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

[TheColtonsMom]

OK OK my pics do not live up to Bret's or Sherry's but I will add some Christmas color to the thread.

 

[Sherry E]

Thank you for the nice compliment, Sherri! My photos don't hold a candle to Bret's, Liza's, or half of the people's photos on this thread, so I am glad to be mentioned!

Those pictures above are so cute! Colton has a mischievous grin on his face in the picture with Goofy's tree! No doubt he's thinking up his next Coltonism!

That Goofy's Kitchen tree is one of my favorite trees in all of Disneyland Resort - certainly, it's my favorite of all the trees at the Disneyland Hotel (most of which, as you know, are just regular pretty Christmas trees, but nothing special). I just love the colors, the ornaments and the wacky, zany look to it. I only wish it were taller! I think that a lot of people don't see that tree if they don't go to Goofy's. But if it were out in the open, like where the ToonTown tree is, it would have people posing in front of it all the time.

 

[TheColtonsMom]

Thank you for the nice compliment, Sherri! My photos don't hold a candle to Bret's, Liza's, or half of the people's photos on this thread, so I am glad to be mentioned!

Those pictures above are so cute! Colton has a mischievous grin on his face in the picture with Goofy's tree! No doubt he's thinking up his next Coltonism!

That Goofy's Kitchen tree is one of my favorite trees in all of Disneyland Resort - certainly, it's my favorite of all the trees at the Disneyland Hotel (most of which, as you know, are just regular pretty Christmas trees, but nothing special). I just love the colors, the ornaments and the wacky, zany look to it. I only wish it were taller! I think that a lot of people don't see that tree if they don't go to Goofy's. But if it were out in the open, like where the ToonTown tree is, it would have people posing in front of it all the time.

They could put it up by his house in toontown! But I guess Goofy celebrates Christmas at work not at home!

 

[Ihaveamickeymousekid]

Wow, all those christmas pics look great, makes me even more excited about going.

Sherry - Thanks for your help. Another question if you dont mind. If we did purchase the AP online does it start the date we purchased it or when we actually enter the park.
Cause if we do it that way, and we are thinking of purchasing it around end October to be safe ,our next trip in October may go into November we didnt want to buy it too early and have it run out before/during the next trip

 

[TheColtonsMom]

Thank you for the nice compliment, Sherri! My photos don't hold a candle to Bret's, Liza's, or half of the people's photos on this thread, so I am glad to be mentioned!

Those pictures above are so cute! Colton has a mischievous grin on his face in the picture with Goofy's tree! No doubt he's thinking up his next Coltonism!

That Goofy's Kitchen tree is one of my favorite trees in all of Disneyland Resort - certainly, it's my favorite of all the trees at the Disneyland Hotel (most of which, as you know, are just regular pretty Christmas trees, but nothing special). I just love the colors, the ornaments and the wacky, zany look to it. I only wish it were taller! I think that a lot of people don't see that tree if they don't go to Goofy's. But if it were out in the open, like where the ToonTown tree is, it would have people posing in front of it all the time.

BTW Sherry did you notice Colton was wearing a Rankin/Bass sweatshirt that night? I am so sad it is too small now and he wont get to wear it next year I bought it big originally and this was his 3rd year wearing it. It was too cute Rudolph's nose lights up.

 

[mvf-m11c]

Thank you Sherri for the nice words on my pictures. I also like your picture with your son Colton standing right next to Goofy with that Goofy Christmas Tree. It is so nice to see something different than at the parks.

Sherry - Thanks for your help. Another question if you dont mind. If we did purchase the AP online does it start the date we purchased it or when we actually enter the park.
Cause if we do it that way, and we are thinking of purchasing it around end October to be safe ,our next trip in October may go into November we didnt want to buy it too early and have it run out before/during the next trip

I can help you with this answer. The AP will start on the day that you enter the turnstile at any of the two parks.

 

[funatdisney]

Sherry, thank you for your kind words about my pictures. I haven't posted much pictures here as much as I did on the first Christmas thread. That is partly because I got a new laptop for Christmas which is quickly becoming the only computer I use. My 2010 pictures are on the shared computer downstairs. I have to go down to the other computer and upload more pictures onto Photobucket. I do plan to do that as soon as I can get the kiddos off it.

Here are some pictures from the Holiday Parade.

 

[TheColtonsMom]

Thank you Sherri for the nice words on my pictures. I also like your picture with your son Colton standing right next to Goofy with that Goofy Christmas Tree. It is so nice to see something different than at the parks.

Thanks Bret and you are welcome but the compliment is deserved..how many trips have you spent just taking pictures? You do a wonderful job of completing the quests others suggest and bringing us our favorite place from every angle!

 

[Ihaveamickeymousekid]

Thanks Bret for the reply i appreciate it

Being our third trip you think id have no questions by now but this being our first year with an annual pass i have even more question ..lol

The pics look great again, looks like christmas is such a magical time

 

[mvf-m11c]

Thanks Bret and you are welcome but the compliment is deserved..how many trips have you spent just taking pictures? You do a wonderful job of completing the quests others suggest and bringing us our favorite place from every angle!

I believe my last five trips which is October, Novmber, December (WDW), January and February where I just went picture crazy and didn't care much for the rides. I have done a lot of trips which I barely took 100 pics, but during those last 5 trips, I must have done over 6,000 pics (I have taken more pics, but I did not upload it to flickr since some of them are very bad).

Thank you for the quests. They have been challenging and fun to do, but I should try to enjoy myself at the park and do more rides and the events. Maybe I will try to do it next month trip.


Very nice photos of "A Christmas Fantasy" Parade Liza.


You are welcome Ihaveamickeymousekid. Hope you enjoy the Premium AP when you get it during your trip.

 

[Sherry E]

Wow, all those christmas pics look great, makes me even more excited about going.

Sherry - Thanks for your help. Another question if you dont mind. If we did purchase the AP online does it start the date we purchased it or when we actually enter the park.
Cause if we do it that way, and we are thinking of purchasing it around end October to be safe ,our next trip in October may go into November we didnt want to buy it too early and have it run out before/during the next trip

Ihaveamickeymousekid - Bret answered your question about when the AP becomes effective, and I had planned to add in another comment but I couldn't get back online last night to answer!.

This may or may not be an issue for you but I just wanted to forewarn you that DLR usually raises their ticket prices every year, in August. Actually, in 2007 they did it in September but the last few years it's been August. When they raise the ticket prices , they raise all the AP prices too. The Premium has taken a big jump in price in the last 3 years, sometimes even increasing twice in a year (like maybe a small price hike in January and the bigger price hike in August).

So, plan for an inevitable AP price hike (which could be as much as like $40 - $50 per AP) in August, before your trip, so you can factor that into the budget.

Here is the other thing that may or may not end up happening:

Not long ago, there was talk of some possible big changes coming to the whole AP system (I believe this was prompted by an Al Lutz article on MiceAge). Supposedly - though nothing has been decided yet; it's only a rumor - the powers that be in DLR are thinking of revising the whole AP set-up.

If things go the way it was explained in the Lutz article, the AP would turn into more of a 'monthly membership' sort of situation rather than what it currently is. I don't know if this means that everyone would have to pay something monthly on an AP good for one year, OR if it means that we would just 'buy' the months that we wanted (like let's say you wanted to go to DLR a lot in December, you could maybe get an AP for that month only?).

I'm also not sure exactly how this would benefit Disney/DLR - it could go a couple of different ways, with a couple of different outcomes - but you can bet they wouldn't do it if it didn't benefit them in some way. Perhaps it will somehow help manage the crowds a little better and prevent so many people being in the parks at one time? I really don't know. I have no clue how much they would charge for a monthly AP, but I'm sure it wouldn't be cheap.

Now, there is no telling if DLR will actually implement this plan to revise the AP system, or if it was just an idea they tossed around in its early stages and then threw away.

BUT, since there are so many big changes coming to DCA and to the whole Disneyland Resort in general in the next year or two (like at the DLH), I bet that if they are going to make any major changes to the AP system, it would be this year or next year.

We have no clue if the perks associated with the Premium AP would remain the same, i.e., the food & merchandise discounts, the AP Backstage Pass magazine, the subscription to Family Fun magazine, the special AP rates on hotel rooms, etc. or if those would be revised in some way, too.

In any case, I wanted to warn you about that just in case the AP pricing and membership suddenly change before you have a chance to get your PAP's! I'm sure if you got your PAP's before the whole system was changed and then they changed it while your PAP was still active, DLR would honor your full year-long membership, and you'd have no problem. I think the changes will occur mostly for new AP buyers - possibly even as soon as this year in August, and if not, then maybe 2012 in August.

I do think they are going to change something about the AP - other than just raising the prices. There's just no telling what, when and how! It kind of makes sense given that DLR is trying to turn itself into more of a vacation destination for people all over the world, rather than just kind of catering to locals. Everything is changing.

BTW Sherry did you notice Colton was wearing a Rankin/Bass sweatshirt that night? I am so sad it is too small now and he wont get to wear it next year I bought it big originally and this was his 3rd year wearing it. It was too cute Rudolph's nose lights up.

Sherri - You're right! I hadn't noticed that the first time because I was just looking at his mischievous grin and wondering what Coltonisms he was thinking up! Yay for Rankin/Bass! You're teaching him well!

Sherry, thank you for your kind words about my pictures. I haven't posted much pictures here as much as I did on the first Christmas thread. That is partly because I got a new laptop for Christmas which is quickly becoming the only computer I use. My 2010 pictures are on the shared computer downstairs. I have to go down to the other computer and upload more pictures onto Photobucket. I do plan to do that as soon as I can get the kiddos off it.

Here are some pictures from the Holiday Parade.

Oh, you're welcome, Liza! And those are wonderful, clear, vivid pictures of the parade! Even though the parade takes on a different kind of beauty at night, in the daytime you can really see the floats (and the tree) in a much more defined way.

Here are some more pics during the Holiday season.

The Omni Bus all decorated during the Holiday season.

Horse-Drawn Streetcars decorated

Big Thunder Ranch

Goofy's House decorated

Some Holiday lighting and decorations in the DTD windows

SB Castle at Night

Cinderella's Castle during MVMCP

Holiday Merchandise from the Greeting from California Window

Just like we have talked about awhile ago Sherry, I missed the canopy lights over NOS last year.

Great photos, as always, Bret! I have to say I especially love the photos of the Main Street vehicles with the holiday touches! So charming!

Ah, yes....the long lost light canopy in NOS. It makes such a huge difference in photos, doesn't it?

Thanks! We love wearing those shirts in the park, it makes it hard to lose each other (especially the kids!). I'm hoping Chickadee's will fit for one more trip.

spiderdust - I see more and more people wearing matching shirts at DLR. I don't like all of them - only some of them - but your shirts are extra cute!

 

[funatdisney]

Bret, thank you for the nod on my pics, and for naming the holiday parade. I couldn't remember the name and I didn't have time to look it up. I like to keep things accurate, so I am indebted to you for keeping me on my toes .

Sherry, I thanks for your nod on my parade pics, too. I took those right before we left from our weekend Christmas trip last December. It was a bit cloudy that afternoon since it was going to rain. The parade was scheduled early because the Candlelight Processional that evening. I think the lighting was just right. Early enough to get good light without the rain. So I lucked out.

 

[mvf-m11c]

Great photos, as always, Bret! I have to say I especially love the photos of the Main Street vehicles with the holiday touches! So charming!

Ah, yes....the long lost light canopy in NOS. It makes such a huge difference in photos, doesn't it?

Thank you Sherry. The vehicles on MS with the garlands and wreaths look very nice.

It did make a big difference last year and a couple of years ago without the light canopies over NOS. Last year seemed like a blueish nighttime while with the light canopies make it all bright and cheery. Maybe this year they will put it back up or not. I always like it bright when I walk down the alleys of NOS.

Bret, thank you for the nod on my pics, and for naming the holiday parade. I couldn't remember the name and I didn't have time to look it up. I like to keep things accurate, so I am indebted to you for keeping me on my toes .

Thank you Liza, I don't know why, I just love that parade out of all the parades at DL. It is my favorite over EP, I like the EP with all of those lights but I love the Holiday floats and the song so much that I watch it over and over during the Holiday season.

 

[spiderdust]

Oh dear... thanks for the heads-up about the APs! A household member is going to the D23 Expo for her birthday and was planning to get her AP then, but maybe we need to make sure she gets it in July instead.

Actually, she was considering getting the Deluxe AP and then upgrading to the Premium AP when we went in December (because of the blockout dates... it would be easier financially to do that after her D23 trip than just initially getting the Premium AP), but now I'm worried that it won't be a good idea to do that then. Guess I'm going to have to start picking up more pennies off of the ground!

 

[Ihaveamickeymousekid]

Thanks for the heads up Sherry

Do you know if we bought the annual passes online in say July to be safe from any price rise/changes, how long would the voucher that we are emailed be valid for? We have no problem in buying them early i just wouldnt want the voucher to expire before we got there.

Decisions, decisions

 

[Sherry E]

Ihaveamickeymousekid -

You know, I'm trying to recall what the window of time is that the voucher is valid. I've never bought my AP online so I can't say for sure, but I recall reading someone's post about it on the DIS. Hmmm... I think it gave a good amount of time, but I'm not sure if it was 4 months worth of time.




spiderdust -

You're welcome! I definitely think the AP prices will go up in August if the current year-long membership set-up stays as is. I think that's a given. As to whether or not DLR decides to restructure the whole AP membership/system this year or in the future and make it a monthly membership instead is the big question mark, I suppose!

 

[Ihaveamickeymousekid]

Thanks Sherry. Ive sent an enquiry through the Disneyland website so hopefully they can let me know.

 

[Sherry E]

Thanks Sherry. Ive sent an enquiry through the Disneyland website so hopefully they can let me know.

That's good! Let us know what they say. It will be good to know. You don't want to get APs in July, only to find out you have to claim them in 2 months or something!

 

[Ihaveamickeymousekid]

Absolutley Sherry, thats what my hubby is worried about.
Add to that the 3 premium annual passes are going to cost us over $1500 once we covert the dollar over so its not a cheap mistake to make if we get it wrong

I know it will probably take them awhile to get back with the time difference but i have plenty of time...8 months worth of waiting. Im getting impatient already!

 

[Sherry E]

Absolutley Sherry, thats what my hubby is worried about.
Add to that the 3 premium annual passes are going to cost us over $1500 once we covert the dollar over so its not a cheap mistake to make if we get it wrong

I know it will probably take them awhile to get back with the time difference but i have plenty of time...8 months worth of waiting. Im getting impatient already!

It seems to me like I recall someone saying it was at least a few months leeway they had with the voucher (I could be wrong on that!)...but that still may not be enough to cover your arrival date. So it's good to find out ahead of time!

It's too bad that DLR either doesn't know or won't admit to knowing what the price hike of the AP's will be in August, so at least if it turns out that you have to wait to get them when you arrive - or just after the prices go up - you would know what you are dealing with now, and how much extra you'd have to pay.

But if they know what the price hike will be, they won't tell us now, that's for sure.