disney at christmas

[Sherry E]

We'll be in town for one day on November 20th. I hope the festivities will be in full swing by then. What is the weather like? Jeans and jackets?

Actually, I think you're going at just the right time! Let's say, as a guess, that the holiday season officially begins on November 12th this year - and we don't know yet if it will, but there is a pretty good chance that it will based on last year. It will have already been in full swing for just over a week by the time you get there, so the novelty of needing to get to DLR at the start of the season will have worn off for some AP holders and locals by then (generally, the opening night and the following night are pretty busy), and many people who are planning to take off from work a full week for Thanksgiving won't be out of work yet. So you would be there right between the lure of the opening weekend and the Thanksgiving break! You will get the holiday season in full swing - including IASW Holiday and the Winter Castle all sparkly with "icicles," and the snow on Main Street, Santa, the carolers, etc. - but without some of the huge crowds that will descend upon DLR later in the season.

Now let's say the holiday season officially begins on November 19th and not the 12th. You will still get the full Christmas experience at DLR, but the crowds might be heavier because it's opening weekend - and also because you'll be there on a Saturday. Either way, you'll be there when the holiday season is in full swing, but depending on which weekend it officially starts, you may have extra crowds to contend with.

I would say that jeans and jackets are safe to bring/wear in late November. In SoCal, October and November are odd months in that they could go either way - they could be summer-like at 90 degrees and above, or they could be crisp and cool, in the 60's or raining or whatever. You never know which way it's going to go out here!

 

[kj4ever18]

Would it be really packed december 20-22. I'm not sure when a good time would be to go?

 

[Sherry E]

Would it be really packed december 20-22. I'm not sure when a good time would be to go?

Hi, Kj4ever18!

Generally, the days leading up to Christmas are pretty crowded - I think everyone agrees. But since your dates are weekdays, it might not be as bad as it would be over the weekend. And as long as it's before Christmas, it will be much less crowded than it is after Christmas, so that's a good thing! If you have the chance to go to DLR in early December, I think everyone agrees that it's always less crowded then. However, if 12/20 - 12/22 is your only available time, don't worry. You will still have a good 2 or 3 days to get a lot of things done, so even if it is crazy busy, with the proper planning you'll be fine.

I went to DLR on the same exact holiday weekend 3 years in a row, which was the weekend immediately before Christmas. It was definitely hoppin' and lively in 2007 & 2008 - I think a lot of folks get off work for an entire 2-week period around Christmas and New Year's, and some of them go to DLR before Christmas and some right after. But it was manageable. Even though there were lots and lots of folks everywhere, I didn't find it to be too daunting. I was able to get a lot of things done.

However, when I returned in 2009 on the same exact pre-Christmas weekend, I found it to be oppressively crowded - the crowds had reached a whole new level, I think. It later made sense when it was revealed that 2009 was the busiest holiday season at DLR in something like 10 years. Based on the crowds I encountered that day, I can believe it!! For me, it was too crowded to be able to enjoy my DLR experience because I couldn't do a lot of the things I would normally want to do, given that there were so many people packed in everywhere. I was losing patience. If I'd had more time at DLR last year, I could have gone back to those things another day. But I had limited time, and, unfortunately, it was just waaaaaaay too crowded for me to have my usual DLR experience. Haunted Mansion Holiday's line was already 45 minutes long before 11:00 a.m., which I had never personally seen before. The massive congregation of people around IASW Holiday at nighttime (when it is the most beautiful because it's all lit up in colors) was scary and impenetrable.

So this year, if I am able to, I am going to try my hardest to get to DLR earlier in December than the last 3 years. It may only be one week earlier, or it may be on weekdays right at the beginning of the month, but I don't know if I want to chance it again on the pre-Christmas weekend - especially with World of Color being open and lots of people coming to see it. That weekend will be my last choice, I suppose.

Oh, and by the way, I should point out that all of the SoCal AP holders were blocked on the day I went last December. So unless they all ran out and bought block-out tickets, the crowds could not have been attributed to SoCal APs. Now, interestingly, the Deluxe APs were just about to be blocked out within a couple of days after I was there, so it is possible that many of the DAP people flocked to the park, I suppose, although I don't know if there is an overwhelming number of DAP holders like there are SoCal APs. More than likely, the crowds were comprised of other vacationers and non-AP holders, and not as many AP holders.

 

[AustinTink]

Thanks for the info!! We can't wait to see DL at Christmas. We're in San Diego for a few days prior and are thinking of driving to DL on a friday night. We've never stayed in Anaheim. We've heard great things about the Hojo. Is there a hotel with an even closer walk that gets great reviews, too?

 

[Sherry E]

Thanks for the info!! We can't wait to see DL at Christmas. We're in San Diego for a few days prior and are thinking of driving to DL on a friday night. We've never stayed in Anaheim. We've heard great things about the Hojo. Is there a hotel with an even closer walk that gets great reviews, too?

You'll have a wonderful time! Hopefully you have had a chance to scroll through this whole thread just to glance at all the DLR holiday wonderful photos that have made this thread a big hit!!

I've never stayed offsite at HoJo's or any of the other Good Neighbor hotels. I've either stayed onsite at one of the DLR hotels or just gone home for the night. As for close walks, it seems to me like Tropicana and maybe the Desert Inn and Suites are pretty close - closer than HoJo's, that's for sure. Possibly the BWPPI is close too? I'm sure one of the other people on this thread can give a more accurate answer as to which Good Neighbor is the closest to DLR. But the rates of the other places must not be as great as the HoJo rates because you don't hear as many folks raving about them.

 

[kj4ever18]

Thank you so much. It helped a lot. I have been to dl many times but I just can't remember how bad the crowds were then, must not have been that bad if I can't remember but it will be my boyfriend's first time ever going to dl. I'm just trying to find the right time to go.

 

[Sherry E]

Bump!

 

[Kiann3]

How busy is it from Dec 3-13th? We are buying into DVC with GCV being our home.

We are coming for 5-7days we want to see the Christmas fire works and lights etc. Any word if World of Color will still be running for the holidays and does Fantasmic run during this time?

Thanks in advance

 

[tksbaskets]

How busy is it from Dec 3-13th? We are buying into DVC with GCV being our home.

We are coming for 5-7days we want to see the Christmas fire works and lights etc. Any word if World of Color will still be running for the holidays and does Fantasmic run during this time?

Thanks in advance

WELCOME HOME Congratulations on your DVC! We would LOVE to have a home at GVC. I think the WOC is a permanent fixture at DCA now. I'll let someone else answer the Fantasmic question. We never saw it but that was because we were busy riding Toy Story Midway Mania

 

[specialks]

How busy is it from Dec 3-13th? We are buying into DVC with GCV being our home.

We are coming for 5-7days we want to see the Christmas fire works and lights etc. Any word if World of Color will still be running for the holidays and does Fantasmic run during this time?

Thanks in advance

Just curious if you already know about a villa being available for your dates. We wanted to rent points for a 1 BR Dec 5 - 12 and someone checked for me and there was not one available. Maybe people buying in have some rooms held over, but I just wanted to mention it. I was so bummed because I finally talked my husband into spending double our hotel budget to try and rent points then it turned out we couldn't even do it!

For the PP asking about walking distance; these two sites have good maps and the first one shows where the pedestrian entrance off Harbor is:

http://www.anaheim411.com/Resort_Map.html (you can click on the map to enlarge it)

http://www.accommodationsneardisney.com/Disneyland/default.asp (hotels in the green area are supposed to be in walking distance although some walk from the further hotels too)

 

[Sherry E]

How busy is it from Dec 3-13th? We are buying into DVC with GCV being our home.

We are coming for 5-7days we want to see the Christmas fire works and lights etc. Any word if World of Color will still be running for the holidays and does Fantasmic run during this time?

Thanks in advance

It seems like people on the DIS are always saying that those first couple of weeks of December are great in terms of crowds not being bad. If you'll have 5 - 7 days, you'll have a good chunk of time to get things done even if you do encounter a crazy day here or there. But most accounts say that DLR in early to mid-December is the best. In fact, I have been going to DLR on the same pre-Christmas weekend for the last 3 years. I want to try to go earlier this year. Last year was just too crowded for my liking when I went. I want to try an early December or even a late November kind of trip. You get the full DLR at Christmas experience, and everything is in full swing, but with reasonable crowds.

I think Fantasmic does run on certain nights during the holidays. We've never stopped to watch it in December, but I think it may run. I could be wrong on that, though.

 

[Sherry E]

 

[jessicaerv]

Southwest released their fares - great rates from Northern Cali to Southern Cali for Thanksgiving week. I think I'll make my trip around that time. YAY!!

 

[Tablefor5]

Can someone tell me if there are fireworks nightly during the Christmastime???
Specifically, the week right before Thanksgiving...We are thinking of trying to plan another trip and debating which room to book at the HoJo. I have a kids suite reserved, but if there are fireworks nightly, it might be kinda cool to have a Disney Premium View....decisions, decisions....

 

[deejdigsdis]

Can someone tell me if there are fireworks nightly during the Christmastime???
Specifically, the week right before Thanksgiving...We are thinking of trying to plan another trip and debating which room to book at the HoJo. I have a kids suite reserved, but if there are fireworks nightly, it might be kinda cool to have a Disney Premium View....decisions, decisions....

We were there the week before Thanksgiving week last year -- Nov. 16th-20th. The Christmas Fireworks were nightly.

 

[DMRick]

We're going to DL Dec 22-24 although we'll prob only go in the parks themselves on the 23rd. We know it will be crowded, but we don't go on many rides. I looked on the web and the calendar doesn't go to Dec yet. Does anyone know the hours?

 

[Sherry E]

We're going to DL Dec 22-24 although we'll prob only go in the parks themselves on the 23rd. We know it will be crowded, but we don't go on many rides. I looked on the web and the calendar doesn't go to Dec yet. Does anyone know the hours?

I don't know the hours for sure yet, but, usually, that close to Christmas the hours are long - like summertime hours, where DL is open until midnight, and it opens at 8:00 a.m. I don't know what DCA will do in terms of hours, because I don't know if they will be doing WoC nightly at that time, or perhaps only a couple of nights a week, or one show a night - no clue yet.

 

[Sherry E]

 

[Desert Dwellers]

We think spending NYE at DL sounds like too much fun. We're thinking Dec 28 through Jan 2. I know the crowds will be heavy. We spent the July 4th holiday last summer at DL/DCA, and we found it very workable. Would the crowds be similar?

Are APs blacked out during this time?

 

[Sherry E]

We think spending NYE at DL sounds like too much fun. We're thinking Dec 28 through Jan 2. I know the crowds will be heavy. We spent the July 4th holiday last summer at DL/DCA, and we found it very workable. Would the crowds be similar?

Are APs blacked out during this time?

All APs are blocked over New Year's except the Premium AP holders (and Premier AP too). But that makes no difference. It will more than likely be pretty much a madhouse, and it will be much more crowded than 4th of July last year. In fact, people on the DIS actually reported that July 4th last year was shockingly uncrowded. So, basically, what you saw on July 4th were low crowds, apparently. However, the period between Christmas and New Year's at DLR has always been notoriously packed, especially on New Year's Eve, which can be very, very crazy. And those crowds are most likely not AP holders. What I think happens is that more people are off work and school and free from any further family holiday obligations in that week between Christmas and New Year's day, and as soon as December 26th and beyond rolls around, they come armed with gift money that they can use to go to DLR with, or they are armed with APs that someone got them as a gift for Christmas. Prior to Christmas, not everyone is out of work yet, and lots of people stick with family until Christmas is over. Add in the World of Color element which will draw more folks to the park and the fact that 2009 saw the busiest holiday season at DLR in 10 years, and I think there's a good bet that this year will be no less popular.

The good news is that you will have several days at DLR, so you will have plenty of time to spread everything out and get things done even if the crowds are at their peak.