I just saw some photos of it on the MouseWait Facebook page. The snow slide looks cool, and the food (which apparently includes meatballs and cinnamon twists?) seems appealing. Everything is dimly lit and... blue. It's all blue. All of the Frozen Fun in Hollywood Land is blue or blue-tinted.

I still think there is way, way too much Frozen, all at once, largely concentrated in the same spot, and in a spot where it doesn't really fit (thematically). But... there it is. The sing-along is open. The meet & greet is open. Freeze the Night is open (and the decorations in that area are cheap and tacky-looking, with the exception of the ice sculptures). The Storybook Land Canal Boats are open again. And now Snow Fest is open.

The only thing left to open is the Frozen show at the Royal Theatre in Fantasyland, correct?

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[figment_jii]

Happy (be-lated) Holidays to everyone! I hope everyone had a good holidays.

I saw the photos from the snow fest and I though it looked cute. I suppose, though, my frame of reference was the snow play ground in DHS, which was pretty underwhelming. This looks like a vast improvement!

I agree that Frozen Fun looks very blue and blue-white, but it goes well with the theme of Frozen and the snow. I can't really think of any other colors that represent snow and ice better.

While I agree that it's a lot of Frozen all at once, I'm kind of glad they've concentrated it in one place. It means less running around if you have a Frozen-fan or it's easier to avoid if you don't like Frozen. In terms of not really fitting in thematically, that doesn't really bother me. I didn't think Electronica or Mad T Party really fit in either, but I also think that whole Hollywood land are kind of lacks a cohesive theme (I mean Monsters Inc, Muppets, Aladdin, and ToT aren't really similar anyway), so it's not a huge drawback to me (perhaps having Frozen near Playhouse Disney fits!). I suppose the only place where they would fit in is Fantasyland, but I'm kind of glad they didn't overwhelm FL with Frozen. I'm sad to hear that Olaf is just sleeping the whole day now, but I suppose it would make sense to have him awake if A&E aren't there to greet guests.

So I'm hopeful that the Frozen Fun stuff will go over well. Regardless, I'm sure I'll check out the area on my next trip to DLR!

 

[Sherry E]

Happy (be-lated) Holidays to everyone! I hope everyone had a good holidays.

I saw the photos from the snow fest and I though it looked cute. I suppose, though, my frame of reference was the snow play ground in DHS, which was pretty underwhelming. This looks like a vast improvement!

I agree that Frozen Fun looks very blue and blue-white, but it goes well with the theme of Frozen and the snow. I can't really think of any other colors that represent snow and ice better.

While I agree that it's a lot of Frozen all at once, I'm kind of glad they've concentrated it in one place. It means less running around if you have a Frozen-fan or it's easier to avoid if you don't like Frozen. In terms of not really fitting in thematically, that doesn't really bother me. I didn't think Electronica or Mad T Party really fit in either, but I also think that whole Hollywood land are kind of lacks a cohesive theme (I mean Monsters Inc, Muppets, Aladdin, and ToT aren't really similar anyway), so it's not a huge drawback to me (perhaps having Frozen near Playhouse Disney fits!). I suppose the only place where they would fit in is Fantasyland, but I'm kind of glad they didn't overwhelm FL with Frozen. I'm sad to hear that Olaf is just sleeping the whole day now, but I suppose it would make sense to have him awake if A&E aren't there to greet guests.

So I'm hopeful that the Frozen Fun stuff will go over well. Regardless, I'm sure I'll check out the area on my next trip to DLR!

You're not sick of Frozen like I am (and like some other people are), so this all looks good to you so far. The few of us who are sick of it can see very little excitement in a Hollywood-themed land being inundated with Olaf and company.

Out of all of the Frozen Fun that has arrived at DLR, the only things I am interested in are the addition to the SBL Canal Boat ride and Olaf's Snow Fest.

I could not care less about the show at the Royal Theater (when it opens). I could not care less about the sing-along and I will be avoiding that. I could not care less about the meet & greet. Freeze the Night seems to have been kind of haphazardly thrown together, and the reviews I've read make it sound as though it still comes off as unfinished and sloppy (including the decorations). Freeze the Night may improve, but right now it's lacking, apparently.

Hollywood Land is now a mess of themes that have no cohesion and continuity to them, but there is only one of most things -- one Aladdin event; one Finding Nemo-related event; one Muppets event; and one Monsters, Inc. event. There are multiple Frozen things now invading Hollywood Land -- the number of Frozen things in that land has overpowered the number of other things. It might as well just become a full-fledged Frozen Land.

The Tower of Terror is not a bad fit in HL because of its Hollywood hotel concept, but when it is tossed in with an Aladdin element, a Finding Nemo element, a Muppets element (which is probably gone forever) and a Monsters, Inc. element, then the ToT seems to not fit.

I like Monsters, Inc., and I think that a whole Monster-land would have been a lot of fun, but the only way I think it "fits" in Hollywood Land is through a sort of indirect, vague "monster movie" theme -- and that is stretching it! Still, though, it fits better (thematically) than multiple Frozen elements in Hollywood Land. Fantasyland would be much better for Frozen, but there simply is not enough room in Fantasyland.

If the rumors are true about Toontown eventually being torn down to make way for a Star Wars Land (which makes no sense to me in that specific location either, when Tomorrowland should be revamped to become Star Wars Land), whoever is in charge of such decisions should rethink that plan and turn Toontown into Frozen Land instead. I think that would be a much better idea and a better fit than to try to stick Star Wars in the Toontown spot.