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

[pudinhd]

I am just managing to squeak in after a laptop hard drive failure...

 

[Sherry E]

pudinhd --

I'm glad you got your lovely photos into this Theme Week! I wondered why you hadn't posted anything so far. You've got a 3rd entry into the random draw for the gift card!

I know the anguish of a hard drive failure/crash (not on a laptop but on a desktop). I can empathize. It has to be one of the most frustrating, maddening things to happen. Did you lose any documents or photos, or did you have back-ups?

 

[pudinhd]

pudinhd --

I'm glad you got your lovely photos into this Theme Week! I wondered why you hadn't posted anything so far. You've got a 3rd entry into the random draw for the gift card!

I know the anguish of a hard drive failure/crash (not on a laptop but on a desktop). I can empathize. It has to be one of the most frustrating, maddening things to happen. Did you lose any documents or photos, or did you have back-ups?

Yes, it is totally frustrating!!! Between my computer wizard sister and my back-ups, I believe I have everything!

 

[Sherry E]

Yes, it is totally frustrating!!! Between my computer wizard sister and my back-ups, I believe I have everything!

pudinhead --

Yay! You're very lucky!

I have a computer wizard friend who helped me recover some things after my hard drive crashed, but the "recovered" versions of the files had scrambled file names. So, for example, if one of my original file names for a photo was "Disneyland-December 2010-IASWH - Peace on Earth," after the crash and recovery the file name was suddenly "XfjwTyulR5Resc9" or something similar. And, because I had thousands of work documents, personal documents and photos stored on the PC, you can imagine that recovering a whole bunch of documents with those sorts of file names would be a problem in and of itself. Nothing was in the proper chronological order anymore. Nothing was grouped together the way it was supposed to be. Photos from 2007 were suddenly lumped in with photos from 2010. It was literally like looking for a needle in a haystack.

And, to make matters worse, the recovery software I/we used also managed to rescue multiple copies of certain things -- like, literally, 50 copies of one single photo or file...except multiplied by however many photos or files there were to sort through. It also "rescued" tons of images -- like random Smilies or any photos on any random website -- that I had viewed when web browsing. So if I saw a picture of a bottle of shower gel on a grocery store website, suddenly the recovery software rescued that image and saved it among all of my important files, except there were 50 copies of that unwanted photo of shower gel! Lots and lots of junk mixed in with the necessary stuff, and lots and lots of copies of files when I only needed one.

It was a nightmare. I know that a lot of things were saved after the crash, but I know that a lot of things were also lost forever. Unfortunately, I will probably never have the time to sort through the scrambled file names, multiple files and junk images to clean up all of what was recovered and get it in any sort of order, so I may never know what is there and what was lost. I just had to kind of start from scratch, or use what I had stored in other places for certain documents.

 

[pudinhd]

pudinhead --

Yay! You're very lucky!

I have a computer wizard friend who helped me recover some things after my hard drive crashed, but the "recovered" versions of the files had scrambled file names. So, for example, if one of my original file names for a photo was "Disneyland-December 2010-IASWH - Peace on Earth," after the crash and recovery the file name was suddenly "XfjwTyulR5Resc9" or something similar. And, because I had thousands of work documents, personal documents and photos stored on the PC, you can imagine that recovering a whole bunch of documents with those sorts of file names would be a problem in and of itself. Nothing was in the proper chronological order anymore. Nothing was grouped together the way it was supposed to be. Photos from 2007 were suddenly lumped in with photos from 2010. It was literally like looking for a needle in a haystack.

And, to make matters worse, the recovery software I/we used also managed to rescue multiple copies of certain things -- like, literally, 50 copies of one single photo or file...except multiplied by however many photos or files there were to sort through. It also "rescued" tons of images -- like random Smilies or any photos on any random website -- that I had viewed when web browsing. So if I saw a picture of a bottle of shower gel on a grocery store website, suddenly the recovery software rescued that image and saved it among all of my important files, except there were 50 copies of that unwanted photo of shower gel! Lots and lots of junk mixed in with the necessary stuff, and lots and lots of copies of files when I only needed one.

It was a nightmare. I know that a lot of things were saved after the crash, but I know that a lot of things were also lost forever. Unfortunately, I will probably never have the time to sort through the scrambled file names, multiple files and junk images to clean up all of what was recovered and get it in any sort of order, so I may never know what is there and what was lost. I just had to kind of start from scratch, or use what I had stored in other places for certain documents.

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

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

 

[GizMo123]

GizMo123 --

I think that a one week-long Candlelight Ceremony, with one show a night, would be a nice compromise -- or maybe one show for 5 nights in a row, and then 2 shows per night on the final 2 nights. Something like that. It's not the extreme of 20 nights (40 shows) and it's not the extreme of 2 nights (4 shows). There had to be some sort of middle ground that could have been reached, but it didn't happen this year (that we know of...unless Disney suddenly surprises us!).

One thing I'm almost certain of is that the Ceremony would never work as part of a hard ticket party. There were rumors last year that the 20-night run was to gauge guests' reactions to the CP in case it is eventually worked into a party. As much as I love the CP, I think it is far too religious of an event to fit in a whimsical Christmas party. It would have to be separate. So that leaves either the Hyperion in DCA or the Fantasyland Theater.

It will be a great trip for you, and you will have many things to take photos of -- that is for sure!

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

Need to take everything in!

 

[aidensmom31]

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

 

[dragonflycurls]

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

 

[viaggiamo]

viaggiamo --

If you looked at the first page, then you saw the separate post dedicated to nothing but holiday food and treats. You did a lot of reading if you went through every single one of those links! In fact, if you followed some of those linked blogs over to other sites, like the Disney Food Blog, you could probably find even more (with photos). But there's really a lot of info -- blogs about beignets, blogs about tamales, blogs about treats, blogs about candy canes, etc. I mean, it's really all there in that Food post on page 1. That's a fairly complete picture, short of going to the parks and seeing it for yourself.

You can also follow the link on page 1 to the previous Christmas Superthread (#2), and scroll down the first page of that thread to see some previous years' treat options listed.

And in the Call-In show that I linked to (from December of last year), Nancy is talking about all the different Christmas meal options.

There have been holiday treats/food threads in the past, but the reason I added in a whole section about food on Page 1 here is to cut down on the number of extra threads that pop up on the board. That's what most of the Superthreads on this board are for -- to kind of eliminate the need for so many extra threads about certain topics (such as World of Color, Fantasmic, etc.). I'll see if I can find one of the old, old threads about holiday treats from a while back -- but that info in the Food post on page 1 is really more recent and complete, I think.

Otherwise, we'll get around to food in the Theme Week Countdown, eventually.

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

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

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

Happy planning.

V

 

[Axlcat]

That said, due to recent domain registrations, we began connecting some dots and believe one of the surprises that may be in store for guests at the Disneyland Resort this holiday season is the addition of a choir  in particular, a virtual choir, due mostly to the registration of worldofcolorwinterdreamsvirtualchoir.com (not yet active). When it comes to virtual choirs, the eligible field of conductors is noticeably limited primarily to Grammy award winning artist Eric Whitacre, who has produced four virtual choirs to date, the latest being VC4: Fly to Paradise which features 8,409 videos submitted by 5905 performers across 101 countries. Performers record their own individual videos and submit them to Whitacre who chooses soloists and arranges and combines them to form the final product, as seen embedded below.

From what we can gather, it appears that Whitacre will soon be putting out a call for submissions for the special edition of the virtual choir (perhaps featuring music from Disneys Frozen?) and guests watching World of Color  Winter Dreams this holiday season can look forward to a special virtual choir projected onto the shows water screens.

I hope this happens for World of Color Winter Dreams opening week. That Fly to Paradise video is awesome.

 

[DisneyJamieCA]

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

How exciting! That's one way to make the holiday season even more magiical!

 

[dragonflycurls]

How exciting! That's one way to make the holiday season even more magiical!

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

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

 

[Sherry E]

It’s Monday -- and it’s time for the Theme Week Countdown!!

…11 Weeks 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 more themes to come over the next few months, including 10 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!).

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! They are 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.

Last week, we enjoyed the Yuletide season around the world as we sailed through It’s a Small World Holiday. Before that we journeyed down the mystical, musical alleys of New Orleans Square and enjoyed Christmas with a Mardi Gras twist, including balconies draped in beads and lampposts adorned with mysterious masks. We also paid a visit to New Orleans Square’s most famous residence and met its temporary houseguest, Jack Skellington, as he attempted to put a bit of a “nightmarish” Halloween spin on the Yuletide season in Haunted Mansion Holiday. The week prior to that we discovered the many different types of themed Christmas Trees and Wreaths around Disneyland Resort.

So…what will be our fourth theme of 2013? Today we leave our global celebration and take a step back in time, as well as revel in the glorious, sparkling lights of a familiar Castle...

In the Spotlight this Week......

MAIN STREET and SLEEPING BEAUTY’S WINTER CASTLE!!!​

Whether you've been to Disneyland only one time or 100 times, you all know the feeling you get when you enter the gates, walk through the tunnel and step onto Main Street. It's a feeling of comfort. A feeling of sheer joy. It's like being transported into the past, to a wistful, simpler, more innocent time. It's a setting evocative of the small town scenes in the classic film, "It's a Wonderful Life."

For many of us, Main Street was the first glimpse of Disneyland we ever got (if you were not one of the folks taking the Monorail into Tomorrowland to start the day, that is), and it somehow left an indelible impression on us that can never be erased. For many of us, a trip to Disneyland is not a trip to Disneyland unless we begin it by walking slowly down Main Street and “taking it all in.” Main Street is somehow able to tap into a certain emotion in us unlike any other land in the park or any other area of the Resort.

If you've experienced the magic of Main Street but have never been to Disneyland for the Christmas season, you are in for a treat. In the evening, Main Street comes alive, aglow in lights and colors; the air filled with aromas and sounds... It's hard to describe. You just kind of have to see it to believe it. The code word is: sleigh. The beauty of Main Street at night, during the holiday season, has turned even the most jaded adults into awestruck children. It brings out the child in all of us.

There are many dimensions to the seasonal immersion of Main Street. There is Main Street in the daytime. There's Main Street at nighttime. There's Main Street as it is lightly dusted with tiny specks of snow. There's the giant Christmas tree, and the ornaments on the tree. There are many window displays. There are the Dapper Dans. There are the vehicles and horses. It’s hard to know where to begin in choosing the photos to post today.




While Town Square anchors one end of Main Street, at the opposite end sits the primary icon of the holiday season at Disneyland Resort, Sleeping Beauty’s Winter Castle. The majestic Winter Castle shines like a glorious beacon in the night, warming our hearts and bringing smiles to our faces. But be sure to catch it when its icicles are in full ‘sparkle mode,’ as the lights on the Castle intermittently ‘turn on and off’ after dark!

PhotoPass photographers are usually stationed in front of the Castle during both the day and night, to capture those perfect Christmas card-worthy shots. Though the icicles are not as impressive in the daytime, the festive wreaths and snow-capped turrets do not disappoint.

Main Street, daytime (2012)…

The horse’s mane is decorated too!

Main Street, nighttime (2010)…

Winter Castle and surrounding area, daytime (2012)…

Sometimes I like pictures with a little hint of Christmas in the background…

Winter Castle, nighttime (2012)…

​

I will post more photos later in the week, most likely – I think I have more Main Street photos than photos of anything else, for some reason!

Please feel free to post your photos of Disneyland Resort’s Main Street and Sleeping Beauty’s Winter Castle all this week, through Sunday, September 1st.

Then, stay tuned for our fifth theme on Monday, September 2nd!! Some great themes are coming up in future weeks, so get your photos ready!

 

[mom2rtk]

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

Gorgeous photos Sherry!

 

[mvf-m11c]

Here are my pictures of Main Street and Sleeping Beauty Winter Castle during the Holiday season.

Sleeping Beauty Winter Castle

MS

Snowing during Sleeping Beauty Winter Castle show

 

[crystal1313]

Wow! I really need to take more photos, finding these took forever, and we go every year! I guess I know what I need to take more photos of now, lol.

These are from 2007, when I was 8 months pregnant with my first son.

Tree, back when it was still a real tree......

 

[danimaroo]

Here are some I took during our last trip... Main Street was absolutely beautiful, as was the castle!

​

 

[DisneyFan0304]

Beautiful pictures, everyone. Now I'm even more excited about my December trip. I called and added a day to my hotel reservation to make sure I'd have enough time to see everything. Now I'll be there for 6 days!

I'm thinking about taking the holiday tour. I read a review of it, but it was from 2011, I think. Is it still the same?

Thanks!! Didn't there used to be a Santa Mickey smiley? We need him back!!

 

[Sherry E]

Bret and danimaroo got their entries in super early today! Another entry into the random draw for each of you, and crystal1313, same for you!

​

Beautiful pictures, everyone. Now I'm even more excited about my December trip. I called and added a day to my hotel reservation to make sure I'd have enough time to see everything. Now I'll be there for 6 days!

I'm thinking about taking the holiday tour. I read a review of it, but it was from 2011, I think. Is it still the same?

Thanks!! Didn't there used to be a Santa Mickey smiley? We need him back!!

DisneyFan0304 --

I think 6 days is a great amount of time! We still have 16 more themes to go between now and early November, so you will find that there is lots more to see!

The tour doesn't really seem to change, from all reviews that I've read. danimaroo and DizNee Luver (Laurie) both detailed the tour in their TRs from the 2012 holiday season. The thing that could change or affect the tour is if it rains and the parade has to be skipped (which is what happened to danimaroo). Otherwise, it seems to be pretty much the same each year.

 

[DisneyJamieCA]

Oh I love these pictures! The castle is my favorite part of the holidays at DL. When I start feeling nostalgic I watch the video of the castle lighting we took - reduces me to tears every time. I'll see if I can get it up to YouTube to share, if that's ok?

And just a clarification - we can reuse pictures? I have some that I already used in the first theme week.