Disneyland at Christmas/Holiday Season Superthread #3!- HOLIDAYS BEGIN 11/12/13!!

[butterflymouse]

We are sitting at the airport waiting to board! Should be taking off in about 1/2 hour.

Yay! Enjoy your time there! I'm about 2 hours away right now!

 

[dreamseeker9]

It has been very chilly at night and in the early mornings lately (which I love), so bring some warm clothing. I had to get up and put on an extra layer in the middle of the night because I was freezing. I love it, though! This is what I wait for all year. I don't even turn on the heat. I just keep piling on the layers until I am forced to finally drag out the hot cocoa. I am relishing the cool air while it lasts because I know that it will again climb up to the 90s and 100s soon enough in So Cal.

That's good to know, Sherry E! I've been to SoCal a handful of times, and it always surprises me how cool it gets most evenings, even when I was there in July once. I'm trying to figure out what to pack now for 7 days, I leave Thanksgiving morning! Only 1 of those 7 days will be at DLR, and I swear the forecast changes every time I check it! But at least it looks like it will be one of the warmer days, and hopefully a dry day as well. The beginning of my trip looks like it may be wet, though. My brother told me to bring layers.

I found a nylon bag perfect to take to DLR, and I'll bring a plastic bag so I can put my iPhone in that to protect it against any water on Splash Mountain - even if it's cooler, I don't want to miss that - it's one of my favorites! I can't believe it's so close - only 3 more work days and only 8-9 more sleeps until I'm at DLR for the first time!!! We're not sure if we're going Dec. 2nd or 3rd, depends some on the weather.

Everyone heading there, have a wonderful time!

 

[Sherry E]

Did everyone see the festive (fake) gingerbread Castle display in the Disneyland Hotel lobby that Bret/mvf-m11c posted a photo of in his trip report (I posted a link to it on the previous page)?

That is new this year. It was not there in 2010, it was not there in 2011 and I am pretty sure it was not there last year. It's pretty cute -- and I think the DLH needs something extra in the lobby to make up for the fact that the Christmas trees are not really tall (like the ones at the GCH and PPH are).

​

That's good to know, Sherry E! I've been to SoCal a handful of times, and it always surprises me how cool it gets most evenings, even when I was there in July once. I'm trying to figure out what to pack now for 7 days, I leave Thanksgiving morning! Only 1 of those 7 days will be at DLR, and I swear the forecast changes every time I check it! But at least it looks like it will be one of the warmer days, and hopefully a dry day as well. The beginning of my trip looks like it may be wet, though. My brother told me to bring layers.

I found a nylon bag perfect to take to DLR, and I'll bring a plastic bag so I can put my iPhone in that to protect it against any water on Splash Mountain - even if it's cooler, I don't want to miss that - it's one of my favorites! I can't believe it's so close - only 3 more work days and only 8-9 more sleeps until I'm at DLR for the first time!!! We're not sure if we're going Dec. 2nd or 3rd, depends some on the weather.

Everyone heading there, have a wonderful time!

dreamseeker9 --

Bringing layers is a good thing! Even if it seems warm in the daytime, all of a sudden a chill may set in at night and it can catch you off guard.

I didn't really expect it to get quite so chilly at night until maybe December. That's really when it's time for me to start putting on the extra layers to sleep. And yet, there I was, putting on an extra sweatshirt in the wee hours of the morning this morning before going back to sleep.

Also, I finally broke out the hot cocoa! I had been avoiding it, but it's finally time! Just a few months ago I was miserable because of the heat and unusual humidity (for So Cal), but now I am racing for the sweaters and sweatshirts at night.

If December 2nd is not predicted to be rainy, I think that would probably be a good day for you to be in the parks. Things could always change, but I have found Mondays in the first and second week of December to be less crowded than other days. You might be able to get quite a bit done on that day.

I hope you have a great trip!

 

[ksromack]

The merging of Thanksgiving and Hanukkah happens once every 70,000 years so I am glad I wont have to re-experience it. It sounds pouty and childish but I am really disappointed in missing both. Next year, I will have to really reevaluate doing any soccer tournaments over Thanksgiving. It's such a family and food holiday to me. Worst part? No leftovers.

I've heard good things about the Holiday Turkey Sandwich at Earl of Sandwich. Maybe that will seem like you are eating leftovers if you had one of those

I'm so excited for the few of you that are in DLR right now.....It was a struggle getting through work this weekend. I still have to get through mon, tues, and wednesday at work....then I don't return until Dec 11 to work!

We fly in in the evening this friday and figure by the time we get to our hotel it'll be 11pm OUR time.....so we'll probably just crash. Then we decided to rent a car for one day and will pick it up saturday morning..... we had considered going to Catalina if my sister in law was going to go but now her plans have changed and they are spending Thanksgiving in Phoenix. Hubby gets sea sick anyway and we're afraid the ferry over to Catalina may make him sick so we've decided to spend the day along the Pacific at a few beaches. I've read threads about the beaches but most of them are several years old so if anyone has any opinions on Newport or Laguna Beach, I would love to hear them! I've touched base with a childhood friend of mine and we "may" be meeting her for dinner at Laguna Beach saturday night (she lives 20 minutes from there)....that would be so much fun as we haven't seen each other in 40 years! We'll return the car on sunday morning which will be very convenient since the Alamo drop off will be right by PPH (where we'll be checking in early). Whew. That made me tired I already have the ponchos packed. Sadly only one of them is a MM poncho. Hubby left his on main street at Magic Kingdom last december so he'll have to wear the cheap/crappy one should we get rained on

So, any opinions on the beaches? Last June we did the Santa Monica pier, Venice Beach, and Hollywood so I think a nice relaxing beach will be a perfect start to our Disney vacation this time!

 

[KCmike]

Thank You Mike! We are very excited to spend Thanksgiving week at DLR! 4.5 days in the parks!! Yahoo!

Happy Thanksgiving! Can't wait to see more of your beautiful pictures!!

--Lori

Right back at ya Lori! Hope you have a great trip, Happy Thanksgiving!, and bring us back some awesome shots.

Mike D

I've heard good things about the Holiday Turkey Sandwich at Earl of Sandwich. Maybe that will seem like you are eating leftovers if you had one of those

I'm so excited for the few of you that are in DLR right now.....It was a struggle getting through work this weekend. I still have to get through mon, tues, and wednesday at work....then I don't return until Dec 11 to work!

We fly in in the evening this friday and figure by the time we get to our hotel it'll be 11pm OUR time.....so we'll probably just crash. Then we decided to rent a car for one day and will pick it up saturday morning..... we had considered going to Catalina if my sister in law was going to go but now her plans have changed and they are spending Thanksgiving in Phoenix. Hubby gets sea sick anyway and we're afraid the ferry over to Catalina may make him sick so we've decided to spend the day along the Pacific at a few beaches. I've read threads about the beaches but most of them are several years old so if anyone has any opinions on Newport or Laguna Beach, I would love to hear them! I've touched base with a childhood friend of mine and we "may" be meeting her for dinner at Laguna Beach saturday night (she lives 20 minutes from there)....that would be so much fun as we haven't seen each other in 40 years! We'll return the car on sunday morning which will be very convenient since the Alamo drop off will be right by PPH (where we'll be checking in early). Whew. That made me tired I already have the ponchos packed. Sadly only one of them is a MM poncho. Hubby left his on main street at Magic Kingdom last december so he'll have to wear the cheap/crappy one should we get rained on

So, any opinions on the beaches? Last June we did the Santa Monica pier, Venice Beach, and Hollywood so I think a nice relaxing beach will be a perfect start to our Disney vacation this time!

I would vote for Newport Beach plus the Corona Del Mar beach which is just south if you were going to take the polar bear plunge. Newport has a great pier, walking area, and good parking. Laguna is nice as well.

 

[aidensmom31]

My trip is getting so close and I have so much left to do....here's hoping I get it all done. My official vacation approval came through today at work

 

[KCmike]

Olaf by KC MikeD, on Flickr

 

[butterflymouse]

Holidays are drawing crowds. At the park now and I truly think this is the busiest I've ever seen Disneyland!

 

[Luisa]

Holidays are drawing crowds. At the park now and I truly think this is the busiest I've ever seen Disneyland!

I agree, Saturday and Sunday were very busy. Thursday and Friday though were pretty quiet I thought. Thursday was a 5min wait in the single rider line for RSR at 2pm and only 10min around 7pm. Friday Space and Star Tours were walk on at lunchtime.

The decorations are just wonderful and I really enjoyed the new WOC show, personally I found it much better than the fireworks (Wishes is much, much better than the Christmas one). Loved the new projection show on IASW too.

 

[rms123]

Here as well and the crowds are the worst we've seen in a long time. Kids pooped out early tonight so no fireworks for us. Yesterday WOC was nice. My 1 yr old DS didn't agree, but oh well. Love the gingerbread houses at the cozy cone motel!

 

[mrsashbaugh]

We go on Tuesday and I'm hoping that it's not that crowded. I know it's busier but I just keep hoping!

 

[Leilanie94]

Leilanie84 -

Yay! I'm so glad you're having a great time. Aren't the decorations great? You're getting to see the Grand Californian tree too, which is a surprise! Be sure to stop in at Ghirardelli and get a free sample of yummy peppermint bark!

Hi Sherry:
We are back home. We had a wonderful first holiday family trip to Disneyland

The Grand Californian tree is very beautiful. My boys favorite part.....sitting on the rocking chairs by the fireplace.

Didn't get a chance to sample the peppermint bark @Ghirardelli.
I found yummy Peppermint Latte at the Jolly Holiday Cafe. I also found some Peppermint Bark at the Candy Shop (?) on Main Street. The cashier said last year it was white chocolate and this year it's dark chocolate. I bought a bunch for us and my boys' teachers. I will sample and let you know.....I'm sure it's yummy, too!

RE: Rain gear
Being from an island (Hawaii), anything below the 70's is cold for us. I made sure I had "layers" for everyone. It rained on Thursday, November 21 and Friday, November 22 while we were there. We made sure we were covered (hats included) and drank yummy hot cocoa and Peppermint lattes.

Wishing everyone a wonderful & safe holiday trip!

 

[the_princess]

How does it rain in CA??? I'm looking at the weather for next weekend and it looks like it's going to rain, so would that be quick showers, or all day light rain?? I really hope that next week clears up, I haven't thought about packing for cold and wet weather.

 

[julieheyer]

I've heard good things about the Holiday Turkey Sandwich at Earl of Sandwich. Maybe that will seem like you are eating leftovers if you had one of those

I'm so excited for the few of you that are in DLR right now.....It was a struggle getting through work this weekend. I still have to get through mon, tues, and wednesday at work....then I don't return until Dec 11 to work!

We fly in in the evening this friday and figure by the time we get to our hotel it'll be 11pm OUR time.....so we'll probably just crash. Then we decided to rent a car for one day and will pick it up saturday morning..... we had considered going to Catalina if my sister in law was going to go but now her plans have changed and they are spending Thanksgiving in Phoenix. Hubby gets sea sick anyway and we're afraid the ferry over to Catalina may make him sick so we've decided to spend the day along the Pacific at a few beaches. I've read threads about the beaches but most of them are several years old so if anyone has any opinions on Newport or Laguna Beach, I would love to hear them! I've touched base with a childhood friend of mine and we "may" be meeting her for dinner at Laguna Beach saturday night (she lives 20 minutes from there)....that would be so much fun as we haven't seen each other in 40 years! We'll return the car on sunday morning which will be very convenient since the Alamo drop off will be right by PPH (where we'll be checking in early). Whew. That made me tired I already have the ponchos packed. Sadly only one of them is a MM poncho. Hubby left his on main street at Magic Kingdom last december so he'll have to wear the cheap/crappy one should we get rained on

So, any opinions on the beaches? Last June we did the Santa Monica pier, Venice Beach, and Hollywood so I think a nice relaxing beach will be a perfect start to our Disney vacation this time!

Depends on what you're looking for in a beach? I find the sand in newport/balboa to be so coarse, and it's not as scenic for walking and shopping as I like. I love corona del mar, and my favorite sunset spot is there, also fun to watch the boats go in and out. Good restaurants but not right on the sand. Laguna is more scenic with loads of shopping and dining all right along the beach. That would be my vote . Driving down PCH from about Jamboree Rd on down is lovely and I highly recommend it (I lived out there for 5 years and went to college at UCI, I go visit a few times a year as I have family and friends in town )

I'm so happy for you guys that are in the parks right now!,! Enjoy it!!

I saw the crowds were nut so this weekend! (I check the wait time apps to torture myself until I get to go). I'm sure the weekend we arrive will be even crazier, so I'm trying to mentally adjust my expectations. On a plus side, the weather forecast looks way nicer now!! Sunny and 70's now? I know it's too soon to believe it, and we will still bring our ponchos etc, but it would be so nice to have sunny and 70's our week in DL!!

I'm with this who haven't begun packing! TG this week is distracting me!! I will get started, I've got a list going . 12 days for me!!!

 

[egritz]

Here as well and the crowds are the worst we've seen in a long time. Kids pooped out early tonight so no fireworks for us. Yesterday WOC was nice. My 1 yr old DS didn't agree, but oh well. Love the gingerbread houses at the cozy cone motel!

Well, lots of schools are on break for Thanksgiving week, so it doesn't surprise me that the crowds are starting to show up. My fingers are crossed that 2 weeks from now will be more "normal" early December crowds for our trip. We'll be skipping most of the headliners since I'm newly preggo though (might get a FP for DH & my Dad to ride a few but we'll see if it works out), so I think that will help with not having too many long lines to wait in.

 

[KellaCat]

I can officially say "We leave next week!!" So excited! I've packed the kids' suitcase, made our t-shirts, gathered goodies to keep them busy on the plane. Still so much to do, but I'm loving all of it!!

I think I have my basic touring plan down. Not setting anything in stone because I really want to go with the flow and enjoy but my basic plan is: Friday - DL all day, rope drop till we drop! LOL Saturday - start with MM at DL, do Bippidi Bobbiti Boutique mid-morning and hit up Fantasy Faire while DD is all dressed like a pricess, then jump over to CA for the evening. (trying to avoid the CP crowds) Sunday - CA all day, WOC at night. Monday - hop between the parks, our extended family will be gone, so it will just be me, DH and the kids so planning to do all the kid stuff that day - Bugs Land, Disney Junior live show, Muppet Movie - relaxing type stuff on our last day.

Can't wait!!!!

 

[aidensmom31]

Booked my tour for Christmas Day Now off to bed as I just got off my graveyard shift!!!

 

[FlameGirl]

Jumping in.

Hi Sherry!

We head to Disneyland on Saturday - it's our first time in two years to be back in the parks during the holiday. Last year we decided to take advantage our our expiring AP's and went mid September for my daughter's birthday...never again. One day it was 108 degrees and I thought I was going to die. I think I actually prayed for death at one point. We live in Seattle for a reason and it isn't the sun.

I'm really looking forward to this trip - I just returned from a trip to North Korea and while that was incredibly interesting, it was extremely challenging. I'm excited to be taking a vacation where I can go where I want, when I want, eat what I want, and take photos of WHATEVER I WANT.

Sherry -- way back towards the beginning of this thread you posted a photo of a tiny Disney xmas tree that was for sale somewhere? Cutest thing ever. Do you happen to remember where that was being sold? I've never seen them before in all of my years of shopping during the holiday season at Disneyland and I would scoop that up in a hot second. Thanks!

See you all next week!

 

[Sherry E]

It's unfortunate to read about the crowds that have been in the parks for the last couple of days. I guess I'm not really surprised by it but it's unfortunate nonetheless. Hopefully everything will settle down by 12/1.

The great thing about a thread like this is that it helps inform folks about the fun things there are to see and do during the holiday season at DLR and get the word out to a wider audience. The bad thing about a thread like this is that it helps inform folks about the fun things there are to see and do during the holiday season at DLR and get the word out to a wider audience!

Even though there are a lot of places online where people can learn about the holidays at DLR (including the official Disney sites), I'm not sure that there is any other thread or site that gets into quite as much overall depth and detail and covers as many bases when discussing the season, sharing photos, etc. This whole thread is basically a valentine to the Holidays at Disneyland Resort...and word eventually spreads that it's a great time to be at DLR, and more people end up planning holiday trips.

So, that said... I wonder if it is too late to start spreading the word that the holidays are really a terrible time to go to DLR! Nothing to see... nothing to do... nothing fun to eat or buy... not a festive atmosphere at all... boring... nothing happening... You get the idea! (In other words, crowds stay away!) You don't want to visit DLR during the holidays at all! Right?? Right?? Grinchmas at Universal Studios is looking much better these days, isn't it? How about Knott's Merry Farm?

Let's get the word out -- the holiday season is not a good time to be at Disneyland Resort, and everyone should avoid it at all costs! (And avoid this thread at all costs, too, as we will only be talking about how terrible a time of year it is to visit!)

​

I've heard good things about the Holiday Turkey Sandwich at Earl of Sandwich. Maybe that will seem like you are eating leftovers if you had one of those

I'm so excited for the few of you that are in DLR right now.....It was a struggle getting through work this weekend. I still have to get through mon, tues, and wednesday at work....then I don't return until Dec 11 to work!

We fly in in the evening this friday and figure by the time we get to our hotel it'll be 11pm OUR time.....so we'll probably just crash. Then we decided to rent a car for one day and will pick it up saturday morning..... we had considered going to Catalina if my sister in law was going to go but now her plans have changed and they are spending Thanksgiving in Phoenix. Hubby gets sea sick anyway and we're afraid the ferry over to Catalina may make him sick so we've decided to spend the day along the Pacific at a few beaches. I've read threads about the beaches but most of them are several years old so if anyone has any opinions on Newport or Laguna Beach, I would love to hear them! I've touched base with a childhood friend of mine and we "may" be meeting her for dinner at Laguna Beach saturday night (she lives 20 minutes from there)....that would be so much fun as we haven't seen each other in 40 years! We'll return the car on sunday morning which will be very convenient since the Alamo drop off will be right by PPH (where we'll be checking in early). Whew. That made me tired I already have the ponchos packed. Sadly only one of them is a MM poncho. Hubby left his on main street at Magic Kingdom last december so he'll have to wear the cheap/crappy one should we get rained on

So, any opinions on the beaches? Last June we did the Santa Monica pier, Venice Beach, and Hollywood so I think a nice relaxing beach will be a perfect start to our Disney vacation this time!

Kathy -

That's a shame that you will miss out on Catalina -- especially since it is now the Island's off season and it is probably pretty quiet. The boat ride is about one hour (or slightly under that) each way from Long Beach, and I suppose it is long enough to get someone sick if they are highly prone to seasickness. One of my friends always has to take Dramamine before getting on the boat. At least you can save the money you would have spent on boat fare, though, which is good!

In any case, Mike and Julie have given you some great suggestions for beaches to visit. I haven't been to Newport Beach or Laguna Beach in a very long time, but I seem to recall enjoying Laguna more.

My trip is getting so close and I have so much left to do....here's hoping I get it all done. My official vacation approval came through today at work

aidensmom31 --

I'm glad the approval came through for your trip!

Holidays are drawing crowds. At the park now and I truly think this is the busiest I've ever seen Disneyland!

butterflymouse --

That's not good! I hope that some of the crowds thin out a bit but seeing that it is a holiday week, it may not be likely.

I agree, Saturday and Sunday were very busy. Thursday and Friday though were pretty quiet I thought. Thursday was a 5min wait in the single rider line for RSR at 2pm and only 10min around 7pm. Friday Space and Star Tours were walk on at lunchtime.

The decorations are just wonderful and I really enjoyed the new WOC show, personally I found it much better than the fireworks (Wishes is much, much better than the Christmas one). Loved the new projection show on IASW too.

Luisa --

I am looking forward to catching that projection show on IASWH. I didn't have time to see it on 11/15, so that will be saved for December.

Have a great time!

Here as well and the crowds are the worst we've seen in a long time. Kids pooped out early tonight so no fireworks for us. Yesterday WOC was nice. My 1 yr old DS didn't agree, but oh well. Love the gingerbread houses at the cozy cone motel!

rms123 -

Eek (about the crowds). So you liked Winter Dreams but your young DS did not like it? Kids are the harshest judges! Lol.

I agree -- I love the whole gingerbread cone village/town in the Cozy Cone office. It's so cute.

Hi Sherry:
We are back home. We had a wonderful first holiday family trip to Disneyland

The Grand Californian tree is very beautiful. My boys favorite part.....sitting on the rocking chairs by the fireplace.

Didn't get a chance to sample the peppermint bark @Ghirardelli.
I found yummy Peppermint Latte at the Jolly Holiday Cafe. I also found some Peppermint Bark at the Candy Shop (?) on Main Street. The cashier said last year it was white chocolate and this year it's dark chocolate. I bought a bunch for us and my boys' teachers. I will sample and let you know.....I'm sure it's yummy, too!

RE: Rain gear
Being from an island (Hawaii), anything below the 70's is cold for us. I made sure I had "layers" for everyone. It rained on Thursday, November 21 and Friday, November 22 while we were there. We made sure we were covered (hats included) and drank yummy hot cocoa and Peppermint lattes.

Wishing everyone a wonderful & safe holiday trip!

Leilanie94 --

I'm so glad the trip went well!

I think the fireplace at the GCH is one of the best aspects of that whole lobby. It's so welcoming. Sometimes there is a guitarist who sits near those chairs in front of the fireplace and plays holiday songs. I think he comes out after Thanksgiving.

Peppermint lattes and hot cocoa sound wonderful on a chilly day -- and the evenings have been quite cool in the last week. Layers are definitely needed.

How does it rain in CA??? I'm looking at the weather for next weekend and it looks like it's going to rain, so would that be quick showers, or all day light rain?? I really hope that next week clears up, I haven't thought about packing for cold and wet weather.

the_princess -

The type of rain can differ when it actually rains in So Cal. More than likely the rain will not last all day, and it probably won't be heavy rain. It will probably last a short while and then stop, leaving the air cold and damp. I don't think that really heavy storms are predicted any time soon, but that can always change. Sometimes we can get hit with a heavy storm that dumps buckets of rain for hours on end -- I've been at Disneyland before when it was too wet and messy to do much of anything. Sometimes the rain might be fairly light, but it can last for hours.

I would definitely at least pack some extra things for cold weather. It has been quite brisk at night and in the early mornings. The rain forecast can change from day to day.

Well, lots of schools are on break for Thanksgiving week, so it doesn't surprise me that the crowds are starting to show up. My fingers are crossed that 2 weeks from now will be more "normal" early December crowds for our trip. We'll be skipping most of the headliners since I'm newly preggo though (might get a FP for DH & my Dad to ride a few but we'll see if it works out), so I think that will help with not having too many long lines to wait in.

egritz --

Yes, exactly. Avoiding all of the thrill rides will take away some wait time for you.

It's all of the Thanksgiving break folks in the parks, as you said. Hopefully, the pattern of the last few years will repeat and a lot of people will clear out after/by 12/1. It does seem like there are more people planning to go in the first week or two of December this year, so we could see a rebound effect of more crowds than usual (the old "crowds causing crowds while trying to avoid crowds" effect), but... let's hope not. I've been enjoying the relatively quiet Mondays in early December (compared to the rest of the month), and I would hate to see that change!

I can officially say "We leave next week!!" So excited! I've packed the kids' suitcase, made our t-shirts, gathered goodies to keep them busy on the plane. Still so much to do, but I'm loving all of it!!

I think I have my basic touring plan down. Not setting anything in stone because I really want to go with the flow and enjoy but my basic plan is: Friday - DL all day, rope drop till we drop! LOL Saturday - start with MM at DL, do Bippidi Bobbiti Boutique mid-morning and hit up Fantasy Faire while DD is all dressed like a pricess, then jump over to CA for the evening. (trying to avoid the CP crowds) Sunday - CA all day, WOC at night. Monday - hop between the parks, our extended family will be gone, so it will just be me, DH and the kids so planning to do all the kid stuff that day - Bugs Land, Disney Junior live show, Muppet Movie - relaxing type stuff on our last day.

Can't wait!!!!

KellaCat --

Don't forget to visit the cute Winter Village in Downtown Disney, and spend a bit of time at the Disney hotels to see the decorations.

Jumping in.

Hi Sherry!

We head to Disneyland on Saturday - it's our first time in two years to be back in the parks during the holiday. Last year we decided to take advantage our our expiring AP's and went mid September for my daughter's birthday...never again. One day it was 108 degrees and I thought I was going to die. I think I actually prayed for death at one point. We live in Seattle for a reason and it isn't the sun.

I'm really looking forward to this trip - I just returned from a trip to North Korea and while that was incredibly interesting, it was extremely challenging. I'm excited to be taking a vacation where I can go where I want, when I want, eat what I want, and take photos of WHATEVER I WANT.

Sherry -- way back towards the beginning of this thread you posted a photo of a tiny Disney xmas tree that was for sale somewhere? Cutest thing ever. Do you happen to remember where that was being sold? I've never seen them before in all of my years of shopping during the holiday season at Disneyland and I would scoop that up in a hot second. Thanks!

See you all next week!

Hi, Kathy!

Welcome!

Okay, first of all... the little trees. Those are the mini-trees that are packaged in the green canisters/cylinders (for mailing/packing protection). They are very cute. They cost in the range of $30 (not counting any kind of discount you might have), if I recall correctly. They have teeny ornaments on them. They've actually been sold for a few years now, but they are so popular that they keep coming back. I've seen them in World of Disney, in the main gift shop in Frontierland, in the Showcase store on Main Street, in the Emporium, etc. I just saw them on 11/15 in the Showcase shop, so they are still there.

North Korea?!? My goodness! I'm sure it must have been very interesting and very educational, but it also must have been a big relief to get back home.

I totally agree with you about the heat. I know that there are people who thrive in heat and they can't handle it if it drops lower than 75 degrees. I am the opposite. I am miserable and cannot function well in the heat. The last thing I want to do is be out in it, wandering around with my 110 SPF sunscreen, trying not to get burnt and trying not to pass out from heat exhaustion. I wait all year for the kind of crisp morning air and evening air that we have been having lately in So Cal, not to mention quite a few days under 70 degrees!

 

[FlameGirl]

I don't know what is happening with the forum here, but when I try to quote your post Sherry, it quotes the post above. Strange.

Thank you so much - I will keep my eyes peeled for those little trees.

Yeah, NK was very weird, indeed. When we left we headed back to China and that felt like we had unlimited freedom, which I find sort of funny. I felt safe in NK the entire time, but we were completley off the grid, so I had no communication with friends or family, so everyone was very relieved when we landed back in China and I was able to tell them we made it out safely. Now I'm reading reports of the 85 year old Korean War veteren being detained over there and it hits a little bit close to home. There were times that it was very, very hard to keep my mouth shut and my opinion to myself, and I can only imagine what he must have felt listening to some of the flagrant lies from the North Koreans re: the Korean War, as well as allllll of the militant anti-American propaganda that was forced down our throats every minute of the day. I hope he comes home safely, poor old guy.

The only bummer about going when it's cooler is that I refuse to ride Splash Mountain. At least when it's warm and you get drenched you dry off quickly and it's not awful. I spent one afternoon in December one year drenched and freezing my booty off. Never again.

Nice to see you!