disney at christmas

[mommaU4]

Great! Thanks for that info Sherry. I knew I could count on you.

 

[funatdisney]

Hey Guys. I am having a tough time keeping up with my threads. My kids started school last week and I have been super busy!! I'll keep checking in, but I am ending up reading a few pages at a time! I just love following this and the Halloween thread. I am addicted!

 

[azdisneylover]

GGGrrrrr. I really do hate the construction industry! Ugh, I do not understand why people can't do what they say, and say what they mean. Hubby is home, waiting for word on when the next construction jobs if and when they will start! WWWAAAAHHH. So, now there is a good chance we will NOT go to Disneyland during Christmas. I am not happy about it. sorry, I had to vent. I need a ride around the park NOW.
At least I can keep planning and saving for the triplets birthday trip the beginning of April....and Mother's Day week (May 8th, 2011)!

 

[Shellyf62]

Hi
We have just come back from DL & my Daughter & I are busy planning next year's visit.
She would like to see Halloween in the park & I want to see the Christmas decorations (I am not fussed about Halloween)....so is there a way I can find out what date the decorations will be up for Xmas 2011? I know it is a long way off, but plannig from the other side of the globe is a big effort!
Thanks

 

[Sherry E]

Hi
We have just come back from DL & my Daughter & I are busy planning next year's visit.
She would like to see Halloween in the park & I want to see the Christmas decorations (I am not fussed about Halloween)....so is there a way I can find out what date the decorations will be up for Xmas 2011? I know it is a long way off, but plannig from the other side of the globe is a big effort!
Thanks

Hi, Shelly!

The holiday season will either start on the Friday before Thanksgiving or 2 Fridays before Thanksgiving, so either 11/11 or 11/18 of next year. I have seen it happen both ways. Next year, the end of HalloweenTime may actually be a reason why the holiday start date gets delayed, which I'll explain in a minute. This year and last year, the holiday season start date is 2 Fridays before Thanksgiving. However, in 2008, the season began only one Friday before.

Anyway, about 2011 - and I am not looking at a calendar -it's going to be tricky because the Halloween season will not end on a weekend or on a Monday, and this may delay the holiday start date. Halloween itself will fall on a Monday, if I'm correct. There will have to be a Halloween party on that date, and all the decorations will still have to be up and in full swing. But the question is, will the Halloween stuff come down between Monday, 10/31 and Tuesday, 11/1 of next year and be gone by Tuesday? Generally, DLR likes to do lots of their 'un-decorating' at the end of weekends. Last year (2009), they even extended the end of the Halloween season to 11/1 because 11/1 was a Sunday, and it didn't make sense to end the season on Saturday night. And then they could begin to take down everything overnight from Sunday to Monday. They just don't typically end their 'seasons' on weekdays. They always end them on Sunday nights.

2011 poses an interesting challenge in that Halloween will fall early enough in the week to where DLR may not want to extend the Halloween season until the end of the following weekend (November 6) in order to remove the bulk of the decorations. That's stretching it out a little long. But to take everything down overnight Monday to Tuesday or Tuesday to Wednesday may be disruptive IF they are simultaneously scrambling to get the Christmas decorations up for an early start date.

If HalloweenTime were ending on a Sunday next year, I would guess that the holiday season start date would be 11/11. But since we know it won't be ending on 10/30, then the only other option would be to end it on a weekday or end it on 11/6. If they have to end Halloween season on 11/6, I'm almost certain they would not have an early Christmas season start date. In any case, I have a sneaking suspicion that the holiday season start date may be delayed until 11/18 next year. I could be totally wrong (and I hope I am), but it all seems like it's going to be cutting it a little close between the two holidays next year.

 

[Desert Dwellers]

I say I'm bumping it off the 2nd page, but I really want to see my countdown counting down.

 

[marcemc]

Hi, Beth!!

Yes, everything will be in full holiday swing on 11/19. In fact, the holiday season starts on 11/12 this year. The decorations will start slowly going up as soon as HalloweenTime ends, but all the holiday entertainment will start on the official season start date (like Santa, IASW Holiday, all the carolers roaming the Resort, the nighttime Winter Castle lights, the light display from the Castle up Main Street, the snowfall on Main Street, the Reindeer Round-Up, etc.). The only thing that won't be happening yet is the Candlelight Processional, as you know.

Usually the Candlelight Processional is on the first weekend of december, right? I would love some info on the processional as we have never attend it but would like to this year.

 

[Sherry E]

Usually the Candlelight Processional is on the first weekend of december, right? I would love some info on the processional as we have never attend it but would like to this year.

Right! I've never attended the CP either. It sounds and looks lovely. I think there are at least a couple of folks on this thread who have attended it. All I really know is that supposedly the crowds in DL on the CP weekend are quite heavy.

There has been a rumor of the CP possibly moving from DL over to DCA next year (at the Hyperion), which would be interesting - if it happens. I kind of thought that the CP would fit better against the sort of old fashioned backdrop of Main Street, where it has taken place all this time. So my guess is that IF the CP ends up moving across the Esplanade to DCA, there will be a new signature holiday event happening in DL - like, perhaps, a Very Merry Christmas Party.

But, again, it's only a rumor. The CP may never move to DCA, or if it does it may not be next year. DLR may wait until the billion dollar makeover is complete before having any big holiday events in DCA, but we shall see how things progress! Perhaps having the CP against the backdrop of the 1920's Los Angeles theme that is destined for DCA will be nice.

 

[marcemc]

Right! I've never attended the CP either. It sounds and looks lovely. I think there are at least a couple of folks on this thread who have attended it. All I really know is that supposedly the crowds in DL on the CP weekend are quite heavy.

There has been a rumor of the CP possibly moving from DL over to DCA next year (at the Hyperion), which would be interesting - if it happens. I kind of thought that the CP would fit better against the sort of old fashioned backdrop of Main Street, where it has taken place all this time. So my guess is that IF the CP ends up moving across the Esplanade to DCA, there will be a new signature holiday event happening in DL - like, perhaps, a Very Merry Christmas Party.

But, again, it's only a rumor. The CP may never move to DCA, or if it does it may not be next year. DLR may wait until the billion dollar makeover is complete before having any big holiday events in DCA, but we shall see how things progress! Perhaps having the CP against the backdrop of the 1920's Los Angeles theme that is destined for DCA will be nice.

Is there a ticket for this? Sounds nice but I'm kind of allergic to big crowds at Disney.

 

[funatdisney]

The last time I went to CP was in 2005. If I remember right, it was a first come, first serve type of thing or you can get a dinner package that includes a priority seating ticket. For the those willing to wait for seating, there is a line formed along one side of Main Street on the sidewalk and folks line up as soon as the park opens. I really don't know much about that cuz we did the dinner package. We ate at Hook's Point (??) and had a lovely dinner. We were given "Silver" tickets that relates to a certain area (much like the WOC is run today) We lined up on the side of the entrance gates and we didn't have to line up until an hour or so before the CP.

To get the tickets was a bit of a hassle. I called Disney Dining everyday in October and asked of they were offering CP dinner package. The tickets for the dinner package are not announced or advertised.. They just pick a day and those who are in the know call everyday starting in Oct. Every year it seems that there are no set date or time of year they are starting the dinner package. It could be Oct Nov, who knows. I do remember keeping up on posts mentioning the CP on MousePlanet.com. As folks called in, they would poat what they CMs told them.

Of course, this is my experience from 2005! Maybe they changed it. Maybe someone here can update this.

 

[DizDragonfly]

Last year the only dinner package available was for D23 members and it was INSANELY expensive.

 

[funatdisney]

Ah...times have changed. We happen to be booked at the VGC the first weekend of Dec and was considering going. Now maybe not so much. The crowds will be crazy though.

 

[DizDragonfly]

We'll be there that week too! At VGC 11/28 - 12/3 and then we're moving across the street for another four nights.

 

[funatdisney]

We check in on the 3rd and check out on the 5th in a one bedroom. What did room did you book? A 10 day trip, you will have plenty of time to get it all done.

 

[DizDragonfly]

We're in a one bedroom also. Maybe we'll have the same room.

 

[Shellyf62]

Hi, Shelly!

The holiday season will either start on the Friday before Thanksgiving or 2 Fridays before Thanksgiving, so either 11/11 or 11/18 of next year. I have seen it happen both ways. Next year, the end of HalloweenTime may actually be a reason why the holiday start date gets delayed, which I'll explain in a minute. This year and last year, the holiday season start date is 2 Fridays before Thanksgiving. However, in 2008, the season began only one Friday before.

Anyway, about 2011 - and I am not looking at a calendar -it's going to be tricky because the Halloween season will not end on a weekend or on a Monday, and this may delay the holiday start date. Halloween itself will fall on a Monday, if I'm correct. There will have to be a Halloween party on that date, and all the decorations will still have to be up and in full swing. But the question is, will the Halloween stuff come down between Monday, 10/31 and Tuesday, 11/1 of next year and be gone by Tuesday? Generally, DLR likes to do lots of their 'un-decorating' at the end of weekends. Last year (2009), they even extended the end of the Halloween season to 11/1 because 11/1 was a Sunday, and it didn't make sense to end the season on Saturday night. And then they could begin to take down everything overnight from Sunday to Monday. They just don't typically end their 'seasons' on weekdays. They always end them on Sunday nights.

2011 poses an interesting challenge in that Halloween will fall early enough in the week to where DLR may not want to extend the Halloween season until the end of the following weekend (November 6) in order to remove the bulk of the decorations. That's stretching it out a little long. But to take everything down overnight Monday to Tuesday or Tuesday to Wednesday may be disruptive IF they are simultaneously scrambling to get the Christmas decorations up for an early start date.

If HalloweenTime were ending on a Sunday next year, I would guess that the holiday season start date would be 11/11. But since we know it won't be ending on 10/30, then the only other option would be to end it on a weekday or end it on 11/6. If they have to end Halloween season on 11/6, I'm almost certain they would not have an early Christmas season start date. In any case, I have a sneaking suspicion that the holiday season start date may be delayed until 11/18 next year. I could be totally wrong (and I hope I am), but it all seems like it's going to be cutting it a little close between the two holidays next year.

Thank you so much for all the info it is very much appreciated
We have decided to go for Christmas next year, then Halloween the year after.
What do you think about the first week of December crowd wise? We went the first week of August this year & the crowds were horrendous!!

 

[Sherry E]

You're welcome, Shelly!



Everyone out there - I told Shelly that I thought the first week of December would be a good time to go to DLR for the lightest crowds. Either then or immediately after Thanksgiving weekend.

Do you all agree? Does anyone have any other suggestions or does the first week of December sound good?

 

[funatdisney]

We're in a one bedroom also. Maybe we'll have the same room.

We could! There isn't very many one bedrooms. I keep getting the same room, but at different floors when I get park side. BTW, I requested any room above the 4th floor (which I usually do). So far, I have stayed two times on park side and one time on pool side. Either side works for me.

 

[funatdisney]

You're welcome, Shelly!



Everyone out there - I told Shelly that I thought the first week of December would be a good time to go to DLR for the lightest crowds. Either then or immediately after Thanksgiving weekend.

Do you all agree? Does anyone have any other suggestions or does the first week of December sound good?

The first week is a good safe bet IMHO. Whenever I go that first week, the crowds were very light.

 

[DizDragonfly]

We could! There isn't very many one bedrooms. I keep getting the same room, but at different floors when I get park side. BTW, I requested any room above the 4th floor (which I usually do). So far, I have stayed two times on park side and one time on pool side. Either side works for me.

I need to call and make my request. When I made my reservation I hadn't done all my research on what to request, but I knew I had to get my dates reserved.