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

[Sherry E]

Has anyone been to the Mice Age site in the last day or two? I was just over on Mice Age, looking at some of the most up-to-date photos of the DLR decorations (are we allowed to post links for Mice Age on here? I wanted to post the direct link to the page but wasn't sure if we are allowed to!), and I have to say, number one, I am excited to see what this "light show" is that involves the icicles from the Castle to Main Street. I knew they were extending the effects up Main Street, but I guess I didn't realize to what extent. In any case, no matter what anyone has seen at DLR yet, it does NOT appear that this light show is taking place yet. That is to come this week, I suppose!

The other thing is that there are pictures of IASWH with "new" lighting, and they call it "great." It is pretty - there is no doubt about that - but it is NOT the spectacularly colored lighting that has been associated with IASWH for the last 8 years or whatever. This seems to be more dark blue-purple color scheme, whereas, in the past, it was a dazzling display of all sorts of holiday colors. I HOPE that those colors are returning, but just have not returned YET. Hopefully they are coming this week, too. That was too brilliant of a light display in the past for them to abandon it for this more subdued idea.

And, so far, the merchandise is cute, but nothing like the magnets and ornaments that I get sucked in by, so I am hoping I can resist the temptation!

Also, NO Santa's Beach Blast in DCA this year! Santa seems to have been removed from DCA - at least in terms of the 'beachy Santa'!!!

 

[lisah0711]

Thanks for the info, Sherry. I am sure that we will be seeing some amazing pictures next week when everything is "officially" up. Not to mention seeing them in person soon, too! (Did you notice the segment on IASW was titled "Holidayland?")

 

[Sherry E]

Thanks for the info, Sherry. I am sure that we will be seeing some amazing pictures next week when everything is "officially" up. Not to mention seeing them in person soon, too! (Did you notice the segment on IASW was titled "Holidayland?")

I sure did! I grinned at that name!

 

[lisah0711]

Bumping to see if there are any lights yet or whether they will make us wait until the very last day . . . even the castle in Paris is lit up now! Poor Aurora!

 

[Sherry E]

Bumping to see if there are any lights yet or whether they will make us wait until the very last day . . . even the castle in Paris is lit up now! Poor Aurora!

I just looked over on MiceChat (in the recurring 'Monday in the Parks' section), and if the nighttime Castle picture was taken juts last night, then it still does not have that incandescent, glowing icicle effect that I am waiting for. Let me clarify - yes, the Castle has the hanging icicles and snow patches. You can see the icicles in the photo. And yes, the Castle is lit up to a degree - BUT, when you compare it to the picture of what the Castle looked like last year in the midst of the holiday season, which was posted on the "PhotoPass Poses - the Cheesier the Better" thread on DIS just yesterday, you can see DLR is still holidng out on the FULL lighting effects. I suppose they are going to spring the whole thing on everyone on Friday, when the actual "light show" from the Castle up Main Street debuts!

 

[lisah0711]

Bumping in hopes that someone who is there this week-end will take pity on us and post some pics when they do finally light the castle tomorrow. Can't wait to see the Main Street lights, too!

 

[Sherry E]

Bumping in hopes that someone who is there this week-end will take pity on us and post some pics when they do finally light the castle tomorrow. Can't wait to see the Main Street lights, too!

Lisa, just as I saw you had posted this, my local CBS news station aired a segment on how, as of tomorrow, it will seem like it is Christmas at DLR! They showed some of the behind the scenes stuff. It was really cool.

First of all, they explained that the Cast Members and Imagineers are planning for Christmas in February. So basically, as soon as they clean up from one Christmas season, they begin planning for the next one!

Second, they showed that ALL the decorations (and fake trees) for the entire DLR are stored in a huge warehouse just a few miles away from DLR, and there are 700!!! - yes, I did say 700 - Christmas trees that are placed all around DLR (including the hotels, DTD and the parks). I was shocked at that number, because I am hard pressed to even think of where 70 could be!!! Okay, I know that each hotel has a tree. DTD has a tree. Both parks have a tree. ToonTown has a tree, and then Mickey's house has an individual tree. I think the Pooh PhotoPass location has a mini tree. But where are the other 691 trees in DLR?? I assume that they must be scattered about in some of the shops and restaurants, maybe? That has to be where they go, because there are not too many trees just out in the open, so they have to be hidden in shops and restaurants.

 

[LavenderPeach]

Wow, that is hard to imagine where they put 700 trees but i bet there are all kinds of small ones around that aren't as memorable as the big ones but that add to the overall festive Christmasy feel. Now I'll have to keep an eye out for all the trees - big and small.

 

[Sherry E]

Wow, that is hard to imagine where they put 700 trees but i bet there are all kinds of small ones around that aren't as memorable as the big ones but that add to the overall festive Christmasy feel. Now I'll have to keep an eye out for all the trees - big and small.

I am thinking they have to have a lot of trees in the shops and restaurants - probably the smaller ones, like you mentioned - and maybe some of the 700 trees are 'spares' in case anything goes wrong with the ones on display?? Maybe, just maybe, they are also counting the mini-trees that Vacation Planning puts in the hotel rooms upon request?? I don't know how many of those there are, but that could figure into the 700!

In any case, I can't wait to get there and start counting trees!!!

 

[lisah0711]

Wow, Sherry, 700 trees! We will have to try and see where the heck they are when we are there in December. That could be a new thread -- find the 700 trees! I guess there are some trees at Big Thunder Ranch; maybe by Pooh . . . I suppose they counted the DCA trees, too.

Thanks for the update and I am still looking forward to some pictures from folks there this week-end. After longing for snow in Anaheim when we were growing up, my sister and I will finally see it snow on Main Street in a few weeks. It should be fabulous!

 

[jenksdj]

I'm sure 500 of the 700 trees are in IASW!

 

[Sherry E]

Wow, Sherry, 700 trees! We will have to try and see where the heck they are when we are there in December. That could be a new thread -- find the 700 trees! I guess there are some trees at Big Thunder Ranch; maybe by Pooh . . . I suppose they counted the DCA trees, too.

Thanks for the update and I am still looking forward to some pictures from folks there this week-end. After longing for snow in Anaheim when we were growing up, my sister and I will finally see it snow on Main Street in a few weeks. It should be fabulous!

I know what you mean about longing for snow. I have lived in L.A. all my life, so you know how much snow we get here in Beverly Hills! I got to see the snow on Main Street last year for the first time - we had lucky timing coming out of Carnation Cafe - and it was kind of foamy and bubbly, but still cool!!

You know what? I just had a thought this very second! I was assuming all this time that the 700 trees had been up and out every Christmas season in the past. Maybe not! Maybe this is the FIRST year of the 700 trees? This could be a new element to the holiday decorations! You're right, Lisa - that is a whole new game - find All 700 trees! That gives us all something extra to do in addition to everything else to do at DLR!

Yes, the DLR spokesperson who was being interviewed in the warehouse a few miles from DLR, where they keep all the trees and ornaments, was definitely counting DCA as having some of the 700 trees. The news anchor said "...700 elaborately decorated trees throughout the resort, including the two parks and Downtown Disney..."

In addition to the 700 trees, these were the other tidbits of info I got from the news piece:

1. There are at least 120 Cast Members hired to work exclusively on putting up holiday decorations and who are involved in the creative aspect of the holiday planning - they are, in essence, the Christmas-Only Cast Members.

2. There are at least 20,000 ornaments covering those 700 trees, and some of the ornaments are 8 feet in diameter (those would be the ones on the Main Street tree, I imagine).

3. There are at least 20 miles of Christmas garland strewn around the park, especially on Main Street.

4. The Main Street tree is 4 stories tall, and the DTD tree is 42 feet high, 2500 lbs.

5. It takes DLR about 2 weeks to take down all the decorations (not counting the ride overlays) and get back to normal DLR, but it takes them from February to November to thoroughly plan and implement their holiday decorations and activities for the next season!

 

[lisah0711]

I know what you mean about longing for snow. I have lived in L.A. all my life, so you know how much snow we get here in Beverly Hills!

Yep, we always wished for a white Christmas but the best we could do was a frost (or more likely, a Santa Ana!). I've lived in Idaho for almost 20 years and still get excited when it snows.

Between the 700 tree hunt and the Christmas goody list from the other thread we are going to be busy when we are there next month!

 

[Sherry E]

Yep, we always wished for a white Christmas but the best we could do was a frost (or more likely, a Santa Ana!). I've lived in Idaho for almost 20 years and still get excited when it snows.

Between the 700 tree hunt and the Christmas goody list from the other thread we are going to be busy when we are there next month!

"Busy" is an understatement! As it is, December is a crowded time at DLR. Then, I never get everything done that I want to do anyway. I like to spend time looking in shops - not necessarily buying things - for little hidden gems that can't be found anywhere besides DLR. Last year, I hit the jackpot with the adorable Mickey gingerbread-themed souvenirs (one of the cookie ornaments in in my avatar). That takes time. I like to take a lot of pictures - PhotoPass and otherwise - and that takes time. I like finding Hidden Mickeys. And now I have to look for 700 trees and all those treats from the other thread!!!! Let's not even get into rides and all that other fun stuff!

One of my good friends from childhood moved to Idaho almost ten years ago (in the Meridien area, I think). She didn't like it at first and it took her a while to acclimate, but now she loves it and it is home. I think I am meant to live in a colder state with snow and all that - I hate heat - but I can't imagine ever being far away from DLR and from Catalina (my other favorite place in SoCal). Eventually, I will move though. It is just TOO expensive out here in L.A.!!

 

[lisah0711]

One of my good friends from childhood moved to Idaho almost ten years ago (in the Meridien area, I think). She didn't like it at first and it took her a while to acclimate, but now she loves it and it is home. I think I am meant to live in a colder state with snow and all that - I hate heat - but I can't imagine ever being far away from DLR and from Catalina (my other favorite place in SoCal). Eventually, I will move though. It is just TOO expensive out here in L.A.!!

Meridien is down south by Boise. We are up in the Panhandle about 80 miles south of the Canadian border and about 30 miles from Spokane WA. It took me awhile to get used to Idaho when I moved here. But you can't beat the quality of life here. I haven't live in So Cal since 1980. You kind of forget about life in la la land until you go back for a visit. You should check out Portland or Seattle some time.

I'm looking forward to seeing some castle and Main Street pics soon!

 

[Sherry E]

Meridien is down south by Boise. We are up in the Panhandle about 80 miles south of the Canadian border and about 30 miles from Spokane WA. It took me awhile to get used to Idaho when I moved here. But you can't beat the quality of life here. I haven't live in So Cal since 1980. You kind of forget about life in la la land until you go back for a visit. You should check out Portland or Seattle some time.

I'm looking forward to seeing some castle and Main Street pics soon!

I have been to both Seattle and Portland, but not in decades. I love the whole West Coast/Pacific Northwest - especially Oregon!

Yes, now that we know the Castle is in its full splendor and ALL the trees and decorations are up, the light show on Main Street is in full swing, and the treats and eats are flowing, I definitely want to see pictures or hear a full report!

 

[lisah0711]

Yes, now that we know the Castle is in its full splendor and ALL the trees and decorations are up, the light show on Main Street is in full swing, and the treats and eats are flowing, I definitely want to see pictures or hear a full report!

Me, too! But it was fun chatting with you while we waited.

 

[Sherry E]

Me, too! But it was fun chatting with you while we waited.

Thank you! Yes, sometimes you have to pass the time on these threads and keep them active while you are waiting for news or photos!!

...And we are still waiting for news and photos!!!