Clarification on a couple of things:
New Orleans Square's holiday decor has been cut in half this year. It's not what it was. It's a shadow of its former self!!
Haunted Mansion Holiday actually began on 9/17 this year, which is when the Halloween season began, so not quite the end of September. Sometimes the season starts on the next to last Friday in September. Sometimes it starts on the last Friday in September. There is no telling what will happen in 2011, but I think it will be a later start.
I think what sonnyjane was trying to ask is how important is it (or isn't it) to be there for the holiday
season. Not just "decorations." Sure, there are Christmas decorations that start to go up in early in November - logistically, they have to go up early because there are too many things to put up that they can't wait until right before the holiday season begins to do it. But, although decorations begin to appear before Halloween Time ends, the holiday
season offers many other things that will
not be available before Veterans Day (i.e., IASW Holiday, snow on Main Street, the Winter Castle lighting, the holiday parade and fireworks, Santa, the Reindeer Round-Up, Christmas carolers, special holiday food, etc.). Are any of those things important to you or your family? If so, make sure to go to DLR when the season actually begins. If you don't care about any of that stuff, go before Veterans Day, after Halloween. It won't be as crowded yet. Once the season actually begins, it will be more crowded. I was there on 11/13 this year and it was very, very crowded.
Here is the thing that may throw things off in 2011, schedule-wise - Veterans Day will be on Friday, November 11. Given the pattern of the last 2 holiday seasons at
Disneyland, that would be the day that they would also presumably begin the Christmas festivities - two Fridays before Thanskgiving. That has not always been when they've started the season - sometimes it has begun only one Friday before Thanskgiving. Like Halloween Time, the holiday season start and end dates change.
BUT, I have a sneaking suspicion that the holiday season may, possibly begin
later in 2011. I am thinking they may not start it ON Veterans Day, for two reasons. For one thing, to start it ON another holiday like that one will actually detract from honoring the Vets and seem to make Veterans Day a lesser priority. Second, I have a feeling that Halloween Time may start
and end later in 2011. Halloween itself will be on a Monday. Disneyland usually ends Halloween Time, the season, on the Sunday after Halloween, or
on Halloween if Halloween falls on Sunday. In this case, the Sunday
after Halloween will be on the following weekend (and that would be 11/7)...which would delay the start of the holiday/Christmas season to after Veterans Day, I'm sure - probably beginning on 11/18. I don't know for sure that DLR will extend Halloween Time through 11/7, but their seasons always seem to end on Sundays, not on weekdays.
So I guess what I'm saying is, if my hunch is correct and the holiday season begins later in 2011, you
may have until just before 11/18 with lower crowds, if you don't care about being there for the Christmas season.
