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

[Mickeybell]

I'd probably be bad at keeping a secret like that. What an awesome way to tell them!

I read about your Your Story book thingy with jealousy. And then... AND THEN I came home to find my Your Story in our mailbox. Best mail day ever!!

That's so funny! I'm glad you got one too. They really are cute.

 

[lwanthony]

Hello!

Your plan is for 2014, correct? here are my thoughts...

Unless you really want to be there on your anniversary in September and to experience Halloween Time (which is great, but not as extensive and thorough as the holiday season), I would go for Option 3.

The holiday season will be in full swing during that 11/30 - 12/4 time frame, even more so than it would be pre-Thanksgiving. By that post-Thanksgiving time frame, the 3 Disney hotels will be decorated and Downtown Disney will be playing Christmas music too. The entire Resort is immersed in holiday merriment by that time.

Also, if we don't get a Christmas party this year I think we will be most certainly be getting one next year, and it could start after Thanksgiving ends. That would be an extra option for something to do during your trip.

Even better than that is the fact that the post-Thanksgiving time frame (like right after the holiday weekend, into the first week or two of December) is known to be a bit less crowded. That is not to say that the parks will be empty - they won't be empty -- but many people head home to work and school right after Thanksgiving weekend is over, and it is too early for Christmas break. So you have a small window of time in which the parks are less crowded -- in between holiday breaks. A lot of people will probably head home on the Sunday you'd be arriving!

I've been to DLR in both the first week and second week of December and have noticed a definite difference in crowds during those times than when I was there on the weekend immediately before Christmas. The crowd level was much more manageable.

So I vote for Option 3.

As for weather, our weather in Southern California is so odd. This is no exaggeration, but you really never know what you will get in October, November or December! I have literally experienced hot, dry weather in December (like even as high as 90 degrees), as well as wind, light rain, clouds, 70-degree weather, 60-degree weather, 30-degree weather at night, 50-degree weather at night, pouring, heavy, blinding rain, etc. There have been December trips to DLR in which I was comfortably walking around at night in a t-shirt with bare arms, and other times when it was 30 or 40 degrees at night and my teeth were chattering because my coat was back in the hotel room and I couldn't get warm.

Thanks Sherry!

I am leaning towards that first week of December right after Thanksgiving week. I just love hearing what everyone else thinks, especially those that have more experience than I do at the parks!!!!!!

 

[Betsy82]

That does help, so I know what to be looking for. So it's just a white bus with "Disneyland Express" in the window?

Correct.


Sorry for the delay. I stalk when I have a chance. My family is going back for Christmas. Husband and children first time

 

[mvf-m11c]

Bret --

I think the Theme Week Countdown will work out okay, because I will announce the theme for the week of the Expo at the start of that week -- so you and Liza will have already posted your photos before you leave for the Expo. And when you get back there will be a new theme soon after. So you won't miss out on anything and we won't miss out on your photos!

Okay, you just stunned me. I knew that the holiday fireworks and Christmas parade had been around for a long time, but wow! I had no clue that the parade started in 1994!! Then again, I remember the reindeer marching down the street back in 1994 -- so I guess I saw that parade and didn't even recall that it was the same one! And the fireworks have been there for over a decade! I must have seen those too, and didn't realize what I was seeing (I was there in December 2000 and November 2001).

Now that you have told me that and I realize exactly how old those 2 events are, there is no way they can be made a part of a paid Christmas party without tons of backlash and opposition!! How in the world could Disneyland even possibly attempt to stick an event that is almost 20 years old and an event that is over a decade old into a party as the reasons to buy tickets? Uh, yeah...that would work for brand new visitors who have never experienced the holidays at DLR, but it would not work for the thousands upon thousands of holiday visitors who have been coming to the parks for years!

Disney would have to put something brand new and big into a party in DL, or have the party in DCA. Either that, or be prepared for people to flood their mail and email with complaints! Otherwise, Disney really will come across as very greedy and stingy!

I think Disney would be better off holding the Candlelight Ceremony for more nights than 2 this year as well. I see where 20 nights was probably too many, but 2 nights are not enough. That's one extreme to another! I will be really surprised if they don't have a back-up plan for the CP beyond the 12/7 and 12/8 Town Square dates.

It's been awhile since I have been on the threads instead of posting updates from my June trip report. Work has just been so crazy these last few days and it is nice to be on the threads and read all the latest updates.

Nice to hear that the Theme Week Countdown will start on August 5th just before the D23 Expo trip. I will be ready for the Theme Week Countdown and can't believe it has been three years since you have started the Theme Week Countdown for the Christmas thread.

I looked at some of my old photos during the Christmas season back in the 80s and 90s and saw some floats in the mid to late 90s that were part of "A Christmas Fantasy" parade. Than I looked online when it started and it debut in 1994 replacing "Very Merry Christmas Parade". I was able to watch the Very Merry Christmas Parade video online and it does bring back a lot of memories when my family, friends and I have watched that classic Christmas parade.

"Believe...In Holiday Magic" fireworks has been running for a long time ever since 2000 during the Holiday season. The show was updated in 2007 with pyrotechnics launched from SB Castle after the success of RDCT where it has pyrotechnics on the castle during the show.

Just as you said that TDA can't make those two shows that are part of the Holiday season at DL a paid Christmas party event. It will get a lot of backlash and opposition from the regulars during the Holiday season. I just can't see those two shows being part of a party event where it is shown everyday during the Holiday season. It would be new for visitors that have never been to DL during the Holiday season but this will cause the regulars of not coming back during the Holiday season if it is part of a party. I will come back no matter what during the Holiday season at the DLR but I will never pay for a ticket to see those two shows where we have seen it on any day during the Holiday season.

TDA definitely needs to come up with a new Christmas parade & fireworks show for a party event so it can draw the regular Holiday guests like you, Liza, me, etc. to buy a ticket. If they have the party event at DCA, I would have no problem with it since we heard rumors of a possible Holiday version of World of Color. I just hoping that the rumors of a new Holiday version of WoC isn't just the Prep & Landing segment of the original WoC show that is stirring it up. I will be very disappointed if the fireworks and parade that we seen a lot during the Holiday season in the past is part of a party event.

I completely agree that Disney should do more CP than just 2 like they have been doing in the past after doing 20 last year. Hopefully Disney will announce more dates for the CP instead of the two dates in the first weekend of December. One day, I will see the CP at DL where I have enjoyed the one's at EPCOT.

 

[tksbaskets]

Thinking about going January 2nd-6th or December 26th-30th. Do the January dates still have the decorations up? Which date has the better crowds? I am thinking about going across country by train and seeing Disneyland for a first time visit in 20 years.

"Better" crowds would be the week in January. We have found them both to be nuts but with proper planning and expectations you'll have a great time. The parks are all fully decorated the first week in January but the merchandise is definately down and the hotels experience 'magic' overnight when suddenly it's not Christmas themed. The January week will also have Rose Bowl visitors which we found kind of fun.

Awesome. So much happiness that one could cry. How wonderful is that?!?

We are surprising our teens right before we leave in November. The 1st time we've ever done a surprise trip.

I guess I'm hoping for tears

I just love happy tears! I hope you'll share your story too Mike. Many years ago my dad flew all my out of state siblings in for my mom's 65th birthday. We all arranged to walk in to their house at the same time. My mom burst into tears. My grinning dad said 'I made your mom cry, isn't it great??'. One of my most cherished memories of my folks.

 

[Mickeybell]

We just made our count down chain for our Disneyland trip. We have 141 days. That makes a very very very long chain!!! We put Christmas music on while we made our chain (of red and green). Then since we were feeling all Christmassy we decided to make some homemade cookies.

We are so looking forward to Christmas time at Disneyland. The last time we were there for the Christmas season was Dec of 2010.

Now we are off to go swim in the pool.

 

[Sherry E]

Awesome. So much happiness that one could cry. How wonderful is that?!?

We are surprising our teens right before we leave in November. The 1st time we've ever done a surprise trip.

I guess I'm hoping for tears

Mike --

Seeing that this is your very first surprise trip, I hope the kids have an awesome (possibly tearful!) reaction! If they've known about all previous trips they probably just assume you'll always tell them when one is coming up. Trying the surprise approach should add an extra layer of excitement to it.

Thanks Sherry!

I am leaning towards that first week of December right after Thanksgiving week. I just love hearing what everyone else thinks, especially those that have more experience than I do at the parks!!!!!!

lwanthony --

You're welcome!

My second choice would have been your Option 1, just so you could be in the parks on your anniversary and experience Halloween Time. But I still think Option 3 (post-Thanksgiving) is a better choice.

The great thing about this thread -- and the board in general -- is that there are so many people with all kinds of different experiences during different time frames. I am constantly amazed by all the knowledge that is out there!

It's been awhile since I have been on the threads instead of posting updates from my June trip report. Work has just been so crazy these last few days and it is nice to be on the threads and read all the latest updates.

Nice to hear that the Theme Week Countdown will start on August 5th just before the D23 Expo trip. I will be ready for the Theme Week Countdown and can't believe it has been three years since you have started the Theme Week Countdown for the Christmas thread.

I looked at some of my old photos during the Christmas season back in the 80s and 90s and saw some floats in the mid to late 90s that were part of "A Christmas Fantasy" parade. Than I looked online when it started and it debut in 1994 replacing "Very Merry Christmas Parade". I was able to watch the Very Merry Christmas Parade video online and it does bring back a lot of memories when my family, friends and I have watched that classic Christmas parade.

"Believe...In Holiday Magic" fireworks has been running for a long time ever since 2000 during the Holiday season. The show was updated in 2007 with pyrotechnics launched from SB Castle after the success of RDCT where it has pyrotechnics on the castle during the show.

Just as you said that TDA can't make those two shows that are part of the Holiday season at DL a paid Christmas party event. It will get a lot of backlash and opposition from the regulars during the Holiday season. I just can't see those two shows being part of a party event where it is shown everyday during the Holiday season. It would be new for visitors that have never been to DL during the Holiday season but this will cause the regulars of not coming back during the Holiday season if it is part of a party. I will come back no matter what during the Holiday season at the DLR but I will never pay for a ticket to see those two shows where we have seen it on any day during the Holiday season.

TDA definitely needs to come up with a new Christmas parade & fireworks show for a party event so it can draw the regular Holiday guests like you, Liza, me, etc. to buy a ticket. If they have the party event at DCA, I would have no problem with it since we heard rumors of a possible Holiday version of World of Color. I just hoping that the rumors of a new Holiday version of WoC isn't just the Prep & Landing segment of the original WoC show that is stirring it up. I will be very disappointed if the fireworks and parade that we seen a lot during the Holiday season in the past is part of a party event.

I completely agree that Disney should do more CP than just 2 like they have been doing in the past after doing 20 last year. Hopefully Disney will announce more dates for the CP instead of the two dates in the first weekend of December. One day, I will see the CP at DL where I have enjoyed the one's at EPCOT.

Bret --

Yes, this is the 3rd year for the Countdown! Time flies! Every Monday I'm going to announce a new theme for the week, starting on Mon., 8/5, all the way up to Mon., October 28th. On 10/29, 10/30, 10/31, 11/1, 11/2 and 11/3 there will be mini-daily themes, and then on Monday, 11/4/13 we will have our final theme.

While reworking some of the Theme Week Countdown categories (I had to completely deconstruct one category and break it up into multiple themes, and then combine other ones from previous years), I realized it would have to be started a bit earlier than when I started it the previous 2 years. So I am kicking it off 3 weeks earlier than usual.

At the same time, I am ending the Countdown a week earlier than usual because -- as I have noticed in the last 2 years -- by the time we get to November and the decorations start to appear, attention shifts to the current season and wanting to know what is new or different (understandably). We are assuming that the Backstage Pass magazine was correct in that the season begins on 11/12, but most of the parks' decorations and even some of the entertainment are already going on a few days early. So, assuming that most of the seasonal festivities are in place by, say, 11/8, I figured it would be good to end the Countdown with the final theme on 11/4!

Also, ending the Countdown one week early allows me to have extra time to send out the 2 Disney gift cards to whoever the winners are, in hopes they will receive them in enough time before their own trips to begin (if they have trips this year)!!

I would be completely shocked if TDA didn't try to find a way to make money off of the Candlelight Ceremony and hold it for more nights than just 2. They probably jumped the gun last year with 20 nights -- which was a huge leap from the 2 nights that it used to be -- but now that TDA got a lot of new people interested in the CP (myself included) during last year's marathon run, it makes no sense to suddenly cut it back down to 2 nights. That is a very drastic cut. Still, though, Disney did send out an internal letter to certain CP participants a while back, and the letter only mentioned 12/7 and 12/8 as being performance dates. The letter said nothing about performances in DCA or elsewhere in Disneyland. It just mentioned 12/7 and 12/8 in Town Square.

My thought is that, eventually, we are going to see the CP taking place in DCA and the Christmas party in DL. That may be too much for this year, but I think that's what will eventually happen. This way, TDA can fix it so that the CP runs for many nights and they can charge for dinner packages, and they can still have their party in DL.

Of course, even if TDA does see the light and realize that there have to be new things added in to a hard ticket Christmas party instead of old, old entertainment, I am assuming that what will still happen is that the "new" entertainment (whatever it would be) would only happen during the party except for Christmas week and New Year's week, and we will get non-holiday fireworks and parades in the non-party times. So we will still eventually end up with less holiday entertainment as part of the general admission, I suspect, BUT at least the party would be much more worthwhile for some of the seasoned holiday veterans to buy tickets for if there were some all-new events included in it!

I remember the Very Merry Christmas Parade, vaguely. Well, I remember seeing it listed in the DL maps during the holidays. I also remember that Santa Goofy used to hang out back in the Big Thunder Ranch area, even way back in the early '90s. He disappeared from that area for a long time (and he also disappeared from Goofy's Kitchen) and ventured over to DCA, but he was back at the Jingle Jangle Jamboree last year!

Oh, how the DLR holiday season has changed over the decades!

We just made our count down chain for our Disneyland trip. We have 141 days. That makes a very very very long chain!!! We put Christmas music on while we made our chain (of red and green). Then since we were feeling all Christmassy we decided to make some homemade cookies.

We are so looking forward to Christmas time at Disneyland. The last time we were there for the Christmas season was Dec of 2010.

Now we are off to go swim in the pool.

Mickeybell --

From baking cookies and listening to Christmas music to swimming in the pool! One seasonal extreme to the other!

So much has changed since 2010! You have a lot to look forward to! I guess that Disneyland itself will mostly seem the same to you (although the number of masks in New Orleans Square increased quite a bit), but California Adventure seemed so much more involved in the holiday season last year. I have to admit that I do miss the candy cane-striped CALIFORNIA letters at the entrance, and I do miss the Golden Gate Bridge -- because it made a big impact at night -- but inside the park everything feels more Christmas-y. In the past, the minimal decorations in certain lands in DCA seemed so insignificant because there were really not many decorations in DCA to begin with.

As of last year, however, because Cars Land and Buena Vista Street were so fully decorated and in the swing of things (complete with themed, upbeat, toe-tapping holiday music and everything), I think that all of the minimal decorations in other lands tied together in a much more cohesive way. Now DCA seems like a park that is fully in the holiday spirit but is more heavily decorated in some areas, with lighter decorations in other areas. And all of the areas' decorations are themed appropriately, so it's not like everything is just half-heartedly done.

In previous years (pre-2012) DCA seemed like a park that was not fully in the holiday spirit too much at all beyond the front entrance and the main tree, so the minimal decor in the park seemed even more minimal...if that makes sense.

 

[Cheshirecatty]

OK Sherry, I love your sense of humor!

I am sitting here cracking up over the "anguished cries of a wildebeest" comment! I can almost hear them.

Thanks for brightening my evening!

 

[Sherry E]

OK Sherry, I love your sense of humor!

I am sitting here cracking up over the "anguished cries of a wildebeest" comment! I can almost hear them.

Thanks for brightening my evening!

Cheshirecatty -

Thank you! I wasn't sure if anyone caught that. That's what he sounded like. He was wailing away and bleating out the words to some unidentifiable song of woe. Literally, every time I thought he was done with his evening concerto I would open the window and he would start up again -- like he was doing it purposely to annoy me! I have never disliked an innocent harmonica more than I did at that moment.

I'm a bit of a goofball, but not in an overt way. I always sneak the dry humor in here and there, so sometimes people don't see it coming. I do have a kooky sense of humor, though. I have a feeling that you would have enjoyed some of my Trip Reports. Not the older ones from 2008 or 2009, necessarily (because I was still trying to get the hang of whether or not I wanted to just write a straightforward TR with facts and information, or give info and facts and also insert my personality into it), but from maybe 2010 on I think you'd enjoy them. Sometimes I can kind of gauge who would or would not enjoy certain TRs from people, including mine, and I think you might have liked some of the ones I did based on certain things I described. For example:

1. In my December 2010 TR I recounted my calamitous escapades with a wayward peppermint ice cream cone, a trash can and a camera on Main Street, as well as an episode in which I brought a little girl to tears in the middle of Storytellers Cafe simply by sitting in my chair and minding my own business.

2. In my December 2011 TR I wrote about the shuttle driver who took a mysterious alternate route on the way to DLR, and I was certain he was going to drive me into the forest, never to be heard from again. I also used the term "dancing wombat" somewhere in that report. I wrote of my second encounter with the "Twilight Zone Lady." And then, of course, I recapped how I ended up sobbing on a bench in the middle of DCA on the next to last day of that trip, passing Zach Galifianakis of "The Hangover" movies in the GCH as I blew my nose and hid behind my sunglasses.

3. In my December 2012 TR I told the tale of the 3 unknown people who decided to hunker down at a table with me, creating a very awkward and uncomfortable moment for all involved as I hastily tried to scarf down yet another peppermint ice cream cone and wipe the drippings off of my pants (see? Those darn peppermint ice cream cones are the root of all evil on my holiday trips, apparently!) so I could get out of there.

4. And in my Catalina TR from last year (in July), I spoke of my speedy jaunt through the hills in a golf cart as I tried to get the cart back to the rental place before it turned into a pumpkin (after climbing the steps of doom at the Wrigley Memorial), and the urgency with which I drove could only be compared to Paul Revere's Midnight Ride. Also of note were the fellow passenger on the boat to the Island who pointed out to the vast, endless sea and asked me if I thought there were sharks "out there," and the family who mistook a blob of kelp for a venomous stingray.



Yep. I am a goofball, indeed, and I try to find the humor in everything -- only to write about it later!!!

 

[Phoenixrising]

Why be normal...being weird is so much more fun!!. I have an oddball sense of humor, factored in with an extremely over active imagination which causes no end of chaos when I put my mind to it. Add to this that I'm capable of taking a concept and creating it, especially when it comes to the gag Christmas gifts for the kids, and it's lot's of fun all around. I'm really looking forward to the countdown, and can't wait for it to start!!

 

[Sherry E]

Why be normal...being weird is so much more fun!!. I have an oddball sense of humor, factored in with an extremely over active imagination which causes no end of chaos when I put my mind to it. Add to this that I'm capable of taking a concept and creating it, especially when it comes to the gag Christmas gifts for the kids, and it's lot's of fun all around. I'm really looking forward to the countdown, and can't wait for it to start!!

Trish --

Humor and imagination are really two of the most important keys to getting through life, I believe! I think that "concept projects" -- like your gag gift idea for the kids -- are a fun way to channel creativity and imagination, and obviously humor plays a big role in the whole thing as well.

You know you can participate in the Countdown, even though you have not made a holiday visit to DLR yet. You can either post photos of Haunted Mansion Holiday when we get around to the theme that includes that, in which case you'd get one entry to the contest for the random draw to win a Disney gift card, or you can participate in the code word side of the contest for the people without photos to share, in which case you'd have to collect all the code words and their corresponding themes, in order, and then figure out the song all of the words belong to...and ultimately be the very first person to post the correct information in the thread! That person will also win a gift card.

 

[jasy]

Quick question for all the Holiday time veterans.

I want to take my son (4) Nov 18-22 but I'm torn between the HoJo and PPH. Our last 6 trips we've stayed onsite and I love it! This time (our second trip this year, we're from Alberta, Canada)I'm thinking maybe we stay offsite to save a few bucks ($700) and since from what I've read the hotels won't yet be decorated.

My issue is that having never been at Holiday time I'm not sure if staying onsite is a better option simply for the extra magic mornings. I know in Feb when we stayed at DLH it was awesome getting into CA early and having Carsland essentially to ourselves. I think last year I remember getting a pin code of around this time and I get them frequently so that's another reason why I'm torn...

Any advice??

As an aside I'm kicking myself for not buying Annual Passes in February, I knew I should have!

 

[Cheshirecatty]

Quick question for all the Holiday time veterans.

I want to take my son (4) Nov 18-22 but I'm torn between the HoJo and PPH. Our last 6 trips we've stayed onsite and I love it! This time (our second trip this year, we're from Alberta, Canada)I'm thinking maybe we stay offsite to save a few bucks ($700) and since from what I've read the hotels won't yet be decorated.

My issue is that having never been at Holiday time I'm not sure if staying onsite is a better option simply for the extra magic mornings. I know in Feb when we stayed at DLH it was awesome getting into CA early and having Carsland essentially to ourselves. I think last year I remember getting a pin code of around this time and I get them frequently so that's another reason why I'm torn...

Any advice??

As an aside I'm kicking myself for not buying Annual Passes in February, I knew I should have!

Hi Jasy,

This is such a hard decision--and one I've faced myself!

You have to decide which you might regret most--spending the $700.00(a lot of money), OR not staying on site in order to get those EMH(plus, PPH is what you're used to. (Yes, you're right, the decor will most likely not be up at the Hotel)

There was one time where we had stayed at the GCH several times, and then decided to save money by staying at the BWPPI.

We all deeply regreted the decision--not because the BWPPI wasn't a good place to stay, but because it was such a huge let down from being at the Grand the previous several times.

I wished more than anything that we had just bitten the bullet, and economized somewhere else, other than the hotel.

I'm not saying this will happen to you, but if you are already second guessing yourself, chances are that there is going to be some disappointment somewhere, unless you go with your gut instinct(I wish I had).

I hope it's not too stressful trying to figure it all out--Good Luck!

 

[DisneyJamieCA]

Hi Jasy,

This is such a hard decision--and one I've faced myself!

You have to decide which you might regret most--spending the $700.00(a lot of money), OR not staying on site in order to get those EMH(plus, PPH is what you're used to. (Yes, you're right, the decor will most likely not be up at the Hotel)

There was one time where we had stayed at the GCH several times, and then decided to save money by staying at the BWPPI.

We all deeply regreted the decision--not because the BWPPI wasn't a good place to stay, but because it was such a huge let down from being at the Grand the previous several times.

I wished more than anything that we had just bitten the bullet, and economized somewhere else, other than the hotel.

I'm not saying this will happen to you, but if you are already second guessing yourself, chances are that there is going to be some disappointment somewhere, unless you go with your gut instinct(I wish I had).

I hope it's not too stressful trying to figure it all out--Good Luck!

I'm actually glad to hear you say this. Not that you regretted your decision, but after staying onsite for our last few trips and having the DLH booked for our upcoming trip, we were contemplating switching to offsite to save some money. We decided yesterday to stay with our reservation at the DLH - I think in the end we would have regretted switching. If we stay offsite next time, so be it, but I wasn't willing to give up the magic this trip.

 

[Cheshirecatty]

I know, the pocket book definitely has to be a consideration, and we have been happy at off site hotels, but NOT that time!

I suspected it going in, did not listen, and I've since learned to pay attention to that little voice/feeling when it pops up!!!

 

[DisneyJamieCA]

I know, the pocket book definitely has to be a consideration, and we have been happy at off site hotels, but NOT that time!

I suspected it going in, did not listen, and I've since learned to pay attention to that little voice/feeling when it pops up!!!

That's how I feel. If we were just planning this trip and we had decided off site, I would have been fine and we would have loved our trip. But the idea of switching, when I had already gotten so excited, would have been hard to swallow. Plus, it's the holidays and I love seeing the hotels decorated! I know we still would have a good time (it is Disneyland after all), but I also think I'd regret it. Since we'll be upgrading to APs, the rest of the trips will have to be offsite, I'm sure.

 

[Sherry E]

Quick question for all the Holiday time veterans.

I want to take my son (4) Nov 18-22 but I'm torn between the HoJo and PPH. Our last 6 trips we've stayed onsite and I love it! This time (our second trip this year, we're from Alberta, Canada)I'm thinking maybe we stay offsite to save a few bucks ($700) and since from what I've read the hotels won't yet be decorated.

My issue is that having never been at Holiday time I'm not sure if staying onsite is a better option simply for the extra magic mornings. I know in Feb when we stayed at DLH it was awesome getting into CA early and having Carsland essentially to ourselves. I think last year I remember getting a pin code of around this time and I get them frequently so that's another reason why I'm torn...

Any advice??

As an aside I'm kicking myself for not buying Annual Passes in February, I knew I should have!

Jasy --

Cheshirecatty made very good points. I don't know that I can add much more insight or advice.

The thing is, I think it's very hard to stay off-property when you are used to staying onsite and loving it. I still have not been able to get myself to do it, even though it is a more sensible thing to do. It's not that the off-property hotels are bad or sub-par in any way. It's simply just not what you're used to, and it's not even like you stayed onsite one time only. You've stayed onsite for the last 6 trips and loved it! That will be hard to overlook. Still, though, saving $700 is not insignificant. That is a sizable chunk of change to save.

Yes, it's true -- the hotels are normally not decorated until the day after Thanksgiving, though there was a report of at least the GCH being decorated early a few years ago. I kind of have a feeling that -- because Thanksgiving is so late in November this year -- the hotels may, possibly, get their decorations a wee bit earlier than usual...but probably not as early as when you will be there.

The EMH is great to take advantage of. I always start out with the best intentions of taking advantage of it every day, and then usually end up using it on only one of my days! But I like to have the option to use it.

Hi Jasy,

This is such a hard decision--and one I've faced myself!

You have to decide which you might regret most--spending the $700.00(a lot of money), OR not staying on site in order to get those EMH(plus, PPH is what you're used to. (Yes, you're right, the decor will most likely not be up at the Hotel)

There was one time where we had stayed at the GCH several times, and then decided to save money by staying at the BWPPI.

We all deeply regreted the decision--not because the BWPPI wasn't a good place to stay, but because it was such a huge let down from being at the Grand the previous several times.

I wished more than anything that we had just bitten the bullet, and economized somewhere else, other than the hotel.

I'm not saying this will happen to you, but if you are already second guessing yourself, chances are that there is going to be some disappointment somewhere, unless you go with your gut instinct(I wish I had).

I hope it's not too stressful trying to figure it all out--Good Luck!

Cheshirecatty --

Excellent points. It's not really that there is anything wrong with the other non-Disney hotels. Some people would even argue that many of them are 'better' than Disney's hotels. It's just a matter of being used to a certain thing -- and there is a palpable feeling in the air that comes with staying onsite that can't be denied if you are a fan of staying onsite -- and then having to totally readjust one's way of thinking.

By the way, I hope you saw my reply to you on the previous page (from last night)!! I think you'd enjoy those TRs!!

 

[Cheshirecatty]

Sherry, I agree with you whole-heartedly, on everything you've said about staying on site.

And "Yes", I did read your reply(Thank you so much!), and my afternoon will involve hunting down those reports and perusing them--I am anticipating much chuckling!

 

[tamiandryan]

tamiandryan --

Hello and welcome! I'm glad you joined us.

Some thoughts...

I think that 3 days are okay if that is what you have to work with. As I was mentioning to Lucrezia on the previous page, you can get a lot done in 3 days and make it work. I think that 4 days would be better if you could manage 4 without too much difficulty, but 3 days will work if need be.

If you were to add a day to either end of your trip, my inclination is to suggest adding 11/16 instead of 11/9 -- but I'm really kind of torn. They are both Saturdays, and Saturdays in the parks are busy pretty much year-round (especially during the holiday season). But because 11/9 is right in the middle of the Veterans Day weekend the crowds could possibly be a little bigger. By 11/16 it will be just a regular weekend during the holiday season but not a "holiday weekend," if that makes sense.

Still, though, because the holiday season will have not officially begun pre-11/12 (pending any further announcements from Disney to contradict that date), it is possible that slightly fewer people will be in the parks over the weekend leading up to it. (By the way, you will notice that most of the holiday stuff is up and possibly running pre-11/12, such as It's a Small World Holiday and maybe even the holiday fireworks.)

I don't know if this helps, but I will mention that I was in the parks on Monday, 11/12 last year and in the parks on the Saturday of Veterans Day weekend back in 2010. I found the 2010 Saturday to be very crowded -- much more so than I expected at that point. In 2012, Monday, 11/12 was quite busy in the daytime -- more so than I expected for a Monday, for sure, probably because it was the start of the holiday season -- but not outrageously so. It was tolerable, especially as the day wore on and people began to go home. By nighttime on Monday it was really quite pleasant, crowd-wise. Of course, the crowd dynamics can shift and change from year to year, but those were my most recent November experiences.

I suspect that after 11/12 passes there will be a couple of days of pretty manageable, reasonable crowds, and then the regular weekend crowds will kick in again.

As for what kind of plan you should have, hopefully some of our other thread followers may have some good suggestions (Bret/mvf-m11c always has some good plans of action for tackling the parks in November) but I think that using Fast Passes where available is always good. What your interests are will help form the plan and fill in the gaps.

For example, do you want to do the holiday tour (which would start on the first day of the season)? The tour gets you seats for the Christmas parade and priority boarding for Haunted Mansion Holiday and It's a Small World Holiday, as well as a pin, some treats, etc. Do you want to try to catch the holiday fireworks and snow on Main Street? Do you want to meet characters in holiday costumes, or decorate holiday cookies? Do you want to meet Santa? Do you want to see World of Color (which we think is probably going to be holiday-themed this year)? Do you want to try to see Fantasmic? If there is an ice skating rink on Downtown Disney again this year (and we don't know whether there will be), do you want to take the kids ice skating?

You are so kind and helpful! I deliberated back and forth so many times about dates and if I should add a day or not... Turns out the Hojo just released more of the Super Family Rates so I have bumped it back one week to Nov 17 check in and departing Nov 22 (5 nights).
I did this for 2 main reasons:
1. I just didn't want to deal with the Veteran's day crowds and the Holiday season not being in full swing yet.
2. I looked up the historical hours for the park, and it appeared that it goes from 10am-8pm hours in the original week we had planned (11/10-11/15). Then the hours for the following week go to 8am-Midnight. Now we will have more park time

I think the only concern now would be how crowded it will be. I'm hoping the timing is good being the week before Thanksgiving, but still getting all the park hours. We shall see...dun, dun, dunnnnn.....

I think the main things on our agenda will be to mostly just "soak it all in". We have never been during Christmas and I am way excited to just see it all. I will make WOC and F! priorities as well as the fireworks and the parade. Other than that we will just shop, do some rides, and wing it! The decorating cookies sounds fun, so maybe I will have to look into that. Santa is very hit and miss with my boys, so we will just play that one by ear. We live in Utah, so I don't think ice skating will be a big priority (we see plenty of ice here at home).

Thanks again for the help!

 

[Phoenixrising]

I never thought to use my HM Nightmare Before Christmas pics in the DL Christmas countdown. So I've uploaded some of my better ones to use when the Nightmare Before Christmas theme comes around. Now I need to figure out how to upload them into the thread when the time comes. The neat thing is I've got pics of the HM gingerbread houses from 2010 & 2011, so it should be interesting comparing the 2. Have a great day everyone!

Trish