Disneyland at Christmas/Holiday Season Superthread #4

[dedesmith32]

I am just loving this thread! Can't wait until December? Is it here yet?

 

[tksbaskets]

I found buried treasure! While looking and searching for old pictures for an online scrapbooking class I found my pictures from my first trip EVER to Disneyland which was December 1989. My pictures are mostly of the Christmas Parade but I have another I'll show on a different theme day.

So I'll have more to share this year!

 

[JadeDarkstar]

oh noo we were on page 4 Bump

 

[Phoenixrising]

I'm going to be haunting this thread for awhile. My next trip to DL won't be until 2016, as per DH agreeing to another solo trip for me around that time. Despite fact I went during the Thanksgiving week, I really enjoyed my time at DL despite the insane crowds and intend on heading back to DL during the 2016 Thanksgiving week. At least I can contribute when the time comes around for the annual Christmastime pic contest. Can't wait to take the new camera I've got on hold (I'm getting it in a couple of days! YAHOO!!) there, as it's got a bigger zoom, and should be able to get better pics than with my old camera, which unfortunately died during my Nov/13 trip but didn't discover it's impending death until after Christmas. Have a great day everyone!

Trish

 

[JadeDarkstar]

I am getting a new cam too I just have to figuer out what one to get and I am really hoping to get one that charges and doesn't need a million AA's

 

[petals]

Sorry but what are Elf days and when do they start usually?

 

[Sherry E]

Sorry but what are Elf days and when do they start usually?

petals --

I wouldn't say there is a "usually" for Elf Days just yet. Elf Days took place last year and we don't know if they will be back in DCA this year. I don't see why they wouldn't be back -- the event added a nice little holiday kick to the Grizzly Peak area -- but they were technically part of Limited Time Magic, which was exclusive to last year.

Elf Days were going on when I was at DLR last December, so during the second week of that month.

Anyway, here is the link to the Parks Blog with info about Elf Days -- "‘Limited Time Magic’ Brings Elf Days to Disney California Adventure Park" -
posted on December 6th, 2013 by Erin Glover, Social Media Director, Disneyland Resort


And here is a post of mine from Page 3 of this thread, which includes a photo of the Elf Days brochure, with song lyrics -- Here.

 

[kkmcan]

I had decided on Thanksgiving weekend and now I'm wavering.... which timeframe would be less crazy

Thanksgiving weekend or Jan 1-4th???

Thanks guys!

 

[Phoenixrising]

I scored a really good deal on the camera I've got on hold till tomorrow, when I pick it up. It's a Sony camera with 20.1mp and 26X optical zoom. It took 3 months of research to find a camera I liked enough to go out and buy. I'm getting one heck of a deal on it as it's about to go extinct, as the newer models have come in and they are getting rid of the older models right now. Has enough zoom to keep me happy, but am good naturely grumbling as it's as big as my old camera. It's a battery eater, but batteries for it are cheap, and don't mind hauling around extra batteries for it. I can get rechargeable batteries for it, but with the cost of rechargeables, I'm better off using the regular batteries.

 

[chrisaman]

We enjoyed BB, but the best part of the experience was eating at a waterfront table. The service wasn't that great and, although the food was good, it really wasn't worth the prices. Presentation was steak plopped on a plate. However, I would do it all over again to eat at that table. Make sure you check in a bit early. When you check in, ask for a waterside table. They will probably tell you it is a 45 minute wait, but really it was only about 20 minutes. I learned that trick from the DIS last year and it held true to form when we went. Really, my favorite restaurant is Storyteller's at the GCH. Everything we have eaten there was delicious. I love the corn chowder. It is a pretty restaurant, and they have had a gingerbread house set up for the last two years that we have been there.

We just ate there this weekend. We got there 20 min early, asked for a waterside table, and only waited 5 min. We sat down 15 min before our ressies. The presentation isn't that big of a deal since it is so dark in there it is hard to see. The food is overpriced yes, but ur paying for the experience more than the food


We are staying in the Grand this year for the first time and it will be during Christmas time. I am excited

 

[Sherry E]

I had decided on Thanksgiving weekend and now I'm wavering.... which timeframe would be less crazy

Thanksgiving weekend or Jan 1-4th???

Thanks guys!

kkmcan -

I would assume Thanksgiving weekend would be slightly busier than the January weekend, for a couple of reasons which may or may not make a difference:

1) I could be very wrong, but I just think that a few more people might be interested in spending their Thanksgiving holiday breaks at DLR instead of trying to have a "holiday" at the beginning of the New Year; and


2) Simply put -- certain holiday things will be there over Thanksgiving that are not there in early January, and some people will want to enjoy those things.

Carolers disappear from the hotels (and maybe at least one of the parks too) after Christmas. Some of the musical Downtown Disney holiday entertainment (if it happens again this year) may stop after Christmas. The hotel trees and decorations may not stay up past New Year's Day (that's one of those things that I suspect can differ every year, depending on when New Year's Day falls in the week). The hotel Santas will be gone after Christmas Eve, and the DCA Santa may be gone after Christmas Eve too. Disney says Santa is there at DLR until 12/24, but he has sometimes (though not always) materialized at the Jingle Jangle Jamboree/Round-Up in his post-Christmas green plaid ensemble (not the red suit) in early January.




Then again, on the other hand -- just to present the other side of the coin -- that entire first weekend in January will most likely involve the Three Kings Day celebration in DCA, and there could be a lot of people who come out to enjoy that and to get one last dose of the holidays before the season ends.

And...last year there were quite a few people who said that Thanksgiving week and weekend were not too terribly crowded (others said it was crowded) -- not as bad as they expected.

 

[starshine514]

I had decided on Thanksgiving weekend and now I'm wavering.... which timeframe would be less crazy

Thanksgiving weekend or Jan 1-4th???

Thanks guys!

Neither! Seriously though, most APs are blocked Thanksgiving weekend, so it will be out-of-towners or those w/ premium APs there then. While Jan 1 - 4 will be open season for AP holders who were blocked in the two prior weeks and whose kids are still out of school on Christmas break. I think I'd take my chances and stick w/ Thanksgiving weekend as planned.

 

[kkmcan]

Thanks Sherry and Starshine! If we want to see holiday decorations its pretty much one of those two times. I can't take my kids out of school anymore. I'll have a senior and a freshman next year- both very important years so we can only go on days that the kids have off from school. I know that's the same for pretty much everyone too!

Sherry- thanks for the breakdown on the stuff that may not be around in Jan. I think we could live without the Santas and the caroulers and even some of the decorations. Its mostly the crowds I was trying to compare. It so hard to know which will be worse.

I'm leaning towards sticking with Thanksgiving weekend still. I find once Christmas Day is over I'm not so much in the holiday mood anymore and I don't think the holiday aspect of the parks will be so exciting for me in January.

 

[Sherry E]

Thanks Sherry and Starshine! If we want to see holiday decorations its pretty much one of those two times. I can't take my kids out of school anymore. I'll have a senior and a freshman next year- both very important years so we can only go on days that the kids have off from school. I know that's the same for pretty much everyone too!

Sherry- thanks for the breakdown on the stuff that may not be around in Jan. I think we could live without the Santas and the caroulers and even some of the decorations. Its mostly the crowds I was trying to compare. It so hard to know which will be worse.

I'm leaning towards sticking with Thanksgiving weekend still. I find once Christmas Day is over I'm not so much in the holiday mood anymore and I don't think the holiday aspect of the parks will be so exciting for me in January.

kkmcan --

You're very welcome!

I think that sticking with Thanksgiving weekend will be good! As I mentioned above, there were some folks who said that Thanksgiving week and weekend were not too bad in terms of crowds last year (but there were those who said it was very crowded too, of course!).

I have to think that if that is the case and the Thanksgiving holiday crowds were lighter than expected/lighter than usual in 2013 -- and I didn't see the Thanksgiving week crowds myself to be able to form an opinion -- some people likely stayed away from DLR on that weekend because they assumed it would be crowded...and then they packed into other time frames that are normally less crowded (like early December)!

The crowd dynamics can so easily shift to where the previously pleasant times become super busy, and the previously busy times thin out a bit. It's all part of that "crowds causing crowds while trying to avoid crowds" effect that I often speak of on this board. People get wind of less busy time frames and they book their trips for that time frame, which also leaves the busier time frames less busy. (It's basically a whole science to try to figure out how to effectively avoid crowds!) I think that effect may have worked well for Thanksgiving weekend last year, possibly.

What you mentioned about your holiday mood diminishing after Christmas Day is a very valid point -- in fact, that kind of ties into why I mentioned the activities (Santa, carolers, etc.) that will be available pre-Christmas as opposed to possibly not being available post-Christmas. I was thinking along the lines of other people (crowds) who might want to be at DLR for the "full holiday experience," and therefore might show up for Thanksgiving weekend as opposed to the first weekend of January.

I think that a lot of people feel as you do, and once December 25th passes -- and especially once January 1st arrives -- they have moved on and out of the holiday mood/mode, preferring to do all of their holiday activities by/before Christmas. I am the biggest Christmas/holiday season fanatic around, but even I don't feel as much in a Christmas/holiday mood past December 25th! As corny as it sounds, there is something extra magical and special about that time frame between Thanksgiving and Christmas Day that really works to keep the holiday mood going.

For some reason, doing holiday things past Christmas -- and, of course, past New Year's -- seems different somehow. I know that if I had a choice between the two weekends you are considering, I would absolutely go over Thanksgiving if I wanted it to be a real "holiday trip."

 

[Sherry E]

Okay...

I finally made it to the other side!

I appear to you now from my new PC -- -- and I cannot figure out one single thing in Windows 8! I am happily zipping along on the Internet and quickly scrolling down pages -- speed is something I have never known on a PC -- but I absolutely hate with all of my being this horrible Windows 8 layout. Talk about not knowing when to leave well enough alone (Microsoft, I am looking at YOU!). Good grief, Charlie Brown... even my email looks different.

Anyway, once I get the multiple updates loaded on here that have to be loaded and get some sense of what I am doing I can get back to updating my Halloween and Christmas Superthreads!!!! At the moment, I honestly can't even figure out how to copy links of pages and posts -- and the info that I compile for my threads is all about links! Where is the address/search bar that would normally be at the top of the screen?

 

[Cheshirecatty]

Hooray Sherry……..

Congrats on making it to the other side(would that be the dark side?????) of changing out PCs!

We did that earlier this year, and I thought I would lose my mind---had to have my children do/show me everything---I FEEL FOR YOU!!!!!

Remember, practice makes perfect(and yelling at the screen and getting infuriated doesn't help)!!

Good luck, and we're looking forward to many posts from you, in the quickly approaching "upcoming Pre-holiday season"!!!

 

[Phoenixrising]

Congrat's on the new computer Sherry!! My DH has Window's 8 on his newer laptop than mine. He threaten's to throw it out the nearest window all the time, or punch it, which has caused the death of his previous 3 laptops over the years. He hates the latest version of Window's with a passion, so you are not the only one who dislikes it.

 

[Sherry E]

You all know how I love me some holidays, and I had originally intended to post a "Happy April Fool's Day" holiday season photo the other day, but my old beast of a PC was giving me problems. So I skipped it.

I like to repurpose DLR holiday season photos for other holidays or celebratory events. I've posted photos for Valentine's Day (from the Main Street Flower Market in December), Mardi Gras (from New Orleans Square in December) and St. Patrick's Day (also from NOS, but a couple of other DLR locations as well).

How could one ignore April Fool's Day when New Orleans Square is home to many mischievous jesters -- lurking around corners, dangling from lampposts, embedded in garland and sitting atop balconies.

So, belated happy April Fool's Day, everyone!

Both from December 2012 (and yes, I edited them and used different effects on each one, as they are destined to end up in one of my calendars or other photo projects!)...

​

Hooray Sherry……..

Congrats on making it to the other side(would that be the dark side?????) of changing out PCs!

We did that earlier this year, and I thought I would lose my mind---had to have my children do/show me everything---I FEEL FOR YOU!!!!!

Remember, practice makes perfect(and yelling at the screen and getting infuriated doesn't help)!!

Good luck, and we're looking forward to many posts from you, in the quickly approaching "upcoming Pre-holiday season"!!!

Cheshirecatty --

I may need to borrow your children so they can show me what to do!

I thought that my days of yelling at computers would be done for a while, after ditching the soul-crushing behemoth that troubled me for years. And now I have to yell at a computer again! It's true! Yelling is required!

I just don't understand this crazy layout of Windows 8. It seems that everything is set up to try to sell the user on certain services -- services that I previously never needed! There seem to be dozens and dozens of apps (more than 95 apps, to be exact) that mysteriously "had to be loaded" on this PC when it was set up, and the apps all involved things I have no interest in. I was told by the tech guy who set it up for me that Microsoft has fixed it so that you can't load certain software without errors -- if at all -- until you add all of these "updates" to their endless apps. That's why a lot of people are having trouble with the latest versions of some programs on Windows 8 and 8.1 (such as Photoshop Elements or Adobe Reader) -- they have not accepted all of the updates to the other stuff yet, so Microsoft is essentially forcing them to load things to get the programs that they actually want to work!

And then there are the different screens. There's the screen with the pretty picture that pops up when you first boot up the PC. After that there is the start screen with 50,000 different apps. but you have to scroll down and pull up another page to see more. Then, if you know where to find it you can use the desktop screen.

I was originally trying to access the DIS through the live Explorer tile on the Start page, which led me to a version of the DIS where there was no way to copy links to anything! Eventually I realized that I shouldn't access Explorer through the live tile on the Start page, but instead access it from the Desktop screen -- which brought me to the screen that I know, and where I can copy links and open up separate tabs! But this is crazy business! I miss the simpler days of just turning on the PC and getting to one simple desktop screen, where I could easily find what I needed.

On a positive note, aside from being able to open things without pages freezing up on me, I do enjoy the nice wide monitor and the keyboard with a softer touch than the one I had.

Congrat's on the new computer Sherry!! My DH has Window's 8 on his newer laptop than mine. He threaten's to throw it out the nearest window all the time, or punch it, which has caused the death of his previous 3 laptops over the years. He hates the latest version of Window's with a passion, so you are not the only one who dislikes it.

Thank you, Trish! (Congratulations on your new camera, too, by the way!)

I totally understand your husband's frustration. Even the tech guy who set up everything for me yesterday said that his office staff doesn't use Windows 8. They hate it. They use Windows 7, but only recently got 7 after switching from XP. No one wants this 8! I have read many comments online from disgruntled Windows 8 users (although 8.1 is just slightly better -- not by much), and some even said that they ended up uninstalling Windows 8 from their PCs, only to install Windows 7 instead. You know it's bad when the customers want to downgrade their operating systems instead of upgrade!

 

[Phoenixrising]

Thanks for the congrat's on the camera. I ended up getting a better deal than expected on the camera and the accessories I wanted for it, with the store kicking in a 3 year warranty for $5, and got a really good deal on a 16GB memory card for it, so I'm good to go. I really like the new camera, even though it's a battery eater. So when I go on vacation, I'm going to have to take lot's of batteries for it. I've talked it over with DH, and if I can save up enough money, the Nov/16 to DL will be a family trip instead of a solo trip. I would probably book the week before Thanksgiving, as the crowds are slightly lower then. Kids have no clue what I'm up to, and I really don't feel right planning another solo trip to DL in light of the fact the family hasn't been back since Sept/11. Besides the kids would kill me if I did another solo trip before a family trip. My DH had always had a love/hate relationship with computers, but it's when he get's frustrated enough to give the computer a good thump is when he usually ends up killing the hard drive on the current laptop. He's been through 4 laptops in less than 8 years, due to the abuse he heaps on them. Have a great day!!

Trish

 

[patticass]

We are trying to plan a short trip to Disneyland during the Christmas season, tentatively the week after Thanksgiving. We went in 2013 during Halloween and really enjoyed Mickey's Party, however, we really want to see the Christmas magic. My question for anyone who knows is do they hold the fireworks in December during the week? They did not have them last year during the week unless it was a Mickey's Party night. I am trying to decide whether to spend the 3 days in the park to include a Fri or Sun if those are the only nights for fireworks. I would prefer midweek for crowds, if there is a chance to see the fireworks. If there is another place I should look for an answer, please let me know. Thanks in advance.