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

[DisneyJamieCA]

Ok here are mine, starting with last year

















From 2007 & 2010:

 

[CassieScraps]

I am so, so, so excited!!! I just clicked "buy" on our Christmas Disneyland vacation!!! I can't tell the kids until the day before we leave, but I HAD to tell someone! I have 5 kids, ages 16,15,13,12 & 2, and we are going to have SO MUCH FUN!! The 13 year old turns 14 a few days after we leave and the 12 year old will only be 12 for two days before we arrive.

Now I've got to figure how to get plans made without them catching on. I think I might burst!!

 

[DisneyJamieCA]

And here is the castle lighting from last year. The little intro part was cut off, sorry about that. (click on the image to play)



ETA: Here is a link, since it seems clicking on the picture on the iPad doesn't work
http://s1303.photobucket.com/user/DisneyJamieCA/media/DSC_7123_zpsc55cabbb.mp4.html

 

[beckykarstetter]

I am so, so, so excited!!! I just clicked "buy" on our Christmas Disneyland vacation!!! I can't tell the kids until the day before we leave, but I HAD to tell someone! I have 5 kids, ages 16,15,13,12 & 2, and we are going to have SO MUCH FUN!! The 13 year old turns 14 a few days after we leave and the 12 year old will only be 12 for two days before we arrive.

Now I've got to figure how to get plans made without them catching on. I think I might burst!!

Cassie, Yay! I'm so excited for you! You're kids are going to pee their pants. Lol! When are you going?

 

[CassieScraps]

Cassie, Yay! I'm so excited for you! You're kids are going to pee their pants. Lol! When are you going?

We are driving there on the 22nd, in the park on the 23rd, 24th, 25th & 26th, then headed home on the 27th. I wish I could have booked at a DL hotel, but with that many people, we needed a suite.


My 15 yo, my 2 yo and I were just at DL in May for my daughter's band performance and only spent 2 days, so I am super excited to spend 4 days with the entire family!! My baby is going think we do DL every 6 months if I keep this up, hehe...

 

[beckykarstetter]

We are driving there on the 22nd, in the park on the 23rd, 24th, 25th & 26th, then headed home on the 27th. I wish I could have booked at a DL hotel, but with that many people, we needed a suite.

My 15 yo, my 2 yo and I were just at DL in May for my daughter's band performance and only spent 2 days, so I am super excited to spend 4 days with the entire family!! My baby is going think we do DL every 6 months if I keep this up, hehe...

How did the 2 year old do with the parks? We are going at the beginning of December and I'm excited but nervous about how he'll do with everything. He's Mr. Personality and has never met a stranger, so I think he'll be okay, but...

I'm reading the Sherry's posts daily, so I'm not sure there will be anything I don't know. This thread is wonderful and if Christmas doesn't get here soon, I may not be responsible for my actions.

 

[CassieScraps]

How did the 2 year old do with the parks? We are going at the beginning of December and I'm excited but nervous about how he'll do with everything. He's Mr. Personality and has never met a stranger, so I think he'll be okay, but...

I'm reading the Sherry's posts daily, so I'm not sure there will be anything I don't know. This thread is wonderful and if Christmas doesn't get here soon, I may not be responsible for my actions.

She did great! She is also very friendly and she never once melted down. I brought the big stroller so she could nap if she wanted and she didn't have to walk. I had things to keep her amused, i.e. my cell phone, and she did well in lines and her excitement is still strong! She talks about DL at least once per day, lol.

I'm with you! I am sitting here well past my bedtime trying to make plans for "how" we'll do the park. DH is already shaking his head at me.

 

[Luisa]

So many beautiful photos, here's my contribution.

 

[jacs1234]

 

[Elk Grove Chris]

 

[ksromack]

I am so, so, so excited!!! I just clicked "buy" on our Christmas Disneyland vacation!!! I can't tell the kids until the day before we leave, but I HAD to tell someone! I have 5 kids, ages 16,15,13,12 & 2, and we are going to have SO MUCH FUN!! The 13 year old turns 14 a few days after we leave and the 12 year old will only be 12 for two days before we arrive.

Now I've got to figure how to get plans made without them catching on. I think I might burst!!

What a fun surprise!

I was hoping to get away with only bringing my point-n-shoot, but with all of these great pictures I can see I'm going to need my dSLR!

 

[CassieScraps]

I was hoping to get away with only bringing my point-n-shoot, but with all of these great pictures I can see I'm going to need my dSLR!

I have to convince my hubby that the DSLR is the way to go. Plus the PhotoPass+, lol. And probably even the P&S for the kids to carry. This is really a once in a lifetime trip for us since the kids are getting older and I want to make the biggest scrapbook ever!

 

[Phoenixrising]

I've got an older Sony poor man's SLR (it's got a really good zoom but no interchangeable lenses). It can be a royal pain to carry around all day, but it takes some amazing pics. I don't mind taking it with me, as I know that I get consistently good pics from it. It's a bit of a trade off if you want the convenience of a point and shoot, or an SLR type camera that will take better pics. I've been loving all the great pics! I also scrapbook, and am debating if i want to get another memory card for my trip in light of the fact I will be going to a wedding out of province the day before I leave on my solo trip.

 

[crystal1313]

crystal1313 --

Here are the links:


Two posts from JediMasterNerd, from this thread, in which he details his Christmas trip last year (including crowds and all):

http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=47018031&postcount=19

http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=47044215&postcount=31


Here is another post from Mickey&JoshNut, also detailing a Christmas visit last year:

http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=47042102&postcount=28

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Gorgeous photos, Mike! (And another entry into the random draw.)

What is the pink effect used on that 3rd photo down from the top? That's so different and interesting!

​

Thank you Sherry!

 

[Sherry E]

Wow! What a bounty of breathtaking photos (and so many new ones since I last checked in here)!

In every single post that one of our participants has contributed since we kicked off this theme yesterday, I have found some shots that I just love. I wouldn't even know where to begin in naming them all. I just scrolled through all of the entries again today, to be sure that I didn't miss any comments that needed to be addressed, and as I glanced at each DIS'er's post I thought, "Wow. That is a really great picture," about at least one shot in every group -- and probably more than one!

I'll be posting more photos tomorrow or Thursday, most likely. There is still quite a bit that hasn't been seen of Main Street, and I'm not sure how I ended up with quite so many photos, but I did. Like KCmike said about his photos, somehow I think I have more Main Street shots than photos of anything else DLR-holiday related (and that includes all aspects of Main Street). I didn't set out to get more Main Street photos but it somehow worked out that way.

Anyway, I logged all of the latest entries into the random draw - pudinhd, Jamie, Luisa, jacs1234 and, of course, Elk Grove Chris!

Tink121212 -- Since you posted a lovely Castle photo, you get your first entry into the random draw for the $25 Disney gift card:

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To catch up on some of the posts I wanted to comment on:

That sounds like a complete nightmare!!!! I would totally have freaked out!!

But, ya know, who doesn't need 50 unwanted photos of shower gel?!

pudinhd --

I know that I needed every last one of those identical shower gel photos. You can also imagine how excited I was to see many, many copies of various Smilies I had viewed in posts on the DIS (like the ), as well as many copies of photos of the patio furniture that was in an online department store ad that I glanced at for 2 seconds.

I cant wait! It is going to be amazing - especially with the new WoC. I am so excited! Will definitely take everything in and will enjoy all the lights, the shows, and the parade! Time to start planning everything out!

Need to take everything in!

GizMo123 --

I actually wonder if the Winter Dreams version of World of Color will possibly lure some people away from the usual nighttime spots that get crowded in Disneyland (probably wishful thinking), such as in front of IASW Holiday and around the Winter Castle. Probably not, but one can hope!

3 weeks and we are finally down to doube digits in waiting time Yup, I have a countdown to the countdown.....we have gotten to add so much more to our trip. We get to see some sights in Hollywood, a VIP experience at Universal Studios and much more.

aidensmom31 -

I was counting down to the Theme Week Countdown, so I can understand the 'counting down to the countdown' concept! Speaking of which, we are now 4 Themes in to this Countdown and you have not posted anything!

While you're in Hollywood/L.A. you should visit The Grove and Farmers Market, especially after sunset. It 'snows' at The Grove every night; there is a huge tree and twinkly lights; there's a cute little photo opportunity; Santa, etc. It's really popular.

When you're at Universal will Grinchmas be in full swing? I don't know when they start their holiday season in comparison to when DLR starts theirs.

I just spent A LOT of time going through a lot of these pages, and I'm getting SO excited for my trip coming up. We'll be there the 12th-15th staying at BWPPI. My brother in law might be proposing to his lady on his trip, so it could be extra magical!

dragonflycurls --

Thank you for taking the time to go through some of the pages in this thread -- I hope it helped build excitement for your trip! The proposal sounds awesome -- is the plan for it to take place in front of the Castle, or has your brother in law not mentioned where he is doing it?

Thanks SherryE, I have been making my way through all of your amazing links on the first page over the last few months.

I think I am becoming just too excited! Need to fulfil that DL craving...

Thankyou for all of your work on this thread and on the boards, there is just so much information on this thread alone, that makes it so easy for us to research, it is mindboggling! And fun.

Happy planning.

V

viaggiamo --

You're very welcome! I tried to compile as much info as possible into one thread because the board can tend to get cluttered with dozens of different threads on a particular thing and it's easy to lose track of what can be found where, or which threads are more informative, etc. Of course, it is necessary to have separate threads for certain things but the Superthreads on any subject at least help to cut down on the number of them that pop up.

Each Superthread I put together -- whether it's about Halloween Time or the holiday season -- will have more info than its predecessor. So this thread has more info than the previous Christmas Superthread in many ways. My current Halloween thread has more info than the previous one, but the next Halloween thread (when we hit the page limit on the existing one) will have even more. I try to make each thread better than the last one in terms of more complete information, and fueled by the main things that people seem to want to know.

I know! It's short notice so we're not sure if it's plausible, but would be very exciting!

We haven't been to Disney at Christmas since 2009, and I'm beyond excited just for that!

dragonflycurls --

Quite a bit has changed since 2009. A lot has stayed almost the same, but been enhanced in certain ways. Even something like IASW Holiday, for example -- while it has been part of the holidays for years and years, the colors on the facade at night have become sharper and crisper, I think. Toontown has different Christmas trees than what was there in 2009. There are many Mardi Gras masks in New Orleans Square that were not there in 2009. The Reindeer Round-Up is now the Jingle Jangle Jamboree. Some decorations are gone forever in certain spots. Pixie Hollow even had a little 'winter overlay' last year. And there may or may not be another ice rink in Downtown Disney this year (which was new last year). You've got a lot to see!

And now you have gotten to the entire reason for our trip........ to see the OTHER castle decked out in lights!

Gorgeous photos Sherry!

Janet --

Somehow I missed your post yesterday. Thank you for the compliment! While our Castle is, as you know, much smaller than the one at WDW, it packs a big punch with its 'sparkle appeal'!

I concur! Great photos by all who have contributed. I think we are very fortunate to have so many good photographers in this group. I'll be excited to see the castle lighting on video.....i must say my eyes got all misty last December at the lighting ceremony at MK.

How in the world did you get a picture with almost no one in the way? This will be my quest as well

Kathy --

We have a great group of photographers here and, also, I think that because so many of us just adore the holiday season at DLR we really delve into and appreciate all the different details, which comes across in many of the photos.

pattyduke34 did a great job at getting that crowd-free photo you mentioned. As I'm sure we all know (those of us who visit wither WDW or DLR), trying to get a people-free shot of something is next to impossible, especially when it is in a location that sees a lot of foot traffic.

Have we all experienced those occasions in which we find a subject we want to get a photo of and just as we are about to capture it someone goes marching through the shot? We think we should be able to get the shot without anyone else in it...and yet, as soon as we compose it the way we want, get the right angle, etc. and are just about to click, along comes someone to get in the way! Of course, that kind of thing comes with the territory in a place like WDW or DLR, but it is frustrating.

It is actually balloon strings. I zoomed in so tight on the castle that I decided to leave it in the shot to get a different feel. Thanks for asking.

Great photos everyone!

Mike --

The balloon strings definitely gave it a different feel and look -- it's something very unique that I don't think any of us have seen before. The composition of that particular shot is interesting even beyond the strings because of the perspective, and because of the relation of the Partners statue to the Castle. The balloon strings (which might ordinarily be seen as a nuisance to many photographers) added an extra layer to it that gives it even more depth.

I remember those pictures with the trees in the shot of SB Winter Castle. You did mention that to me before my Disney trip in 2010 where I got some pictures of SB Winter Castle with the trees. It did make it very interesting to see the castle from a different angle and the trees in the shot. You were the one that gave me the tip of getting a picture of SB Winter Castle through the trees. Maybe this trip, I will be able to get some pictures of SB Winter Castle with the trees.

Thank you Sherry and I do give you a lot of the credit for giving me the tip of getting the pictures of SB Winter Castle with the trees in the picture.

Bret --

Your idea to shoot the Castle through the trees was a great one! The trees add a bit of mystery and intrigue to the shot, I think. In my mind I imagine some sort of scenario of walking through the woods on a dark night and stumbling upon a magical, glowing Castle, then peeking through the branches to get a closer look at it!

I didn't even think of taking a similar picture until long after you had done it first -- and I didn't get around to doing it for at least another couple of years after you did. You inspired me! I had nothing to do with that wonderful 'through the trees' idea. I have some other good ideas here and there, but that one was all yours!

I am so, so, so excited!!! I just clicked "buy" on our Christmas Disneyland vacation!!! I can't tell the kids until the day before we leave, but I HAD to tell someone! I have 5 kids, ages 16,15,13,12 & 2, and we are going to have SO MUCH FUN!! The 13 year old turns 14 a few days after we leave and the 12 year old will only be 12 for two days before we arrive.

Now I've got to figure how to get plans made without them catching on. I think I might burst!!

CassieScraps --

It's so exciting when you finally book something, isn't it? That makes it so much more real! How will you keep the secret from all 5 kids?

...I'm reading the Sherry's posts daily, so I'm not sure there will be anything I don't know. This thread is wonderful and if Christmas doesn't get here soon, I may not be responsible for my actions.

beckykarstetter --

I'm glad you're still with us and enjoying the thread! There are many more Theme Weeks and themes to come, and chances are that there will be more official information rolling in more steadily since we are nearing Fall!

I cannot blame you for your excitement. Now that the end of August is upon us, I can see the holidays on the horizon. See, for me, when it's like June or July, the holiday season seems so far away. It seems like there is a large mountain in the way, which keeps the holidays out of reach and sight. When August comes to an end -- even though it may be very hot outside where some of us live -- I know that we are soon entering Autumn, the Halloween Time season and the holidays. I can finally see over that mountain!

I was recently saying in my Halloween thread that I can't wait to get past August because I am anxious to get into "the Fun Months." For me, the fun months would normally be that block of October-November-December, but because Halloween Time starts at DLR in September, I include that month as a fun month too! Once we get to the mid-September point, it is all uphill from there in terms of seasonal decor, merriment and festivity!

Honestly, I cannot wait!

 

[CassieScraps]

Hi Sherry,

I don't know how I'm going to keep this a secret. I already accidentally spilled the beans right after I booked it b/c I said something about DD2 eating with Princesses. Luckily my older kids didn't hear the comment. DD15 knows I was thinking about it b/c I asked her if she wanted to do something like that for Christmas and if she thought her siblings would enjoy it. (there will be very minimal Xmas gifts as this ate up that budget and then some, and I didn't want a bunch of grumpy teenagers moping that they don't have presents, lol.) I never said anything else to her about it.

It's going to be hard, BUT the good thing is we did just do DL in May for band, so I am working on a scrapbook for that and I can "excuse" and Disney stuffs using that. Just can't leave the reservation confirmation up on the computer, lol.

 

[Sherry E]

I've got an older Sony poor man's SLR (it's got a really good zoom but no interchangeable lenses). It can be a royal pain to carry around all day, but it takes some amazing pics. I don't mind taking it with me, as I know that I get consistently good pics from it. It's a bit of a trade off if you want the convenience of a point and shoot, or an SLR type camera that will take better pics. I've been loving all the great pics! I also scrapbook, and am debating if i want to get another memory card for my trip in light of the fact I will be going to a wedding out of province the day before I leave on my solo trip.

Trish --

You should bring both your SLR and the P&S camera. That way you can switch off if you hit a day when you don't feel like carrying the SLR. In the old, old days of P&S cameras, the photos were not so great. Today's P&S cameras take pretty good photos so it's not like you would be getting horrible pictures if you switched from SLR to P&S. If you have the eye for good photos to begin with, you'll get some good shots no matter what kind of equipment you use!

There is a whole Point & Shoot photo thread on this board and it is surprising to see how great some of the P&S photos are. At a glance I wouldn't know that many of the photos in that thread were P&S photos because they are so well-composed.

For your purposes, if you are not hitting a lot of rides and are more focused on the actual photography part of the trip (which is what my trips seem to be turning into over time), the SLR will be a great thing and not too cumbersome as you just kind of stroll around and take in all the sights. I'm a klutz -- I constantly bump into things and drop things, so I worry tremendously about taking an SLR with me into the parks because I fear I would ruin it! Even if I don't go on one single ride and take photos all day, I still end up banging into something or dropping something!

Thank you Sherry!

You're welcome, crystal1313 --

I hope the info and trip recaps in those posts helped somewhat in terms of what kinds of crowds you might encounter.

Hi Sherry,

I don't know how I'm going to keep this a secret. I already accidentally spilled the beans right after I booked it b/c I said something about DD2 eating with Princesses. Luckily my older kids didn't hear the comment. DD15 knows I was thinking about it b/c I asked her if she wanted to do something like that for Christmas and if she thought her siblings would enjoy it. (there will be very minimal Xmas gifts as this ate up that budget and then some, and I didn't want a bunch of grumpy teenagers moping that they don't have presents, lol.) I never said anything else to her about it.

It's going to be hard, BUT the good thing is we did just do DL in May for band, so I am working on a scrapbook for that and I can "excuse" and Disney stuffs using that. Just can't leave the reservation confirmation up on the computer, lol.

Cassie --

Very clever! Use the May trip as an excuse for any Disney stuff that slips out accidentally! Just be sure not to mention the word "Santa" or anything like that, as that may be hard to excuse away!

I can't even imagine the budget involved in taking 5 kids (teenagers) to DLR for a Christmas trip, when considering food/snacks, souvenirs, PhotoPass, etc. I'm not even including the accommodations, park admission and transportation/travel. I know that planning a much smaller trip for myself (with no kids!) is expensive enough. It must be stratospherically high when taking a big group! I think that is definitely a great Christmas present for the kids.

 

[Phoenixrising]

The only P & S I've got is an older Sony that is a 6MP. It's lack of zoom drives me crazy, as I love to use the zoom to crop pics as I take them, and I like to get close up shots. The 9.2MP Sony I've had since 2008 takes great pics, even though it's a bit on the bulky side. I tend to be like you, where the focus of the trip is taking pics, instead of going on the rides. If going solo, I'm extremely careful of the camera, I usually do my fav rides first thing in the morning, then take pics the rest of the time. I've got an 8gb memory card, but am concerned that with the Edmonton trip just before my DL trip, I may be needing extra room for pics. I may end up stealing the memory card out of DH's camera for the trip (he doesn't use the camera much anyway). That may be the best solution, as the last thing I need is to run out of room on my memory card 1/2 way through the trip.

 

[Sherry E]

The only P & S I've got is an older Sony that is a 6MP. It's lack of zoom drives me crazy, as I love to use the zoom to crop pics as I take them, and I like to get close up shots. The 9.2MP Sony I've had since 2008 takes great pics, even though it's a bit on the bulky side. I tend to be like you, where the focus of the trip is taking pics, instead of going on the rides. If going solo, I'm extremely careful of the camera, I usually do my fav rides first thing in the morning, then take pics the rest of the time. I've got an 8gb memory card, but am concerned that with the Edmonton trip just before my DL trip, I may be needing extra room for pics. I may end up stealing the memory card out of DH's camera for the trip (he doesn't use the camera much anyway). That may be the best solution, as the last thing I need is to run out of room on my memory card 1/2 way through the trip.

Trish --

It can't hurt to bring as much memory with you as possible, even if you have to steal it from the hubby! You're going to be hitting Knott's too -- and who knows what Christmasy wonders and interesting details await you there?

Or, if you run out of space on a memory card, you can always go to the Camera Shop in DL and have them save everything on the card to a DVD/CD for you. And you could just buy a new memory card there if it were an emergency!

I have gone from using the 2GB cards, to 4GB cards, to 8GB cards -- I think the most recent one I used was 16GB! The 16GB will last me a while, but not as long as one would think given how many photos I am capable of cranking out in one trip.

 

[PHXscuba]

OK, I will start with my two favorites and then a sprinkling of a few others. All from Dec. 2010.

The rest:

PHXscuba