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

[Peanut Giggleface]

I bought one last year at the Christmas store in DTD, at WDW. I don't see why they would not sell the same one at DLR. Most merchandise is sold at both parks. It was a hollow Mickey head with various characters and Christmas ornaments that were in the sleeves of the calendar. As you take them out, you place them on Mickey head using the attached velcro patches. By Christmas you have a fully decorated Mickey head. It's really very cute. The whole calendar was made of felt and the Mickey head was stuffed so it is very soft and squishy. HTH

 

[rentayenta]

OMG Sherry, a lit up, dressed up for the holidays Main St is one of my favorite sights in this entire world. They made me tear up.

 

[Minnie Loves Mickey]

All this makes me so excited for our trip!

 

[mvf-m11c]

All the photos of MS during the Holiday season are so amazing. Now its my turn to post my photos of MS during the Holiday season. I can't wait to get to the Holiday season in a couple of months.


MS on a rainy day

At night photos

Christmas Tree in Town Square

GMwML

City Hall

Disney Showcase Store

 

[spacemermaid]

Great pictures, everyone! I especially like the ones of Main Street in the rain...I was probably there on that day; I Disneyland in the rain! (Well, I love Disneyland ALL the time, but especially in the rain...)

 

[Vala]

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.

They definitely have one. I was circling around one in WOD last year for almost a week.

 

[kailuagirl]

I just love Disneyland at Christmas time!! We went last year and are going this year, this may be they only way my daughter my knows DLR hehe

 

[mariezp]

Sherry, you do such a fantastic job keeping this thread up and going! Love your new countdown and spotlight ideas! You've inspired me to go through years of my photos to dig up some goodies to share. I stuck with your night time theme for this go round. Here goes!

From December 3-14, 2006

 

[mariezp]

From November 9-23, 2008

From November 10-26, 2010

 

[Sherry E]

Marie -

Thank you for the kind words!

The theme of the week is Main Street, not nighttime! I just happened to pull my Main Street night photos first, but am planning on posting daytime MS photos this week too!

And, hint hint - there are going to be other theme weeks in the future that cover all of the things shown in your photos (the parade, IASW Holiday, ToonTown, etc.).

Remember, there is a long way to go until 11/14, so there are many theme weeks to come!

In any case, we all like looking at photos of DLR during the holiday season, no matter where they are taken or if they fit the theme or not, so I'm glad you posted something for everyone to enjoy!! Thank you so much! Keep 'em coming!! We love our DLR holiday photos!

 

[Sherry E]

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!!!

larina -

Thank you for the kind words! I'm so glad the theme week idea is going over well and that you and your children are enjoying the photos! I think that most of the themes I have in mind for the coming weeks/months are things that people should have photos of. Even if I don't have photos, someone else will have photos! So there really shouldn't be too much of a shortage of photos.

I think we all get a bit more excited with each passing week, knowing that it's getting closer to our trips. It's hard to wait! At least the countdowns and theme weeks help build the excitement and anticipation for all of us!

You and your family will have an absolutely wonderful time at DLR for the season! It can be addictive, though - once you've been there for the holidays, it's easy to want to return every year during that time of year!

OMG Sherry, a lit up, dressed up for the holidays Main St is one of my favorite sights in this entire world. They made me tear up.

rentayenta -

Yay! I'm glad I picked a theme you like and that you like the pictures! I think Main Street is magical and charming in a different way during the daytime. At night it absolutely comes alive and feels extra holiday-esque. Its one of the most beautiful things to see in the park. It's enchanting, really. But in the daytime it's a different kind of vibe, isn't it?






Thank you sooooooooo much to everyone else who has been kind enough to share your fantastic videos and photos with us for this week's theme, last week's theme (and beyond)!! Keep 'em coming! And remember...there are many more theme weeks to come until we get to 11/14!! So keep all those DLR photos handy!

But we still love looking at any photos here, whether they are part of a theme or not, so feel free to share them all! This is a great way to get the excitement going in between bits of breaking news or in between asking questions and sharing information.

 

[DisneyIsMagical]

I really wanted to participate in the photo quest "challenges" this year as I will be going in November and it would be soooo much fun. Unfortunately, we are going 11/9- 11/12. So, I say my personal challenge will be photographing any and all (if any) Christmas decor I can find... Even if I have to bring my own bows and such and place them in DLR myself!!!

I am really hoping there are some up, but I can't complain as we were able to see all of the decorations in 2009, although we missed the parade.

I will just be happy to be at DLR, no matter what!!!

 

[mariezp]

Marie -

Thank you for the kind words!

The theme of the week is Main Street, not nighttime! I just happened to pull my Main Street night photos first, but am planning on posting daytime MS photos this week too!

And, hint hint - there are going to be other theme weeks in the future that cover all of the things shown in your photos (the parade, IASW Holiday, ToonTown, etc.).

Remember, there is a long way to go until 11/14, so there are many theme weeks to come!

In any case, we all like looking at photos of DLR during the holiday season, no matter where they are taken or if they fit the theme or not, so I'm glad you posted something for everyone to enjoy!! Thank you so much! Keep 'em coming!! We love our DLR holiday photos!

Good Grief! I am so embarrassed! I READ it. I UNDERSTOOD it but apparently my little pea brain skipped off on it's own! Maybe I can blame it on the new medication I am taking. Would that work? Oh well, maybe by the end of the week I can REALLY come up with something to fit the Main Street theme! You can bet I will be double checking before I post ANYTHING! Anyway, forget the pictures... everything else I posted was accurate! You do a fantastic job keeping us inspired for the holidays around here.

 

[bondgirl007]

Thanks for the info on Advent calendars. I am hoping to find one with chocolates

 

[Sherry E]

I really wanted to participate in the photo quest "challenges" this year as I will be going in November and it would be soooo much fun. Unfortunately, we are going 11/9- 11/12. So, I say my personal challenge will be photographing any and all (if any) Christmas decor I can find... Even if I have to bring my own bows and such and place them in DLR myself!!!

I am really hoping there are some up, but I can't complain as we were able to see all of the decorations in 2009, although we missed the parade.

I will just be happy to be at DLR, no matter what!!!

Hi, Vanessa!

That would be so funny (to bring your own stuff and place them around DLR)1

I think you'll be pleasantly surprised in that, during the course of your photo-taking, you will probably be unknowingly participating in some of the photo challenges/quests anyway! For example...Tree Quest (the Quest to photograph the 700 Christmas trees of all sizes around DLR). You will probably get some trees in random photos here and there. Same thing with Wreath Quest.

Honestly, the dates you will be at DLR are sooooo close to the official opening date on 11/14 that I think you will see 75% of the actual decorations in the parks. The Christmas stuff starts going up even before Halloween has hit. So even before 10/31, there will be various decorations going up around Disneyland, at the very least. And those decorations keep going up, little by little, with each passing day in November until the official season opening day. We have no clue what will happen in DCA this year, as the entrance has totally changed. Since there will be no Golden Gate Bridge and no CALIFORNIA letters to decorate, I'm not sure what will happen there. BUT, A Bug's Land is one of the areas that usually gets decorations (giant ornaments and lights), so be sure to take a peek there, just in case.

Since you will be at DLR 11/9 - 11/12, my strong hunch (though I have no proof of this) is that It's a Small World Holiday will have a soft opening before 11/14, and it will probably happen over the weekend leading up to 11/14 because that's Veterans Day weekend. So I would not be at all surprised if IASW Holiday quietly opens up on 11/11 or maybe 11/12. Will you be in Disneyland for any part of 11/12, before you head home? I would say, check IASW on 11/11 and 11/12, if you can, and you might just hit the jackpot!

Also, depending on when the parade is being taped this year (for ABC's annual Christmas Day special), you might even catch the Christmas Fantasy Parade!

The season is starting on such an odd day this year - a Monday - so I really feel strongly that quite a few things may secretly open over the weekend preceding it. And you will certainly see most of the parks' decorations - for example, New Orleans Square, ToonTown, etc. Most of the merchandise and probably most of the treats/munchies will be on sale, too, I think.

What you will not see is the Reindeer Round-Up, most likely, and the Believe...In Holiday Magic fireworks. The Winter Castle will not be lighting up in icicles at night yet. The snow will not be falling on Main Street yet. You also will not see the 3 hotels decorated, as those seem to not get their holiday makeover until Thanksgiving. Downtown Disney will probably not be decorated fully yet, either.

But you will get a really good sample of a lot of the seasonal offerings,minus just a few things!

Good Grief! I am so embarrassed! I READ it. I UNDERSTOOD it but apparently my little pea brain skipped off on it's own! Maybe I can blame it on the new medication I am taking. Would that work? Oh well, maybe by the end of the week I can REALLY come up with something to fit the Main Street theme! You can bet I will be double checking before I post ANYTHING! Anyway, forget the pictures... everything else I posted was accurate! You do a fantastic job keeping us inspired for the holidays around here.

Marie -

It's okay! I know you have a lot on your mind, not the least of which is the plan for your own big DLR trip coming up!

And really, everyone here loves looking at all photos of anything DLR holiday-related, any time! They don't have to fit the theme of the week. So I really appreciate that you took the time to gather some photos together and share them with us! Always feel free to keep them coming!

Thank you again for the kind words! I guess it's easy to keep everyone else inspired and excited when it's a subject I love and can provide some inspiration on!

 

[bondgirl007]

Thanks for the info on Advent calendars. I am hoping to find one with chocolates

 

[larina]

We went for Christmas many years ago (1998) and have always wanted to go back for the holidays, but it just never worked out until now. There were a couple less of us then, too.

 

[Vala]

Can you believe I am so excited for tomorrow? I can start making my restaurant reservations then.

Thanks for the info on Advent calendars. I am hoping to find one with chocolates

The one I saw was one with chocolates.

 

[Sherry E]

We went for Christmas many years ago (1998) and have always wanted to go back for the holidays, but it just never worked out until now. There were a couple less of us then, too.

larina -

I would say that the holiday season has become a much bigger deal since 1998, and it was pretty great in the '90s. I think I may have mentioned this to you (or someone else) in an older post in this thread, so forgive me if I am repeating myself!

On the one hand, the Disneyland Hotel doesn't do all that it used to do (Candy Cane Lane and the ice skating rink) for the season. Even the decorations on the hotel Christmas trees have changed. The characters at Goofy's Kitchen no longer wear holiday clothes.

But, as you can probably see in the photos in this thread (and will continue to see as the theme weeks carry on!), a lot of areas of DLR are decorated now that were not really decorated as much back then. I think ToonTown and New Orleans Square are much, much more decorated. Now there is a A Bug's Land, and the Grand Californian Hotel and Downtown Disney and all of these other places that have decorations. Back in 1998 there was no Reindeer Round-Up, either! There was no wacky Christmas tree at Goofy's Kitchen back then, like there is now. I don't even think there were gingerbread men cookies with mouse ears in the '90s!

So although the DLR holidays were slightly scaled down in some ways/places since 1998, they have been built up in other areas to be bigger and better!

You have lots and lots to look forward to on your return holiday trip!

​

I will be back a little later today with more photos from this week's theme, Main Street! And then, in another couple of days, I will post some photos of Main Street, a little more 'close up,' of various detailed things along Main Street that many folks may overlook!

 

[DisneyIsMagical]

I will be really excited if they do end up taping the parade while we are there. I believe we were there 11/13-11/17 in 2008 and if I'm not mistaken there were already alot of decorations up on our first day and more and more appeared each day (I don't remember the official start of the season that year).

It was also pretty funny that the Guest Relations person that I spoke with on the phone about a month prior has told us that there would not be any decorations up at all, until after Thanksgiving. So we were really pleasantly surprised when we saw some.

Anyhow, I will never be dissapointed in a trip to Disneyland (decorations or no decorations/ POTC closed or open)!!! I feel like, I am monetarily able to afford the trip, I am healthy enough to ride any ride I want to, and I am just happy to be at Disneyland!!!

And I will be taking photos of anything and everything I have missed over the last few years. So I will be able to post those when I come back for those of you that are going later in the season.

Sherry, to answer your question, we will be spending the majority of the 12th in the park, our flight doesn't leave LGB unitl about 8 pm, so I will be watching for IASW holiday soft openings for sure. I'm not sure if it was closed in 2008 for the big refurb?