Whaaaat? They are getting rid of the bridge too?
How have I missed these announcements? (Guess I'm too busy reading the Halloween and Christmas threads, hee hee.) I LOVE the bridge! I am looking forward to the Cars ride, but between the takeover of WOC and all the things they are removing, it's not going to feel the same at all.
On a more positive note, after reading everyone's three things not to miss...I'm thinking I need to add another day to our Christmas trip - we'll never be able to do EVERYTHING in only three days!!! So many things I didn't know about.....
amamax2 - Oh yes, add another day!! There are way too many holiday things to see and photograph to not add another day!!
The front of DCA will look very odd without that bridge and the letters out in front. But i guess it doesn't fit in with their vision of 1920's Los Angeles. It will be very interesting to see what DCA looks like when it is all finished with its billion dollar makeover. I am only excited for Carsland because it will give us a couple of new restaurants and rides. Otherwise, I think I am most excited for the Little Mermaid ride!!
Oh just add a few more. Give yourself a week!
That said, I went to DLR something like 18 days in one year, along with a few trips the year before and two day trips in the two years before that, and I still haven't done everything I want, let alone "everything"!
Molly - I agree - even though I could see
more things with more time at DLR, there are so many details (many of them virtually hidden) to discover at DLR and so many things to take in, I don't know if I will ever see everything. Plus, now there will be new things to see in DCA when Carsland gets there. It's an endless discovery, which keeps it interesting.
I have these problems all the time. I wonder if the disboards needs to add some servers -- perhaps you should put in a word to the tech guys...
specialks - Yes, that's probably it - server issues. I bet you're 100% right. At least I know I'm not the only one having trouble.
Oh gosh, just reading and seeing the pics on this thread is getting me so excited...I had been going to DLR at Christmas for a while but them started going at Halloween time because my second son has a birthday near that time....but this year we are staying home for Hallowen and making it a Christmas trip...... I can't wait to see that shining castle and wear my Mickey Santa Ears again!!!!!!
ryalluvdiz - That's one of the wonderful things about this thread, and what makes it so magical. Many of us who contribute here have already been to DLR during the holidays so we know what it's like...but that doesn't seem to dampen our interest in returning for more holiday trips, and I don't think any of us has seen it "all"!! It's almost as if we are seeing the things featured in the photos for the very first time! I guess, in many cases, some of us
are seeing things in the photos for the first time because, although we have been to DLR at Christmastime, we have not necessarily combed every inch of the resort, and thus, have missed a LOT of details. Some folks maybe never knew the Reindeer Round-Up was so detailed (like yours truly!). Others may not have been aware of how special the GCH is during the season.
It's easy to miss a lot of things at DLR during the season because there is SO much to absorb. I can honestly say that there are things and details in almost every set of photos in this thread (posted by other people; not my own!) that I have overlooked. There is always that little something that I spot and say, "Wow! I'll have to check that out next time I'm there!" Also, everyone's photographic perspective is slightly different, so it's like we are seeing everything with new eyes over and over!! It's wnderful!!
So this thread is not only raising the interest of those who have never seen DLR at Christmastime and inspiring them to go, but it's also reigniting the interest of those of us who have already been!
Thought I would share a few photos from our trip last year:
Decorations in New Orleans
HMH
Christmas Castle day and night
IASWH and Parade
bbangel - Love those pictures! I especially love the top photo - something about the colors in it really catches my eye!! Thanks so much for posting them! Please post more if you have them!
I always know you will appreciate the pictures! And yes indeed! You do need to be sure to spend some time at Reindeer Roundup. Always fun to get a photo with Santa too. I know they lines are always horrendously long but that's a good time to stand around and take in all the details.
Got all signed up with the Disney Parks Blog. Just what I needed! Something else to read!
Fingers crossed!
No fiascoes allowed!
I could be wrong but it was my understanding that the plan was to redo the entire entrance to CA. Seems like a total waste to me too so somebody be sure to correct me if I am wrong!!!
That a girl! Another day sounds like a good plan! Glad we could be of help!
Marie - you're right - the bridge and the letters are coming down as part of the whole entrance makeover.
I'm all about getting photos with Santa, wherever I can get to him without a line. Of course, I practically had to drag my friend into the GCH Santa photo in 2008 because she wanted to stay planted in the seat, but I got her in it and it turned into a nice photo!!
My family and I usually go at Halloween but this year decided to go in Dec. We are so excited and all these photos make it even better! I was wondering what the typical hours are? We are going Dec. 1st for three nights which is Wendsday thru Saturday. I am hoping we will get to see parades and fireworks. Also, do they usually have any rides down for refurbishment. Any advice and information would be great.
christa2766 - Will this be your first time being at DLR during the holiday season? You are in for a treat!! I hope you've had a chance to scroll back through the whole thread and see all the photos (you don't have to read the whole thing, but it's worth it to scroll for the pictures!!) - we have some real gems hidden in the depths of this thread!
HalloweenTime is great, too - it's quite fun, as you know very well. And I suppose some folks prefer DLR at HalloweenTime if they enjoy Halloween as a holiday more than Christmas in general. But there is just something extra during the holiday season - extra magic - that is not there during HalloweenTime. Christmastime is so much more detailed and thorough, so much more immersive. It really covers the whole entire Resort, whereas Halloween is not that all-encompassing. The holiday season is more of a full sensory experience. You can close your eyes and still smell peppermint or cocoa. You can hear differently-themed versions of Christmas songs in each land you enter. HalloweenTime is not up to that level of immersion yet.
Welcome to the thread!
Here's a link to last year's December hours - we will be there over that time period, too, and I am using this as a rough guide. DL hours historically don't change too much year to year, but with WOC, who knows? My assumption is that in early Dec it will only be running on weekends, just like fireworks, F!, etc, but that is just MY guess. Since you will be there over a weekend, you should be able to see everything!
http://www.wdwinfo.com/disneyland/park-hours.cfm?month=12&year=2009
amamax2 - I'm also guessing WoC will probably run on weekends, but it probably depends on how big of a hit it stays through the summer and into the Fall. If it keeps up its momentum, DLR may try to let it run more often if possible. I guess time will tell.
Thanks, amamax2, for posting the link for the hours. I'm having fun reading the boards to help plan for our NYE visit.
I read one thread that stated while New Year's Eve will be jammed packed, early New Year's Day is pretty quiet and uncrowded, so we'll want to take advantage of that...
Desert Dwellers - Yes, that was my experience too. Jam packed and crazy on NYE, but on New Year's Day, up until about noon, it was delightful. I knew that everyone was hungover and conked out, and I took advantage of it. It was wonderfully uncrowded until noon, and then everyone was back in the parks.
This is the best thread EVER!!! If anyone is in a sour mood, just click on this thread and Poof! (insert magic pixie dust here)
a warm fuzzy feeling eminates from your heart before you are grinning ear to ear secretly planning a trip to Disneyland during the holidays! Thank you everyone!!
I have a question about that wonderful sounding peppermint ice cream in the red and green spinkle tipped cone. Where do you find that treat? Is that on Main Street? I MUST write this one down on my list!
Does anyone have a picture of this yummy treat? Does this ice cream taste like a peppermint patty, or more of a vanilla ice cream with peppermint bits in it? Yikes, now I am drooling!
azdisneylover - I was hoping you saw the replies to your question about the top 3 things to do/see/eat. It sounds like you did! The pages move quickly, so sometimes the responses can end up on the previous page before you know it!!!
I agree - this is the best thread ever! I have thought so from the beginning, but it has only gotten 100 times better since last year, with all the wonderful contributions!! It is definitely an instant mood-booster and trip-inspiration, that's for sure!!
The peppermint ice cream can be found at the Gibson Girl ice cream place on Main Street. I posted photos of the ice cream (without the sprinkle cone) earlier in this thread. I was not hungry enough to get the ice cream with the cone at that moment, but I recommend getting it in the cone because it's so much more festive!! You can actually watch the CMs rolls the cone in the holiday toppings as you stand in line, and it's quite cool!! (It was also featured on
Guy's Disney Holiday on the Food Network last year!!)
The peppermint ice cream is pink, with chunks of peppermint candy/candy cane in it, so I guess that's like a peppermint patty. It's full peppemint flavor through and through, not vanilla with peppermint pieces. (It's made by Dreyer's, so it's sold in grocery stores during the holidays but it's much more festive to get it at DLR!)
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 cannot even begin to imagine how horribly packed the park would be that night. Somehow I think it would lose a little of the magic being packed in there like sardines. Sherry's account of her experience is enough for me!
I just saw you on the November thread and when I came to get caught up over here I just happen to run across you again. Guess with us both having trips in the making we are bound to be running into each other all over the place! I suppose we will be running into lots of others like that too. 
