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

[Sherry E]

Thats very cool! I'm going to have to spend more time at The Grove our next trip to LA. The last time we only went to the American Girl Store with my nieces, haha---which, by the way, isn't just the only store of its kind in SoCal, but also the only American Girl store in all of California! I think there's one coming to Palo Alto, but right now (and for the past several years), its the one-and-only American Girl store to exist in the state. And yes, I am aware I know way too much about this for someone in their twenties with no kids, but I can't help it! My nieces have forced me to become an expert. (By the way, to anyone coming to DL through LAX with a stop in Los Angeles with young daughters, if you're willing to spend an over-the-top amount of money on dolls, then the American Girl Place is for you... I really do recommend!)

Lucrezia --

Ahhh, I see. So the American Girl store/restaurant is even more exclusive than I realized! I had no idea it was the only store in California. Don't worry about your knowledge of the American Girl store -- most of the people I know wonder why I know so much about DLR and why I love holidays so much when I don't have kids. I don't even have any nieces to force me into learning about anything! It's all me!

Yes, The Grove and Farmers Market are wonderful -- especially during the holidays. Farmers Market is a place I used to go with my grandmother every Saturday morning as a child (she was also the one responsible for my first trip to DL), so it holds a special place in my heart and I think I would feel a big loss if ever I moved to a different area that was far away from FM. It has changed a lot over the years -- the addition of The Grove made it better in some ways and worse in some ways -- but there are still a lot of great little stands inside the market, like at least 5 bake shops, a couple of ice cream places, a couple of candy places (Littlejohn's -- yum!), great BBQ, the Gumbo Pot, etc. Some of the newer additions to FM include Dylan's Candy Bar.

Meanwhile, The Grove has See's Candies (free samples!) and Sprinkles Cupcakes (as well as American Girl) -- what more do you need?

Perhaps this has been discussed already - and forgive me if it has - but I'd like to know your collective thoughts about the Winter Dreams WOC.

Will this version likely be shown for both shows each night? I'm taking it that this is the first time they have tried this, correct? But it seems likely once it starts it will be the ONLY show they do.

Also do you think this will increase the demand to see WOC? I know it's still a crowded event on any given normal night, but this is probably going to increase the crowd some dont you think?

The press release mentions extended hours begin 11/15. What are they likely talking about - 8 am open ( so EMM at 7 am)?

Thanks!

Delilah1310 --

Hello!

Yes. This is the first time a full holiday/Winter version of WoC has been attempted. There has been a little Prep & Landing intro/segment for the last couple of years, but not a full-fledged holiday version of the show. This is uncharted territory so we can't be sure of too much just yet.

I would assume that once Winter Dreams begins on 11/15, the holiday version will run all season long -- all the way to early January. I would be shocked if that didn't happen. I don't know if there will be 2 shows every night, or if some nights might have only one show -- I haven't kept track of the 'regular' WoC schedule for a while -- but however many shows there are, I would expect them all to be Winter Dreams.

I would imagine that there is a very good chance that Winter Dreams will increase crowds in DCA a bit, or at least in the general vicinity of World of Color. Anytime a new event comes along -- especially if it is a holiday event -- people will flock to see it. I have no idea how long the novelty of this show will last, but I would expect that a lot of people will see it. It will give some folks a renewed interest in World of Color, as the original version may have become stale to some.

As for the extended hours, I'm not sure at all. Disney may be extending the hours even more/longer solely because of Winter Dreams. I would not expect the park to open any earlier than 9 a.m. on weekdays in mid-November and early December for the general public, but I could be very wrong.

If Disney does some sort of Limited Time Magic thing that ties in with Winter Dreams, it could involve longer hours as well. It's hard to say what will happen because this is the first year we are getting this show.

This set is what helped me find the DIS boards. I saw some of the pieces for sale on Ebay last Christmas and decided to google to see if I could find some more information on them, and found a discussion on the Collector board here. I have this set on my want list. Is it possible that they can still be found in any of the stores at Disneyland?

Axlcat -

I did not see those specific Main Street holiday models when I was making my photo-spree rounds in the shops last year. I would have taken pictures of them. I saw some other little houses/models, of a gas station and a diner sort of thing -- but those didn't seem to be replicas of anything in Disneyland.

I have a feeling the Main Street pieces were a limited edition sort of thing, only available for a year or two. Sometimes Disney will bring certain pieces back in a similar form -- so they could always reappear -- but I didn't see any last year at all. I know that by the time I learned about the set a few years ago, it had already been out for at least one or two holiday seasons (and I somehow missed it ).

 

[DiznAymee]

Axlcat--

Thanks for the tips! I've actually been in moderate communication with the ones who made the first village. They've suggested things like baked clay, how to run wires, etc. They mentioned once to me that they have pets too, so I can ask them how they deal with that sort of thing, or perhaps you can get in touch and get some advice from them too.

I have a few houses in the collection myself, and made a simple layout--but nothing really to brag about. My goal is to make it elaborate on some scale. But for the past year ever since I came across those videos, I've been planning and sketching how to exactly build this and determining if I am biting off more than I can chew. Work schedule is busy, and I like to budget things to the penny or nickel.

And in the meantime, when I get that urge to look at something Nightmare related, I'll just play one of these videos for inspiration.

 

[Axlcat]

Diz, it sounds like you are much further along than I am with your village. You're definitely more of a planner, so I think you'll end up with a really nice display. I'm kind of winging it, which is probably a big mistake. I've bought some platforms and ground cover, as well as tons of accessories, so I need to get serious when I finally get my table. Space will probably prevent me from having anything near as elaborate as the villages in those videos, but it's nice to have references like that to show you what is possible.

 

[KCmike]

Perhaps this has been discussed already - and forgive me if it has - but I'd like to know your collective thoughts about the Winter Dreams WOC.

Will this version likely be shown for both shows each night? I'm taking it that this is the first time they have tried this, correct? But it seems likely once it starts it will be the ONLY show they do.

Also do you think this will increase the demand to see WOC? I know it's still a crowded event on any given normal night, but this is probably going to increase the crowd some dont you think?

The press release mentions extended hours begin 11/15. What are they likely talking about - 8 am open ( so EMM at 7 am)?

Thanks!

Interesting. I missed the verbage on extended hours.

 

[jacs1234]

jacs1234 --

Yes, time does fly by so, so quickly. It's almost scary how quickly it zips by.

If the holiday season were officially going to begin on Tues., 11/12, as was originally printed in the AP Backstage Pass newsletter, I would think that there was a good chance of the Christmas parade running a couple of days early, and the holiday fireworks too.

But now that it appears the season is actually starting on Friday, 11/15, I can't see that the Christmas parade would be running on the previous weekend. I don't think it would start quite that early if 11/15 is actually the season start date. A couple of days early I can see, but not 5 or 6 days early.

I think I've seen the Christmas Fantasy Parade enough to last me a while. The song is still stuck in my head!

Yes, that song, that song I could sing it to you word for word right now

We booked our flights and we get there on November 11th. Veterans day. I am losing hope of the soundsational parade being on.

 

[Sherry E]

It’s time to start the Third Annual Theme Week Countdown!!

…14 Weeks and 4 Days Until the
Holiday Season Begins at Disneyland Resort!!!! ​

With each new week will come a different Disneyland Resort holiday theme!

As I have previously mentioned in this Superthread, I’ll be showcasing a particular aspect of DLR's holiday celebration each week until the start of November. There are many themes to come over the next few months, including 13 main weekly themes (a new one every Monday through October 28, 2013); 6 ‘mini-themes’ which will be featured each day from 10/29/13 – 11/3/13, and a final “Holiday Cornucopia” theme on Monday, November 4th (there will be more details about what the “Cornucopia” can include when we get closer to that date!).

Those of you who have participated in previous Theme Week Countdowns may notice that this year’s Countdown is beginning and ending slightly earlier than usual. I am kicking off the Countdown three weeks earlier than I typically do, and I am ending it the week before the Holidays at DLR officially commence (according to Disneyland News, the season begins on November 15, 2013). The reason for that is, once November starts and the decorations in the parks appear little by little each day, our attention shifts to learning information and seeing photos of what is new for the current season’s celebration.

Theme Week Countdowns are a great way to keep the photos rolling in on a regular basis and build anticipation for November at the Disneyland Resort! This is also a way to display the different elements, nuances and details of the Holidays at DLR that may be totally new to some visitors...or previously unnoticed/undiscovered by others. Finally, this is an excellent way for our Theme Week Countdown participants to shine a light on their wonderful photos and attract visitors to their Trip Reports, blogs, etc.

So…what will be our very first theme of 2013? What better way to launch our 2013 Countdown than by celebrating some of the most universally iconic symbols of any holiday season? Today, let’s turn our focus to the glorious -- and sometimes goofy -- staples of the Disneyland Resort holidays......

In the Spotlight this Week......

CHRISTMAS TREES and WREATHS!!!​

As beautiful stalwarts of the merriest months at Disneyland Resort, the prolific Christmas tree and wreath are presented in wide variety of themes, sizes and/or colors from land to land. There are very small trees featured in window displays along Main Street. There are huge trees or wreaths welcoming people through the gates or greeting guests in hotel lobbies. There are trees or wreaths in almost every restaurant and shop. There are trees inside It’s a Small World Holiday and rather menacing wreaths in Haunted Mansion Holiday. There are trees and wreaths festooned with a bounty of ornaments, while others are rather bare. Today’s code word is: Christmas. There are trees and wreaths which look as though they were made of sweet confections and…automotive parts? There are trees in plain view, and others in unexpectedly hidden locations. Some trees/wreaths are more traditional. Some trees/wreaths are very unique. No matter how they are decorated they are always perfect for their settings.

From the elegant to the eccentric…from the stately to the silly...from the towering to the tiny…from the magnificent to the mediocre…the Christmas tree and wreath are ever present around Disneyland Resort. If you are visiting Disneyland Resort for the holiday season, take a little time to admire them!

Let me start with the trees (there are over 700 of them around DLR!!!)…



New to the California Adventure landscape in 2012 was the grand Buena Vista Street tree, which was stunning in the daytime and after dark…

Meanwhile, in nearby Cars Land, these were just a few of the many creatively kooky trees that served as ‘punctuation marks’ for the streets of Radiator Springs (don’t worry – you will be seeing much more of Cars Land in the Theme Week Countdown in future weeks)…

Another colorful tree anchored the Paradise Pier section of California Adventure…

Across the Esplanade in Disneyland, Toontown’s tree displayed a telltale cartoonish style that can only be found in that specific location. While this was not one of Toontown’s better trees over the years, it was very fitting with the theme of the land…

Main Street’s magnificent tree stands at the edge of Town Square and greets you when you enter Disneyland…

The Coke Corner tree! Santa loves his cola before a long night out on the sleigh…

I love the teeny tiny bottles!

This Coca Cola train must be delivering more bottles to a thirsty Santa!

Over at the Jingle Jangle Jamboree (formerly known as the Reindeer Round-Up) in Frontierland, this ‘cake tree’ almost looked good enough to eat!...

New Orleans Square’s lovely tree is usually decorated with crescent moons, among other items, to symbolize “Crescent City” – a nickname to which New Orleans is commonly referred…

This tree in Pooh Corner in Critter Country is topped with a hive, from which “hunny” drips to coat the ornaments…

The 3 hotels of the Disneyland Resort are not to be outdone. The striking tree that greets guests in the Paradise Pier Hotel lobby glows in warm blue-green tones. The Grand Californian Hotel’s regal tree stands tall, twinkling in gold lights and adorned with elegantly rustic accents. The Disneyland Hotel has many trees (at least one in each tower), but none can compare to the delightfully daffy -- slightly askew -- tree at Goofy’s Kitchen character meal…

PPH…

GCH…

White Water Snacks’ tree has maintained a fishing/canoe theme over the years…

Goofy’s Kitchen is a bit off-kilter in the DLH…

And in Downtown Disney, some of the shops/stores put their own spin on Christmas trees!



The small Nightmare Before Christmas-themed tree in World of Disney (this was the 2010 version, but there have been other versions since then) is definitely one of the more interesting trees to be found anywhere in DLR…

The ‘candy trees’ in Marceline’s Confectionery are a sweet holiday touch…

​

I will post photos of some of the themed Wreaths later today or during the week (and maybe a few more trees photos as well!).


Please feel free to post your photos of Disneyland Resort’s Christmas trees and wreaths all week long (not just today)! Then, stay tuned for a new theme on Monday, August 12th!! Some great themes are coming up in the next few weeks, so get your photos ready!

 

[mom2rtk]

Yeah! The day we've all been waiting for!

Thanks so much for this Sherry. We take my son to school next weekend, and this is just the distraction I need.

 

[Phoenixrising]

I love the pics Sherry!! It's looking like I'm going to have to steal the battery out of DH's camera, so I can take more pics in a day (our camera's are the same make, but the batteries are interchangeable, even though mine is a better camera). My average battery life is for around 250 pics, and I can take alot more than that in a day if I'm in the mood. I'm really looking forward to seeing more pic's of the Christmas season.

Trish

 

[Cheshirecatty]

Beautiful pics Sherry--Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

Thanks also, for throwing in my favorite PPH tree!

Why is it, do you think, that I am irresistibly drawn to the phrase "Holiday Cornucopia"?

Love it!!!

 

[Axlcat]

This is excellent!!!!

 

[mvf-m11c]

Very nice startup to the Christmas Theme Week Countdown. I had a hunch that you would show that ugly Toontown plastic Christmas tree. Here are my pictures of the trees and wreaths during the Holiday season.

NOS Railroad Station Wreath

NOS Hanging Wreath

Poohs Corner store Christmas Tree

La Boutique de Noel store Christmas tree

Court of Angels tree

Main Street Town Square tree

Former Golden Gate Bridge Wreath

The original Christmas tree at Minnies House

The original Christmas tree at Mickeys House

Mickeys Toontown Christmas tree

Splash Mountain Christmas tree

Refreshment Corner Café or known at Coke Corner Christmas tree

DCA Christmas Wreath that was on the backside entrance when Buena Vista Street was under construction in 2011.

Frontierland Christmas Wreath

Sleeping Beauty Castle Wreath

DCA Boardwalk Pizza & Pasta restaurant

Mickey shape Wreath over the streets of Main Street

DCA Christmas Wreath at Paradise Pier right close to the restaurants

LeBat en Rouge store with a bone Christmas Wreath

Buena Vista Christmas tree

Radiator Springs Courthouse Christmas tree

Sandbag Christmas Tree at Sarges Surplus Hut

If I have time today, I will post more trees and wreaths at the DLR.

 

[dolphingirl47]

I was going to hold off until next year as I will not get to experience the holiday season until November 2014, but I could not resist any longer.

Corinna

 

[Sherry E]

Okay, so Bret/mvf-m11c now has one entry into the random draw for the first $25 Disney Gift Card.

Anyone else is welcome to post their tree/wreath photos from now through Sunday, August 11. Monday, August 12th is a new theme week. Whether you have one photo or 10 photos or 20 photos that fit the theme, it is a guaranteed entry into the contest (it's one entry per theme to which you contribute) for each week that you participate.

The code word challenge for the second $25 Disney gift card, on the other hand, is going to be based on (1) paying attention to my Theme Week intros; (2) keeping an accurate log of each code word and its corresponding theme, in order each week; then (3) figuring out the song to which all of the code words belong...and; finally (4) being the first person to post the correct list of the words/themes (in order) and the song!!

So all of you out there who have decided to not share photos and instead follow the code word challenge (you can't do both, unless you want to just post photos without an entry into the random draw but would rather play along and try to win via the code word fun!) -- keep those above points in mind!

Make sure you have the correct code word and DO NOT SHARE IT!!!! Do not hint at it or give clues or anything. Keep it to yourself! It is every man, woman and child for him/herself in the code word challenge!

The good news is that you do not have to jot the code word and theme down each week -- you can play catch up and do it later, but the further along the thread moves and the more pages that turn (it will pick up steam as we get deeper into the Theme Weeks), it could be harder to keep up with as you will have to backtrack or search to find the Theme Week Intros that you missed!

​

Bret --

I literally laughed out loud when I read your comment, "I had a hunch that you would show that ugly Toontown plastic Christmas tree." I thought of you when I decided to include it because I know you agree with me about that tree! It is not a good tree compared to the old Toontown tree!

I debated on whether or not I would include the tree in this Theme Week or just wait until we get to Toontown week down the road (I may include it again at that point), but I figured that I'd better give an accurate representation of the trees of DLR -- some of them are wonderfully themed and detailed; while others are, um, not so good.

As always, your photos are great (and everyone will love seeing them as the Theme Weeks carry on). I especially like the "DCA Christmas Wreath at Paradise Pier right close to the restaurants" photo. For some reason, I don't remember seeing that photo in your TR at any point. I must have overlooked it, but I like the angle as well as the lighting.

​

Janet, Trish, Cheshirecatty, Axlcat --

Thank you! I'm so glad you all are enjoying the very early stages of the Countdown. As you know, we have a lot of ground to cover an a long way to go. Things tend to start off slowly and pick up steam as more people figure out what we're doing in this thread. So hopefully some of our other DIS'ers (who are likely busy right now) will post their contributions soon!

But, realistically, even if Bret and I were the only ones posting photos, between the volume of photos he takes and the volume of photos I take, you'd still have a lot to look at for the next few months!!

Cheshirecatty -- Basically, the "Holiday Cornucopia" title is just a snazzier, holiday-esque way of saying "Miscellaneous." That week will be the week when everyone can either post photos that they didn't have time to share in previous Theme Weeks (so they can keep that in mind if they miss a Theme Week somewhere along the line), OR it can be a compilation of the photographer's favorite photos from all the themes combined; OR it can even be something like, say, a few favorite photos from WDW holiday trips or from other non-Disney holiday trips!! As long as it is some sort of holiday photo and it belongs to the person who posts it, it can go into the Holiday Cornucopia final Theme Week.

Of course I posted a photo of the PPH tree! I wouldn't leave it out! (It will be making another appearance later, in the weeks to come!)

I was going to hold off until next year as I will not get to experience the holiday season until November 2014, but I could not resist any longer.

Corinna

Welcome, Corinna!

I'm glad you gave in to the urge and joined in!

 

[funatdisney]

Cars Land Trees. Taken at night in the rain:

 

[funatdisney]

DCA Wreath. (See it was raining!)

 

[Tink121212]

Love it...thank you! I can't wait to the parks this holiday, it always takes my breath away at night time! I still reinventing seeing the castle for the first time...absolutely breathtaking!

 

[Sherry E]

Liza --

Beautiful pictures! I sometimes forget how pretty the Mater tree is at night, even though "pretty" is not typically a word one would associate with the Mater tree in the daytime!

You know, I really like that last photo of the wreath, with the raindrops on the lens (I'm sure you were probably trying to get the shot before the whole camera became waterlogged)! It's an interesting view that we don't often see -- I think those wreaths are more commonly seen in the daytime so the nighttime perspective is nice; plus, we get the Flo's sign too; and we rarely see any signs of weather (other than sun) in DLR photos. I think the raindrops add a nice seasonal element to it!

You're entered into the random draw for the first $25 Disney Gift Card!

 

[funatdisney]

Liza --

Beautiful pictures! I sometimes forget how pretty the Mater tree is at night, even though "pretty" is not typically a word one would associate with the Mater tree in the daytime!

You know, I really like that last photo of the wreath, with the raindrops on the lens (I'm sure you were probably trying to get the shot before the whole camera became waterlogged)! It's an interesting view that we don't often see -- I think those wreaths are more commonly seen in the daytime so the nighttime perspective is nice; plus, we get the Flo's sign too; and we rarely see any signs of weather (other than sun) in DLR photos. I think the raindrops add a nice seasonal element to it!

Sherry E, thank you. It rained pretty much all night. I tried to get some rain drops shots without damaging my old and trusted camera. This on was the only one that really came out. A pretty good too. It is one of my favorite Holiday shots.

I'm still looking for my night time wreath shots of the Sleeping Beauty Castle from a couple of years ago. I'll post them when I find them.

 

[Sherry E]

Love it...thank you! I can't wait to the parks this holiday, it always takes my breath away at night time! I still reinventing seeing the castle for the first time...absolutely breathtaking!

Hello, Tink121212!

You can be sure that you will be seeing the Winter Castle in one of the future Theme Weeks in this thread over the next few months. I won't say which week it will be, but it will be making an appearance in the not too distant future! It amazes me how phenomenal some of the Castle photos are, as taken by many photographers on this board. Just stunning!

I think that, in particular, Main Street is one of the most beautiful places in all of Disneyland Resort at night. When you step into Town Square and look down Main Street, past all of the colorful lights, to the Castle sparkling in the distance, it is truly a sight to behold. I think that it really sets the tone for the "magic" (to use that overused word) that is the holiday season.

Sherry E, thank you. It rained pretty much all night. I tried to get some rain drops shots without damaging my old and trusted camera. This on was the only one that really came out. A pretty good too. It is one of my favorite Holiday shots.

I'm still looking for my night time wreath shots of the Sleeping Beauty Castle from a couple of years ago. I'll post them when I find them.

Liza -

Cool! I love that nighttime Castle wreath! I think a lot of folks don't pay much attention to the wreaths (they probably just figure that a wreath is a wreath is a wreath), but when the wreaths are presented in a way such as this -- where we are specifically focused on them and can look at the details -- those folks may notice that some of the wreaths are almost as interesting as some of the trees!

I didn't even begin to get into my wreath photos yet because I wanted to start with the trees (it was faster for me to do it that way at the moment I was putting together the intro post), but as I was collecting the tree shots I kept passing random wreath photos, thinking, "Ooooh! I forgot that one! I have to use that later!" There are a lot of interesting themed wreaths all over DLR.

 

[tksbaskets]

Doing the happy countdown dance No Cars Land pictures from me but I do have some to contribute (although none of the ugly plastic tree )

CGH 2009

GCG 2012

It's a wreath right?

White Water Snacks 2009

WWS 2012, not a lot of change

DL Mainstreet (for you Deej)

NOS 2009 - notice all the beautiful hanging lights draped across the street.

Paradise Pier

Mainstreet USA

Mainstreet 2012

Paradise Pier 2012

Castle 2012

GCH bar