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

[MyMuse]

oh, I wanted to post that guess who? is this week's D23's Disney Geek of the Week?? *blushes* so excited!!!!

 

[mytymom79]

So, I work for a major hotel chain and my dates are limited as to when we can come. My hotels are limited to The Sheraton Park and The Sheraton Garden Grove.

We are travelling November 7th to the 14th. There will be 7 of us. 4 seniors, Myself and my two boys (14 and 6).

I am hoping that we might be able to catch some holiday decorations or festivities. Any idea of how early they will announce the season so I can possibly tweak my dates a bit.

I am already figuring that we might skip the Nov 11th crowd and just chill at the hotel that day or switch hotels and try the other one.

Any ideas what we can not miss ? I have read this whole thread. I love it. We usually go to WDW every year as it is alot closer for us but never at christmas time. TRUST I AM NOT WORRIED ABOUT SEEING SNOW DURING THE FIREWORKS....I SEE ENOUGH OF THAT STUFF ALL WINTER HERE ...

If they are not starting the holiday season will we atleast catch a glimpse of some decorations.

We plan on hitting the Big Thunder Ranch BBQ so hoping to see the reindeers but not a huge deal if we miss them as they are quite common in our neck of the woods...lol

Thanks in advance for all your comments and helpful information to make our trip the best ever.

 

[NMDisneyMom]

So I have a different question. We aren't going until Jan 1st through probably the 5th or 6th. Will we be missing anything? I really want to see the holiday decorations and going out before the holiday isn't an option.

 

[jkh1978]

So, I work for a major hotel chain and my dates are limited as to when we can come. My hotels are limited to The Sheraton Park and The Sheraton Garden Grove.

We are travelling November 7th to the 14th. There will be 7 of us. 4 seniors, Myself and my two boys (14 and 6).

I am hoping that we might be able to catch some holiday decorations or festivities. Any idea of how early they will announce the season so I can possibly tweak my dates a bit.

I am already figuring that we might skip the Nov 11th crowd and just chill at the hotel that day or switch hotels and try the other one.

Any ideas what we can not miss ? I have read this whole thread. I love it. We usually go to WDW every year as it is alot closer for us but never at christmas time. TRUST I AM NOT WORRIED ABOUT SEEING SNOW DURING THE FIREWORKS....I SEE ENOUGH OF THAT STUFF ALL WINTER HERE ...

If they are not starting the holiday season will we atleast catch a glimpse of some decorations.

We plan on hitting the Big Thunder Ranch BBQ so hoping to see the reindeers but not a huge deal if we miss them as they are quite common in our neck of the woods...lol

Thanks in advance for all your comments and helpful information to make our trip the best ever.

We went the week after my birthday (nov 8) four years ago. The decorations were going up then, but the holiday festivities didn't start. We saw the napkins switch from halloween to christmas. One day no tree in disneyland, the next day I'm in DCA on tower of terror trying to see what I can from that view, and I noticed the tree up overnight. There will be decorations but it may not be officially kicked off then.

 

[Beee]

I'm sure this question has been asked before but boy that search function needs work

Anyway, I'm wondering if the dates we are going to be at DLH are likely to be discounted at all and if so when are the discounted prices likely to come out? I know no one but Disney is going to know with absolute certainty and they are hardly going to make that public knowledge but does anyone have any clues at all? We've booked flights now so dates are pretty much locked in as checking in on the 9th Dec and out on the 13th or 14th - and the check out date really depends on the price. The current price is $325 (not inc tax, how much is the tax???) per night, is this about as good as it is likely to get and I should book now? To me it seems very expensive but that could be because I'm converting everything to NZ dollars as I go and I've just spent more than our car cost on flights so this cheapskate is freaking out a bit!

Also is it worth me buying an AP for the discounts, or is it just an extra hassle? Can I even buy one from overseas?

 

[Beee]

just bumping in the hopes someone can answer my questions above. Can't believe it is almost May already, it'll be December before we know it!

 

[Malcon10t]

(not inc tax, how much is the tax???)

Tax is 15.25%. On $325, add another $50.

 

[Sherry E]

just bumping in the hopes someone can answer my questions above. Can't believe it is almost May already, it'll be December before we know it!

Beee -

I'm so glad you bumped this because the thread can tend to disappear into the pages of the forum, and the questions can sometimes get overlooked in the thread!

Okay, let's see...you were wondering if there will be a chance at any kind of discount for the DLH on your dates in December, and when we might hear about it if there is.

Traditionally, from what I have observed, it seems that any kind of "Fall discount" for the 3 Disneyland Resort hotels will extend as far as through the weekend immediately before Christmas, at the latest. Sometimes a discount ends a couple of days earlier than that. So I think that if there are going to be any discounts on hotels this year, you will probably be able to take advantage of it/them before the cut-off point.

The question is, will there be any good discounts this year? Every year there seems to be some sort of discount that comes out, either posted on the DLR website or sent via e-mailed PIN code.

But this year, with all the things happening at California Adventure and the likelihood that these new things will attract lots of people, I'm not sure if Disney will still roll out the discounts, and if they do, if the discounts will be as good as they have sometimes been.

Chances are, IF there is going to be a discount on the hotels, it would probably start appearing as soon as the Summer season ends in September, and then it would likely last until mid-December. The rates have been known to drop down to under $200 per night with some discounts.

As for whether or not you should get an AP, I don't know how it works when you order one from another country but I know that other international DIS'ers have gotten AP's before - for the discounts and because it made sense for the number of days they would be in the parks. I don't think it's a bad idea if you plan to be in the parks for a lot of days. Also, you could use an AP discount on the DLH. Otherwise, if you just want the food discounts, you could buy one AP and use it for meals and merchandise for your entire group.

The AP hotel rates for December would probably not be posted until at least October, if not later than that.

 

[Beee]

thanks for your insight Sherry, I'm too much of a planner to wait until September/October! So I have just bought an AP and will book the hotel shortly, I have read on here that we can have the AP discount added later when they come out (hope I am not wrong on that!) I think that even though we are only going for 4-5 days it still works out in our favour for one of us to have an AP as I am 100% certain DD is going to want to buy A TON of souveneirs etc and with discounts on food as well we'll recoup the $150ish dollars difference in price between the park hopper and AP fairly easily I think and if we can get the hotel discount then we are ahead.

 

[Malcon10t]

I am 100% certain DD is going to want to buy A TON of souveneirs etc and with discounts on food as well we'll recoup the $150ish dollars difference in price between the park hopper and AP fairly easily I think and if we can get the hotel discount then we are ahead.

Yes, if you figure to spend $1500 in food and souvenirs, you will come out ahead.

 

[MyMuse]

Just wanted to say hi to the forum since it's been a few weeks since I posted last!

Can't wait for more information to come out and crossing all fingers and toes that holidays will appear by Nov 13-17!

And kinda hoping the Segway tours are coming back to DCA too!

 

[Sherry E]

thanks for your insight Sherry, I'm too much of a planner to wait until September/October! So I have just bought an AP and will book the hotel shortly, I have read on here that we can have the AP discount added later when they come out (hope I am not wrong on that!) I think that even though we are only going for 4-5 days it still works out in our favour for one of us to have an AP as I am 100% certain DD is going to want to buy A TON of souveneirs etc and with discounts on food as well we'll recoup the $150ish dollars difference in price between the park hopper and AP fairly easily I think and if we can get the hotel discount then we are ahead.

Beee -

You're very welcome!

I think the AP purchase is a good choice. Did you get the Premium AP?

Yes, if you book a room that is not part of a package and is just a room-only reservation, you should be able to add any discounts to it that come out later, AP or otherwise.

What you can do is book a room-only reservation now with an AP - or you will tell the hotel people that you have an AP even if you don't have it yet, and then you will show it to them at check-in. The Disneyland system will automatically apply the standard 10% AP discount to your price (that discount is in effect 365 days a year). But, if there are any good, special rates/discounts that come out later in the year, either for AP holders or just posted on the Disneyland website, you should be able to apply the new discount to your existing booking.

I have done that before - I had an existing reservation (room-only, not a package) and I ended up changing the type of discount it was, as well as the dates and even the hotel! Generally, that has not been a problem. It's when you book a package that you can run into some fees and things if you try to make a change to the booking.

Just wanted to say hi to the forum since it's been a few weeks since I posted last!

Can't wait for more information to come out and crossing all fingers and toes that holidays will appear by Nov 13-17!

And kinda hoping the Segway tours are coming back to DCA too!

Hello again, MyMuse!

Well, you know, we just found out that Halloween Time begins on 9/14 this year. Even though that was one of the dates I had in mind for a start date, I thought that they might be more likely to go with a 9/17 or 9/21 date.

The reason I bring up Halloween Time is that now that we know the season is starting on 9/14 - which is only the second Friday in September - it's entirely possible that the holiday season may begin on 11/9 or 11/12.

I keep thinking that 11/9 is too soon after Halloween Time, which will end on 10/31, but if they start putting up Christmas decorations and merchandise even before Halloween Time ends (which is what they will do), then Disneyland Resort could very well be ready for the official start of the holidays on 11/9...or Monday, 11/12.

I kind of think that 11/16 almost sounds like too late of a start for it since the holidays are sooooo popular at DLR now - more than ever before.

 

[Malcon10t]

So I have a different question. We aren't going until Jan 1st through probably the 5th or 6th. Will we be missing anything? I really want to see the holiday decorations and going out before the holiday isn't an option.

Not really. The decorations will begin coming down the 7th.

 

[Sherry E]

Santa Claus leaves after Christmas. There have been mixed reports about him being at the Reindeer Round-Up in his 'street clothes' after 12/25, but the sightings don't seem to be consistent enough for us to be be sure. And even if Santa stays at the Round-Up, he is gone from DCA and the 3 hotels.

Likewise, the strolling Carolers at the hotels and in the parks leave no later than a couple of days past Christmas. They are long gone before New Year's Eve.

The holiday merchandise also tends to dwindle quite a bit after 12/25, from most accounts.

These things may not make much of a difference to most people, though!

 

[Malcon10t]

Santa Claus leaves after Christmas. There have been mixed reports about him being at the Reindeer Round-Up in his 'street clothes' after 12/25, but the sightings don't seem to be consistent enough for us to be be sure. And even if Santa stays at the Round-Up, he is gone from DCA and the 3 hotels.

Last year he was in the Reindeer Roundup after Christmas in a green outfit. I sent my nephews pics showing how he went to Dsneyland after he worked Christmas Eve. He was also in the parade.

The holiday merchandise also tends to dwindle quite a bit after 12/25, from most accounts.

I wouldn't say it dwindled, as I could find everything, but unlike previous years, there was no major sale. And after the 1st, it was moved back to the "Christmas Store". I kept putting off buying things hoping to get a great sale price, but since they didn't do the 25-40% off, I only ended up getting the "really really" wanted items...

 

[Sherry E]

Last year he was in the Reindeer Roundup after Christmas in a green outfit. I sent my nephews pics showing how he went to Dsneyland after he worked Christmas Eve. He was also in the parade.

I wouldn't say it dwindled, as I could find everything, but unlike previous years, there was no major sale. And after the 1st, it was moved back to the "Christmas Store". I kept putting off buying things hoping to get a great sale price, but since they didn't do the 25-40% off, I only ended up getting the "really really" wanted items...

Oh my goodness! Malcon10t, I'm so glad you posted that Santa photo from the Round-Up! Honestly, in all of the Christmas photos that have been posted in this thread and elsewhere, I don't think I have ever seen a single picture of Santa in a different outfit! Even the folks who said they saw Santa there post-Christmas never actually showed a photo. All I've ever seen is the typical Santa outfits that he wears at his different spots around the Resort up until Christmas, but never this jazzy green/plaid ensemble!

That is wonderful - thanks for posting it! Actual proof of Santa at the Round-Up after Christmas!

There was no major sale last year? I remember sales from previous years, but come to think of it, I don't think that anyone else mentioned a sale last year, and it didn't hit me that there might not be a big sale happening. I think I just assumed they had a big sale every year.

 

[Malcon10t]

There was no major sale last year? I remember sales from previous years, but come to think of it, I don't think that anyone else mentioned a sale last year, and it didn't hit me that there might not be a big sale happening. I think I just assumed they had a big sale every year.

We are there every year from the 22nd to about the 3rd or 4th of Jan. There has ALWAYS been a sale, usually starting a day or two after CHristmas. So, needless to say, we kept checking with our eyes on a few items. There had been rumor there would not be a sale, but I kept thinking "Noooo, they ALWAYS have a sale..." But the 3rd was out last day, and they had moved all the Christmas items the day before back to the Christmas Store (by the photo shop).

In the past, Santa had also remained in DCA after Christmas in "after Christmas" clothes. I didn't specifically look for him last year, so I can't say he was there. By the time we usually hit the Cove Bar (near Santa area) he would have been gone.

 

[Beee]

aww santa looks so cute in his green plaid

Malcon10t I would love to spend Christmas Day at disneyland, that must be so fun. Unfortunately this year we miss Christmas Day completely thanks to flying into a different time zone.

 

[MyMuse]

Hello again, MyMuse!

Well, you know, we just found out that Halloween Time begins on 9/14 this year. Even though that was one of the dates I had in mind for a start date, I thought that they might be more likely to go with a 9/17 or 9/21 date.

The reason I bring up Halloween Time is that now that we know the season is starting on 9/14 - which is only the second Friday in September - it's entirely possible that the holiday season may begin on 11/9 or 11/12.

I keep thinking that 11/9 is too soon after Halloween Time, which will end on 10/31, but if they start putting up Christmas decorations and merchandise even before Halloween Time ends (which is what they will do), then Disneyland Resort could very well be ready for the official start of the holidays on 11/9...or Monday, 11/12.

I kind of think that 11/16 almost sounds like too late of a start for it since the holidays are sooooo popular at DLR now - more than ever before.

Oh my, that is great news!!!

I'll be in LA from 11/9-11/13, then switching to (hopefully) the Disneyland Hotel. The 11/9 or 11/12 dates work for me, obvi not the 11/16 date, so I'm hoping for the best!

My wish list is the Disney Holiday Tour and the Segway Tour. Of course, I'm hoping Carsland will be calm enough to be able to spend some quality time there too.

Last year he was in the Reindeer Roundup after Christmas in a green outfit. I sent my nephews pics showing how he went to Dsneyland after he worked Christmas Eve. He was also in the parade.

I love that outfit on Santa!!!! Thank you for posting.

 

[Mommyof2boys1118]

We are going December 22- December 28. This will be our first Christmas at Disneyland. I am in a way terrified but we are going to do it. My biggest fear is the crowds. We can not change our days so we are going to brave it out. The reason why the crowds scare me so much is I have 2 boys and my youngest who will be close to three has sensory prossesing disorder and has a hard time with crowds, noise and a whole list of things.
We are going to do 6 or 7 day hopper tickets. We also know that we will be taking breaks midday. We are also prepared to take our youngest back to the room and one of us stay with our oldest.
This trip in general scares me since I do not know what to expect it is our frist big trip since his things came to light. Our last trip big trip he was only a year old and did ok but sleeped a lot.