Any particular advise for a Nov trip?

[Frivi]

Hello all ^^ I've been lurking here for a long time but 'tis my first post. I will be visiting Disneyland for the first time that I will remember (I was only 4 the last time we went) in November. I'm 20, I'm going with my mom and my brother, who is 18. We've had a rocky last year or so with extended/ex-family drama (lol), and haven't been on a vacation in close to 10 years, so I really want to make this trip one to remember for all three of us.

We will be going the 10th-14th, which I know is a three day weekend so not the best for crowds, but had to miss as little school as possible and thought this time would be better than Christmas season or summer. We plan on getting a 3 day park hopper (arriving, going to park the next three full days, leaving the day after that).

I was just curious as to if anyone had any particular words of advice or tips for this time of year? Especially with three older and able bodied individuals, as many of the resources I have found tend to focus on families with younger kids. I was hoping that perhaps because it's kind of between Halloween and Christmas the crowds would be a bit smaller, but I may just be kidding myself!

Thanks in advance and thanks for the awesome forum, it's been very helpful!

 

[Sherry E]

Hello, Frivi! I'm so glad you decide to introduce yourself and come out from lurkdom!

Well, I don't know if you have silently followed the Disneyland at Christmas Time Superthread, or any of the threads that involve the start and end dates of the holiday season, but we think - it is not yet confirmed but it is a likely possibility - that the Christmas season will begin at DLR on 11/11/11 this year...on Veterans Day, and right in the middle of your trip! The only other option would be to start it on 11/18, but I think 11/11 is more likely.

If it turns out that the holiday season does begin on Friday, 11/11, it will be more crowded. Any opening weekend of a season such as Halloween Time or Christmas will bring out a lot of people. Last year the season began on 11/12, and I was there on 11/13 - it was very, very busy.

It probably will not be as bad crowd-wise at that time as it will be in, say, mid-to-late December, or even during the week of Thanksgiving, but it will be crowded. You can still have lots of fun, however, with the right planning and preparation.

The great thing is that it is an absolutely stunning, gorgeous time of year to be at the parks. It's truly magical. You will have wonderful things to see like Haunted Mansion Holiday, It's a Small World Holiday, the Reindeer Round-Up, snow on Main Street, the breathtaking nighttime Winter Castle (which glows with 'icicles' after dark), the holiday fireworks and parade, charming holiday window displays, etc. There will be gingerbread cookies with mouse ears, peppermint fudge and ice cream, holiday cupcakes and other goodies.

If you look at the first 3 posts on Page 1 of the Christmas Superthread that I linked you to above, you will see some of the great stuff you have to look forward to in decor, in food, in merchandise, in characters, etc.

And if, for some reason, the holiday season begins on 11/18 this year, which I doubt, you will see the Christmas decorations slowly going up during your visit.

You will have a great time, holiday season or no holiday season! I know what it's like to be away from Disneyland for a long, long time and then making a big return trip - and being there during the holiday season is extra, extra special.

 

[Frivi]

Ah, see that would be the kind of information I was missing! For some reason I always assumed the holiday season started up in Dec, obviously I need to read some more of the Holiday topics!

My mom is a huge fan of Christmas and everything that comes with it, so it would be cool for her if it did start that weekend, even if the crowds are a bit more than we were expecting.

Do crowds for rides change during the holiday season? I know the Haunted Mansion gets much busier/the Fast Pass gets put in, but does anything else see a major change? For example, I wondered if perhaps things like Splash Mountain would be less popular in the wintertime (even though as a desert kid myself I know full well that California is not THAT cold lol).

Thanks very much for the welcome Sherry, I appreciate it <3

 

[Sherry E]

Ah, see that would be the kind of information I was missing! For some reason I always assumed the holiday season started up in Dec, obviously I need to read some more of the Holiday topics!

My mom is a huge fan of Christmas and everything that comes with it, so it would be cool for her if it did start that weekend, even if the crowds are a bit more than we were expecting.

Do crowds for rides change during the holiday season? I know the Haunted Mansion gets much busier/the Fast Pass gets put in, but does anything else see a major change? For example, I wondered if perhaps things like Splash Mountain would be less popular in the wintertime (even though as a desert kid myself I know full well that California is not THAT cold lol).

Thanks very much for the welcome Sherry, I appreciate it <3

Now that you mention it, I think the Splash line does get a bit shorter during the 'cold' weather! Also, Grizzly River Run over in California Adventure often has short lines when the temperatures drop down a bit.

Then again, last year when I was at DLR in November, it was in the 80's - it didn't feel holiday-ish at all, even though the holiday decor was all over the place! It felt like a Summer day. It was a strange weather year in SoCal last year, such as 113 degrees in September and 90 degrees at some point in December...

You will notice a huge mob of people flocked around It's a Small World Holiday at night. The whole ride gets a holiday overlay, inside and out, but in the daytime the facade of the building doesn't look all that impressive so a lot of people don't realize that the ride has been changed. At night, however, is when the gorgeous colored lights come on - thousands and thousands of them - and people from all corners of both parks are drawn to that area like moths to a flame! It is definitely worth seeing at night, but there will be lots of other people seeing it too!

The Haunted Mansion Holiday line can sometimes be very long - I've stood in 45-minute lines for that ride during the holiday season before. Sometimes it's not that bad and you can get on it in under 25 minutes. It is very popular when it has the Nightmare Before Christmas overlay. It's a totally different ride from what it is like in its normal state.

Toy Story Midway Mania in California Adventure is extremely popular and that line is always on the long side (sometimes 30 minute waits; sometimes 45minutes), which is no different during the holiday season. But it is really, really fun!

I think your mom will be delighted with all of the holiday festivities if it turns out that the season starts during your trip. From land to land, the holidays are kind of celebrated in different themes and it's quite beautiful. Just seeing the lights on Main Street at night - and the giant Christmas tree - is worth a trip.

 

[goldies 5]

My 8 year old used single rider line at Splash in December, over and over again. He really didn't need to the wait wasn't long.
I would get in early start grabbing FP early, because you don't have to use them in their window period, you can use them anytime that day.
HM is longer in the evening. But it also seems better in the evenings, spookier and all. The best evening time is when and if Fantasmic is going. The lines are always shorter then. The best evening time to ride small world, (and you really should it is beautiful at night), is during the Christmas Parade. Then get on the train at the Toontown Station and get out of that area, before the parade ends. Have a great time.