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

[Sherry E]

What a bonanza of wonderful, colorful photos! This may be one of my favorite theme weeks so far, because I love what everyone has posted -- we have a great range of characters, scenery, animals, etc! It's always interesting to see which themes yield a bounty of contributions and which ones don't.


TK (I'm glad you liked the Frontierland intro -- it's not easy working Sarsaparilla into a sentence!), Sarah, Mickeybell (yes, the reindeer were gone last year), Bret, figment_jii, pudinhd (no, we're not in Critter Country this week!), KCmike (yay! You had photos for the theme! I was hoping so!) and pattyduke34 -- Everyone has got an entry into the random draw!

I know that Jamie, crystal1313, PHXscuba and Liza/funatdisney must have some photos, so hopefully we will be treated to those over the course of the week! And Elk Grove Chris has got to have some Frontierland gems as well.

I think I neglected to mention that Pinup Mommy got an entry for the previous theme week too. She got in at the tail end!

Jamie and Cheshirecatty and everyone who stepped in to answer questions from Lucrezia (about the characters at the Jamboree), taaren (about the Monte Cristo bites) and czmom (about the deceptive candy cane cotton candy) -- Thank you! I haven't been able to get back on the DIS since this morning, so I really appreciate that you guys help out. It makes me feel that I have left the the thread in good hands when I can't get on to reply right away!

czmom -- I spent the most time at the Jamboree last year on the first day it opened (first day of the season), but it didn't seem all that crowded on that specific day. I'm not sure about later in the season, though. It's kind of an open, spread out space, so even when there are a lot of people in the area it doesn't seem like it would feel oppressive.

I also neglected to mention how gleeful I am that Summer is over!! Wheeeeeeeeeeee! Fall is here! Now the fun begins. The first Halloween TV special airs this coming Sunday (with older Halloween specials airing earlier that day on Travel Channel), and then it's fun fun fun ahead for October - December.

 

[DisneyJamieCA]

I do have some photos to share - hoping to get them up tomorrow.

And just my two cents, I didn't find the area crowded at all (we were there Thanksgiving week). We easily found a table to sit at (my kids decorated cookies), walked up to all the characters back there and waited maybe 3 mins to see Santa. LIke I said in my previous comment, we were back there between 7-8pm and stayed quite awhile.

 

[mvf-m11c]

It is fun during the Holiday season at Big Thunder Ranch. But it is kind of sad after Santa's Reindeer Round-up was taken out last year for the Jingle Jangle Jamboree.

I knew Sherry you were glad that Summer is now over and now we are in Fall since you are not a big fan of summer. Can't wait till we get in November and December for the Holiday season.

Here are more pictures from the former Santa's Reindeer Round-up.

Can't forget about the reindeer's.

 

[tdashgirl]

Great photos everyone!

 

[taaren]

I am so sorry that was your experience with them---yuck!

When we had them, it was in the early afternoon(around 1:30pm or so).

They had had a run on them for lunch time, and so we were waiting for a fresh batch to be brought out.

I kept hounding the CM at the cart, and he finally told me exactly "when" they were coming out. I made it my business to be there, and they were fresh, piping hot, and fluffy--not soggy/greasy!

I'm so glad you posted about getting them later in the evening---we will definitely avoid that!

Give them another try(wait around for a reload at the cart, if you can), I think you might be pleasantly surprised/pleased!

This is good to know ... though DH loves the full size Monte Cristos, so I'm sure he'll find these bites delicious anytime. He usually shares a sandwich with a man friend, then we all share three desserts. Sometimes I eat one bite of DH's half of the Monte Cristo while I love the flavors I find the food itself too heavy for my stomach when we're running around riding rides.

Now I just have to figure out where the Jingle Jungle Jamboree cart is in Frontierland so we can be waiting to pounce when there's a fresh batch!

 

[ashnjam]

Great pictures this week everyone! I love the pics that have people in them so I can try and get a feel of what the weather is like and what I should pack. Although I hear the weather can be all over the place in december.

 

[Sherry E]

More great pictures, Bret!!! Yes, I could not be happier that Summer is gone for this year.

Great pictures this week everyone! I love the pics that have people in them so I can try and get a feel of what the weather is like and what I should pack. Although I hear the weather can be all over the place in december.

ashnjam --

It can be all over the place. My area of Los Angeles is usually lumped in with "Inland Orange County" on the weather reports on the news, and that includes Anaheim.

I could show you a picture in which a friend and I are bundled up like we are at the North Pole (and in fact, I probably will, when we get to the corresponding theme) on a past December trip to DLR (it got up to maybe only 50 degrees, tops, in the daytime, it was windy and it was about 30 degrees at night). And then I could show another picture in which I am wearing a t-shirt and no jacket of any kind on a December evening (it was probably 50-something degrees at night).

I've been to DLR in December when it was 90 degrees in the daytime too.

So you could find anything from 50-degree temperatures to 90-degree temperatures in the daytime, or anything from 30-degree nights to 60-degree nights. Or, it could rain heavily. Or, it could be dry and windy (whether it's warm or cool).

In a way, that is a major thing that makes me love the whole October-November-December block of time in SoCal. I like the unpredictability of it. It sort of makes it exciting. One year it might feel like Summer in December, and the next year it is pouring so much rain that it is coming through the roof and flooding the streets.

Bring/dress in layers!

 

[DisneyJamieCA]

Here are mine. I do have more, but I realized they all had my kids in them. Maybe this trip I'll get some scenery shots. But in other news, our trip is 2 months from TODAY!

Meeting Santa


Christmas Tree at Santa's Meet & Greet


Meeting Mrs. Claus


Decorating Cookies (yes, my little one is eating frosting straight from the container)



Finished product from one of the kids



The cookies are an additional cost, but honestly they were so much fun and my kids had a blast. We easily spent 2 hours back in this area one night, between the meet & greets and food. This one of the best memories of that trip.

 

[PHXscuba]

Bumping it back to page 1 with some more pictures:

I will miss seeing the reindeer ...


PHXscuba

 

[egritz]

Wow Wow Wow! Love this week's theme. In the past I haven't been impressed with the BBQ, but I think we'll give it a go this time - one of our past problems was we seemed to miss the "show" (among other issues, like being seated in the sun with an infant and 2 senior citizens, refused a shaded area they had reserved for a large party that never arrived and within 5 minutes of us being seated, another small party was seated at the table we requested).
Anyway, I digress! Are there certain times the show goes on? And is it themed for Christmas with Christmas songs?

This looks like a great area to spend some time exploring come our trip in just 10 1/2 weeks! I'm sure my DD 2 1/2 will love coloring and decorating cookies with the characters!! Too bad the reindeer are no longer there though :-(

 

[Sherry E]

Wow Wow Wow! Love this week's theme. In the past I haven't been impressed with the BBQ, but I think we'll give it a go this time - one of our past problems was we seemed to miss the "show" (among other issues, like being seated in the sun with an infant and 2 senior citizens, refused a shaded area they had reserved for a large party that never arrived and within 5 minutes of us being seated, another small party was seated at the table we requested).
Anyway, I digress! Are there certain times the show goes on? And is it themed for Christmas with Christmas songs?

This looks like a great area to spend some time exploring come our trip in just 10 1/2 weeks! I'm sure my DD 2 1/2 will love coloring and decorating cookies with the characters!! Too bad the reindeer are no longer there though :-(

egritz --

The reindeer were fun to watch, but they were ornery and often would charge at each other. Plus, people were constantly trying to find ways to pet them (even though they were not supposed to). The CMs even put decorative themed barricades up to prevent people from sticking their hands through or over fences and parents were still hoisting their kids up and putting them on top of the various barrels and haystacks to try to pet the cranky reindeer.

Also, I was always very concerned for the reindeer as their breathing was quite rapid and shallow. I don't know if that's how they normally breathe or if that's what happens when they acclimate to a different type of atmosphere/altitude, but I always worried that they were not comfortable or getting enough oxygen. Any human breathing like that would not be able to sleep or do anything!

The BBQ area is only a portion of the whole set-up. I know that before the whole location turned into the Jingle Jangle Jamboree, it was just the Reindeer Round-Up. Mrs. Claus (who went by the name Miss Kriss/Miss Kris/Miss Chris or some similar thing) entertained guests in the BBQ section and there was a musician or two.

When the Round-Up turned into the Jamboree last year (well, first it became the Halloween Carnival/Jamboree, and then the Jingle Jangle Jamboree for the holidays), Billy Hill & the Hillbillies moved from their Golden Horseshoe home to play holiday songs in the Jamboree area. (I posted a photo of that schedule on page 113.) I don't know how or if that affects what Miss Kris/Kriss/Chris does at the BBQ and when.

The cookie decorating and crafts are where the "Reindeer Games" and the stage for Billy Hill are located, and also where the cotton candy is. Santa and other characters can also be found in this Jamboree area as well. In another little section there is the cabin where Santa used to pose for photos, but he left the cabin and the cabin still has reindeer decor in it (right now it has pumpkin decor in it). And then the BBQ is a different area altogether.

 

[julieheyer]

Ok, I'm trying to post pics for the first time.... So bear with me.

We love JJJ, and thought it was remarkably NOT crowded last year, even during thanksgiving weekend. The Monte Cristo bites were perfect!! Not too much, but yummy! The whole area was lovely and really enjoyed the character interactions.

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[julieheyer]

Ok, try this .

Ok, taking Sherry's advice, I was able to just post the pics! Thanks again!

 

[Sherry E]

I neglected to mention that Jamie & PHX each earned another entry into the random draw.

Julie -- I'm so glad to see your adorable Jingle Jangle Jamboree pictures! I remember when you were planning your trip last year, and you joined in on the previous Superthread. I'm happy that the trip was a success! Anyway, for your post in this current Theme Week (Frontierland/Jingle Jangle Jamboree Theme Week), you earned an entry into the random draw for a $25 Disney gift card. The draw will take place when the Theme Week Countdown ends in early November. We still have 5 more main weekly themes (there will be a new one in 3 days) to cover, and then 6 mini-daily themes, finally ending with the big Holiday Cornucopia theme on 11/4. You get one entry for every theme to which you contribute.

If you're having trouble posting photos, I find that the easiest way to do it to copy the IMG code (it can be found next to each one of the photos I pull from Photobucket, or underneath the photo, depending on which page I am viewing on Photobucket) and paste it right here in the thread. I don't have to deal with the Insert Image feature that way. I just copy and paste the code directly into my post and the photo will appear.

 

[Cheshirecatty]

Good Morning Miss Sherry.......

How soon may one try to guess the "Code Word Challenge"?????

 

[Sherry E]

Good Morning Miss Sherry.......

How soon may one try to guess the "Code Word Challenge"?????

Cheshirecatty --

Not until the countdown is over in November, and we've covered our final theme! As I've mentioned before, everyone has to keep a complete list of all of the code words and their corresponding theme weeks, in order, and then post that complete list with the song that all the words belong to. Then, it's a matter of who can post it first that will decide who wins. So you have no choice but to wait it out and keep adding to the list!

 

[Cheshirecatty]

Thank you Sherry, for the reply!

I have no problem "waiting it out"! It is a very fun challenge, and I'm not 100% sure anyway, but "almost"!

 

[Sherry E]

Thank you Sherry, for the reply!

I have no problem "waiting it out"! It is a very fun challenge, and I'm not 100% sure anyway, but "almost"!

Cheshirecatty --

The good news is that, at this rate, November will be here before we know it! I can't believe (and am positively giddy) that we are almost in October! Where has the time gone?

I fully expect that someone will inevitably post a list that is not complete -- either it will be missing a code word or it will be missing a Theme Week, or the order of words and theme weeks will be incorrect, or the song will be incorrect or something. None of that will fly! It has to be a complete list, in order, with the correct song! The people who have already figured out what the song is before I even post the final code word will have an extra advantage in timing, I think. Also, the people who have been keeping up with their lists from the beginning will have an advantage (as opposed to going back through the thread to try to find the information).

I am not putting the code words in the order of how they appear in the song. I am mixing up the order of the code words a little bit, so it presents even more of a challenge! Muahahahahaha!!!

 

[julieheyer]

I neglected to mention that Jamie & PHX each earned another entry into the random draw.

Julie -- I'm so glad to see your adorable Jingle Jangle Jamboree pictures! I remember when you were planning your trip last year, and you joined in on the previous Superthread. I'm happy that the trip was a success! Anyway, for your post in this current Theme Week (Frontierland/Jingle Jangle Jamboree Theme Week), you earned an entry into the random draw for a $25 Disney gift card. The draw will take place when the Theme Week Countdown ends in early November. We still have 5 more main weekly themes (there will be a new one in 3 days) to cover, and then 6 mini-daily themes, finally ending with the big Holiday Cornucopia theme on 11/4. You get one entry for every theme to which you contribute.

If you're having trouble posting photos, I find that the easiest way to do it to copy the IMG code (it can be found next to each one of the photos I pull from Photobucket, or underneath the photo, depending on which page I am viewing on Photobucket) and paste it right here in the thread. I don't have to deal with the Insert Image feature that way. I just copy and paste the code directly into my post and the photo will appear.

Thank you!! Very sweet to remember me . Loved the Christmas thread last year, and loving it this year! It's so much fun looking through the pictures and living vicariously through everyone. So excited!!! 2.5 months (give or take) until I get to walk down Main St. And enjoy my happy place!!

 

[deejdigsdis]

Sherry, thank you for all the work you do on this thread! I've missed hanging out here.

Here are a few from 2011: