Hi everyone! It's been a manic few days here as I'm dying, just dying to visit Disney and have been pricing up additional trips to WDW and DLRP but who am I kidding? I'm lucky to be going to LA and Disneyland in 6 months as it is
!
I've been looking at flights and realised it's best I get them now so I've been trying to pick my dates and my Disneyland dates and I had a thought.
I will be visiting Disneyland for Halloween Time but I wonder when the Christmas decorations go up at Disneyland? I'll be in LA around 5 weeks give or take and although I'll be visiting DL around say, Mon. Oct 7 or perhaps begin on tuesday instead for 3 days I'll still have 2 more days on my hopper.
I plan to use the remaining 2 days around the 20th Oct. sometime or perhaps I'll visit on a weekend depending on fireworks even thought crowds will go up. Also important is how long a 5 day hopper is actually good for.
However if the Christmas decorations go up then maybe, just maybe I'll splurge for a seperate ticket, 6th day of that too
! I was so upset when they got rid of the longer hoppers that I swore I would never do that but, ugh, I just might since I may not be back until 2015.
I'm thinking also of getting the shuttle to LAX from the Candy Cane if I do that, that would be so much easier for my friends and would spare the big goodbye at the airport! However now I'm wondering if the big Disneyland shuttle would pick up there? It's so easy with the Magical Express at WDW.
Hi,
Kristina!
I saw your question about when the Christmas decorations go up and had to jump in. Feel free to join us in the Christmas Superthread too (it's the new thread, as we hit the page limit of the old one):
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3035529. The first 8 or 9 posts on Page 1 of the thread cover a wide array of holiday information, and so far the new thread is only at 10 pages - so it is not too long to skim through!
Let me first explain this, because I think a lot of folks get confused about
what happens
when and they don't realize they could miss certain things - even when the decorations are up -- there's a difference between when the decorations start to go up and when the season officially begins. And even when the season officially begins, some things are not in effect yet.
This is how it should work (and keep in mind, Disney could always switch things up on us but I am going by previous holiday seasons when giving information):
1. Sometime in late October the fake snow will appear on the Castle, but the Castle will not be lit up in its "Winter Enchantment" icicle lights until the season officially starts.
Also in late October you should see the decorations go up in New Orleans Square (all of the Mardi Gras Masks and other things). I think that the A Bug's Land decorations might go up a little early too. You could also see the beginnings of the Toon Town decorations going up;
2. It's a Small World Holiday will close down in mid-to-late October to get the holiday overlay;
3. You will begin to see holiday merchandise and even some holiday food items appear even before Halloween rolls around;
4. As soon as October 31st passes and Halloween Time ends, the more thorough holiday decorations will begin to appear, little by little, every day around both parks. More Christmas trees will appear. The windows will get holiday displays. That sort of thing;
5. A few days before the official start date of the holiday season, IASW Holiday should open;
6.
On the official start date of the holiday season - which, this year, should be somewhere in the week between Friday, November 8th and Friday, November 15th - the Winter Castle will light up in icicle lights at night; snow will fall on Main Street (assuming the snow is not held hostage to a party this year); the holiday tour will begin; the holiday parade and holiday fireworks will begin (again, assuming there is not a party this year), and the Jingle Jangle Jamboree will be in full swing. Santa will be at both the JJJ and at the Elias department store on Buena Vista Street. The Buena Vista Street Bell Ringers will be jingling out some tunes. Cars Land will be playing holiday songs; all of the BVS and Cars Land gingerbread houses should be in place at the various restaurants; and
7. Right around Thanksgiving weekend the 3 Disney hotels will get their decorations (including gingerbread houses at the GCH restaurants and the gorgeous trees at both the GCH and the PPH) and Downtown Disney will begin playing holiday music.
So, as you can see, you will see decorations at certain times, but the full seasonal offerings may not be available until at least early to mid-November, if not beyond that. At the very least, the two parks will be in full holiday mode by 11/15, I would guess...and possibly before that.
This will be my 3rd trip and the first time I have taken my daughters who are 14 and 9 together. I have taken them separate for their 7th birthdays. Also my Mom is coming with us and this will be her FIRST TIME EVER!!! I have never been there at Halloween and I don't have a clue what to expect. Any tips would be greatly appreciated. I just have to decide on the hotel now.. Was thinking The Fairfield or the Best Western Park Place... Oh the choices!!!
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! Well actually I've always got things on the go, documents of food I must eat for the most part. With pictures lol! However I need to pick my dates so this is big! The big question is of course, when does Halloween time begin? I'll be in LA for about a month or so but ugh, unless I get an annual pass I've got 5 days to do the parks so I want to go when all the attractions are up and running! Two years ago you all helped me loads when I went for my birthday in Sept. and that was fine then that Haunted and Space were down because I just had to be in Disneyland, you know? 
I don't lol! I haven't been back to the Breaking Bad thread simply because I was afraid of spoilers but Wow that you remembered me 
My friend has 2 kids so perhaps we will do a party with them. I know they've never done it before even though they are local. 
!! 
and food items, and mabye a tree or two 
! Although I am so very excited for Carsland and Buena Vista Street and the thought of Christmas music playing in Carsland, while I've not been yet it does sound really really magical!! 
