Disneyland at Christmas/Holiday Season Superthread #2 (Closed)

[Sherry E]

Yay, Vanessa!

I knew you'd get here sooner or later with your Main Street pictures! Thank you so much for sharing them. They're all beautiful, but I especially love the last two pictures of you and your aunt - those are adorable!

​

Just a side note that has nothing to do with Christmas at DLR...

I don't know how the Vons grocery deliveries/orders go for guests at/near DLR, and if lots of mistakes are made on those orders, but the Vons orders up in my area of town are a mess! Yikes! Last time I ordered, there were damaged, leaking items oozing out all over the place. Today, my order was missing some of my major kitchen staples (chicken and apples, for example, which are very important), missing some of the frozen stuff I ordered (but I was still charged anyway), and 2 boxes of Ritz Bits sandwich crackers were totally open! Eek! It's never comforting to get items that have been opened, as you don't know what was done to them or who touched them in the meantime.

 

[DisneyIsMagical]

Yep, I couldn't remember when you were starting the countdown for this thread! I'm glad I made it, just in the nick of time! I have lots more pics to add for the future theme weeks, such an exciting and magical time of year!

 

[Eeee-va]

All from November 2011.

 

[quatrom]

All from November 2011.

If you don't mind me asking, what date were these taken? Main street looks empty!

 

[I'm mikey]

more main street pics from 2011

 

[tksbaskets]

WOW I'm mikey your pictures are excellent. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Eeee-va]

If you don't mind me asking, what date were these taken? Main street looks empty!

We visited the Friday after Thanksgiving through the Tuesday afternoon after Thanksgiving. The first two pictures would've been the Sunday after Thanksgiving, after park close (which I believe was at midnight). So yes, Main Street was almost empty by then. Great time to get photos, but not a good time to ride rides since they're all closed! That whole night was not crowded at all, I think because most people had work or school on Monday.

The third photo I THINK was sometime after fireworks (or possibly before) on the Friday after Thanksgiving, but I'm not so sure about that. You can see the park wasn't empty then, though.

 

[LVdisneyChick]

I luv this thread. I don't have any pics to add. We are going thanksgiving weekend.

 

[MommyLove]

Holy wow, this is making me sooooooooooo excited!! We had to cancel our October vacation, so we have to wait till Dec 28 now to start our "Year of Disney" and sometimes it seems like it's taking forever! And visiting this thread is torture! But now that it's September, it seems like December is much closer. This thread is awesome!

Yes, I had to stay away from the boards for a while. We haven't been able to take a vacation since you last saw me posting on the Halloween thread almost 2 years ago, and being on the Dis just made me sad.

I totally get that. When there's no chance of a DL vacation for us, it's too depressing to come around here. Which is why I wasn't around at all until we started planning our Year of Disney. I can't believe it will be 3 years and 4 months since our last DL trip when we finally get to go again.

ANYHOO.... we have been one time during the Christmas time decorations/celebrations at Disneyland. I do have some photos to share and will dig those out and post some.

Sherry, maybe I missed it, but did you post what your weekly schedule will be? I noticed that you're planning a separate "Castle" theme one week so I will refrain from posting those pics until that time. I have some other photos that could be in the Main St. category, but perhaps would go somewhere else. Like the Main St train station, but from the other side where the lawn/Mickey flowers are...

 

[MommyLove]

I had some time to read more of this thread and saw that the themes will be surprises. Cool! So here are some of mine from Main St. These were taken the first week in January in 2009:

During the day:

At the Carnation Cafe:

And at night!

Not the best pics, but this was before I had an SLR.

 

[Sherry E]

It's Monday, and you know what that means.....



It’s time for the Weekly Monday Countdown!!!

...Only 70 Days Until the
Holiday Season Begins at Disneyland Resort!!!!​

And with the new week comes a new DLR holiday theme!!

As I’ve mentioned, I've decided to showcase a particular area of interest of DLR's holiday celebration each week until the 2012 season begins on Monday, November 12th!! There are many themes to come over the next 2-1/2 months, including 10 main weekly themes every Monday, 6 ‘mini-themes’ which will be featured each day from 11/6 – 11/11, and a final ‘Miscellaneous’ theme on Monday, November 12th.

Theme Week Countdowns are a great way to keep the photos rolling in on a regular basis and build anticipation for 11/12! Also, this is a way to display the different aspects and details of the holidays at DLR that may be totally new to some people...or previously unnoticed/undiscovered by others.

Last week, we soaked in the small town American charm of Main Street. This week we will move across the Esplanade to a place that will likely look much different for the holidays this year than it has ever looked, as the rumors of brand new, themed Cars Land and Buena Vista Street decorations intrigue us all..


So, that said....

In the Spotlight this Week......

CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE (INCLUDING A BUG’S LAND)!!!​

Just across the Esplanade from Disneyland you will find a totally different kind of theme park. For over a decade, Disney California Adventure has been a place to enjoy a sort of overall ‘snapshot experience’ of the Golden State of California, all in one place.

As everyone knows, the landscape of Disney California Adventure has been evolving and dramatically transforming over the last few years…and so have the seasonal offerings. We’ve seen quite a few holiday highlights come and go, such as: the red & white-striped CALIFORNIA letters at the entrance to the park; Santa’s Beach Blast; the bells, candy canes and other garland shapes that hung from the various posts in the Hollywood Pictures Backlot area; the majestic Golden Gate Bridge, which glowed in Christmas splendor after dark, etc. Even the park’s Christmas tree has been relocated a couple of times here and there.

The residents of A Bug’s Land, however, continue to string their jumbo-sized lights and set out their enormous ornaments for photo ops as soon as November rolls around. And this year we hear that Mater, McQueen and the gang may be getting in on the seasonal fun with their own special variety of decorations in Cars Land. Also, supposedly Buena Vista Street will be the new home of the main California Adventure Christmas tree, and the vintage decorations which may adorn that street will surely be a perfect backdrop for carolers and old-time merriment.

We can’t really be sure what further additions or subtractions there may be to future Yuletide celebrations in California Adventure, but we know that by the end of this year a whole new chapter will have begun as far as holiday decorations are concerned - and with that comes more exciting possibilities for different ways to soak in the spirit of the season.

I’ll start with some 2008–2010 California Adventure photos first, and then post some 2011 holiday pictures in the next couple of days…

Golden Gate Bridge:

Entry area:

Hollywood Pictures Backlot:

Pacific Wharf sign:

In-Store tree:

Tree:

Roz:

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Please feel free to post your photos of California Adventure all this week!!!!!

 

[MommyLove]

What fun pics! Love the one of Roz, haha!

I have all of two, yes TWO, photos taken at CA Adventure that have any bit of Christmas showing the one time we've been there during the Christmas season.

This is as you exit. See how you can see the Main St. train station lit up in the distance?

And one of the fam in front of the tree:

And that's it! I'm gonna definitely have to take more photos our next trip.

 

[Sherry E]

What fun pics! Love the one of Roz, haha!

I have all of two, yes TWO, photos taken at CA Adventure that have any bit of Christmas showing the one time we've been there during the Christmas season.

This is as you exit. See how you can see the Main St. train station lit up in the distance?

And one of the fam in front of the tree:

And that's it! I'm gonna definitely have to take more photos our next trip.

Kathleen -

Even though you only had two from DCA, they are good ones! I really love the family picture by the tree - that is adorable. Thank you so much for posting them!

You know, DCA has never been quite as decorated and festive as Disneyland has been - it has always kind of paled in comparison, although maybe that was good for the people who don't really celebrate Christmas? In any case, I'm always surprised that any of us have managed to get enough holiday pictures in DCA at all because we don't have the same elements to work with there as we do in Disneyland.

I'm hoping that this year, with the rumored themed Cars Land and Buena Vista Street decorations, DCA will get more into the celebration so that it doesn't feel so imbalanced!

(Oh, and by the way, thank you so much for sharing your Main Street pictures yesterday - they are beautiful!)

 

[MommyLove]

Thanks, Sherry!

I'm also hoping for more decorations there. When you suggested vintage style decorations for the Buena Vista St. etc area, I thought, YES!! That would be amazing! They could really take advantage of that and do something special. Like how the New Orleans Square decorations are so distinctive.

 

[julsmom]

Thank you so much for all the pictures!! Can't wait to experience it all!

 

[tksbaskets]

Starting with 2009 (I'll wait a few days for 2012 )

Paradise Pier

This ranks as one of my favorite family photos ever at DL/WDW

The Pier bridge all decked out for the holidays!

not....

Can't wait to see what everyone else posts!

 

[I'm mikey]

There wasn't much christmas decor in DCA in 2011, here are some of the pics i have.

 

[mvf-m11c]

Here are some of my pics of DCA during the Holiday season.

Former Golden Gate Bridge with the Holiday decorations

A Bug's Land Christmas decorations

Former CALIFORNIA Letters with the Candy Cane stripes

DCA BVS turnstiles

Paradise Pier Christmas Tree

Hollywood Pictures Backlot with some Holiday decorations

Boardwalk Pizza & Pasta Restaurant

Paradise Pier

Pacific Wharf

Mission Tortilla Factory

 

[julsmom]

Such great pictures!!!! I have a question. We are going to visit the week of thanksgiving. What kind of weather/temps should I expect?

My countdown should read 73 days.

 

[Elk Grove Chris]