Sherry E
Currently tag-less...
- Joined
- Jan 5, 2008
As expected, my Internet is still acting spotty. It came up last night and was still up when I went to sleep, and still on this morning, and then it went down again -- for 6 hours. It just popped up again. There is no rhyme or reason to it. The Time Warner people are supposed to come back again on Tuesday (not tomorrow, as I have jury duty). It's bit trickier to trace the problem in an apartment building, apparently.
So... since I have no idea if the Internet will be working tomorrow morning for me to be able to post the new Theme Week, I am going to post it now, while I can get online. You still have a few more hours to post your IASWH, Fantasyland and Jingle Cruise photos (tonight only), but let's pretend that it's Monday morning and we have a new theme.
With each new week will come a different Disneyland Resort holiday theme!
As I have previously mentioned in this Superthread, I’ll be showcasing a particular aspect of DLR's holiday festivities each week until early November. Including today’s theme, there are 7 more themes to explore over the next 7 weeks: Six main weekly themes every Monday from today, September 21, 2015, through October 26, 2015, and a final “Holiday Cornucopia/These Are a Few of My Favorite Things” theme on Monday, November 2, 2015 (there will be more details about what the “Cornucopia” can include when we get closer to that date!).
Last year I began the Countdown about 3 weeks earlier than I started it this year. I am ending it before the Holidays at DLR officially commence (which will be Friday, November 13th, 2015, although certain things will likely soft open or soft launch on the weekend before Veterans Day). Once November starts and the decorations in the parks appear little by little each day, our attention shifts to learning information about and seeing photos of what is new for the current season’s celebration. This year there are many questions revolving around what will or will not be back for the holidays with the current focus on the Diamond (60th) Anniversary of Disneyland, and all eyes will be on any news or reports coming in from the parks.
Theme Week Countdowns are a great way to keep the photos rolling in on a regular basis and build anticipation for November at the Disneyland Resort! They are also a way to display the different elements, nuances and details of the Holidays at DLR that may be totally new to some visitors…or previously unnoticed/undiscovered by others. Finally, this is an excellent way for our Theme Week Countdown participants to shine a light on their wonderful pictures and attract visitors to their Trip Reports, photo libraries, etc.
Last week, we enjoyed the Yuletide season around the world as we sailed through It’s a Small World Holiday, strolled through Fantasyland and cruised through the jolliest of jungles on the Jingle Cruise. We have also stepped back in time to see how Christmas was celebrated on Buena Vista Street and in Hollywood Land in the 1920s through the 1940s, respectively. We have also explored: the seaside celebrations in Paradise Pier & Pacific Wharf; tempting Holiday Treats & Treasures (a.k.a. Food & Merchandise); different seasonal photo options with Holiday Characters, PhotoPass and Santa Claus; and beautiful Christmas Trees, Wreaths and Holiday Horticulture (Holiday Flowers and Plants) around Disneyland Resort.
So…what will be our seventh theme of 2015? It is a double header Theme Week, featuring 2 themes in one!! Today, we venture out of the parks to enjoy some of the decorations and festivities around the other areas of Disneyland Resort!
Beginning on or close to Thanksgiving, one of the wonderful aspects of the holiday season at the Disneyland Resort – and possibly one of the most overlooked – is the décor that you can find around the three Resort hotels: The Disneyland Hotel, the Paradise Pier Hotel and the Grand Californian Hotel. Each hotel has its own unique theme and ambiance.
Whether it’s the wacky, colorful, slightly askew tree which greets guests at Goofy’s Kitchen in the Disneyland Hotel; the Dickens carolers performing by the enormous, elegantly rustic Christmas tree in the cozy Grand Californian Hotel lobby; or the combination of ocean-inspired decorations and gorgeous, glowing jewel tones on the majestic Paradise Pier tree, there are many amazing things to see which can get you in the holiday spirit!
In 2013, all 3 hotels received new decorations to replace or complement the existing holiday overlays: The Grand Californian’s main Christmas tree was bathed in shiny new light, and reindeer were stationed outside of the entrance to greet guests as they drove or walked up to the hotel; the Paradise Pier’s primary Christmas tree was decked out in an array of oceanic ornaments; and the Disneyland Hotel’s main entrance was speckled with small lights that changed color every few seconds. In 2014, the Grand Californian received its own life-size lobby gingerbread house, following a holiday tradition adopted by the Grand Floridian at Walt Disney World years ago.
One of the best things to do is to curl up on a comfortable sofa or in a chair to soak in the atmosphere at the Grand Californian, as a pianist and guitarist take turns entertaining the relaxed audience with Christmas music. Santa Claus holds court by the tree, and there are PhotoPass photographers nearby to capture those special moments. Or, perhaps, snuggle up by the hearth with a loved one, sipping hot cocoa. Over at White Water Snacks and Storytellers Café you will find gingerbread houses, which are quite aromatic if you catch them shortly after they are first set up in their locations.
Disneyland Hotel’s Santa photo spot is a rather elaborate one, filled with reindeer decorations, toys and even cookies and milk left by the fireplace. Don’t miss the large ‘gingerbread’ Castle in the Fantasy Tower lobby, and breathe in the faint smell of gingerbread that surrounds it.
The striking blue-green lobby Christmas tree is the true highlight of the decorations at the Paradise Pier Hotel, but you can also find some festive holiday touches near the PCH Grill and around the hotel property. New to the holiday season of 2013 was an assortment of sea-themed creatures and knick knacks on and around the tree, as well as large shells, surfboards and a starfish topper.
Anyone is welcome to visit the three Disneyland Resort hotels – you do not have to be an overnight guest to enjoy these offerings – and it’s a great way to take a break from the chaos of the parks while staying connected to holiday merriment in some way. However, keep in mind that the hotels are usually not decorated when the holiday season begins in November, which is likely dependent on how early or late Thanksgiving falls in the month (a late Thanksgiving might mean that the decorations go up about 9 days before the holiday, and an earlier Thanksgiving might mean that the decorations go up immediately before Thanksgiving). The Christmas trees will be the first things to go up, and everything else will follow in the time leading up to Thanksgiving.
So, if you are planning a visit to Disneyland Resort in the earlier part of the holiday season (mid-November), you may not see the hotels in their Christmas-y splendor. If you want to be sure to include visits to the Hotels in your holiday trip (and all 3 hotels are within easy walking distance from the parks), plan your trip for Thanksgiving or after, just to be on the safe side.
For all intents and purposes, Downtown Disney is a typical outdoor shopping center. It features several stores and counter service eateries familiar to anyone who has walked the mall circuit when on a hunt for that perfect gift – Wetzel’s Pretzels, Haagen Dazs, Jamba Juice, Sephora, Build-A-Bear Workshop, Rainforest Café, LEGO and even House of Blues. In fact, fairly new to Downtown Disney Anaheim is the omnipresent Starbucks.
To add a bit of a Mouse-ified ‘stamp’ on this shopping center, there are also a few Disney-owned and operated stores onsite: Marceline’s Confectionery (look for the hidden Mickey in the shop’s sign/logo); D Street (look for the blinking red and green ‘stop and go’ Mickeys in the yellow street signal); Anna & Elsa’s Boutique (which replaced Studio Disney 365); Disney Vault 28 (look for the hidden Mickey at the entrance); WonderGround Gallery; and, of course, the enormous World of Disney.
During the holiday season of 2012 an ice skating rink and “Christmas Village” (2 or 3 temporary kiosks referred to as “chalets”) were set up in Downtown Disney -- in part as promotion for the Secret of the Wings movie. The rink replaced the Christmas tree that had towered over the border of the Disneyland Hotel and Downtown Disney for years.
In 2013, the ice skating rink returned with a new Frozen-inspired name – “Olaf’s Frozen Ice Rink” -- and the Village was re-labeled the “Winter Village.” The Christmas tree (the same one from pre-2012) was back in place as the centerpiece of the rink. Other Downtown Disney establishments such as Catal, ESPN Zone and Tortilla Jo’s got into the spirit of the season with their own decorations. Other seasonal elements such as gift-wrapping demonstrations, Christmas carolers and performances of scenes from The Nutcracker by the Anaheim Ballet were added in as well.
The ice rink, Village, tree, etc., were back in 2014 and will be back for the Holidays of 2015 as well.
Grand Californian Hotel
Reindeer out in front of the GCH, greeting guests as they drive and walk up…
Gingerbread house in Storytellers Café…
Gingerbread house in White Water Snacks…
Giant tree in the lobby…
Older favorites…
(December 2010)
(December 2012)
Storytellers Café gingerbread house…
Disneyland Hotel
Giant fake gingerbread Castle in the lobby of the Fantasy Tower (in 2013, there was a piped-in smell of gingerbread coming from somewhere that I could not figure out)…
Santa’s beautiful photo spot in the Fantasy Tower…
These colored lights were brand new in 2013. They were in all of the planters outside of the front entrance to the Disneyland Hotel, and each individual bulb changed to a different color every few seconds…
The Goofy’s Kitchen tree…
Themed tree in the Adventure Tower (notice the themed accessories)…
The Tangaroa Terrace tree is filled with tropical flowers, candles and shells…
The themed tree in the Frontier Tower has a more rustic design…
Paradise Pier Hotel
The beautiful tree, with some new and “interesting” sea-themed decorations…
In a window display near Surf’s Up…
Continued in next post...
So... since I have no idea if the Internet will be working tomorrow morning for me to be able to post the new Theme Week, I am going to post it now, while I can get online. You still have a few more hours to post your IASWH, Fantasyland and Jingle Cruise photos (tonight only), but let's pretend that it's Monday morning and we have a new theme.
……Only 53 Days Until the
Holiday Season Begins at the Disneyland Resort!!!!
Holiday Season Begins at the Disneyland Resort!!!!
With each new week will come a different Disneyland Resort holiday theme!
As I have previously mentioned in this Superthread, I’ll be showcasing a particular aspect of DLR's holiday festivities each week until early November. Including today’s theme, there are 7 more themes to explore over the next 7 weeks: Six main weekly themes every Monday from today, September 21, 2015, through October 26, 2015, and a final “Holiday Cornucopia/These Are a Few of My Favorite Things” theme on Monday, November 2, 2015 (there will be more details about what the “Cornucopia” can include when we get closer to that date!).
Last year I began the Countdown about 3 weeks earlier than I started it this year. I am ending it before the Holidays at DLR officially commence (which will be Friday, November 13th, 2015, although certain things will likely soft open or soft launch on the weekend before Veterans Day). Once November starts and the decorations in the parks appear little by little each day, our attention shifts to learning information about and seeing photos of what is new for the current season’s celebration. This year there are many questions revolving around what will or will not be back for the holidays with the current focus on the Diamond (60th) Anniversary of Disneyland, and all eyes will be on any news or reports coming in from the parks.
Theme Week Countdowns are a great way to keep the photos rolling in on a regular basis and build anticipation for November at the Disneyland Resort! They are also a way to display the different elements, nuances and details of the Holidays at DLR that may be totally new to some visitors…or previously unnoticed/undiscovered by others. Finally, this is an excellent way for our Theme Week Countdown participants to shine a light on their wonderful pictures and attract visitors to their Trip Reports, photo libraries, etc.
Last week, we enjoyed the Yuletide season around the world as we sailed through It’s a Small World Holiday, strolled through Fantasyland and cruised through the jolliest of jungles on the Jingle Cruise. We have also stepped back in time to see how Christmas was celebrated on Buena Vista Street and in Hollywood Land in the 1920s through the 1940s, respectively. We have also explored: the seaside celebrations in Paradise Pier & Pacific Wharf; tempting Holiday Treats & Treasures (a.k.a. Food & Merchandise); different seasonal photo options with Holiday Characters, PhotoPass and Santa Claus; and beautiful Christmas Trees, Wreaths and Holiday Horticulture (Holiday Flowers and Plants) around Disneyland Resort.
So…what will be our seventh theme of 2015? It is a double header Theme Week, featuring 2 themes in one!! Today, we venture out of the parks to enjoy some of the decorations and festivities around the other areas of Disneyland Resort!
In the Spotlight this Week......
THE HOTELS OF THE DISNEYLAND RESORT (Disneyland Hotel, Grand Californian Hotel and Paradise Pier Hotel)
and DOWNTOWN DISNEY!!!!
THE HOTELS OF THE DISNEYLAND RESORT (Disneyland Hotel, Grand Californian Hotel and Paradise Pier Hotel)
and DOWNTOWN DISNEY!!!!
Beginning on or close to Thanksgiving, one of the wonderful aspects of the holiday season at the Disneyland Resort – and possibly one of the most overlooked – is the décor that you can find around the three Resort hotels: The Disneyland Hotel, the Paradise Pier Hotel and the Grand Californian Hotel. Each hotel has its own unique theme and ambiance.
Whether it’s the wacky, colorful, slightly askew tree which greets guests at Goofy’s Kitchen in the Disneyland Hotel; the Dickens carolers performing by the enormous, elegantly rustic Christmas tree in the cozy Grand Californian Hotel lobby; or the combination of ocean-inspired decorations and gorgeous, glowing jewel tones on the majestic Paradise Pier tree, there are many amazing things to see which can get you in the holiday spirit!
In 2013, all 3 hotels received new decorations to replace or complement the existing holiday overlays: The Grand Californian’s main Christmas tree was bathed in shiny new light, and reindeer were stationed outside of the entrance to greet guests as they drove or walked up to the hotel; the Paradise Pier’s primary Christmas tree was decked out in an array of oceanic ornaments; and the Disneyland Hotel’s main entrance was speckled with small lights that changed color every few seconds. In 2014, the Grand Californian received its own life-size lobby gingerbread house, following a holiday tradition adopted by the Grand Floridian at Walt Disney World years ago.
One of the best things to do is to curl up on a comfortable sofa or in a chair to soak in the atmosphere at the Grand Californian, as a pianist and guitarist take turns entertaining the relaxed audience with Christmas music. Santa Claus holds court by the tree, and there are PhotoPass photographers nearby to capture those special moments. Or, perhaps, snuggle up by the hearth with a loved one, sipping hot cocoa. Over at White Water Snacks and Storytellers Café you will find gingerbread houses, which are quite aromatic if you catch them shortly after they are first set up in their locations.
Disneyland Hotel’s Santa photo spot is a rather elaborate one, filled with reindeer decorations, toys and even cookies and milk left by the fireplace. Don’t miss the large ‘gingerbread’ Castle in the Fantasy Tower lobby, and breathe in the faint smell of gingerbread that surrounds it.
The striking blue-green lobby Christmas tree is the true highlight of the decorations at the Paradise Pier Hotel, but you can also find some festive holiday touches near the PCH Grill and around the hotel property. New to the holiday season of 2013 was an assortment of sea-themed creatures and knick knacks on and around the tree, as well as large shells, surfboards and a starfish topper.
Anyone is welcome to visit the three Disneyland Resort hotels – you do not have to be an overnight guest to enjoy these offerings – and it’s a great way to take a break from the chaos of the parks while staying connected to holiday merriment in some way. However, keep in mind that the hotels are usually not decorated when the holiday season begins in November, which is likely dependent on how early or late Thanksgiving falls in the month (a late Thanksgiving might mean that the decorations go up about 9 days before the holiday, and an earlier Thanksgiving might mean that the decorations go up immediately before Thanksgiving). The Christmas trees will be the first things to go up, and everything else will follow in the time leading up to Thanksgiving.
So, if you are planning a visit to Disneyland Resort in the earlier part of the holiday season (mid-November), you may not see the hotels in their Christmas-y splendor. If you want to be sure to include visits to the Hotels in your holiday trip (and all 3 hotels are within easy walking distance from the parks), plan your trip for Thanksgiving or after, just to be on the safe side.
For all intents and purposes, Downtown Disney is a typical outdoor shopping center. It features several stores and counter service eateries familiar to anyone who has walked the mall circuit when on a hunt for that perfect gift – Wetzel’s Pretzels, Haagen Dazs, Jamba Juice, Sephora, Build-A-Bear Workshop, Rainforest Café, LEGO and even House of Blues. In fact, fairly new to Downtown Disney Anaheim is the omnipresent Starbucks.
To add a bit of a Mouse-ified ‘stamp’ on this shopping center, there are also a few Disney-owned and operated stores onsite: Marceline’s Confectionery (look for the hidden Mickey in the shop’s sign/logo); D Street (look for the blinking red and green ‘stop and go’ Mickeys in the yellow street signal); Anna & Elsa’s Boutique (which replaced Studio Disney 365); Disney Vault 28 (look for the hidden Mickey at the entrance); WonderGround Gallery; and, of course, the enormous World of Disney.
During the holiday season of 2012 an ice skating rink and “Christmas Village” (2 or 3 temporary kiosks referred to as “chalets”) were set up in Downtown Disney -- in part as promotion for the Secret of the Wings movie. The rink replaced the Christmas tree that had towered over the border of the Disneyland Hotel and Downtown Disney for years.
In 2013, the ice skating rink returned with a new Frozen-inspired name – “Olaf’s Frozen Ice Rink” -- and the Village was re-labeled the “Winter Village.” The Christmas tree (the same one from pre-2012) was back in place as the centerpiece of the rink. Other Downtown Disney establishments such as Catal, ESPN Zone and Tortilla Jo’s got into the spirit of the season with their own decorations. Other seasonal elements such as gift-wrapping demonstrations, Christmas carolers and performances of scenes from The Nutcracker by the Anaheim Ballet were added in as well.
The ice rink, Village, tree, etc., were back in 2014 and will be back for the Holidays of 2015 as well.
Grand Californian Hotel
Reindeer out in front of the GCH, greeting guests as they drive and walk up…
Gingerbread house in Storytellers Café…
Gingerbread house in White Water Snacks…
Giant tree in the lobby…
Older favorites…
(December 2010)
(December 2012)
Storytellers Café gingerbread house…
Disneyland Hotel
Giant fake gingerbread Castle in the lobby of the Fantasy Tower (in 2013, there was a piped-in smell of gingerbread coming from somewhere that I could not figure out)…
Santa’s beautiful photo spot in the Fantasy Tower…
These colored lights were brand new in 2013. They were in all of the planters outside of the front entrance to the Disneyland Hotel, and each individual bulb changed to a different color every few seconds…
The Goofy’s Kitchen tree…
Themed tree in the Adventure Tower (notice the themed accessories)…
The Tangaroa Terrace tree is filled with tropical flowers, candles and shells…
The themed tree in the Frontier Tower has a more rustic design…
Paradise Pier Hotel
The beautiful tree, with some new and “interesting” sea-themed decorations…
In a window display near Surf’s Up…
Continued in next post...
