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

[Sherry E]

pattyduke34 -- One more entry into the random draw! Thanks for sharing the photos.

I don't know if anyone noticed or checked, but DIS'er u2pixi was kind enough to alert me to the fact that the Holiday Time tour info is up on the Disneyland website. Here is the link: https://disneyland.disney.go.com/events-tours/holiday-time-at-disneyland/. It's ready for booking now!

​

Sherry - you are right, and it almost slipped my mind, DCA was still being worked on when we were there in 2011! I know we saw some decorations around Bugs Land but thats really all I remember for decorations in DCA. Much of it was walls at the time. Dont get me wrong though, it was our first time going during Christmas so it was a very magical, special trip for us. But seeing Buena Vista Street and Cars Land all decorated is going to be fantastic! Ok now I'm even more excited than I was before! DD loved the Reindeer Round-Up when we went. I hope this year they do the cookie decorating that I've seen pictures of on this thread. She would get a kick out of that. And I would enjoy eating it when shes done! And since we're going fairly early I can use our picture with Santa for our Christmas card with any luck! I have a feeling DS will want nothing to do with him still but DD always enjoys taking pictures with him.

kirstie101 --

I think the cookie decorating will be happening again, if last year's Jingle Jangle Jamboree activities are any indication. You won't find any reindeer -- they are not at the Jamboree -- but there are crafts and cookies!

I think you'll be really pleased with the new version of the DCA holiday festivities. I miss the CALIFORNIA letters at the front, and I do miss the Golden Gate Bridge as well, but the other areas of DCA seem more in the spirit now. The Bug's Land decor will be there, as will the Christmas tree in the Paradise Pier area, but now we just have more decor and more holiday merriment in other areas too!

I will definitely post here when I hear back. If I don't hear back I just looked at last years offerings and put those on my list. I am really hoping I can find out for sure though


Anyone want to critique my restaurant choices? Obviously, I still need to reserve them, but tentatively writing out where we want to eat supper. Our plan because we are traveling with 6 adults and my 3 kids (4, 2 and 6 months), is to reserve supper each evening. That way we know where we are eating and can sit down and have a nice meal.
Arrival Day - Tortilla Jos
Big Thunder Ranch BBQ
Storytellers Cafe
Goofys Kitchen
Blue Bayou
Rainforest Cafe
Any suggestions? Obviously depending on holiday offerings this list may change. Trying to hit some buffets, because my 2 year old is free there, lol. My kids eat a lot and like all kinds of food, so no worries there.

blue888 --

I've never tried Tortilla Jo's, but I don't have a problem with any of the other restaurants on your list. They're all good to me for one reason or another (some better than others). If you're looking for counter service, Plaza Inn and River Belle Terrace are good too.

egritz.......

I know you asked this a few days back, but I found my schedule from last year for meeting Santa at the Disney Property Hotels.

GCH AND DLH are evenings:

4:30-4:45
5:15-6:00
6:45-7:30
7:45-8:38

PPH is mornings:

8:30-9:00
9:20-10:00
10:15-11:00

Hope that helps give you an idea for this year!

Sherry,

I just wanted to say that, if that is you in front of the "bad" version of the Photo Pass Winter Castle at night time picture, you look fantastic!

Maybe the Castle doesn't look that great, but you look very pretty, and I love the pop of your red sweater!

Cheshirecatty --

Thank you so much for posting the complete Santa schedules! I had the PPH info but I didn't have a schedule for the other 2 hotels. To be honest, though, I think those Santa schedules for all 3 hotels are on the "loose" side, and that he may sometimes stay a bit longer or even leave earlier than what the schedule indicates. I remember a CM telling me a while back that Santa sat for close to 45 minutes at the GCH, then took a break, then came back, but that is certainly not what he does all the time. Sometimes he leaves earlier than that. And when I have stood or sat and watched him pose with guests at either the GCH or the PPH, he seems to be there for quite a while. So maybe he kind of plays it by ear, depending on his mood!

Thank you again for the very kind words on the picture! I appreciate the compliment. That's very sweet of you to say. Yes, that is yours truly in the photo. I don't normally wear red, ever, except for during the holiday season. I guess I call that the "bad" picture because, in comparison to the other "good" nighttime Castle picture I posted on 10/7, this one was lackluster due to the absence of icicle lights.

...Sherry I'm counting down to the Hallmark Channel Christmas movies! My DVR will be working overtime.

Loving this week's theme. We've never seen BVS so this is a double Holiday treat.

TK --

I was looking at the schedule for the first weekend of the Hallmark marathon (starting 11/1) and I saw some old Hallmark favorites lined up for the daytime on Saturday and Sunday, with the first new movie at night -- "Thanksgiving House." There are 12 new holiday movies this year. Were there that many new ones last year? It seemed like there were 8 or 10 new movies last year (over the course of the whole 2-month Countdown). I think they may have super-sized the Countdown this time around.

The best part about those weekend marathons is that you can literally turn on the Hallmark Channel at any time of day (even early morning) and find a holiday movie. It's strangely comforting, like being wrapped in a warm, comfy, cozy Christmas blanket! Even if I don't have time to sit and watch TV all day long, I can leave it on as background noise while I do other things.

I love this thread!
I thought I would post here instead of asking in a new one as you guys are so knowledgable about the Christmas season at DL.
I have just realised that we will be there over the Candlelight Processional weekend, we have been booked for 8 months as we are coming from Australia, and we have 6 nights from the 5 December at PPH.
Is it going to be crazy? What can we do to make it less so for our two young children? I presume we cannot get tickets to the CP.
Any suggestions about these days?
thanks
C

viaggiamo --

Were you tuning in here a couple of weeks ago when it was Treats & Treasures Theme Week? I know that you're interested in holiday treats, so that would have been the week for you!

The CP is only happening on 12/7 and 12/8. Saturday, 12/7 will probably be quite crowded in Disneyland. Maybe you can spend that day in California Adventure. Sunday, 12/8 probably will not be as crowded until late afternoon. I would just avoid Town Square and Main Street in the late afternoon and early evening on those two nights.

As I explained to ksromack a few pages back, the seating will be invitation-only, for Disney employees' family members, etc. You can stand around and watch it from the sidelines, but then you'd be in the middle of the crowds.

I wouldn't worry about crowds. You'll have a great time. I've been to the CP (I saw two Ceremonies last year). I've walked past the CP and through Town Square as it was happening. I've been in Disneyland on a Sunday when the CP was taking place later that night. None of that was as bad as the Unleash the Villains event on 9/13 this year, crowd-wise! I would certainly go during that time again.

I have never been to the CP at DL where I have attended the one's in EPCOT the first weekend of December can be really busy especially at MS Town Square as Sherry mentioned that it can be hard to maneuver in and out of the park during the CP. You can always use the alternate way to enter and exit DL is by taking the Monorail from DTD so you can avoid Town Square and the CP.


That is nice to hear that you will be possibly doing solo trips in the future and I can see Santa bringing you Premier AP for Christmas.

Bret --

The issue with the crowds at DL is not even so much the ones who stand around during the CP to watch it. I could deal with that (it would be better than the Unleash the Villains mayhem).

I think the real problem lies in the crowds trying to get out of DL -- all at the same time -- or the ones who try to get into the park. People panic and think that the crowds are going to be big so they try to escape...which ends up causing more crowds around Town Square! The crowds that try to get around the CP to move one direction or another clog up the area. That's why it makes more sense to just stay somewhere else in Disneyland that doesn't involve Main Street or Town Square, or move over to DCA earlier in the day. I don't mind standing with the people who want to see the CP, but the masses of people trying to get around it are bothersome! That is an issue that Disney will have to deal with if they ever decide to offer dinner packages and have it run for many nights again.

Taking the Monorail is a great back-up plan as well! Good thinking, Bret!

Bret -- I can't recall. Did you get a picture of the Snow White-themed gingerbread house in Carthay Circle last November, or was the house not there yet?

We weren't impressed with Tortilla Joe's (and I have heard others report the same). Rainforest is very loud (in case you have little ones with you, it can be too much for them). I personally hate Blue Bayou and we actually skip that meal when we go with my family now...last time my mom (who is the one who really loves it) even didn't like the food and said she didn't care if we ever went back. I haven't done Storyteller's Cafe, but I don't like the characters offered (and my daughter wouldn't know who they are)...in case that is a character meal.

We had a great meal at house of Blues a few years back...we sat outside and it was a pleasant meal! I am trying to decide whether to make an ADR there for dinner....not sure I want to set limitations on our daily routine....

Wow - thank you -that is a huge help in planning. Hopefully someone will confirm what the hotel Santa schedules are this year next month, but this will give me a head start in planning out itinerary...

Side note, I sure wish there was a way to earmark specific posts within this thread. There are so many things I've read and now I realize would have been good to save in a document on my computer. Oops.

egritz --

Storytellers Cafe only hosts a character meal for breakfast. I greatly prefer their lunch and dinner, sans characters! You should eat there! They have some good food -- really tasty spaghetti with fresh herbs. Nice, cozy atmosphere. Plus, you'll have to poke your head in and see this year's gingerbread house, which is inside the the entrance near the check-in desk.

This may not be a solution, but you can always bookmark the individual posts. Click on the number in the upper right corner of the post you want to save. Clicking on that number will open up the post in a separate tab/window. You should be able to then bookmark it in your browser.

Another idea is to click "quote" as though you were going to reply to the post in question, and then copy/paste the text and save it in a separate document on your computer.

A third option is to tell me what you're looking for -- I'm good at remembering where certain posts are or when (approximately) they came in, and can track things down. I may be able to find someone's post for you if you lose track of it!

 

[viaggiamo]

viaggiamo --

Were you tuning in here a couple of weeks ago when it was Treats & Treasures Theme Week? I know that you're interested in holiday treats, so that would have been the week for you!

The CP is only happening on 12/7 and 12/8. Saturday, 12/7 will probably be quite crowded in Disneyland. Maybe you can spend that day in California Adventure. Sunday, 12/8 probably will not be as crowded until late afternoon. I would just avoid Town Square and Main Street in the late afternoon and early evening on those two nights.

As I explained to ksromack a few pages back, the seating will be invitation-only, for Disney employees' family members, etc. You can stand around and watch it from the sidelines, but then you'd be in the middle of the crowds.

I wouldn't worry about crowds. You'll have a great time. I've been to the CP (I saw two Ceremonies last year). I've walked past the CP and through Town Square as it was happening. I've been in Disneyland on a Sunday when the CP was taking place later that night. None of that was as bad as the Unleash the Villains event on 9/13 this year, crowd-wise! I would certainly go during that time again.

Thanks Sherry, yes I was here drooling over the treats and totally loving all the decorations. Beautiful and makes me just want to be there soaking it all up!

Great advice regarding the CP. Thankyou. Yes I think we will plan to be in DCA on the Saturday 7 and then see how things pan out on the Sunday. it would be amazing to see, I watched a video with Dick Van Dyke from last year- how cool is he???!!!!!

This thread is my favourite on the boards.

V

 

[JediMasterNerd]

I used this Super Thread to plan our trip last year and when a friend was planning their trip for this year I had to direct them in this direction --- and that made me want to look in here and contribute a bit since I greatly benefited from the info provided...

Anyone want to critique my restaurant choices? Obviously, I still need to reserve them, but tentatively writing out where we want to eat supper. Our plan because we are traveling with 6 adults and my 3 kids (4, 2 and 6 months), is to reserve supper each evening. That way we know where we are eating and can sit down and have a nice meal.
Arrival Day - Tortilla Jo’s
Big Thunder Ranch BBQ
Storytellers Cafe
Goofy’s Kitchen
Blue Bayou
Rainforest Cafe
Any suggestions? Obviously depending on holiday offerings this list may change. Trying to hit some buffets, because my 2 year old is free there, lol. My kids eat a lot and like all kinds of food, so no worries there.

Last year we made reservations for Goofy's Kitchen, Blue Bayou, Carthay Circle, Café Orleans and, for breakfast, PCH Grill... We randomly hit other places for breakfast/lunch each day.

Thoughts:
Goofy's Kitchen - Great, always a good buffet and lots of fun for the kid in all of us.
Blue Bayou - The atmosphere is cool and unique, the food was decent but the BIG BIG BIG problem was with seating. We were a part of 7 and they have NO --- ZERO ---- tables that seat 7. They ended up putting something together in a corner for us --- this took over 45 minutes and we had a reservation!! I would return if I was a smaller group, but not for a large group.
Carthay Circle - We mainly went here to get into the reserved area for World of Color, but the food was great. Definitely worth it. We sat near the balcony and saw the CA Parade happening right below us.
Café Orleans - Wanted something lighter after a couple of days of eating rich foods and this was perfect. Good food, good atmosphere.
PCH Grill - So glad we did this breakfast, it was really good and lots of fun.


While we didn't hit it last time, we did go to StoryTeller's the time before for breakfast, and like PCH Grill, it was a great experience with great food. We also did Rainforest back then and as has been mentioned it was loud and busy. My son was 5yo at the time and he enjoyed it.

Good luck and have fun!!

J.

 

[farmfresh]

I don't know if anyone noticed or checked, but DIS'er u2pixi was kind enough to alert me to the fact that the Holiday Time tour info is up on the Disneyland website. Here is the link: https://disneyland.disney.go.com/eve...at-disneyland/. It's ready for booking now!

Thanks for posting this...anyone know if the Christmas room gifts are ready to order yet?

 

[JediMasterNerd]

For those who were interested in the 2012 Christmas Eve/Day Dining options I had most of them listed here: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=46547816#post46547816 --- obviously they'll change things this year, but this is good for a reference.

I called various places and got the list 2 months ahead of time and until we decided where we wanted to go I made multiple reservations and then cancelled them as we made our final decisions based on the menus. I highly recommend doing this if you're not 100% sure where (and what) you want to eat...

J.

 

[u2pixi]

pattyduke34 -- One more entry into the random draw! Thanks for sharing the photos.

I don't know if anyone noticed or checked, but DIS'er u2pixi was kind enough to alert me to the fact that the Holiday Time tour info is up on the Disneyland website.

​

Thanks Sherry
I find it crazy that Disney didn't announce this info- I have been stalking that tour page!

Amy

 

[Phoenixrising]

Well Captain Chaos (DS10) landed in emerg, after doing something that he shouldn't have last night. While the ER doc ruled out a sprained or broken right foot, the results for a crack were inconclusive. We do know that his right foot is severely bruised, and if it doesn't start to improve in 6 days then it's off to the hospital next week to rule out a cracked heel. For his sake I hope that it isn't cracked, as we are at 37 days out from our Edmonton trip. Just have to see how it goes. Told the principle of the school how it happened and he got a good chuckle out of it and intends to bug him about it once I get him back to school tomorrow. Let's just say I'm going to really need my Disney time once this is all done with next month.

 

[mvf-m11c]

Bret --

The issue with the crowds at DL is not even so much the ones who stand around during the CP to watch it. I could deal with that (it would be better than the Unleash the Villains mayhem).

I think the real problem lies in the crowds trying to get out of DL -- all at the same time -- or the ones who try to get into the park. People panic and think that the crowds are going to be big so they try to escape...which ends up causing more crowds around Town Square! The crowds that try to get around the CP to move one direction or another clog up the area. That's why it makes more sense to just stay somewhere else in Disneyland that doesn't involve Main Street or Town Square, or move over to DCA earlier in the day. I don't mind standing with the people who want to see the CP, but the masses of people trying to get around it are bothersome! That is an issue that Disney will have to deal with if they ever decide to offer dinner packages and have it run for many nights again.

Taking the Monorail is a great back-up plan as well! Good thinking, Bret!

Bret -- I can't recall. Did you get a picture of the Snow White-themed gingerbread house in Carthay Circle last November, or was the house not there yet?

I understand Sherry. I didn't write it down correctly about entering and leaving DL from MS Town Square where the CP is held every year. It does make sense to stay away from MS Town Square where crowd levels can get busy. Going to other lands or DCA is a good idea to avoid the area around the CP. If I ever see the CP at DL, I will have no problem waiting in the crowds to see it but just as you said that it does bother me when people are trying to get around it. It is just like with the fireworks in front of SB Castle where there are people who are trying to get in to get a good spot or go to their groups.

That's why I like about the Monorail which is another way to get out of the park if you don't want to go through MS.

I did take a picture of the Snow White gingerbread house that was in the Carthay Circle Restaurant. Here is the picture of the gingerbread house in the lobby of the CCR.

 

[elamarca]

I will definitely post here when I hear back. If I don't hear back I just looked at last years offerings and put those on my list. I am really hoping I can find out for sure though


Anyone want to critique my restaurant choices? Obviously, I still need to reserve them, but tentatively writing out where we want to eat supper. Our plan because we are traveling with 6 adults and my 3 kids (4, 2 and 6 months), is to reserve supper each evening. That way we know where we are eating and can sit down and have a nice meal.
Arrival Day - Tortilla Jo’s
Big Thunder Ranch BBQ
Storytellers Cafe
Goofy’s Kitchen
Blue Bayou
Rainforest Cafe
Any suggestions? Obviously depending on holiday offerings this list may change. Trying to hit some buffets, because my 2 year old is free there, lol. My kids eat a lot and like all kinds of food, so no worries there.

Good choices! I would personally skip Rainforest Cafe. The atmosphere is really fun, especially for kids, but I find the food to be mediocre at best and overpriced. I LOVE Goofy's Kitchen, it's always a big hit with both of us and our five year old son. I've heard excellent things at Storytellers Cafe and of course, Blue Bayou. I've also heard good things about Tortilla Jo's! I want to finally try all three on our upcoming December trip, also.

 

[crystal1313]

We just ate at the Rainforest Cafe, and the food was just OK. My DS4 was really scared of the animatronic Gorrilla and the thunder and lightning that happened about every 30 min. I really had to talk with him and calm him down, which made lunch not that enjoyable. So you may want to think about that with your little ones. I thought he would like it and I was wrong! I do have to say he ate all of his dinosaur shaped chicken nuggets, which then distracted him from, as he says, "the scary gorilla that was starring at me!"

We love Tortilla Joes! Get the guacamole! It's pricey, but they make it for you at your table, so it can be as mild or as spicy as you want! So yummy =)

 

[Sherry E]

Oh joy... It's 86 degrees today. It's not very Fall-like in Los Angeles, if you ask me! However, there is a Harvest Festival at the Farmers Market this weekend, so I will try to get in the Fall spirit.

​

Thanks Sherry, yes I was here drooling over the treats and totally loving all the decorations. Beautiful and makes me just want to be there soaking it all up!

Great advice regarding the CP. Thankyou. Yes I think we will plan to be in DCA on the Saturday 7 and then see how things pan out on the Sunday. it would be amazing to see, I watched a video with Dick Van Dyke from last year- how cool is he???!!!!!

This thread is my favourite on the boards.

V

viaggiamo --

Thank you! I think this is a pretty great thread too!

The CP is a beautiful ceremony for those who really love Christmas music and choir singing. It is so lovely in the Town Square setting, but that setting is also the worst in terms of traffic jams.

My trip ended last year, right before Dick Van Dyke took over as narrator for his 2 nights of the CP. In fact, I recall that it began to rain just as I got home from my trip but the crowds were minimal around DL in the earlier part of the day, when it was gloomy and hadn't even started raining yet. The lines for Haunted Mansion Holiday and It's a Small World Holiday were basically non-existent because people stayed away, thinking it was going to rain. I wondered if the CP would be able to go on as planned. I envisioned a lot of disappointed Dick Van Dyke fans if the ceremony got postponed due to rain.

I saw two of the Lou Diamond Phillips-narrated nights, and LDP did a great job. I would have liked to also see the Kurt Russell and John Stamos nights.

I used this Super Thread to plan our trip last year and when a friend was planning their trip for this year I had to direct them in this direction --- and that made me want to look in here and contribute a bit since I greatly benefited from the info provided...


Last year we made reservations for Goofy's Kitchen, Blue Bayou, Carthay Circle, Café Orleans and, for breakfast, PCH Grill... We randomly hit other places for breakfast/lunch each day.

Thoughts:
Goofy's Kitchen - Great, always a good buffet and lots of fun for the kid in all of us.
Blue Bayou - The atmosphere is cool and unique, the food was decent but the BIG BIG BIG problem was with seating. We were a part of 7 and they have NO --- ZERO ---- tables that seat 7. They ended up putting something together in a corner for us --- this took over 45 minutes and we had a reservation!! I would return if I was a smaller group, but not for a large group.
Carthay Circle - We mainly went here to get into the reserved area for World of Color, but the food was great. Definitely worth it. We sat near the balcony and saw the CA Parade happening right below us.
Café Orleans - Wanted something lighter after a couple of days of eating rich foods and this was perfect. Good food, good atmosphere.
PCH Grill - So glad we did this breakfast, it was really good and lots of fun.


While we didn't hit it last time, we did go to StoryTeller's the time before for breakfast, and like PCH Grill, it was a great experience with great food. We also did Rainforest back then and as has been mentioned it was loud and busy. My son was 5yo at the time and he enjoyed it.

Good luck and have fun!!

J.

JediMasterNerd --

Did your friend (the one you referred) ever make it to this thread when planning the trip?

I don't know if you're aware, but I have referenced your Christmas trip and your detailed recap of your Christmas trip (which is in this thread) several times on this board! So many people want to know about specific Christmas Eve and Christmas Day info (as opposed to holiday season info) -- crowds, weather, food, etc. The recap you gave us towards the beginning of this thread has helped a lot (along with the recap from Mickey&JoshNut). I have linked it out quite a bit. So I am delighted that you are checking back in with us and also referring friends here!

Thanks for posting this...anyone know if the Christmas room gifts are ready to order yet?

farmfresh --

Good question. Have you emailed Vacation Planning? If anyone were to have a current list, it would be them. I would think that they'd have to have something together for the in-room gifts at this point, as the season officially begins in less than one month and people will be staying onsite over that time frame.

For those who were interested in the 2012 Christmas Eve/Day Dining options I had most of them listed here: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=46547816#post46547816 --- obviously they'll change things this year, but this is good for a reference.

I called various places and got the list 2 months ahead of time and until we decided where we wanted to go I made multiple reservations and then cancelled them as we made our final decisions based on the menus. I highly recommend doing this if you're not 100% sure where (and what) you want to eat...

J.

JediMasterNerd --

Excellent! Great info. Now that you mention that post (from the previous thread), it looks familiar to me. It is definitely great to use as a general guideline and reference.

I know that someone at Disney has to have an updated list for 2013, including all table service and quick service meals. Hopefully we can get our hands on it soon.

Thanks Sherry
I find it crazy that Disney didn't announce this info- I have been stalking that tour page!

Amy

Thank you, Amy, for alerting me to the fact that the tour info sneakily appeared on the Disneyland site!

I agree -- I find it very odd that Disney is not consistent with some of the info it releases, and/or when and/or where it is released. It may not make sense to do stories on certain things each year -- like there are only so many stories you can do on Buena Vista Street's decorations, for example -- but things like the holiday tour details and specific holiday dining options are things that should be released every year, at approximately the same time of year, on the same website, so people can plan.

This is the first time I recall the DLR website ever instructing us to check back on or after 11/1 for more holiday season info/details, however (I think that is mentioned in the general description of the seasonal festivities)! That is new! They never give us a date as to when more details of the season will be released. So now we know that as of 11/1 (which is a Friday), there will probably be an onslaught of holiday season blogs and press releases coming our way! (I can now envision all of us flooding the DLR website, Parks Blog and any other site for snippets of info on 11/1!)

Well Captain Chaos (DS10) landed in emerg, after doing something that he shouldn't have last night. While the ER doc ruled out a sprained or broken right foot, the results for a crack were inconclusive. We do know that his right foot is severely bruised, and if it doesn't start to improve in 6 days then it's off to the hospital next week to rule out a cracked heel. For his sake I hope that it isn't cracked, as we are at 37 days out from our Edmonton trip. Just have to see how it goes. Told the principle of the school how it happened and he got a good chuckle out of it and intends to bug him about it once I get him back to school tomorrow. Let's just say I'm going to really need my Disney time once this is all done with next month.

Trish --

I hope that DS10 is okay and doesn't need further medical treatment. Foot injuries are so tricky -- sometimes they turn out to be things that have to heal on their own, and nothing can really be done to fix them, and others turn out to be things that require more extensive treatment. Sometimes the injuries are left to heal on their own (maybe due to lack of treatment or misdiagnoses) and they end up getting worse because they should have been treated. Sometimes a fracture in one spot on the foot can heal on its own, while a fracture just an inch away from it needs to be treated.

Your DLR trip (and Knott's!) is coming up at warp speed!

I understand Sherry. I didn't write it down correctly about entering and leaving DL from MS Town Square where the CP is held every year. It does make sense to stay away from MS Town Square where crowd levels can get busy. Going to other lands or DCA is a good idea to avoid the area around the CP. If I ever see the CP at DL, I will have no problem waiting in the crowds to see it but just as you said that it does bother me when people are trying to get around it. It is just like with the fireworks in front of SB Castle where there are people who are trying to get in to get a good spot or go to their groups.

That's why I like about the Monorail which is another way to get out of the park if you don't want to go through MS.

I did take a picture of the Snow White gingerbread house that was in the Carthay Circle Restaurant. Here is the picture of the gingerbread house in the lobby of the CCR.

Bret --

You were absolutely correct. You didn't write anything down incorrectly! I think that the CP-related crowds are a combination of people arriving early in the day to see it later that night; people arriving early in the day so they can avoid Disneyland later that night; people standing in Town Square to view the CP; and people moving through Town Square to avoid the CP! In other words, the crowds trying to avoid the crowds end up contributing to the issue as well.

You're correct -- the crowds around the Castle and the Partners statue can get awful as well, because people stake out their viewing spots for the fireworks, and then crowds try to get around those people to go one way or the other -- so the crowds who are moving in one direction or another end up contributing to the issue too.

The parades can also have that effect -- the people waiting for the parade are one issue, but the people trying to get around the people waiting for the parade are another issue. One thing that drives me nuts is when I can't get where I need to go because of the parade route and the various areas that are roped off.

I wonder what effect Winter Dreams is going to have on the nighttime crowds in DCA this year?

The DLR CMs have their hands full with crowd control and trying to direct masses of people in certain directions. Sometimes they do a good job of it, and other times it doesn't make much sense!

Thank you for posting that gingerbread house picture from Carthay Circle! I thought I remembered seeing it in your TR, but I didn't want you to forget to post it while we're in Buena Vista Street/Hollywood Land Theme Week!

I didn't get to see that specific Carthay Circle gingerbread house in person -- nor was I able to get to the house that was in the Fiddler, Fifer and Practical Cafe because there were way too many people in the restaurant. I hope I can get to it this year.

 

[Phoenixrising]

I couldn't figure out what the injury was, as it was so tender, so we have a saying, when in doubt check it out. Hence the trip to emergency last night. For his sake I hope it's just a bad bruise and not a crack. If it turns out to be a crack he may end up in a cast for the Edmonton trip. Pulled him out of school today to give him a rest, as the heel was really swollen. I put it on ice, and am hoping to get him to school tomorrow. Just have to wait and see how it goes. I do think it may be cracked due to the mechanism of the injury (how the injury was caused). The xray was negative on the crack, but the doc felt that there is a possibility that it may have a really fine crack that might not be seen on the xray. I'm keeping positive for his sake, so it's now a waiting game. Have to see if it improves over the next 6 days.

 

[egritz]

I don't know if anyone noticed or checked, but DIS'er u2pixi was kind enough to alert me to the fact that the Holiday Time tour info is up on the Disneyland website. Here is the link: https://disneyland.disney.go.com/events-tours/holiday-time-at-disneyland/. It's ready for booking now!

​

Do you HAVE to call for the reservation? It looks like there is an online reservation similar to Dining but it is showing unavailable right now.
Also the page doesn't mention the 20% off for Disney Visa Cardholders (only discount mentioned is the Annual Passholder) - anyone know if that discount is still valid?
Lastly - does anyone know if this is pre-paid, or if you can cancel your tour 24 hours in advance (like dining) without losing $$?

 

[DisneyJamieCA]

Do you HAVE to call for the reservation? It looks like there is an online reservation similar to Dining but it is showing unavailable right now.
Also the page doesn't mention the 20% off for Disney Visa Cardholders (only discount mentioned is the Annual Passholder) - anyone know if that discount is still valid?
Lastly - does anyone know if this is pre-paid, or if you can cancel your tour 24 hours in advance (like dining) without losing $$?

I don't know about the online part, but we called yesterday for information and they said yes to the 20% for Disney Visa cardholders. We still have about 10 days until I can book ours though

ETA: It is prepaid, but I don't know about the cancelation policy.

 

[Sherry E]

Do you HAVE to call for the reservation? It looks like there is an online reservation similar to Dining but it is showing unavailable right now.
Also the page doesn't mention the 20% off for Disney Visa Cardholders (only discount mentioned is the Annual Passholder) - anyone know if that discount is still valid?
Lastly - does anyone know if this is pre-paid, or if you can cancel your tour 24 hours in advance (like dining) without losing $$?

egritz --

You will have to call to get the Disney Visa discount applied. You can't do that online (it works the same way for Mickey's Halloween Party). Disney never sets up a special link or section to order with the Visa discount. For some reason they don't like to draw a lot of attention to the Visa discounts on things.

I think you have to prepay, but I could be wrong on that. You'll find out when you call!


P.S. I gave you tips on earmarking posts on the previous page (which may or may not be helpful)!

 

[egritz]

egritz --

You will have to call to get the Disney Visa discount applied. You can't do that online (it works the same way for Mickey's Halloween Party). Disney never sets up a special link or section to order with the Visa discount. For some reason they don't like to draw a lot of attention to the Visa discounts on things.

I think you have to prepay, but I could be wrong on that. You'll find out when you call!


P.S. I gave you tips on earmarking posts on the previous page!

Thanks & I saw those. I've started just copying & pasting the info and emailing it to myself and putting in my vacation email folder to later compile together.
No topics come to mind on things I wanted to refer back to. Probably just things I wanted to make sure to do. I started an excel sheet with all the attrations & marking our "must-do's" and who can do the attractions (due to height requirement). I have a feeling this trip will be very heavy on the characters.

Thanks also for the info on StoryTellers for Lunch / Dinner. I have SUCH a hard time making the ADR's for non-character meals - you just don't know what is going to happen on that day - unexpected crowds (or lack there-of) or weather or ??? for a short trip ("only" 3 full days and 2 1/4 days) I'm thinking we'll eat a lot of counter service, but then my parents probably would like settling down for a meal here or there. And with wanting to visit each hotel on top of the parks there is SO MUCH TO SEE & DO I'm feeling ADD already! I made one ADR for House of Blues, but I'll check over the StoryTellers menu and see if my parents might want to do that instead. Would give us an excuse to get in the GCH and we can knock out 2 birds with 1 stone.




Does the Pixar Parade in DCA go by the Buena Vista tree? I think we'll only have one evening we'll be able to be in DCA and would like to see both the parade (5:15) & tree lighting (5:00), but the parade is the priority for DD2. It is actually a "must-do"/camp out for a spot for this trip.

Also if we want to do an ADR at Storytellers (Sherry convinced me to check it out!) ...that night, would 6:00 be a good time? We are talking about a Wednesday if that matters (early December --- I don't want it too late in case DD doesn't nap & is melting down...so I'm not even entirely convinced we'll keep the ADR)
Figure we will also try to see the Santa in GCH that evening (either before or after dinner) as well to knock it off our list.

If the parade doesn't go by the tree (and I'm guessing it doesn't, I really can't remember) any suggestions on best place to watch the parade for a quick exit to GCH?

 

[Sherry E]

...Thanks also for the info on StoryTellers for Lunch / Dinner. I have SUCH a hard time making the ADR's for non-character meals - you just don't know what is going to happen on that day - unexpected crowds (or lack there-of) or weather or ??? for a short trip ("only" 3 full days and 2 1/4 days) I'm thinking we'll eat a lot of counter service, but then my parents probably would like settling down for a meal here or there. And with wanting to visit each hotel on top of the parks there is SO MUCH TO SEE & DO I'm feeling ADD already! I made one ADR for House of Blues, but I'll check over the StoryTellers menu and see if my parents might want to do that instead. Would give us an excuse to get in the GCH and we can knock out 2 birds with 1 stone.




Does the Pixar Parade in DCA go by the Buena Vista tree? I think we'll only have one evening we'll be able to be in DCA and would like to see both the parade (5:15) & tree lighting (5:00), but the parade is the priority for DD2. It is actually a "must-do"/camp out for a spot for this trip.

Also if we want to do an ADR at Storytellers (Sherry convinced me to check it out!) ...that night, would 6:00 be a good time? We are talking about a Wednesday if that matters (early December --- I don't want it too late in case DD doesn't nap & is melting down...so I'm not even entirely convinced we'll keep the ADR)
Figure we will also try to see the Santa in GCH that evening (either before or after dinner) as well to knock it off our list.

If the parade doesn't go by the tree (and I'm guessing it doesn't, I really can't remember) any suggestions on best place to watch the parade for a quick exit to GCH?

egritz --

I think your parents might enjoy the atmosphere of Storytellers Cafe.

I know what you mean about having a hard time making reservations for non-character meals. You really don't know what might come up, or if tastes/preferences/moods will change along the way, etc. You may decide you'd rather eat one hour earlier than what you booked, or one hour later. Anything could happen. This is basically why I no longer make reservations (unless it's an unusual circumstance, such as a larger group than I'm usually with). I've tried it to see how it works, and it went fairly well, but I think that for my specific situation it is better to just walk up to the restaurants. It allows for a bit of spontaneity.

The last time I ate dinner at Storytellers (I'm not counting my last lunch there), if I remember correctly I think I walked up to the restaurant shortly after 5 p.m., or close to 5:30. This was on a Tuesday. What I was aiming to do was to get there before the dinner rush got there. I had a feeling that a lot of people would head out for dinner around 6 p.m. If you have a reservation, though, 6 p.m. should be fine because you won't have to wait long to be seated.

I also think it's a great idea to time the Storytellers Cafe meal with a GCH Santa visit, as you said you might do.

One other dining option for you could be the PCH Grill at the PPH -- which is where Surf's Up with Mickey takes place in the morning, but like Storytellers it is a 'regular/non-character' restaurant for lunch and dinner. This is the home of the "Kitchen Sink" dessert, with something crazy like 10 or 12 scoops of ice cream, cookies, candy bars and brownies, as well as various toppings such as chocolate syrup, etc. In fact, that restaurant is often only half-full.

I haven't seen the Pixar Play Parade in several years but I don't think it goes anywhere near the Christmas tree.

Bret/mvf-m11c probably knows the exact route and where to get the best view of the Pixar parade where you can escape quickly to the GCH.

 

[egritz]

egritz --

I think your parents might enjoy the atmosphere of Storytellers Cafe.

I know what you mean about having a hard time making reservations for non-character meals. You really don't know what might come up, or if tastes/preferences/moods will change along the way, etc. You may decide you'd rather eat one hour earlier than what you booked, or one hour later. Anything could happen. This is basically why I no longer make reservations (unless it's an unusual circumstance, such as a larger group than I'm usually with). I've tried it so see how it works, and it went fairly well, but I think that for my specific situation it is better to just walk up to the restaurants. It allows for a bit of spontaneity.

The last time I ate dinner at Storytellers (I'm not counting my last lunch there), if I remember correctly I think I walked up the restaurant shortly after 5 p.m., or close to 5:30. This was on a Tuesday. What I was aiming to do was to get there before the dinner rush got there. I had a feeling that a lot of people would head out for dinner around 6 p.m. If you have a reservation, though, 6 p.m. should be fine because you won't have to wait long to be seated.

I also think it's a great idea to time the Storytellers Cafe meal with a GCH Santa visit, as you said you might do.

One other dining option for you could be the PCH Grill at the PPH -- which is where Surf's Up with Mickey takes place in the morning, but like Storytellers it is a 'regular/non-character' restaurant for lunch and dinner. This is the home of the "Kitchen Sink" dessert, with something crazy like 10 or 12 scoops of ice cream, cookies, candy bars and brownies, as well as various toppings such as chocolate syrup, etc. In fact, that restaurant is often only half-full.

I haven't seen the Pixar Play Parade in several years but I don't think it goes anywhere near the Christmas tree.

Bret/mvf-m11c probably knows the exact route and where to get the best view of the Pixar parade where you can escape quickly to the GCH.

I tried to do an online search - I swear I've seen a map with the route outlined, but didn't find anything. I had a feeling it isn't going to work to do both, but I'm okay with that.

We are doing PCH for breakfast on either Friday or Saturday (have ADRs for both currently) and hope to couple that with seeing the PP Santa. Not sure we'll want to trek over there in the evening for dinner, GCH is "on the way" to Anabella.

When I get my rough "plan" for what we want to accomplish each day I'll post it for review. Not sure if I'm thinking we'll get a lot more done that what is realistic since I'm not sure how the crowds will be.
Still can't decide on that holiday tour too! $60 per person (after Disney Visa discount) is steep - that makes it $120 per couple, not sure it will be worth it (not to mention it will take up several hours of our day). I'm currently leaning towards no and hope the lines aren't too too bad for IASM & HM

 

[Sherry E]

I tried to do an online search - I swear I've seen a map with the route outlined, but didn't find anything. I had a feeling it isn't going to work to do both, but I'm okay with that.

We are doing PCH for breakfast on either Friday or Saturday (have ADRs for both currently) and hope to couple that with seeing the PP Santa. Not sure we'll want to trek over there in the evening for dinner, GCH is "on the way" to Anabella.

When I get my rough "plan" for what we want to accomplish each day I'll post it for review. Not sure if I'm thinking we'll get a lot more done that what is realistic since I'm not sure how the crowds will be.
Still can't decide on that holiday tour too! $60 per person (after Disney Visa discount) is steep - that makes it $120 per couple, not sure it will be worth it (not to mention it will take up several hours of our day). I'm currently leaning towards no and hope the lines aren't too too bad for IASM & HM

egritz --

If you don't mind possibly waiting in lines for HMH and IASWH, and if you don't mind standing for the Christmas Fantasy Parade, and if you don't have any great urge to sample fudge and get a collectible pin, a cookie and cocoa, it's probably not worthwhile or cost effective to do the tour. I think the main draws of the tour are the quick access to the rides and the parade seats.

There have been times when I've seen the line wait time for IASWH at 45 minutes (often at night, when the pretty lights are on), even though it seems to move faster than that. I have also gone on it in the early morning when there was no line.

 

[egritz]

egritz --

If you don't mind possibly waiting in lines for HMH and IASWH, and if you don't mind standing for the Christmas Fantasy Parade, and if you don't have any great urge to sample fudge and get a collectible pin, a cookie and cocoa, it's probably not worthwhile or cost effective to do the tour. I think the main draws of the tour are the quick access to the rides and the parade seats.

There have been times when I've seen the line wait time for IASWH at 45 minutes (often at night, when the pretty lights are on), even though it seems to move faster than that. I have also gone on it in the early morning when there was no line.

lol, I'm thinking about staking out a bench on main street for the parade - at least for my parents & daughter. we don't collect pins & I can always buy some fudge/cookie/cocoa.
for the rides - my hope is to get on HM on Monday afternoon around 4-ish if the line isn't too long. My breaking point for lines is 20 minutes. Anything longer, 90% of the time I won't ride it. IASM I plan on hitting late morning on Tuesday after early entry....but I can always bump it up earlier (and not do Snow White/Pinocchio if necessary)...so I'm hoping for not too long of lines, especially considering we are there the 2nd week of the month. (I am terrified, however, that I'm underestimating the crowds).