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

[wdwmoose]

Hello, wdwmoose/DLmoose!

I'm glad you finally decided to jump into the thread! You see? Everyone here is friendly and fun! Wait until we get going with the Theme Week Countdown -- that seems to bring out lurkers and regular participants alike!

I will get on board with the No Christmas Parties in 2013 wave! It's not that I don't think DLR could host a fun Christmas party. They certainly could. It's just that, unless they have secretly been planning big, original, new entertainment for a party all along (and rumors have not leaked out about new entertainment for a party, so it is doubtful), I think they are not quite ready for a multi-night party all through the season just yet. I think they should give it another year -- and by the holiday season of 2014 they could not only have the holiday WoC in place, but also a possible new plan for the Candlelight Ceremony so that more people can see it and Disney can make money from it.

I think that working a short-run party into Limited Time Magic this year would not be a bad idea (one or two nights only), but they may try to do a full multi-night party with the existing holiday entertainment anyway.

I'd be fine with a party, if it made sense, they had new attractions/shows that we haven't been getting for free for years, and if they limited attendance. What they've done to the Halloween parties is turn them into a madhouse because of the overselling of tickets. I think a Christmas party is DCA with some special, party only, things might be a nice idea. but don't institute the first one on *my* vacation, please.

 

[czmom]

Thank you for the day off suggestions. I would have never thought of Tuesday being so crowded. We are staying at VGC and will definitely be using EMH!

Our plan was even to avoid the Sunday crowds and fly in that day, then do M-F at the parks with no off day. But airfare on December 1 is terrible, so we are coming in a day early for much cheaper.

 

[wdwmoose]

Thank you for the day off suggestions. I would have never thought of Tuesday being so crowded. We are staying at VGC and will definitely be using EMH!

Our plan was even to avoid the Sunday crowds and fly in that day, then do M-F at the parks with no off day. But airfare on December 1 is terrible, so we are coming in a day early for much cheaper.

I'm really bad with acronyms, but VGC makes me think it's offsite. if that's the case, you don't get EMH. You get MM if your ticket has it. It's where you get early entrance for a magic morning (MM = Magic morning) once during the life of your ticket. DL has specific days those can occur. MM isn't available at DCA at the time of this reply.

EMH is a perk for resort guests where they get an Early Magic Hour (EMH) at one of the parks pretty much every day. Again, DLR decides which day is which, although it does follow a pattern.

 

[Sherry E]

Hi Sherry, this is really random, but I love your enthusiasm for Christmas movies, and had one to recommend, if you haven't already seen it--"Scrooge" with Albert Finney! It is most likely not anywhere on cable, but I've seen it at Target the last couple of years, around the first of December.

It is FANTASTIC! I've seen it almost every year since it first came out(when I was three)--I know, dating myself! It is so uplifting and thought-provoking with its top-notch portrayals, and so CHRISTMASY, I think you would HUGELY enjoy it(I also mentioned it to Taylor and Tracy in their "Life-Report"!

Cheshirecatty --

You know, I think that the Albert Finney version of Scrooge was the very first version of that particular story (either "A Christmas Carol" or "Scrooge") that I saw, if I recall correctly. I remember seeing it in a theater as a very young child -- I don't know if it was a first-run showing, or if it was part of a special double bill matinee or whatever, but I remember being a young child and seeing it in a theater. I remember that the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future scared me (especially Future)!

Since then, however, I think I have seen other versions of that story more often. The Finney version doesn't seem to be playing a lot on TV during the holiday season, from what I've noticed, but other versions of the Scrooge story play a lot. I don't think I've seen the Finney movie in years and years and years. I barely remember it!

Yes, I am definitely enthusiastic (and dorky) about Christmas movies, Christmas TV shows (hello? "Frosty the Snowman," anyone?), Christmas music (I love all of it -- the spiritual songs, the classic songs and the fun/whimsical songs), Christmas goodies (peppermint ice cream! Yum!), Christmas decorations, lights, trees, etc. I even love the TV specials about Christmas decorations and lights too (like "Crazy Christmas Lights")! I once explained (I think it was in my December 2011 TR) that when I saw the beautiful tree in the PPH lobby I wanted to run around in circles, singing at the top of my lungs like Julie Andrews running around the hills in "The Sound of Music" (I didn't do it, though).

I was just watching "Elf" this morning. And "Love Actually" is on TV later tonight.

You can imagine the fun I had when I did a survey last year that required me to listen to over 600 snippets of Christmas songs (like many variations of all of the different songs, sung by different artists) and rate them! It took me about 90 minutes to do, but I was all over it! That was a survey for me, if ever there was one!

Really, though, I love any holidays that can be celebrated/decorated in colorful ways. Halloween is my second favorite holiday -- it has a totally different vibe and feel than Christmas, of course, but is wonderful all on its own. (Who doesn't love "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown"?) I'm also a big Easter fan -- love egg hunts, egg decorating, filling baskets, bunnies, pastel colors, "Here Comes Peter Cottontail," etc. I love Valentine's Day and St. Patrick's Day too. All of the fun, colorful holidays.

I'd be fine with a party, if it made sense, they had new attractions/shows that we haven't been getting for free for years, and if they limited attendance. What they've done to the Halloween parties is turn them into a madhouse because of the overselling of tickets. I think a Christmas party is DCA with some special, party only, things might be a nice idea. but don't institute the first one on *my* vacation, please.

wdwmoose --

I totally agree. There are way too many MHP tickets sold. The last party in DL that I went to was not unbearably, miserably crowded, but it felt way too crowded to be an exclusive event. There were still tons of people waiting for the fireworks and the Cavalcade and milling about in all the usual walkways.

And still, there is a certain logic to having a Halloween party for Halloween Time -- guests can wear costumes, they get to trick or treat, they can see actual events that have not been around for years and years and, without a party, the Halloween Time season becomes a little thin. The Party kind of fills it out and gives the season more substance.

The Christmas season at DLR, however, is a full, richly vibrant season that has a lot going on all around the Resort and there are a lot of layers to it, so a party is not as needed at DL as much for the holidays as it is for Halloween -- especially with the same ol' holiday fireworks and parade that have been there for years. There would be plenty to do if a party never happened at all. However, taking two major existing holiday events (three, if you count the snow) away from the usual holiday entertainment would put a big dent in what is available.

I think that Disney could easily do a test run of the all-holiday WoC this year and see if it is popular (just like they did with Halloween Screams fireworks in 2009). If it is, they could stick it into the agenda of a DCA Christmas party next year, making it the exclusive event, and adding in some other little thing to DCA that is a party exclusive. That is what they should do.

Otherwise, if Disney is going to have a party in DL I hope they are putting in more "new" stuff than just cookies and cocoa to make the established holiday visitors want to buy tickets!! As much as I love the snow on Main Street, I am not paying extra to see it (at least not every year), and I don't need to see the fireworks and parade again (not for a separate charge, anyway). Give me something new and exciting and I will want to buy a ticket!

 

[czmom]

I'm really bad with acronyms, but VGC makes me think it's offsite. if that's the case, you don't get EMH. You get MM if your ticket has it. It's where you get early entrance for a magic morning (MM = Magic morning) once during the life of your ticket. DL has specific days those can occur. MM isn't available at DCA at the time of this reply.

EMH is a perk for resort guests where they get an Early Magic Hour (EMH) at one of the parks pretty much every day. Again, DLR decides which day is which, although it does follow a pattern.

VGC = Villas at Disney's Grand Californian

 

[wdwmoose]

VGC = Villas at Disney's Grand Californian

Oh good. Then ignore my primer on EMH vs MM

As far as which day to take off, I still suggest the middle of the week. Which one you I'd choose would depend on the desires of the family and which park has EMH that morning. It'd still be a Tues or Wed in my opinion.

 

[czmom]

Oh good. Then ignore my primer on EMH vs MM

As far as which day to take off, I still suggest the middle of the week. Which one you I'd choose would depend on the desires of the family and which park has EMH that morning. It'd still be a Tues or Wed in my opinion.

Good point! That will probably be our deciding factor right there!

 

[RichP1269]

We will be going Nov 16th through the 21st. It will be the first time we've been to DL during the Holiday season.

Kinda excited to see it all done up.

 

[Sherry E]

Thank you for the day off suggestions. I would have never thought of Tuesday being so crowded. We are staying at VGC and will definitely be using EMH!

Our plan was even to avoid the Sunday crowds and fly in that day, then do M-F at the parks with no off day. But airfare on December 1 is terrible, so we are coming in a day early for much cheaper.

czmom --

Well, I should clarify... It's not that there are only a few people in the parks on a Monday in early December, and then wall-to-wall crazy crowds on Tuesday. Neither day's crowds are quite that extreme to one end or the other. But I have definitely noticed -- especially in 2011 and 2012, but in 2010 as well -- that there were noticeably fewer people milling about in the parks on Monday, and noticeably more people milling about on Tuesday. Why that is, I have no clue. Maybe the Tuesday folks start their trips on Tuesday and stay until the weekend.

This year, what could happen could be a sort of reverse effect in which people decide to show up in early December because they hear that it is less crowded and then, of course, the parks suddenly become crowded with crowds trying to avoid crowds! We have no idea what will happen. Hopefully this year will pretty much repeat the pattern that I have observed for the last couple of years. And the fact will still remain that some people have to go home right after Thanksgiving and will not be out on Christmas break/vacation for at least a couple of weeks.

On Monday -- if history repeats -- you should see random pockets of open space in both parks, with not too many people walking around in the usually super-congested areas like Main Street. On Tuesday, continuing with the Main Street example, you would likely see a difference in that suddenly there will be a lot more people everywhere (even right after opening), including Downtown Disney. And, of course, as I've mentioned before, Gibson Girl on Main Street is always a good barometer of lower crowds vs. higher crowds -- if you see that there is no real line waiting for ice cream, that's a good sign that the parks are less crowded in general. On the other hand, if the line at GG is full you will know that the parks are pretty busy.

I did spot Gwen Stefani and her family on Tuesday, though -- on a very busy Buena Vista Street -- so IF you decide to go into the parks on Tuesday, even if it is busy, keep an eye out for celebrities who might be there! I think that a lot of them go to DLR on weekdays because their schedules probably keep them busy (or take them out of town) on weekends. As I recall, Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy and their families were at DLR that same week, but I don't know if it was during my trip or just after I got home. TMZ reported on them being there together.

We will be going Nov 16th through the 21st. It will be the first time we've been to DL during the Holiday season.

Kinda excited to see it all done up.

RichP1269 --

Welcome! You have a lot to look forward to! The holiday season is a great time to be in the parks. All of the themed decorations in the different lands are interesting and unique. The themed holiday music is fun and lively (especially in Cars Land and on Buena Vista Street). The Winter Castle at night is gorgeous. I think you'll have a wonderful time.

 

[wdwmoose]

czmom --

Well, I should clarify... It's not that there are only a few people in the parks on a Monday in early December, and then wall-to-wall crazy crowds on Tuesday. Neither day's crowds are quite that extreme to one end or the other. But I have definitely noticed -- especially in 2011 and 2012, but in 2010 as well -- that there were noticeably fewer people milling about in the parks on Monday, and noticeably more people milling about on Tuesday. Why that is, I have no clue. Maybe the Tuesday folks start their trips on Tuesday and stay until the weekend.

This year, what could happen could be a sort of reverse effect in which people decide to show up in early December because they hear that it is less crowded and then, of course, the parks suddenly become crowded with crowds trying to avoid crowds! We have no idea what will happen. Hopefully this year will pretty much repeat the pattern that I have observed for the last couple of years. And the fact will still remain that some people have to go home right after Thanksgiving and will not be out on Christmas break/vacation for at least a couple of weeks.

Hold your tongue!

 

[pattyduke34]

I am sooooo excited! I just finalized everything for our Christmas trip! Going Nov 21st-25th. Hoping it is not too busy these dates. I have always gone the first week of Dec. but this year daughter will be a Junior so she can not miss that much school this year!

 

[Sherry E]

I am sooooo excited! I just finalized everything for our Christmas trip! Going Nov 21st-25th. Hoping it is not too busy these dates. I have always gone the first week of Dec. but this year daughter will be a Junior so she can not miss that much school this year!

pattyduke34 --

Cool!

Realistically, you'll probably run into some crowds because there will be a weekend in the middle of your trip. Weekends during the holiday season are busy. Then, at the very end of your trip is probably when some folks will begin arriving for their Thanksgiving breaks (assuming they take off a whole week like some do).

But, you have to make do with the dates you have and make the best of them. So if it is really crowded, you'll manage!

One thing I will be eager to hear -- hopefully you will remember to report back to us here as soon as you get home -- is whether or not the hotels' Christmas trees, or at least the GCH tree, go up any earlier than usual this year. Normally, all 3 of the hotels' trees would go up as soon as Thanksgiving is over. This year, because of the very late Thanksgiving date (which coincides with the start of Hanukkah too) at the end of November, I am wondering if the trees might go up a few days earlier than they normally would. If so, I would think that you'd see a hotel tree or two by your last day, 11/25.

 

[pattyduke34]

Sherry- I can do that! Last year when I went it was Dec 1st and loved all the hotel decor....I will make sure to pop over and check it out....It is just my daughter and I going and we manage really well with crowds, and this year we are going for Halloween time too so at Christmas time we will be focusing on Chrsitmas stuff and things we did not get done at Halloween time. This year we are taking our nephew (21) who is disabled and in a wheelchair so we will be touring the parks different and not sure how much we will get done at Halloween time.

 

[Priory]

Thanks to Southwest's $49 flights I just booked an extra unplanned trip Dec 5-8! Woo hoo! I wish there was info on Candellight, parties, etc. But being there Thurs - Sun I should be able to catch whatever.

 

[pattyduke34]

That is what I did today also to finish up with all the details of my trip! Southwest had great deals!

 

[laurasvwee]

We will be at DL Nov. 17-23 and we will be staying at PPH. I was wondering if anyone was going before us so I could get some info on( well everything) This will be our first christmas trip and I can't wait to see, taste and see all the holiday goodness. I must have one of those handmade candy canes I have heard so much about.

 

[wdwmoose]

We will be at DL Nov. 17-23 and we will be staying at PPH. I was wondering if anyone was going before us so I could get some info on( well everything) This will be our first christmas trip and I can't wait to see, taste and see all the holiday goodness. I must have one of those handmade candy canes I have heard so much about.

I'm not sure what kind of info you're looking for, but by reading through the first page (at least) of this thread and then also checking the previous superthreads you'll get tons of information. Also check out many (all!) of the trip reports Sherry's gathered and placed somewhere on the first page of the thread. you'll get TONS of information. There's enough reading material in the three threads and all their links to keep you devouring info all the way up until your trip. I've found that if I have specific question the group here does a great job of tackling them without pause.
Oh, and YAY for your upcoming trip. DLR at Christmas time is magical and awesome and everything.

 

[laurasvwee]

I'm not sure what kind of info you're looking for, but by reading through the first page (at least) of this thread and then also checking the previous superthreads you'll get tons of information. Also check out many (all!) of the trip reports Sherry's gathered and placed somewhere on the first page of the thread. you'll get TONS of information. There's enough reading material in the three threads and all their links to keep you devouring info all the way up until your trip. I've found that if I have specific question the group here does a great job of tackling them without pause.
Oh, and YAY for your upcoming trip. DLR at Christmas time is magical and awesome and everything.

I wondering if any was going before us so they could report back. I of course will report back and include pics for all of those going after us.

 

[Sherry E]

Sherry- I can do that! Last year when I went it was Dec 1st and loved all the hotel decor....I will make sure to pop over and check it out....It is just my daughter and I going and we manage really well with crowds, and this year we are going for Halloween time too so at Christmas time we will be focusing on Chrsitmas stuff and things we did not get done at Halloween time. This year we are taking our nephew (21) who is disabled and in a wheelchair so we will be touring the parks different and not sure how much we will get done at Halloween time.

pattyduke34 --

Are you planning to go to one of the Halloween parties, or are you just going for the Halloween Time season? At least you will be getting a taste of both seasons this year, which is always a good thing!

Thank you in advance for checking the hotels for me! I will be very curious to see if my hunch is correct in that the hotels may get their decor pre-Thanksgiving this year. I recall someone posting in the past that at least the GCH had its tree up before Thanksgiving, but I don't recall the year. That may have been a random fluke -- maybe Thanksgiving was slightly later that year too? I'm not sure.

But the general rule is that the hotels begin to get their decorations on the day after Thanksgiving (starting with the GCH, then the DLH, then the PPH). This year the holiday is happening on 11/28, and I just have a hunch that the hotels may get decorated prior to that date -- maybe only a few days prior, but a little bit earlier.

Thanks to Southwest's $49 flights I just booked an extra unplanned trip Dec 5-8! Woo hoo! I wish there was info on Candellight, parties, etc. But being there Thurs - Sun I should be able to catch whatever.

Priory --

How exciting! So you've got the Halloween Time/Villains/13th Hour trip planned around 9/13, and now a holiday trip too! It sounds like it's going to be an action-packed Fall for you. Those Southwest flights are probably going to contribute to a lot of folks planning sudden trips!

I'm pretty sure that, barring any kind of sudden change, Candlelight will only be held on 12/7 and 12/8 this year. It will probably revert back to its usual invitation-only status for seating, but it will be available to view from various spots around Town Square. Seeing that Disney already sent out a letter to some of the Candlelight participants this year, alerting them of the 2-night schedule, it seems pretty certain that the Ceremony will only take place on 2 nights, with 2 shows each night.

I think I am aiming to be at DLR in that time frame too -- at least on 12/8.

As for a party? So far there is no official word on that at all, and it seems like there are some folks who have heard it will happen, while others have heard it will not happen. What MiceAge reported (rumors) was based on what their behind-the-scenes sources told them. Sometimes those rumors turn out to be true and factual (like the reports of the extensive Cars Land decorations package last year), and sometimes they don't (like the rumor about letting non-party guests view the Halloween Screams fireworks at the MHP 3 years ago -- it never happened). We have no idea if maybe a party was discussed at one point, but then shelved until next year. We have no idea if it will actually happen this year, and in what format.

One thing I know for sure is that if Disney is going to launch a full-fledged, multi-night, hard ticket party in Disneyland (or in DCA) this year, they will have to start promoting it no later than August if the party were to begin in November. They will want to let people know, get them excited to start planning trips, promote it as being a special exclusive event, etc. They will want people other than just SoCal residents to come out and attend the party, so they would have to start promoting it a few months in advance, I think.

If Disney is just going to do a sort of Limited Time Magic party that runs for one night or two nights only, they may wait until September to let us know about that because it wouldn't be as major of a deal.

Otherwise, though, I think that if any major new events are coming -- a party and/or a holiday World of Color -- we should hear something at some point in August, if not before that time.

We will be at DL Nov. 17-23 and we will be staying at PPH. I was wondering if anyone was going before us so I could get some info on( well everything) This will be our first christmas trip and I can't wait to see, taste and see all the holiday goodness. I must have one of those handmade candy canes I have heard so much about.

laurasvwee --

Hi there! I'm so glad you've got your trip planned!

I've stayed at the PPH a lot -- especially during the holiday season -- and I know that at least a couple of others in this thread have stayed there a lot as well. I'm not sure if the PPH will be decorated for Christmas when you stay there because it will be before Thanksgiving (we will have to wait for info on that) and it usually gets decorated after Thanksgiving, but the 2 parks will be in full holiday swing!

The candy canes are giant! I've never gotten one but people say that the fresh canes are delicious and so much better than regular canes!

What info are you interested in? A lot of things stay basically the same from year to year, so there may be some things that we can fill you in on now. We are all here to help and answer questions as much as we can!

I'll probably go on the first day of the season and report back, which I did last year as well!

I'm not sure what kind of info you're looking for, but by reading through the first page (at least) of this thread and then also checking the previous superthreads you'll get tons of information. Also check out many (all!) of the trip reports Sherry's gathered and placed somewhere on the first page of the thread. you'll get TONS of information. There's enough reading material in the three threads and all their links to keep you devouring info all the way up until your trip. I've found that if I have specific question the group here does a great job of tackling them without pause.
Oh, and YAY for your upcoming trip. DLR at Christmas time is magical and awesome and everything.

wdwmoose -

Thank you for the plugs! I would say that the previous 2 threads are good just for overall reading material if one has time, but not absolutely necessary for getting the gist of what's going on in the season (especially not the very first thread, which wasn't even really a Superthread).

If folks don't have time to skim those previous threads, they should be able to get most of the info they need from (as you instructed) Page 1 of this thread, which is better-organized. There are links to blogs, threads, articles and TRs from different times during the season and all sorts of things involving every possible holiday-related subject. The only things we don't really have any info/links for yet are the things that may or may not happen, i.e., an all-holiday World of Color and a possible party!

 

[Sherry E]

I wondering if any was going before us so they could report back. I of course will report back and include pics for all of those going after us.

laurasvwee --

I usually try to get to DLR on either the first or second day of the season in November -- specifically to take photos or collect info/details to report back to this thread (I did that last year)! This year I am going to try to get there on 11/12 again, to see if there are any changes in the Cars Land/Buena Vista Street decor from last year, any new merchandise or treats, etc., and I will, of course, report back!

I plan to ride Haunted Mansion Holiday during Halloween Time so I will report back on that as well!

Most details stay more or less the same from year to year and don't differ too much (not dramatically, anyway). There could be some new merchandise here and there, maybe a new treat or two. Maybe a new decoration here or there. What you have already seen or read about in the thread will most likely be the same this year, decorations-wise, with the exception of the hotels' decorations possibly going up a wee bit earlier than usual and maybe a Christmas party and/or an all-holiday World of Color.

We will probably begin to hear from folks who visit the parks in the days leading up to 11/12, because It's a Small World Holiday will most likely be running on 11/8 or 11/9 and most of the decorations will be up by that date.

Stay tuned!