disney at christmas

[DMRick]

Is it as busy the week before Christmas? We'll be there as I'[ve said, the 22-24th. Will it be a zoo, or do they all show up during vacation the week after?

 

[Sherry E]

Is it as busy the week before Christmas? We'll be there as I'[ve said, the 22-24th. Will it be a zoo, or do they all show up during vacation the week after?

I tend to not think those dates before Christmas will be as much of a zoo as the dates immediately following Christmas. I think more people are free to come to DLR as soon as their family obligations end on Christmas. Now that's not to say that it won't be very crowded when you are there - when we were at DLR last year on the Saturday right before Christmas, it was way too packed for my liking - much more crowded than the exact same weekend in 2008 and 2007 - and I found myself getting much more impatient and frustrated with the crowds than I usually do. We didn't have enough time at DLR and I couldn't get as much done as I would have liked because there were just people packed in everywhere. The Haunted Mansion Holiday line was already 45 minutes long before 11:00 a.m.

But you will have 2 good weekdays - the 22nd and 23rd - to get things done in DLR, and then I would imagine that the 24th will get a bit busier because it's Christmas Eve and because it's a Friday. I think that if you can shift the bulk of your activities to Wednesday the 22nd and Thursday the 23rd, and then leave the 24th for just any excess things or do-overs, it will work out okay. I don't think it will be nearly as bad as when December 26th rolls around!

 

[DMRick]

Thanks. Actually, we'll have a plane to catch on the 24th, so we will be in Disney on the 22-23, so that sounds good. We mostly just want to see it, as we've been to Disney World so many times, it seems a shame to come all this ways and not peak in.

 

[Desert Dwellers]

I better talk to the kids. Although New Year's Eve sounds fun, can we really handle the crowds? I know we'll stay at Paradise Pier or the DL Hotel, so we can always retreat quickly and hang out at the hotel if the crowds get intense.

We could also go Dec 19 - 24, so maybe that's a better route. Still get the great holiday atmosphere, but with less crowds. Something to think about, but I will need to book rooms soon.

 

[Sherry E]

I better talk to the kids. Although New Year's Eve sounds fun, can we really handle the crowds? I know we'll stay at Paradise Pier or the DL Hotel, so we can always retreat quickly and hang out at the hotel if the crowds get intense.

We could also go Dec 19 - 24, so maybe that's a better route. Still get the great holiday atmosphere, but with less crowds. Something to think about, but I will need to book rooms soon.

The 19th - 24th might be better, but if you do end up at DLR after Christmas and on to New Year's, just avoid Main Street on New Year's Eve. That is wall-to-wall people packed into Main Street after about 8 p.m. on until midnight - and no one moves (they are all waiting for a countdown at midnight that takes place on a bandstand thingy). You are smooshed in with strangers who aren't budging, and it is downright annoying and a bit scary trying to claw your way out of the crowds when they aren't moving!!

 

[Sherry E]

Thanks. Actually, we'll have a plane to catch on the 24th, so we will be in Disney on the 22-23, so that sounds good. We mostly just want to see it, as we've been to Disney World so many times, it seems a shame to come all this ways and not peak in.

Great! It sounds like it will work out well! Yes, you're right - you have to come and see the holiday season at DLR if you have to travel this way. DLR doesn't have the same stuff as WDW (well, I imagine there are some similarities here and there, but there are many differences), so it will be a whole new experience!

 

[Sherry E]

Bump!

 

[DisneyParkFan]

Been at WDW for Thansgiving before, and have even made it down in early December once. Looking forward to seeing DL at Thansgiving with Christmas decorations.

 

[tksbaskets]

Happy Father's Day to the Christmas planners!

 

[Sherry E]

Been at WDW for Thansgiving before, and have even made it down in early December once. Looking forward to seeing DL at Thansgiving with Christmas decorations.

Well, if you have had any time at all to look through this thread to see the wonderful photographic contributions by so many of our DIS-ers, you know that you're in for a treat!!

Happy Father's Day to the Christmas planners!

Yes, Happy Fathers Days to all of you!!

 

[mariezp]

Well.... it's taken some doing but I finally made it back over here! Getting the "ready to go to the park itch" so I need to get a Disneyland fix TODAY! Just noticed that my ticker is now under 5 months so it will be here in no time! In the meantime just thought I would share some additional photos to keep us all dreaming of holiday time in the park.

These are more from our trip in 2008.
Poinsettas everywhere

Decorations everywhere

Small World round

amamax2, great detail pictures! You picked up learning to post in no time! Oooh, I would love to go to all the Disney parks around the world too but then again what Disney nut wouldn't? Totally agree that DL beats WDW in giving you that intimacy feel. Your description of WDW feeling like 4 totally different parks is so true. Funny though cause I always hear people saying how much more immersive being at WDW feels. When we were there I did not get that feeling at all.

Flitterific, love your photos too! I've never seen Tigger and Pooh on the sleds before.

VivekB, good luck selling the wife on a trip to Disneyland!

deejdigsdis, more great pics!

Sherry, I still think that Disney should hire you to be a Disneyland PR person! We are lucky to have you around here offering us information and keeping the excitement going! I hope your trip this year more than makes up for any woes you had last year. I hope you get to the park during a time when the crowds do not put a damper on your cheer and that those friends of yours see it as a chance to spend some quality time among good friends.

 

[Flitterific]

Flitterific, love your photos too! I've never seen Tigger and Pooh on the sleds before.

Sherry, I still think that Disney should hire you to be a Disneyland PR person! We are lucky to have you around here offering us information and keeping the excitement going! I hope your trip this year more than makes up for any woes you had last year. I hope you get to the park during a time when the crowds do not put a damper on your cheer and that those friends of yours see it as a chance to spend some quality time among good friends.

Hi mariezp! Your pictures are pretty cool too...love looking at the different ornaments. Makes me want to go back right now!

And I agree with you 100% about Sherry. She has converted so many of us into becoming Christmas at DLR lovers. She would make a great DLR PR person But she may be so effective at promoting DLR during the holidays that the crowds will be even worse than they are

 

[mariezp]

Hi mariezp! Your pictures are pretty cool too...love looking at the different ornaments. Makes me want to go back right now!

And I agree with you 100% about Sherry. She has converted so many of us into becoming Christmas at DLR lovers. She would make a great DLR PR person But she may be so effective at promoting DLR during the holidays that the crowds will be even worse than they are

As if any of us around here need a good incentive to want to go back! Still, looking at photos is a good way to pass the time in between trips.

So true. Wonder if Sherry already has something to do with the rise of crowd levels in December?

 

[Sherry E]

....Sherry, I still think that Disney should hire you to be a Disneyland PR person! We are lucky to have you around here offering us information and keeping the excitement going! I hope your trip this year more than makes up for any woes you had last year. I hope you get to the park during a time when the crowds do not put a damper on your cheer and that those friends of yours see it as a chance to spend some quality time among good friends.

Love those photos, Marie! I especially love this last batch you posted - those IASW Holiday photos towards the end are so clear and crisp, and I love the different variations of the wreaths around IASW!!

Thank you for the kind words! I wish DLR would hire me! I need to be doing that Disney Parks Blog that Heather Hust Rivera does (everyone should sign up for that on Facebook or by email alert - it's a good source of information)! And if they give me a chance to promote their holidays - HalloweenTime and Christmas - I will do a fantastic job for them!!

I don't even want to think of the woes from last year. I just hope there are not as many woes this year, and that the flaky friends snap out of it. I need to get back to DLR and have more time. Last year was just not enough time to really give the new camera a workout with so many people everywhere.

Hi mariezp! Your pictures are pretty cool too...love looking at the different ornaments. Makes me want to go back right now!

And I agree with you 100% about Sherry. She has converted so many of us into becoming Christmas at DLR lovers. She would make a great DLR PR person But she may be so effective at promoting DLR during the holidays that the crowds will be even worse than they are

Thanks to you as well, Flitterific! That's sweet of you and Marie to say that. Now if only the powers that be at DLR just happened to be lingering on this thread so they could see my valiant efforts in plugging DLR during the holidays!!

But you're right - I don't want to do anything that is going to make the DLR season even more popular and crowded! Maybe I will start steering everyone towards St. Patrick's Day at DLR and downplay the magic of DLR during the holidays! Oh well, I think it's hopeless - once people tune in and see all the wonderful photos provided by you and Marie and everyone else in this thread, that will be the selling point! There's no turning back! But we love our photos here, so we must keep those coming!!

As if any of us around here need a good incentive to want to go back! Still, looking at photos is a good way to pass the time in between trips.

So true. Wonder if Sherry already has something to do with the rise of crowd levels in December?

You found me out! I am the evil mastermind behind the huge crowds!!

 

[amamax2]

MarieZP-

LOVE the pixs! And we all definitely needed a Christmas fix about now...it's been feeling a bit dry.

Seeing your daughter at the candy cane striped A makes me so sad to hear they are getting rid of the letters - I love them and seeing them decorated each season, getting pictures of the kids by them and seeing the changes in them through the years.

And Sherry was right - your IASW pixs are so clear - what kind of camera did you use? I'm assuming no flash, so what it the trick?

 

[Sherry E]

MarieZP-

LOVE the pixs! And we all definitely needed a Christmas fix about now...it's been feeling a bit dry.

Seeing your daughter at the candy cane striped A makes me so sad to hear they are getting rid of the letters - I love them and seeing them decorated each season, getting pictures of the kids by them and seeing the changes in them through the years.

And Sherry was right - your IASW pixs are so clear - what kind of camera did you use? I'm assuming no flash, so what it the trick?

And what better day to get a good Christmas fix than on the first day of summer? We certainly can't be expected to wait until November for a holiday fix, now can we?

The holiday season at DLR can't get here fast enough for me!! I'm looking forward to HalloweenTime at DLR, but I really cannot wait for the holiday season!!

I know Mariezp has the same sort of camera that I have now (Canon SD880), but those IASWH photos above were taken before she bought the Canon. I'm not sure the Canon is capable of taking such clear, crisp and vivid photos of IASWH at night like those above, and if it is capable, I certainly don't know how to capture them! So I'm thinking maybe I need to get whatever that camera was that Marie used for those pictures of IASWH!!!!

 

[Grumpy Grandma]

Yes, those pictures are wonderful. I too would like to know what camera was used!

 

[amamax2]

And what better day to get a good Christmas fix than on the first day of summer?

Too true - looking at her pictures, I was struck by the incongruence of all the people in shorts and t-shirts - and the Christmas decor. I'm a SoCal girl, born and bred, so I know Christmas Day is more likely to be 80 degrees than cool, but I still thought it was funny. So, yes, what better day to get our fix?

 

[amamax2]

I know Mariezp has the same sort of camera that I have now (Canon SD880), but those IASWH photos above were taken before she bought the Canon. I'm not sure the Canon is capable of taking such clear, crisp and vivid photos of IASWH at night like those above, and if it is capable, I certainly don't know how to capture them! So I'm thinking maybe I need to get whatever that camera was that Marie used for those pictures of IASWH!!!!

I have the Canon SD800 and can do some great things with it (I remember the discussion about color accent, etc - I do know how to do that), but I've tried many times to get a great shot in IASW and never gotten anything like that. If it was on the Canon, I want to know also!

 

[tksbaskets]

Paying it Forward

2009/2010 Tour Guide Maps

I love to dream and plan with a 'real' map. During our Christmas/NYE vacation I picked up extra sets of maps to share with my DIS friends. Now is the time to share the magic.

I have:
8 sets of Disney Land/Disney's California Adventure Christmas tour guide maps
4 sets of DL/DCA New Year's Eve tour guide maps

If you'd like a set PM me with your snail mail address and I'll pop the set you request in the mail for you.

Happy Planning!
Teresa