Michele -
A couple of years ago, the holiday season dates were revealed in July - but not on the Disneyland website. They were in an e-mail that went out from "D News." Last year, fellow DIS'er jernysgirl (Kim) discovered the season dates (for both the holidays and Halloween Time) on the actual Disneyland website, and I
think (can't recall 100%) the holiday dates were up in July. I will have to go back in this thread and find her post that announced the dates, just out of curiosity, to see when exactly it was.
I get the feeling - and I could be totally off base in this feeling - that the master planners and creative minds at TDA have a big strategic meeting at the beginning of the year to sort of map out how the year at Disneyland Resort is going to go, schedule-wise, and toss around ideas for any new things they plan to add for any given season. If my hunch is correct, they probably know the dates for all the seasons way, way in advance - or at least have a really good idea of what they will be - but in a year such as this, when all the changes at DCA are going to be in the spotlight for a while, they may not want to reveal the dates yet, especially if they think the dates could change.
jkh1978 -
Welcome! Yes, it's a long thread! Well, let's not look at it as long. That sounds so daunting! Lets look at it as "active," or "popular"!
I think it's amazing that you're going to take your wife to Disneyland for the holidays this year, and that you try to make that time of year special for her. If she is a fan of the Christmas season in general, she will absolutely love the way Disneyland celebrates it. It is really beautiful, and very detailed and thorough.
Be sure to stop in at the Grand Californian Hotel lobby and sit down in the comfortable chairs around the giant Christmas tree (preferably in the late afternoon/early evening time frame). It's a very festive environment. The pianist plays holiday tunes. There is a guitarist who plays holiday tunes when the pianist takes a break. Carolers perform and take requests in front of the tree here and there. Santa poses for photos on the other side of the tree. Everyone just kind of relaxes on the sofas (or even on the carpet!) with beverages and snacks, and chats with each other. It's a nice dose of holiday spirit!
There are a lot of photos in this thread, in between the bits of info - that is true. You may want to just scroll quickly past the pictures so you don't see too much! Or just look away if you see that someone has posted a photo!
Linda/Grumpy Grandma -
Hello!
I'm glad to see you over here! Last time I saw you was in the Newport Beach thread! (As I mentioned to you over there, I am planning to do a Catalina Island Superthread like this Christmas one and like my Halloween Superthread, so stay tuned for that when it comes to fruition in the SoCal section!)
As Shannon/3Minnies1Mickey told you, the Candlelight Processional is usually on the first weekend in December, although I think there have been some deviations in that schedule in the
distant past. In 2011, the CP took place on 12/3 & 12/4. I was there on 12/4, but I didn't see the CP.
For some reason - and I don't know why - I keep having this feeling that the CP could
possibly take place on December 8th and 9th this year, instead of 12/1 & 12/2. It is only a hunch. I certainly don't have any secret knowledge or inside scoop to support that (drat!). We will see.
The Cast Member parties used to be held on the Monday and Tuesday immediately following the Candlelight Processional. But in 2010 and 2011, they were moved to one week later. So, last year they took place on 12/12 & 12/13. In 2010, they took place on 12/13 & 12/14. I was at Disneyland over the CM party days in 2010, and when the park closed at 6 p.m.
You will definitely miss the Candlelight Processional dates, whether it takes place on 12/1 & 12/2 or 12/8 & 12/9.
I
think you will probably miss the Cast Member party nights too - assuming they take place on 12/10 & 12/11.
The
only possible scenario I see that would have you running into the CM party is if it, for some reason, were to happen on 12/3 & 12/4. Then you'd be at DLR on your birthday on 12/4, and Disneyland would close at 6 p.m. But I think that, more likely than not, the CM party nights will be 12/10 & 12/11.
Unfortunately, the dates of the CP and the CM parties won't come out for a long time, so we have a while to wait!
Hello,
purplecrush!
I am so glad you found us too! Welcome aboard! Christmas and Disney are my two favorite things as well (with Halloween being a close runner-up), so I can totally relate to you! (Hence, the reason I created this thread!
)
Let me tell you - because you are a Christmas fan like I am, and because you love Disney - you will absolutely adore Disneyland at Christmas time. It is enchanting, beautiful, and a feast for the senses!
I don't know if you have had time to kind of scroll through this thread from beginning to end - and you may not want to spoil anything for yourself by seeing photos - but if you get time and have the interest, I think you will find it worthwhile because you
do love Christmas and Disney so much. If anything, I think the wonderful photos and information in this thread (starting on Page 1) will give you a better idea of what not to miss, what to eat, what to buy, what to do, etc. I do have to update some of the information on the first page, but a lot of it is applicable to every year so it doesn't change much.
You will definitely get the full array of Disneyland Christmas wonderful-ness during your 11/21 & 11/23 trip. That is Thanksgiving time, correct? (I'm not looking at a calendar, but I think Thanksgiving is on 11/22 this year?)
The only things that may
possibly not be in place until your very last day - 11/23 - are the Christmas trees at the 3 Disneyland Resort hotels. Those may not seem like a big deal to miss out on, but, being a fellow Christmas lover, I highly recommend a stop in the Grand Californian Hotel lobby, and even a walk across the street to the Paradise Pier Hotel to see the stunning, glowing blue-green lights on their Christmas tree. (And when I tell you the PPH tree is stunning, I am not joking - there were people just standing around, pointing at the tree, when I was there in December!)
Sometimes the hotels seem to be decorated by Thanksgiving and the trees are up, and sometimes the trees don't go up until the day after Thanksgiving.
Kris -
I said it before; I'll say it again - I am so glad you get to make that holiday trip this year!
You will certainly get the full dose of beauty and Christmas magic!
jkh1978 -
What Kris said is accurate - I think it may depend on certain things for certain people. But some of the early bookings could be excitement too!
Hello,
MyMuse!!
I am so glad you found us! Welcome!
Well, never fear - you will definitely get the Disneyland holiday experience during your dates.
Here's how it kind of breaks down, in 3 phases:
Phase 1 - The Christmas decorations begin to go up around both parks as soon as Halloween ends - even before that, actually. So even if you were to get to Disneyland on, for example, November 4th or something, you would see decorations in certain places around the parks. The decor goes up a little bit at a time, all the way up until the season officially begins, so there may be new things popping up every day. New Orleans Square is one of the first places to get its holiday makeover. ToonTown is not far behind. A Bug's Land is not far behind that. And it is just a gradual process.
Phase 2 - Then we have the "official" season start date. As of now, we don't yet know what it will be this year.
It will likely either be 11/9, 11/12 or 11/16. The
only reason why the official start date is important is because that is when most of the holiday-specific entertainment begins, such as the Winter Castle's icicle lightings at night, the snow falling on Main Street, the holiday parade, the holiday fireworks, Santa's Reindeer Round-Up opening, Santa appearing in both Disneyland and California Adventure, etc. If those things matter to you, then you will want to get there when the season has officially begun. It is possible that It's a Small World Holiday could open a couple of days before the official start date, depending on when the start date it. Haunted Mansion Holiday will be open in September, so you will definitely get to see that.
Finally,
Phase 3 - The hotels. This is the final part of the decorating process. Also, Downtown Disney has some extra holiday stuff at this point, too. Typically, the hotels get their decorations either right before or right after Thanksgiving. Also, Santa begins appearing at all 3 hotels at this time.
If you are leaving on Saturday, 11/17, you may want to pop into the hotels before you go to see if the decorations are up yet. I think that the Paradise Pier Hotel tree may go up first, and it is gorgeous.
In any case, with the exception of possibly the hotels and some extra Downtown Disney stuff, if you take your trip from 11/12 to 11/16 or 11/13 to 11/16, you will still be there for at least one day of the "official" season's entertainment if the season starts on 11/16, and possibly more than that if the season begins on 11/12 or 11/9. And you will definitely see decorations in the parks, no matter what.
The holiday tour
should begin on the day the season officially begins.
TK -
What? No holiday trip to either WDW or DLR this year? Nooooooooooo!
Stop the madness!
Yes, change is good, but I know it will be hard not going to either place for the holidays. However, by the time you return for your next DLR holiday season, it should be interesting to see all the changes and (hopefully) new Christmas decor in DCA.
Anyway, thank you, everyone, for keeping this little thread hoppin' and alive! I hope you are all able to find the info and photos you need to help you plan your trips. We have some great contributors here, who have visited DLR for the holidays and can share their experiences with us!
It's so interesting how there is a burst of activity in certain threads during unexpected months - like March - and then it will quiet down for months. The "Countdown to the Holiday Season/Theme Weeks" last year really worked in terms of generating activity and building anticipation, so we will do that again this year (starting sometime in late August, and lasting all the way up to the official kick-off date of the season!).
). 
I really appreciate it. I really love both the Halloween thread and this one - there's kind of a different crowd and vibe in each Superthread, and yet we have a lot of 'crossovers' who visit both, and who love both holidays at Disneyland!
