disney at christmas

[PHXscuba]

OK, so I have gone back read up to page 10 of this thread and I SOOO want Christmas to come soon! I am still not even into last year's Christmas pictures but everything looks amazing! I am a huge Christmas fan and a huge Disney fan, so going to DLR this December will be HUGE for me!

I don't think I will be eating any real meals, just peppermint fudge, Mickey gingerbread men, apple cider, peppermint ice cream, hot chocolate, yule log cake, etc. And buying Christmas ornaments!

Thanks to all who are sharing their experiences and especially the pictures!

PHXscuba

 

[funatdisney]

I don't think I will be eating any real meals, just peppermint fudge, Mickey gingerbread men, apple cider, peppermint ice cream, hot chocolate, yule log cake, etc. And buying Christmas ornaments!
PHXscuba

Sounds like a perfect plan to me!

 

[Sherry E]

OK, so I have gone back read up to page 10 of this thread and I SOOO want Christmas to come soon! I am still not even into last year's Christmas pictures but everything looks amazing! I am a huge Christmas fan and a huge Disney fan, so going to DLR this December will be HUGE for me!

I don't think I will be eating any real meals, just peppermint fudge, Mickey gingerbread men, apple cider, peppermint ice cream, hot chocolate, yule log cake, etc. And buying Christmas ornaments!

Thanks to all who are sharing their experiences and especially the pictures!

PHXscuba

And goodness, don't forget the peppermint cupcakes too! I should have grabbed one when I was there last year (to go with my cup of peppermint ice cream). But I was so thrown off by the huge crowds on my day (which I was not expecting to be as bad as they were) that shopping and looking in any additional stores/treat shops seemed out of the question!!

 

[PHXscuba]

Mmm... peppermint ....

It's really hard to get in the Christmas spirit when it's 110 out! I need some peppermint and some Christmas music while I read!

PHXscuba

 

[3Minnies1Mickey]

I don't think I will be eating any real meals, just peppermint fudge, Mickey gingerbread men, apple cider, peppermint ice cream, hot chocolate, yule log cake, etc. And buying Christmas ornaments!

"Real meals" are for the weak!!!

 

[funatdisney]

Well, there have been mixed reports. Here is my answer: when I thought I was going to possibly be at DLR after Christmas a couple of years ago, I was afraid I was going to miss Santa and the Carolers - particularly in the GCH lobby/hearth area, where I had planned to plunk down and soak in the holiday atmosphere.

So I called DLR and asked when Santa and the Carolers leave. I was told that Santa leaves (not just the GCH but all of DLR) as soon as December 25th passes. So 12/26 rolls around and no Santa. The carolers stick around for a couple of days past 12/25 and then they are gone. So I was told that once Christmas is over, Santa heads back to the North Pole.

However, one DIS-er on this board said that she has been going to DLR either for New Year's or around New Years for years and that Santa is still there. So I am confused. It's not that the CMs have never been wrong before - they certainly have been wrong. But the one I spoke with was so certain that Santa is gone as of 12/26.

So I think I concluded that if, indeed, Santa has been spotted post-Christmas, it was only in the Reindeer Round-Up. I think Santa is gone from all 3 hotels and from DCA as soon as 12/26 rolls around. Maybe they felt they needed to keep at least one Santa on the premises so they left the Round-Up one. But he is definitely gone from other locations around DLR.

I know this was posted way back on page 66, but I have seen Santa after Dec. 25. I saw him in the Reindeer Round-Up and he was dressed in Holiday plaids. I remember he was wearing a green plaid shirt. I think I have a picture somewhere, but I can't find it. It was so neat. I thanked him for the knife set I got that year, and he went along with it. That was a couple of years ago. Was he still there last year?

 

[Sherry E]

I know this was posted way back on page 66, but I have seen Santa after Dec. 25. I saw him in the Reindeer Round-Up and he was dressed in Holiday plaids. I remember he was wearing a green plaid shirt. I think I have a picture somewhere, but I can't find it. It was so neat. I thanked him for the knife set I got that year, and he went along with it. That was a couple of years ago. Was he still there last year?

Yep, that's kind of what I had concluded after hearing that there was a Santa sighting at DL post-Christmas. So Santa in the red suit is totally gone from DCA, the DLH, the PPH and the GCH after Christmas, and he goes back to the North Pole. BUT Santa in 'street clothes' stays on at his 'home' in the Reindeer Round-Up to recover from Christmas and prepare for the next holiday season. I guess it would be silly to not have Santa at something called Santa's Reindeer Round-Up until the season ends, seeing that's supposed to be his house in the Round-Up, but since all of his other DLR appearances are just 'guest appearances,' those are over as soon as 12/25 passes, which makes sense.

 

[50sjayne]

When the season officially starts, that's when the parks and all of DLR are in full holiday mode. Everything is decked out, all the holiday treats are on sale, all the holiday highlights such as IASW Holiday and the nighttime Winter castle are aglow, the Reindeer Round-Up is up and running, the carolers are roaming around DLR, the 700 Christmas trees are planted around DLR, the snow will be falling on Main Street, ToonTown and A Bug's Land are decorated, Santa is situated at his various photo spots around DLR, etc. Only the Candlelight Processional is held on the first weekend of December. Otherwise, everything is up and running in November.

Last year the season officially began early, on November 13th. This year it begins on November 12th. In 2008, it began one week later, on the Friday before Thanksgiving. The decorations only begin to go up immediately after HalloweenTime ends (and sometimes even before that), but everything will be "finished" and in full holiday mode on the official start date.

For those planning 2011 trips, there's no telling if 2011 will see an early start date again or if it will begin later. Based on the popularity of the season, my guess is it will be early again.

Oh cool-- I thought it would take awhile to get everything up...lol it takes us awhile...

 

[sb_sparky]

Christmas at Disneyland is absolutely gorgeous. Everything is decorated for the holidays and lights are everywhere. It is a fun way to kick off the Christmas season and get everyone in the mood for the holidays. The charactors are all in costume too and the parade is very fun to watch too.

We LOVE Disneyland at Christmas!

 

[scrappinbear78]

Dang...I leave for a little while and have over 20 pages of posts to catch up on. There is NO way I am ever going to get through all of it. I guess I just need to stay current with the posts from today on until we leave for our vacation. Still have to put all the finishing touches on our vacation. Have to book our train tickets, hotel for the first night and last 2 nights and then meals. Don't think that we are going to be doing some of the extra things after all. Dad has figured out that it was going to cost way more than he thought, but still just to go and stay for 7 days is going to be AMAZING!!! Total for the train ride down, the stay and ride back we are going to be gone almost 2 full weeks. The kids are working on doing pop can drives to help raise money for souveniers. They are getting so excited. They haven't done much this summer as we have been saving up for Christmas. I have decided that I am going to buy my own stockings and tree and decorate the room myself before the kids come to the room...anything to save a little bit. They will never know that I did it and that it didn't come from the hotel...plus I can do so much more for less than what I would pay for.

 

[goldies 5]

Just giving a little bump!

 

[azdisneylover]

Mmm... peppermint ....

It's really hard to get in the Christmas spirit when it's 110 out! I need some peppermint and some Christmas music while I read!

PHXscuba

I so understand that! LOL I am sitting here sipping iced coffee (right now at 10:53pm it is 97 in Avondale,AZ and in Anaheim, CA it shows 65! I think when it is Christmas, I will be FREEZING at Disneyland! I want to try one of those Christmassy caramel apples and the snowman Mickey (tigger tail thingy) too!

 

[azdisneylover]

Scrappenbear78,
The Disney web site has Christmas stocking on clearance. They have a Mickey one, a Sleeping Beauty one that plays music and a Cars one that I think plays music too. They were $24.99 and they are now $3.99! I got my Mickey when it was $4.99 or something like that. I also got 2 Minnie Mouse stockings. I check the Disney site for anything that is on clearance. They have lots of shirts, jackets, etc on sale.
I check Dollar Tree for Disney items and pick them up to put inside their stocking too!
I heard Target has some cool Disney stuff. I did see the Phineas and Ferb toys at Target. They were the ones that talk, and the other smaller little figurines.
Have fun stocking up and getting things together! Maybe if a Home Depot by you still has the Mickey Head paint chips, you can create a really cool garland to put on the tree!

Have fun!

 

[Staceycs]

Hello everyone,

I am new to this site and all I can say is thankyou, thankyou, thankyou!

I have spent a few weeks peeking at everyone's posts and felt I should finally bite the bullet and join in!!!

My husband and I have been to DL twice and WDW once, and have booked a trip for Christmas this year to DL. We are from Australia and this time we will be visiting with both of our mothers, to make it a bit more festive for Christmas.

Even though we've been before, I think from reading the entire 75 pages on this board, we are in for a completely different, wonderful, exciting and new experience! I have to say the trip has consumed me lately and I have been obsessed with looking after every detail...now if it could only be December now???

We are visiting for two weeks from the 20th Dec to Jan 1st and I can't wait to see the decorations and how the parks are transformed for Christmas!!

My main stress at this point is that I will miss out on the Holidays at Disneyland Tour on the date we want, and also on the Fantasmic Desert Buffett...fingers crossed for good tickets!!

Again, thanks to everyone for your generosity with hints, tips and photos...it has been fantastic to sort through it all and I can't wait to see what information comes through in the coming months!

 

[Sherry E]

Dang...I leave for a little while and have over 20 pages of posts to catch up on. There is NO way I am ever going to get through all of it. I guess I just need to stay current with the posts from today on until we leave for our vacation. Still have to put all the finishing touches on our vacation. Have to book our train tickets, hotel for the first night and last 2 nights and then meals. Don't think that we are going to be doing some of the extra things after all. Dad has figured out that it was going to cost way more than he thought, but still just to go and stay for 7 days is going to be AMAZING!!! Total for the train ride down, the stay and ride back we are going to be gone almost 2 full weeks. The kids are working on doing pop can drives to help raise money for souveniers. They are getting so excited. They haven't done much this summer as we have been saving up for Christmas. I have decided that I am going to buy my own stockings and tree and decorate the room myself before the kids come to the room...anything to save a little bit. They will never know that I did it and that it didn't come from the hotel...plus I can do so much more for less than what I would pay for.

Scrappinbrear78 - I'm so happy to see that you're still with us on this thread! The last couple of times you posted, at least one or two of us responded to you and when you disappeared I wasn't sure if you had seen those replies!!

Anyway, what else did you decide to cut out of the trip besides the Christmas tree and stocking in the PPH room (well, the ones that Vacation Planning would put there, let's say - I know you're going to bring your own)? Maybe if we hear the new agenda someone here will be able to suggest something else that's cheaper or that maybe you might want to cut out/add-in as well.

For example, since it will be a birthday celebration for the kids as well as Christmas celebration, will you still be doing a separate birthday celebration for one child each day?

Are you still planning on a visit to Build-a-Bear? Are you still eating at Goofy's Kitchen (I think you said a character meal came with the package that your dad was getting for you, so there must be a dining voucher)?

You may wish to also try some holiday cookie decorating at the Plaza Pavilion on Main Street. As far as I know, you only have to pay for the price of the cookies and supplies. That would be fun for the kids.

In any case, yes, it will be a wonderful 7-day stay. I can't wait to hear how it goes because I know this is going to be a once-in-a-lifetime trip, based on what you previously told us.

The Paradise Pier Hotel is located across the street from the main hub of activity. Downtown Disney, the Grand Californian Hotel, the Disneyland Hotel and both parks are all on one basic side of the street and the PPH is across from those. If you follow the signs on the PPH property that direct you to the parks, it will seem like it takes an eternity to get there. You may want to try the famous "short cut" from the PPH, which basically involves cutting through the lobby of the GCH and then entering Downtown Disney, which will take you to the parks' entrances. Not only will this be a bit faster, but the ambiance of the GCH during the holidays is wonderful so it will be a treat to get a taste of that as you cut through the lobby.

Hello everyone,

I am new to this site and all I can say is thankyou, thankyou, thankyou!

I have spent a few weeks peeking at everyone's posts and felt I should finally bite the bullet and join in!!!

My husband and I have been to DL twice and WDW once, and have booked a trip for Christmas this year to DL. We are from Australia and this time we will be visiting with both of our mothers, to make it a bit more festive for Christmas.

Even though we've been before, I think from reading the entire 75 pages on this board, we are in for a completely different, wonderful, exciting and new experience! I have to say the trip has consumed me lately and I have been obsessed with looking after every detail...now if it could only be December now???

We are visiting for two weeks from the 20th Dec to Jan 1st and I can't wait to see the decorations and how the parks are transformed for Christmas!!

My main stress at this point is that I will miss out on the Holidays at Disneyland Tour on the date we want, and also on the Fantasmic Desert Buffett...fingers crossed for good tickets!!

Again, thanks to everyone for your generosity with hints, tips and photos...it has been fantastic to sort through it all and I can't wait to see what information comes through in the coming months!

Welcome, Staceycs!!

I must say that I am so pleased there are at least a few people (such as yourself) who are taking time to either read or scroll through this entire thread. Yes, it is quite long but the wonderful photos are worth seeing, even if there is no time to read everything. The photos have been kind of the magical backbone to this thread since the beginning. I could tell - when we were only about a page or two into this thread - that it was going to be special. You can see that people have a genuine love for DLR at Christmastime, and read that in their posts. But the photos tell the tale and make a strong case for visiting DLR during the holidays better than anything else!!

So you said you have been to DL twice - but this will be the first holiday trip? Yes, it's a different experience! I mean, we all know DLR is magical anyway. So take all of those elements that make DLR special on a 'average' day and multiply it by 10,000 and you have DLR at Christmastime. It's really quite immersive and all-encompassing.

You will have a good long time at DLR (2 weeks, you said?) to really soak it all in and see all the wonderful details and have a fantastic time with your moms. I hope you are able to get the Holiday Tour date you want, as well as the Fantasmic Dessert Buffet.

 

[scrappinbear78]

Sherry...thank you so much for all the responses as well as everyone else. Yes, I have been here just lurking. I actually have been consumed with summer and the kids that I had forgotten all about this site so haven't been here in a while. Summer seems to be such a crazy, hectic time of year. I am trying to keep the kids entertained and busy, so my free time is very little. I have spent the last two days trying to read through what I have missed.

So here is our updated planning information. This is what we ARE going to do.

I gave the wrong hotel information...I thought it was PPH, but we are actually staying at GCH. We will be leaving Portland on December 16 and arriving in Aneheim on December 18. We will start the actual DL vacation on the 19 thru the 26. We won't be catching the train back home until the 28th. So, we will have 2 extra days in Aneheim with nothing to do, but it is WAY cheaper to stay a couple days extra then to come home on the 26th. We are still going to have the 5 day meal vouchers which include a character meal. We aren't going to be paying for the "extras" through the actual park and hotel....it is just too expensive. My dad ended up getting really sick this summer and spent a week in the ICU, so we had to re-evaluate what was important to do and what wasn't. I explained that it would just be amazing to go and that we didn't need to do all the extras. We will be going to build-a bear...that is a MUST. I am hoping that we are able to gather enough pop cans that we can take quite a bit of money ourselves as well as what my dad is going to take...this way if the kids see something that they want to do, we don't have to tell them no. We have told them no all summer long on doing things to save the money to pay to go to DL, that I want to make sure they are able to do things while we are there. I know that the holiday tour is worth the money and everything, I just can't justify that much money for a mug, cookie and seats. So, either me or my dad will stake out the spots for the parade while everyone else is going around and then everyone will join in about an hour before the parade actually starts. We are used to waiting for parades, as we camp out here for our Rose Festival Parade every year. We either go the night before, or really early in the morning and wait 7 or more hours for the parade...so the waiting isn't an issue. Other than the build-a-bear, cookie decorating, Mr. Potato head and possibly the Lego Land....not sure what else we will "do" while we are there. I am sure a lot will center around food for the family with all the "yummy" treats that have been shown. Other then that, I haven't gotten to the point of really looking at everything there is to offer and exactly what we are going to be doing. I figure when the kids are back in school and I have more time to just sit and do planning, then I will have a better idea of exactly what we are going to do. I do know that all the things that cost extra are out, so no special days...no holiday tour, no anniversary day, no stockings, no decoration or anything...but I know that just being there is going to be extremely magical and memorable. I will have things to scrapbook for quite a while after we get back. I can't wait...even if we don't do the extras, the kids are going to have a blast and just being there is going to be amazing.

Sorry this was so long...just wanted to answer the question Sherry had asked, and I tend to ramble. I will try to keep them shorter in the future.

 

[Blndiebby25]

Sooo hoping I can make my plans for Disneyland in December 2011 work. =) Looking through this thread really makes me want to go.

 

[Sherry E]

Sherry...thank you so much for all the responses as well as everyone else. Yes, I have been here just lurking. I actually have been consumed with summer and the kids that I had forgotten all about this site so haven't been here in a while. Summer seems to be such a crazy, hectic time of year. I am trying to keep the kids entertained and busy, so my free time is very little. I have spent the last two days trying to read through what I have missed.

So here is our updated planning information. This is what we ARE going to do.

I gave the wrong hotel information...I thought it was PPH, but we are actually staying at GCH. We will be leaving Portland on December 16 and arriving in Aneheim on December 18. We will start the actual DL vacation on the 19 thru the 26. We won't be catching the train back home until the 28th. So, we will have 2 extra days in Aneheim with nothing to do, but it is WAY cheaper to stay a couple days extra then to come home on the 26th. We are still going to have the 5 day meal vouchers which include a character meal. We aren't going to be paying for the "extras" through the actual park and hotel....it is just too expensive. My dad ended up getting really sick this summer and spent a week in the ICU, so we had to re-evaluate what was important to do and what wasn't. I explained that it would just be amazing to go and that we didn't need to do all the extras. We will be going to build-a bear...that is a MUST. I am hoping that we are able to gather enough pop cans that we can take quite a bit of money ourselves as well as what my dad is going to take...this way if the kids see something that they want to do, we don't have to tell them no. We have told them no all summer long on doing things to save the money to pay to go to DL, that I want to make sure they are able to do things while we are there. I know that the holiday tour is worth the money and everything, I just can't justify that much money for a mug, cookie and seats. So, either me or my dad will stake out the spots for the parade while everyone else is going around and then everyone will join in about an hour before the parade actually starts. We are used to waiting for parades, as we camp out here for our Rose Festival Parade every year. We either go the night before, or really early in the morning and wait 7 or more hours for the parade...so the waiting isn't an issue. Other than the build-a-bear, cookie decorating, Mr. Potato head and possibly the Lego Land....not sure what else we will "do" while we are there. I am sure a lot will center around food for the family with all the "yummy" treats that have been shown. Other then that, I haven't gotten to the point of really looking at everything there is to offer and exactly what we are going to be doing. I figure when the kids are back in school and I have more time to just sit and do planning, then I will have a better idea of exactly what we are going to do. I do know that all the things that cost extra are out, so no special days...no holiday tour, no anniversary day, no stockings, no decoration or anything...but I know that just being there is going to be extremely magical and memorable. I will have things to scrapbook for quite a while after we get back. I can't wait...even if we don't do the extras, the kids are going to have a blast and just being there is going to be amazing.

Sorry this was so long...just wanted to answer the question Sherry had asked, and I tend to ramble. I will try to keep them shorter in the future.

Oh no - don't worry about a long post at all. It's better that we have all the info so that we can come up with any other suggestions that may work for your schedule/trip.

I'm sure that others out there will be able to think of some things that may be good to either add in or change., or help with your trip in some way

Okay, now that you've explained that you are staying at the GCH for the entire trip, I can see where your dad is realizing that funds are not going to be flowing as freely as he thought they would be! You initially thought you were getting a suite at the PPH. What kind of room are you getting at GCH? A suite?

Staying at any DLR hotel is costly (even the PPH, which is the least expensive one of the three), but it's worth it if you want that Disney feel of immersion the entire time, 24/7, along with the perks like Magic Mornings, having your purchases sent back to the hotel, etc. But the GCH is usually soooooo much more expensive than the DLH and the PPH (unless it happens to be a fluke time where there are good GCH discounts). I don't even want to think about how much 7 nights or more would cost at the GCH in December. It is a lovely hotel and it's in a very convenient location - and it is absolutely wonderful during the holiday season - but if I had been planning your trip, I probably would have gone with the DLH or PPH instead (plus, the rooms at PPH and DLH are larger than the rooms at the GCH). That would cut the cost down tremendously and leave room for other things. You'll enjoy the GCH, but that price tag is going to be very hefty!

The Holiday Tour seems to be worth it for many reasons - first of all, the info and trivia you get while on the tour, the priority seating for It's a Small World Holiday and Haunted Mansion Holiday, the collectible pin, the actual reserved seats for the parade, the cookie and cocoa/mug, etc. But you're right - you can probably do without it. It would be a nice thing to add in but it is not at all necessary. You'll have a wonderful time just being there for the week, soaking in the atmosphere, decorating cookies, visiting Build-a-Bear, taking tons of photos (I can't wait to see what your husband comes up with, since you said he is a photographer, correct?), etc. You will have plenty to do and see without doing the tour.

I always say that even if I am unable to go to DLR more than one time in a year, or if I am unable to get back to DLR for a few years, or even if I only have one day to spend at DLR and cannot stay overnight - the one time I would choose to go over any other time would be during the holiday season. I would pick one day during the holidays over one day at any other time of year. So to stay for a full week like you will be doing sounds like heaven to me. I can only imagine the photo-taking possibilities!!

 

[Sherry E]

Sooo hoping I can make my plans for Disneyland in December 2011 work. =) Looking through this thread really makes me want to go.

I hope so too! And if you go, make sure to come back and post some photos on this thread!!

 

[scrappinbear78]

Ok, so you have me thinking about what hotel he really did choose now. I know it wasn't PPH...but I am not sure what one it is. I know it isn't a suite. I had to call them and request a roll away bed to go in the room that way we have enough sleeping areas for everyone. They had it for 5 people to sleep in 2 queen size beds, I don't know how they expected to make that happen. When I called to upgrade, they stated that they were all booked and couldn't do an upgrade...but could add a roll away bed. I guess I am going to have to call back and see if there is a cheaper hotel to stay at that would bring the price down a little. Does it cost anything to change your reservation? I thought I would ask if it would cost anything before I called them and started messing around with the package. I am trying to help him save as much as he can, because I have a really hard time justifying that much money on any trip...even if it is DL. We don't usually go on a vacation at all, let alone spend this much money on a trip.

I really need to buckle down and get our train tickets bought. We are responsible for the train tickets and the first night and last two nights of the hotel...these nights are the extra nights that aren't in the package and that we won't be at DL for. I so can't wait and just being there is going to be awesome. I am pretty sure we won't be going back because of the cost. I don't know how you guys do it by going yearly or multiple times a year. We are lucky if we even have a weekend away once a year. It is so expensive to go anywhere now days, it is tough. I would love to go once a year, but there would be NO way we could afford just the food and park tickets let alone the hotel and transportation. Anyway, I will have to look into what hotel we are staying at for sure and get back to you guys. If it is the really expensive one...then I will talk to my dad about changing to one of the other ones. I know that any of them will be amazing, but if we can save a little on the hotel that would be awesome.