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

[spacemermaid]

Just wanted to peek over and see if you had heard the dates for the CP will be Dec 3 & 4. I was reading the DLR update on MP and they said that bc of a CP package given away at D23 the dates are now known.

This is EXACTLY what I was looking for; thanks for posting it!



So happy today...I booked/paid for the hotel for my December trip, so it's a GO.

 

[lconn]

How are the crowds on the nov 26/27 weekend? What's it like in comparisson to the following weekend of the candle light processional?
We'd have the lighter weekdays in between.

Bumping my own question up. I need to know if I'm crazy for considering being there on the 26/27th. The flight times are better to go nov 25-dec 2 than they are for nov 27-dec 4. But if that other weekend would be better then I'd got for the worse flight times.

 

[Sherry E]

Bumping my own question up. I need to know if I'm crazy for considering being there on the 26/27th. The flight times are better to go nov 25-dec 2 than they are for nov 27-dec 4. But if that other weekend would be better then I'd got for the worse flight times.

lconn -

I haven't done an actual Thanksgiving weekend at DLR in years, but when I did it was super crowded...until it poured monsoon-like rain, that is!

Are you only planning to be in the parks for 2 days, or for the whole 11/25 - 12/2 time frame?

From what I have read on the DIS in different posts, it sounds as if Thanksgiving weekend is still really busy, and then on Sunday afternoon (which would be 11/27 this year), there is a noticeable drop in crowds. I think that's when everyone heads back to home to get ready for work and school.

I think you will encounter lighter crowds overall if you make the trip in the 11/27 - 12/4 time frame (and that's when many of us on the DIS are choosing to go this year, specifically for the lighter crowds), but if you have to stick with the 11/25 - 12/2 time frame to get the better flight times, it will be okay. I mean, you'll run into heavier crowds the day after Thanksgiving and into that weekend, but you would still have between 11/27 and 12/2 to enjoy both parks with lower crowds.

If you only had 2 days in the parks and those 2 days were going to be 11/26 and 11/27, I might say that you should add on some days or pick another time to go to avoid the heavy crowds. But it sounds like - if I am understanding correctly - your trip will be long enough to where you'll have plenty of time after the Thanksgiving crowds leave to enjoy everything without as much crowd madness.

 

[Mommy2PrincessAbby]

Question, and I know nothing is ever "always", but is CP usually the 1st weekend of December? You think it will be in 2012, when the 1st weekend of December is actually the 1st and 2nd of December?

We're going the 5th-10th, 2012, and I am hoping we will miss CP, although if we don't we'll just have to plan for crowds... just curious if everything thinks it will be 1st-2nd of December.

 

[Sherry E]

Question, and I know nothing is ever "always", but is CP usually the 1st weekend of December? You think it will be in 2012, when the 1st weekend of December is actually the 1st and 2nd of December?

We're going the 5th-10th, 2012, and I am hoping we will miss CP, although if we don't we'll just have to plan for crowds... just curious if everything thinks it will be 1st-2nd of December.

Good question! On the one hand, it seems like the CP has been going on for so long in that same time slot that it's hard to imagine that it would change. Although, somewhere in CP history - and I can't recall which year it was - it occurred on a different weekend.

If the CP were to take place on 12/8 and 12/9 next year, that just seems too late in December to me. 12/1 and 12/2 make more sense. However, stranger things have happened. Maybe, if the holiday season start date is later next year, that will affect when the CP happens.

Another thing that could, possibly, affect the CP dates is the fact that there has been a rumor of the CP moving to DCA and out of DL. Since DCA will be all shiny and new by December 2012, you never know what could be in store for the CP.

My guess is that it will still happen on the first weekend of December. And the CM parties will either take place on 12/3 and 12/4 or on 12/10 and 12/11/12.

 

[Mommy2PrincessAbby]

My guess is that it will still happen on the first weekend of December. And the CM parties will either take place on 12/3 and 12/4 or on 12/10 and 12/11/12.

In a perfect world your prediction will be accurate, which will mean I timed our trip perfectly to be between the two! Gonna cross my fingers for the next 14 months!

 

[lconn]

lconn -

I haven't done an actual Thanksgiving weekend at DLR in years, but when I did it was super crowded...until it poured monsoon-like rain, that is!

Are you only planning to be in the parks for 2 days, or for the whole 11/25 - 12/2 time frame?

From what I have read on the DIS in different posts, it sounds as if Thanksgiving weekend is still really busy, and then on Sunday afternoon (which would be 11/27 this year), there is a noticeable drop in crowds. I think that's when everyone heads back to home to get ready for work and school.

I think you will encounter lighter crowds overall if you make the trip in the 11/27 - 12/4 time frame (and that's when many of us on the DIS are choosing to go this year, specifically for the lighter crowds), but if you have to stick with the 11/25 - 12/2 time frame to get the better flight times, it will be okay. I mean, you'll run into heavier crowds the day after Thanksgiving and into that weekend, but you would still have between 11/27 and 12/2 to enjoy both parks with lower crowds.

If you only had 2 days in the parks and those 2 days were going to be 11/26 and 11/27, I might say that you should add on some days or pick another time to go to avoid the heavy crowds. But it sounds like - if I am understanding correctly - your trip will be long enough to where you'll have plenty of time after the Thanksgiving crowds leave to enjoy everything without as much crowd madness.

Thanks Sherry.
We will be doing a full week so I know that I'll have the slower week days, so that's good. Just trying to decide which weekend days to add on either side. The CP crowd is pretty big too isn't it? I wonder if it's comparable to the thanksgiving weekend crowd. I think we'll head down to Legoland for one day in there as well.

 

[Sherry E]

Thanks Sherry.
We will be doing a full week so I know that I'll have the slower week days, so that's good. Just trying to decide which weekend days to add on either side. The CP crowd is pretty big too isn't it? I wonder if it's comparable to the thanksgiving weekend crowd. I think we'll head down to Legoland for one day in there as well.

Yes, supposedly the CP weekend crowds are pretty large. This year will be my first experience with CP weekend crowds, but I planned it that way so I could try to catch the CP if I can score some seats. DLR does not sell the dinner packages to the general public anymore. It's a sort of 'you have to know someone who knows someone' scenario to get seats (or win a package at the D23 Expo, as specialks mentioned above). Or you have to be there at the right place and the right time to get the tickets that the CM's hand out to the general public when there are no-shows. So I wonder if that affects crowds at all (like for the better or for worse).

If I were in your shoes I would prefer to go with the 11/27 - 12/4 dates. I think I'd prefer to end my trip with crowded days, when I was almost ready to go home. If I were to start my trip with a super crowded weekend, it would put me in a bad mood! But if getting the flight times you want is easier with the 11/25 date, go with that!

 

[lconn]

Thanks, I know what you mean about ending with it busy, then we will probably have done most of what we wanted and can just absorb the magic and maybe do some shopping or something.

 

[Sherry E]

This past week I have been spotlighting Santa's Reindeer Round-Up in photos, for anyone who has never visited DLR during the holiday season and been able to see it. Remember to check our Table of Contents on Page 1 (Post #2) for other photos of the Round-Up provided by some of our wonderful DIS'ers. And anyone out there who has photos of the Round-Up to contribute, feel free to share them!

This coming Monday - in 2 days - it will be time for a new weekly countdown to the start of the holiday season...and a new theme! There will be a different ride or highlight of the DLR holiday season in the spotlight (which will remain a secret until Monday! Hee hee!), and then a different one each Monday until the season begins on November 14th!

Until Monday....let's spend a few final moments at the Round-Up, soaking in the down home, quaint, earthy appeal.

 

[areweindisneyyet]

16 weeks to Christmas Day.

I just hope dd2 will let us visit Santa at reindeer roundup this time. We stood in line for 20 minutes and when we were almost at the front she changed her mind.

 

[Sherry E]

This past week I have been spotlighting Santa's Reindeer Round-Up in photos, for anyone who has never visited DLR during the holiday season and been able to see it. Remember to check our Table of Contents on Page 1 (Post #2) for other photos of the Round-Up provided by some of our wonderful DIS'ers. And anyone out there who has photos of the Round-Up to contribute, feel free to share them!

This coming Monday - in 2 days - it will be time for a new weekly countdown to the start of the holiday season...and a new theme! There will be a different ride or highlight of the DLR holiday season in the spotlight (which will remain a secret until Monday! Hee hee!), and then a different one each Monday until the season begins on November 14th!

Until Monday....let's spend a few final moments at the Round-Up, soaking in the down home, quaint, earthy appeal.

16 weeks to Christmas Day.

I just hope dd2 will let us visit Santa at reindeer roundup this time. We stood in line for 20 minutes and when we were almost at the front she changed her mind.

Did you even make it inside the cabin? You've got to meet Santa!

I didn't make it in to see Santa, or inside the cabin. As you can see, I spent way too much time in the outside parts of the Round-Up, snapping photos. The line for Santa was getting long and I wanted to move on to another area. Hopefully I will meet all the Santas this year.

Anyway, stay tuned for Monday's countdown and theme of the week!

 

[areweindisneyyet]

I will be having a Disney Christmas in 15 weeks today

Our last trip we arrived the Sunday of Thanksgiving Weekend for eight days. We noticed that the park was busier on the Monday morning but no long waits anywhere and the crowds got thinner as they day went on. For the rest of the week we had the best time with no very long waits, like 15 minutes was day ruining the following Friday was wet and Saturday was candlelight processional day. The crowds were bigger on this day and by the time of the performance main street was very crowded with a walkway down one side which cast members kept people moving and not catching a glimpse of the performance.

We did catch a glance and the costumes were amazing and the sound was inspiring. There were more crowds but many were there to stake their place for the performance not to ride.

The sunday was also busy with a similar pattern on the Monday, which was a Cm party, crowds dropped as the day went on.

This was in 2007 though.
We are going to be there for the same time this year but for the week before Christmas and two days after. We know it will be much busier but we want to enjoy the spirit of he season right at christmas. It was sad to leave a
In 2007 and still wait three more weeks before Christmas.

 

[areweindisneyyet]

Did you even make it inside the cabin? You've got to meet Santa!

I didn't make it in to see Santa, or inside the cabin. As you can see, I spent way too much time in the outside parts of the Round-Up, snapping photos. The line for Santa was getting long and I wanted to move on to another area. Hopefully I will meet all the Santas this year.

Anyway, stay tuned for Monday's countdown and theme of the week!

No

But this time I will get photos of the inside.

Looking forward to this week's theme.

Mia

 

[Sherry E]

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



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 you will recall, I've decided to showcase a particular area of interest of DLR's holiday celebration each week until the 2011 season begins in Monday, 11/14!! Last week's theme was Santa's Reindeer Round-Up. There are many more themes to come over the next 2-1/2 months.

By the way, if you don't have any photos to share that fit the particular theme of the week, but would like to show us your photos anyway - please do! Everyone is welcome to share their photos here at any time. We love to enjoy other people's photos as much as we like to exchange information and news! It's just that the "weekly theme" idea is a way to keep the photos rolling in on a regular basis and build anticipation for 11/14! Also, it's 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.

So, that said....

In the Spotlight this Week......MAIN STREET!!!​

Whether you've been to Disneyland only one time or 100 times, you all know the feeling you get when you enter the gates, walk through the tunnel and step onto Main Street. It's a feeling of comfort. A feeling of sheer joy. It's like being transported into the past, to a wistful, simpler, more innocent time. It's evocative of the small town scenes in "It's a Wonderful Life."

For many of us, Main Street was the first glimpse of Disneyland we ever got (if you were not one of the folks taking the Monorail into Tomorrowland to start the day, that is), and it somehow left an indelible impression on us that can never be erased. For many of us, a trip to Disneyland is not a trip to Disneyland unless we begin it by walking slowly down Main Street. Main Street is somehow able to tap into a certain emotion in us unlike any other land in the park or any other area of the Resort.

If you've experienced the magic of Main Street but have never been to Disneyland for the Christmas season, you are in for a treat. In the evening, Main Street comes alive, aglow in lights and colors; the air filled with aromas and sounds... It's hard to describe. You just kind of have to see it to believe it, and then take it all in.

The beauty of Main Street at night, during the holiday season, has turned even my most jaded friends into awestruck children. It brings out the child in all of us. As one of my friends said, upon her first-ever peek at the gorgeous colors which dotted the path, leading all the way to the Castle, "You guys...it's just so...beautiful...."



When I selected Main Street to be the focus of this week, it occurred to me that this area of Disneyland has many dimensions to its seasonal immersion. There is Main Street in the daytime. There's Main Street at nighttime. There's Main Street as it is lightly dusted with tiny specks of snow. There's the giant Christmas tree, and the ornaments on the tree. There are many window displays. There are the Dapper Dans. There are the vehicles and horses. I wasn't sure where to begin in choosing the photos to post today.

I decided I will start out with posting photos of Main Street at night. In a couple of days I will post the daytime stuff - the facades and the general, easily seen decorations. As the week progresses, I will post photos of some of the details and lesser-seen decorations. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy the pictures below.

Anyone else out there who has some Main Street photos to share with us - please do! I figured it might be easier for you all to scrape up some Main Street photos than Reindeer Round-Up photos!!

​

Okay, that's it for now. I hope you enjoyed our time on Main Street...after dark! I will post more from Main Street as the week goes along.

Main Street is the theme for this week, so please feel free to post your photos - and they can be photos of daytime, nighttime, special details, or anything else on Main Street!! Next Monday there will be a different theme!

 

[larina]

Oh thank you! I love your pics and theme weeks. Makes the excitement that much more. My kids and I look at your pics and imagine ourselves there this Christmas!!!

 

[smiley_face2]

posted these last year, but will do it again for this year! please let me know if for some reason the links do not work!

click on the picture to take you to the video at photobucket

Snow on Main Street


Snow on Main Street

 

[tksbaskets]

Mainstreet on an early entry morning:

Transportation Disney style!

The big tree:

 

[DTDkettleCORNfan]

Some Main Street pictures:

Tree at night:

Our favorite area to hang out with our family after the park closes, just outside the lockers (during "extra shopping hour"). I love how all the little corners of Main Street get decorations...so charming:

Even the Corn Dog Cart (yum!) gets decorated:

This is not of Main Street, but it was taken from Main Street. I love the post-fireworks smoky castle:

 

[bondgirl007]

Hi everyone. I was wondering if anyone knows if they sell Advent calendars at DL? We will be there Nov. 30th-Dec. 4th and would like a Disney one. Thanks.