Cinderella's Castle is lit up -- what about Aurora's?

[lisah0711]

Cinderella's Castle is lit up for the holidays now . . . http://www.disunplugged.com/

What about Aurora's castle?

 

[archie]

Cinderella's Castle is lit up for the holidays now . . . http://www.disunplugged.com/

What about Aurora's castle?

i was just there sat night and the castle wasnt lit up for the holiday season yet and the big tree wasnt up. its a small world was closed for the redecor but the only thing that had the xmas theme going for it was the new orleans square area. i am going to try and make it out there this weekend again and i will see.

 

[Sherry E]

Thankfully, it won't be much longer! It will be just over a week from tomorrow and the the holiday season officially starts at DLR!! (It is the 21st, right? I know that is when IASWH is opening, so I assume everything else will up in full glory too!) How exciting!!! I can't wait to start seeing pictures taken by DISboard members of what everything looks like on Main Street, with the new icicle effect! And I am also eager to hear if there are any new pieces of merchandise or new holiday food items we should look out for! It is always good to get reports back from people before I make my own trips so I know what to keep an eye out for!

 

[tracer]

Is anyone there now, Wednesday, and has any updated news on the castle?

 

[lisah0711]

I know the official date isn't until the 21st but a girl can hope . . .

 

[Sherry E]

I know the official date isn't until the 21st but a girl can hope . . .

I agree! I wish they would just bring out the Christmas decorations as soon as the Halloween ones go down - but just in DLR! Outside of DLR, I like to see the gradual changing of the holiday season as it evolves from fall to winter, in terms of decorations. But in DLR I would like the holiday season to officially last from late September to early January, and switch immediately from Halloween to Christmas stuff!

Or, they could build another land somewhere in DL called Holidayland, which celebrates all the holidays with different attractions year-round! It's where Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's day, Easter, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's, Fourth of July and anything else I am forgetting all come together in different rides! But, alas, that would never work, because when the REAL holidays rolled around, they wouldn't seem special if they were being celebrated all year long!

 

[Disney Dreams]

I posted this the other day. Sleeping Beauty's Castle IS covered with snow. My picture is a bit blurry. Sorry. My camera's dying.

The stores at Disneyland are starting to get Christmas merchandise. Ornaments, mugs, plush, etc.... If you want it, it's there. And I'm sure there will be more to come.

Daytime

NIght time

Trees in DtD

I am always disappointed that nothing is ever decorated for Channukah at Disneyland year after year, but at least they have begun to carry some Channukah items the last few years.

- Dreams

 

[disney_love<3]

I was there today! DL is almost ready!!

 

[tracer]

I was there today! DL is almost ready!!

YES!! I knew someone would post back with something like this!! I am so glad to see the tree up, we will be there on Sunday! They always give a rough date, but DL usually beats it. WooHoo!!!!

 

[Sherry E]

I was there today! DL is almost ready!!

Great pictures, Annette! Thank you so much for posting these pictures! As the PP said, this is exactly what I was hoping for - that people would start posting pictures of the decorations at DLR as they go up, one at a time! I had a feeling that the tree would not go up until next week, so I am thrilled to see it up! I know the Castle has the 'snow' on it, but it does not seem to have the glowy holiday blue effect yet, which only stands out at night, and the 'icicles', which are also due to hit Main Street. I hope they get that up in the next few days so we can see it all. Could you see any difference in the tree now that it is supposedly a fake one? Every year prior to this one, the tree on Main Street was real. This year, supposedly it is fake. Could you tell? It looks great in the photos, real or fake!

Oh, and by the way, Annette - in case you haven't already, make sure to post some of your PhotoPass pictures over on the 'PhotoPass Pictures - the Cheesier the Better' thread! I always enjoy looking at your pictures and I know you use PhotoPass!

 

[lisah0711]

Or, they could build another land somewhere in DL called Holidayland, which celebrates all the holidays with different attractions year-round! It's where Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's day, Easter, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's, Fourth of July and anything else I am forgetting all come together in different rides! But, alas, that would never work, because when the REAL holidays rolled around, they wouldn't seem special if they were being celebrated all year long!

I am sure that you know that they did have a Holidayland in Disneyland when it first opened. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holidayland_(Disneyland)

Thanks for the pics! I am starting to get excited about our trip next month!

 

[Sherry E]

I am sure that you know that they did have a Holidayland in Disneyland when it first opened. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holidayland_(Disneyland)

Thanks for the pics! I am starting to get excited about our trip next month!

I don't think I knew that for sure, Lisa! Maybe that is why I had the holiday-themed land in the back of mind recently. I had been thinking about that concept lately, even back in July. I must have heard about the original Holidayland at some point, long ago, but consciously forgot about it. It stuck in my mind somewhere, I guess. I am going to read the Wikipedia info on it now! Thanks, Lisa!!!

 

[lisah0711]

Sherry, I think that your Holidayland idea sounds better than the original!

(OT they have the Method holiday cleaners in our Target now, alas, no peppermint this year so my kitchen can't smell like IASW holiday).

 

[Sherry E]

Sherry, I think that your Holidayland idea sounds better than the original!

(OT they have the Method holiday cleaners in our Target now, alas, no peppermint this year so my kitchen can't smell like IASW holiday).

Drat! I recall you mentioning that Method peppermint-scented cleaner in another thread, and I was planning on trying to find it in the store this year! I hate it when you go to the store, planning to get something that has been there previously, only to discover it is long gone!

That 'holiday-scent' market is really big. Isn't it Glade who has the candles that smell like Pumpkin Pie and Apple Cinnamon and all that? You could have your Glade candle burning at the same time you clean your house with the Method cleaner and it will be a clash of the Christmas scents! I am a sucker for scented bath and body stuff - even back when I was 13 years old, I was hunting out the peppermint lip gloss - so I like to break out the cranberry shower gel and peppermint lotion at this time of year! I get very excited when I see peppermint ice cream in the supermarket!!!

Yeah, I think the ONLY problem with having a land celebrating all the holidays in DLR would be that the real holidays would not seem special when they rolled around. Otherwise, I think it would be magical! I loved that year-round Christmas shop that used to be in Fantasyland, which they got rid of a ong time ago. I always liked knowing it was there, just to get a little dose of Christmas any time of the year. The one that is in New Orleans Square doesn't seem the same to me. That kind of shop seems to belong in Fantasyland, I think!

 

[disney_love<3]

Great pictures, Annette! Thank you so much for posting these pictures! As the PP said, this is exactly what I was hoping for - that people would start posting pictures of the decorations at DLR as they go up, one at a time! I had a feeling that the tree would not go up until next week, so I am thrilled to see it up! I know the Castle has the 'snow' on it, but it does not seem to have the glowy holiday blue effect yet, which only stands out at night, and the 'icicles', which are also due to hit Main Street. I hope they get that up in the next few days so we can see it all. Could you see any difference in the tree now that it is supposedly a fake one? Every year prior to this one, the tree on Main Street was real. This year, supposedly it is fake. Could you tell? It looks great in the photos, real or fake!

Oh, and by the way, Annette - in case you haven't already, make sure to post some of your PhotoPass pictures over on the 'PhotoPass Pictures - the Cheesier the Better' thread! I always enjoy looking at your pictures and I know you use PhotoPass!

I'm not too sure about the tree. I didn't get a close look at it. I think it looks the same as last year but next time I'm there I'll check.

It's so exciting to see it all slowly come together. Main St. has all the garland on the windows and such. The castle does have the icicles on it! I saw those up close but they don't turn on at night.

 

[Sherry E]

I'm not too sure about the tree. I didn't get a close look at it. I think it looks the same as last year but next time I'm there I'll check.

It's so exciting to see it all slowly come together. Main St. has all the garland on the windows and such. The castle does have the icicles on it! I saw those up close but they don't turn on at night.

Interesting. So, maybe when they get the icicles up on Main Street, they will start lighting up the Castle in the incandescent eerie blue at the same time! And then the BEST thing will be to see the gorgeous, stunning IASWH exterior at night! Of course, because it is so beautiful, it seems to attract people from every corner of BOTH parks (and probably even the parks in Florida) to get on the ride, and the line is hideously long, but it is so breathtaking to see that it is worth standing in the midst of all those people by the ride! Keep posting the holiday pictures each time you go to DLR, if you can!!!

Also, I don't know if you ever get into buying any of the holiday merchandise, but I always seem to find one or two things that I fall in love with. Like last year was a Mickey gingerbread theme, and they sold the adorable Mickey & Minnie gingerbread magnets, cookie ornaments, soup mugs, a gingerbread cookie mini Castle sculpture, a snowglobe, etc. I LOVED all of that stuff. If you spot anything extra cute or clever merchandise-wise, let me/us know, if you can! The really good stuff tends to sell out early, and I am not due to get to DLR until late December!

 

[ParkHoppa]

ive never been to disneyland during the Christmas season. Ive been about every other day of the year, though! Were planning on going about 4 days after Thanksgiving. Hows this gonna be with the opening of IASM? I hope its not busy. I want to go on a non-busy christmas day, is that possible?

 

[Sherry E]

ive never been to disneyland during the Christmas season. Ive been about every other day of the year, though! Were planning on going about 4 days after Thanksgiving. Hows this gonna be with the opening of IASM? I hope its not busy. I want to go on a non-busy christmas day, is that possible?

Good question, indeed! Last year, I was there on the weekend right before Christmas on a Friday through Sunday, and I noticed that the crowds were not SO bad in the first part of Friday. Once Friday evening rolled around, the rest of the weekend was crazy. However, from all reports I have heard, it is the weekend immediately after Christmas (which is when I am scheduled to go this year) that is the busiest weekend of the entire year! So avoid that time if you can! It seems like folks on DISboards have said that early December - especially on weekdays - is not so crowded. I think it will be hard to say what this year will be like because it seems attendance has been unpredictable in 2008. Usually slow times were super busy, and the busy times were slower. I guess it is the economy that is affecting when people go ir if they go. My feeling has been that, because of the economy, I have a hunch that this DLR holiday season will go one way or the other - it will either be significantly less crowded than it normally is in December or MUCH busier. It could be that many people who would normally fly somewhere for the holidays will decide to hit DLR instead "because it is cheaper," or lots of people will not go to DLR at all because they can't afford it! I could be wrong, but I just think it will be one extreme or the other. It will be interesting to hear back from DIS-ers as they go to DLR through the course of the holiday season, as to whether the crowds are ebbing or flowing!

But you can't miss a DLR holiday visit, even if you have to go when it is is crazy. It is extra magical! I do think that the re-opening of IASWH will attract LOTS of people. Fewer people ride it in the daytime because it is not lit up and they don't realize that anything significant is different about it. But at night, when that exterior is lit up in spectacular colors, the line suddenly becomes 45 minutes long or more. So my suggestion is, ride it in the daytime, but go look at it and take pictures of the IASWH facade at night! It is stunning!

 

[disney_love<3]

Interesting. So, maybe when they get the icicles up on Main Street, they will start lighting up the Castle in the incandescent eerie blue at the same time! And then the BEST thing will be to see the gorgeous, stunning IASWH exterior at night! Of course, because it is so beautiful, it seems to attract people from every corner of BOTH parks (and probably even the parks in Florida) to get on the ride, and the line is hideously long, but it is so breathtaking to see that it is worth standing in the midst of all those people by the ride! Keep posting the holiday pictures each time you go to DLR, if you can!!!

Also, I don't know if you ever get into buying any of the holiday merchandise, but I always seem to find one or two things that I fall in love with. Like last year was a Mickey gingerbread theme, and they sold the adorable Mickey & Minnie gingerbread magnets, cookie ornaments, soup mugs, a gingerbread cookie mini Castle sculpture, a snowglobe, etc. I LOVED all of that stuff. If you spot anything extra cute or clever merchandise-wise, let me/us know, if you can! The really good stuff tends to sell out early, and I am not due to get to DLR until late December!

Will do! Maybe next time I'm there I'll try to snap some pictures of merchandise or something.

I saw the gingerbread stuff you're talking about. It's so cute! If there's anything specific you're looking for let me know and I'll keep an eye out.

 

[Sherry E]

Will do! Maybe next time I'm there I'll try to snap some pictures of merchandise or something.

I saw the gingerbread stuff you're talking about. It's so cute! If there's anything specific you're looking for let me know and I'll keep an eye out.

Are they still selling all that gingerbread stuff this year? They should - it was adorable! At first, I thought my favorite thing was the Mickey and Minnie gingerbread cookies on a cookie sheet magnet. And I still love that, but then I also really love the Mickey cookie ornament (the one that is my avatar on here), as well as the cookie Castle ornament. And I LOVE the big soup/chili/coffee mug that that little pictures of peppermint candy mouse ears and gingerbread Mickeys on it! Great stuff!

Every year for the holidays, DLR seems to come up with something really clever - even if they still sell some of the older, clever stuff! So, I tend to like really cute magnets; things in the shape of Mickey's head, stuff like that. Some of my all-time favorite souvenirs are the magnets I have of the famous Mickey ice cream bars, a Mickey chocolate-covered pretzel and a Mickey lollipop. I love those sorts of things, where they sell miniature versions of stuff that we know from the parks, whether it be the food items or the attractions or whatever. But I love the idea of the gingerbread versions of the characters and the Castle and all that. So if you see anything else that looks new, but along those lines, then let me know! I may have to hustle myself down to DLR before the scheduled trip to get whatever thay have, if it something good!! I almost hoping they don't have anything new that I would want because then I wont be tempted to buy it! I wish they would sell a mini version of the IASW building with the awesome holiday lights and all that - Disney, are you listening??

Thanks, Annette, for checking for me/us!!! (It's certainly not like I am the only one who likes cute DLR merchandise, so I am sure everyone will appreciate knowing what is there!)