Disneyland at Christmas/Holiday Season Superthread #4

[mvf-m11c]

Anyways, I was planning on being there from the 16th to the 21st but now I've read that there is a marathon weekend there that weekend, and although we arrive on the Sunday, will it still be busy? Then thanksgiving the following week will that make it busier?

As Sherry have mentioned that I do go a lot in November during the holiday season at the DLR. I go a lot during the first official weekend of the holiday season at the DLR in my November which is a nice time to visit the parks and to be able to see and experience the full holiday season at the DLR. The crowd levels are really nice and not that busy during the first weekend of the holiday season. But lately, the parks in mid November have been getting a little busy lately. During Thanksgiving break does draw a lot of guests and it is manageable and I have experienced. It can draw heavy crowds like Monday the 25th, 2013 where it almost feels like summertime crowds.

But this year is completely new with the Avenger's Marathon going on November 14th to 16th which will impact guests to think of going that weekend. It already made me thinking do I want to go during the marathon or take a chance with it but time will tell and from reading all these different sites and threads of the previous marathon's at the DLR.


I knew that the DLR was going to increase the price this month to August but it happened a lot sooner. It is disappointing that the price took in affect right now. Even with the price increase of the tickets and AP's, it won't stop me from buying an AP and visiting the DLR. I have been an AP for a few years and the price increase won't stop me unless the DLR dramatically increases the price of the AP's.

It will be nice if the DLR doesn't do a paid party like MHP during the Halloween season this year. But if they do have one, they better have something new and get the guests to buy a paid party ticket.

 

[tksbaskets]

Oh how I wish DL was a drive away for us. Even then we are happy Premium AP holders for this year. It was only $30 more each than getting the amount of park hopper days we wanted last December. We are going back for a week in July (I really hope it isn't 100 degrees). and DH and I hope to also get back in early December.

We've only been to DL as a family once in 2008 when it WASN'T decorated for Christmas. We're looking forward to seeing it all not gussied up.

Probably won't renew for this next year...sigh...

 

[mlnbabies]

We are booked from Dec. 9-13 at Paradise Pier! We are flying into LAX on Southwest. What shuttle service does everyone like?

I am so excited!

 

[Sherry E]

Okay, let me just reiterate that last week's temperatures here in SoCal were in the low 100s -- meaning between 100 - 102 where I am in L.A., and probably a few degrees higher than that in Anaheim! Way too hot for this time of year, or any time of year.

And this week it is going to mostly be all temperatures in the 70s, until the weekend! Today is supposed to be 72 or 73-ish (but it feels warmer), and tomorrow is supposed to be 71 degrees! Now we're talking! I would prefer a nice 65 degrees, but I will accept the low 70s!

But seriously, a 30-degree drop from one week ago?! What is up with that? That's the kind of crazy unpredictability that I expect from autumn in SoCal, but not from spring! (Not that it usually soars to over 100 degrees in fall -- it doesn't -- but it has been known to be cool, windy, drizzly and gloomy one week and hot, dry and sunny the next week.)

​

Bret --

Thank you for adding in your thoughts about November -- I was hoping you would!

For you -- yes, definitely, an AP is necessary. You are at DLR every 2 or 3 months, for a few days at a time -- and sometimes you might throw an extra trip into the mix if there is a new or special event of some kind. It would be crazy not to have an AP!

As I mentioned a couple of days ago, even for me it makes more sense to have an AP when I compare it to the cost of a 1-day Hopper. If I were to do, let's say, 4 or 5 one-day trips in a year, as well as a multi-day trip in December, there's no way it would be sensible to get a Hopper each of those times instead of an AP. If someone were only going to visit DLR one time in a year -- for several days -- then a Hopper might make more sense than an AP.

I went back to the Deluxe AP section to reexamine the blocked dates, and really, most of the dates that I would probably go to DLR are not blocked on the Deluxe. However, the discounts are less substantial and then certain actual holidays are blocked.

Also, the ability to hop between parks is so vital to the whole experience now, and I'm not sure a one-park-per-day approach would work for everyone. I mean, I guess I could force myself to adapt to one park per day, but it really cuts down on flexibility. Sometimes I might start out with the intention of spending most of the day in DL. Maybe I'll get there and suddenly have a change of mood, deciding that I need to go over to DCA instead. Or, I may want to leave one park for a bit, go back to the hotel and rest for a while, and then go back to the second park later. As far as food choices, the same thing applies -- I might plan to get food at one particular place, see that it is too crowded and then decide to go to the other park to get food. It's not possible to do that kind of mid-day change of plan when there is no Hopper.

So an AP is needed, one way or another, I feel.

What baffles me is why people who are not even really major Disney fans and who have no intentions of being at DLR very often -- those who maybe just like to go there every once in a great while, for a few hours of fun, but who could really take it or leave it -- get Annual Passes. If they are literally only there on maybe 2 separate days out of the whole year, for 3 or 4 hours at a time, what is the point in having a Deluxe or Premium AP? Yes, it would be crazy to pay $150 or almost $100 for only a few hours, as well, but again -- we're talking about paying the full price of a Deluxe or Premium for maybe a total of 6-8 hours in the parks for the entire year! There are folks who fit that description, and they get APs.

I'm hoping that there will not be a Christmas party this year too, but even setting aside my own personal wishes and looking at how it could be staged and what would be included in it, I simply don't think that DLR is ready to have a Christmas party yet. Unless they have some new tricks up their sleeve and surprises galore for 2014 -- and that is always a possibility -- based on what I saw around DLR last year, as wonderful and magical as it all was, there wasn't quite enough to take existing events away and add them to a paid party.

Also, once again I have to go back to the Halloween Time/Mickey's Halloween Party example for comparison and contrasting circumstances. The Halloween party (in all of its former versions, pre-MHP) actually pre-dated the Halloween Time season. The paid, hard ticket party was happening before Halloween Time, the season, ever officially began. The party started in the mid-'90s, then stopped, then resumed in 2005. Halloween Time, on the other hand, did not begin (officially) until 2006. So the paid Halloween party has been a major fixture of Halloween Time ever since it began, and even before it began!

On the other hand, the Holidays at Disneyland Resort have been going on -- without a hard ticket party -- for a long, long, long time. They've been a big deal at Disneyland for at least 25 years, and the Holidays have only gotten bigger and grander since DCA, the GCH and DTD became part of DLR too. So, in this case, a new party would have to be worked into the season, whereas the Halloween party was already going strong before Halloween Time started.

That's not to say that a Christmas party at DLR won't happen -- I think it's inevitable that it will happen at some point, and it may even be amazing. Who knows? But DLR has to handle it a bit differently than to just say, "Well, the Halloween party is a hit, so hey, let's have a Christmas party too," when they have gone soooooooooo long without having one! I think they really need to put a lot of careful thought into exactly when, how and where it will happen; what will be included in it; what will be available as far as holiday entertainment on non-party days; will these events be equally appealing to their massive visitor base of returning locals as well as all the first-time non-locals and returning non-locals; will there be enough holiday entertainment in the non-party park to keep the non-party guests happy, etc., etc. There is a lot to think about when deciding to suddenly work a paid party into DLR's holiday season. It will be interesting to see how and when it finally happens!

​

TK -

I hope it's not 100 degrees when you're at DLR in July too! I hope it's not even in the 90s. Every now and then we have a mild July in SoCal, where the temperatures are unseasonably low, like in the 70s. That's not too common, but it has happened.

Summer heat is so much less forgiving than Fall heat! The sun itself is so much harsher in summer on an 80-degree day than it is in December on an 80-degree day. And all of that hot pavement just makes it worse. That's when the rides like Splash and GRR come in handy!

I will cross my fingers for you that an early December trip is in the works for you. Be sure to let me know how that is coming along, as you may end up there around a time when I am there. I don't have anything planned, but early December is always around my time frame.

​

mlnbabies -

Yay! I'm so glad you got your reservation made and you're all set to have a wonderful trip in December! I hope that you like the PPH. Make sure to also visit the Disneyland Hotel and the Grand Californian Hotel (since they are all so close together) to enjoy even more of the holiday atmosphere.

I know a lot of people use Super Shuttle. I think they stick with it because it is well known and has a long history. Some folks use Karmel Shuttle. I've used both Super Shuttle and Karmel and they were fine, but expensive.

Last year there was some buzz about a place called DK Livery. I know that one of our 2013 December travelers -- egritz -- used DK Livery and was very happy with their service. You might want to check them out.

I use a service called Sav-On Shuttle.net. (They have mostly great reviews on Yelp.) It's a very small, no-frills, informal sort of service (you are not required to put a deposit down in advance), but the drivers have always been prompt, friendly and courteous when they have picked me up, and I got a better price from them than from Super Shuttle or Karmel. They do a lot of business around DLR, transporting guests to and from DLR and various other popular spots in SoCal.

 

[JadeDarkstar]

we are still going for 5 days 6 nights if i can pull it off, we are getting tickets from the race site and the prices there haven't changed i hope they don't go up but if they did its only 5 bucks more per ph ticket from the Disney web site for the 5 day tickets.

If they had the party id defiantly buy tickets to it.

On another up side for me. I finely got my tablet. i got a kindle fire hdx from open box and saved 50 from what the full price ones would have been. I got it so i could read my school books in the car while driving to sea world next month and not need to lug around the huge big books.

We are excited for both trips and my son has one half day left tomorrow of his 5th grade class. He is so excited, now counting down to Maleficent on the 30th, then count down to sea world begins, and then when we get back his count down for his bday, Dl, and Christmas will begin

 

[Sherry E]

we are still going for 5 days 6 nights if i can pull it off, we are getting tickets from the race site and the prices there haven't changed i hope they don't go up but if they did its only 5 bucks more per ph ticket from the Disney web site for the 5 day tickets.

If they had the party id defiantly buy tickets to it.

On another up side for me. I finely got my tablet. i got a kindle fire hdx from open box and saved 50 from what the full price ones would have been. I got it so i could read my school books in the car while driving to sea world next month and not need to lug around the huge big books.

We are excited for both trips and my son has one half day left tomorrow of his 5th grade class. He is so excited, now counting down to Maleficent on the 30th, then count down to sea world begins, and then when we get back his count down for his bday, Dl, and Christmas will begin

Jade --

Congratulations on getting your tablet! That's a great idea -- to be able to read your school books while you're on the go and not have to bring the big, heavy books!

You have a lot of fun, wonderful things coming up this year, so there is a lot to look forward to. I think it will be a great year for you!

Can you believe that we are already about to hit June, in 12 days? It seems like it was just January 1st not long ago. Not that I mind the time zipping by to bring me that much closer to Halloween and the holidays!

 

[mvf-m11c]

Bret --

Thank you for adding in your thoughts about November -- I was hoping you would!

For you -- yes, definitely, an AP is necessary. You are at DLR every 2 or 3 months, for a few days at a time -- and sometimes you might throw an extra trip into the mix if there is a new or special event of some kind. It would be crazy not to have an AP!

As I mentioned a couple of days ago, even for me it makes more sense to have an AP when I compare it to the cost of a 1-day Hopper. If I were to do, let's say, 4 or 5 one-day trips in a year, as well as a multi-day trip in December, there's no way it would be sensible to get a Hopper each of those times instead of an AP. If someone were only going to visit DLR one time in a year -- for several days -- then a Hopper might make more sense than an AP.

I went back to the Deluxe AP section to reexamine the blocked dates, and really, most of the dates that I would probably go to DLR are not blocked on the Deluxe. However, the discounts are less substantial and then certain actual holidays are blocked.

Also, the ability to hop between parks is so vital to the whole experience now, and I'm not sure a one-park-per-day approach would work for everyone. I mean, I guess I could force myself to adapt to one park per day, but it really cuts down on flexibility. Sometimes I might start out with the intention of spending most of the day in DL. Maybe I'll get there and suddenly have a change of mood, deciding that I need to go over to DCA instead. Or, I may want to leave one park for a bit, go back to the hotel and rest for a while, and then go back to the second park later. As far as food choices, the same thing applies -- I might plan to get food at one particular place, see that it is too crowded and then decide to go to the other park to get food. It's not possible to do that kind of mid-day change of plan when there is no Hopper.

So an AP is needed, one way or another, I feel.

What baffles me is why people who are not even really major Disney fans and who have no intentions of being at DLR very often -- those who maybe just like to go there every once in a great while, for a few hours of fun, but who could really take it or leave it -- get Annual Passes. If they are literally only there on maybe 2 separate days out of the whole year, for 3 or 4 hours at a time, what is the point in having a Deluxe or Premium AP? Yes, it would be crazy to pay $150 or almost $100 for only a few hours, as well, but again -- we're talking about paying the full price of a Deluxe or Premium for maybe a total of 6-8 hours in the parks for the entire year! There are folks who fit that description, and they get APs.

I'm hoping that there will not be a Christmas party this year too, but even setting aside my own personal wishes and looking at how it could be staged and what would be included in it, I simply don't think that DLR is ready to have a Christmas party yet. Unless they have some new tricks up their sleeve and surprises galore for 2014 -- and that is always a possibility -- based on what I saw around DLR last year, as wonderful and magical as it all was, there wasn't quite enough to take existing events away and add them to a paid party.

Also, once again I have to go back to the Halloween Time/Mickey's Halloween Party example for comparison and contrasting circumstances. The Halloween party (in all of its former versions, pre-MHP) actually pre-dated the Halloween Time season. The paid, hard ticket party was happening before Halloween Time, the season, ever officially began. The party started in the mid-'90s, then stopped, then resumed in 2005. Halloween Time, on the other hand, did not begin (officially) until 2006. So the paid Halloween party has been a major fixture of Halloween Time ever since it began, and even before it began!

On the other hand, the Holidays at Disneyland Resort have been going on -- without a hard ticket party -- for a long, long, long time. They've been a big deal at Disneyland for at least 25 years, and the Holidays have only gotten bigger and grander since DCA, the GCH and DTD became part of DLR too. So, in this case, a new party would have to be worked into the season, whereas the Halloween party was already going strong before Halloween Time started.

That's not to say that a Christmas party at DLR won't happen -- I think it's inevitable that it will happen at some point, and it may even be amazing. Who knows? But DLR has to handle it a bit differently than to just say, "Well, the Halloween party is a hit, so hey, let's have a Christmas party too," when they have gone soooooooooo long without having one! I think they really need to put a lot of careful thought into exactly when, how and where it will happen; what will be included in it; what will be available as far as holiday entertainment on non-party days; will these events be equally appealing to their massive visitor base of returning locals as well as all the first-time non-locals and returning non-locals; will there be enough holiday entertainment in the non-party park to keep the non-party guests happy, etc., etc. There is a lot to think about when deciding to suddenly work a paid party into DLR's holiday season. It will be interesting to see how and when it finally happens!

​

Just as you stated that you got to know how many days you will be visiting the DLR in order to get an AP. I have done it in the past where I have visited the DLR more then three trips in one year and I didn't even consider buying an AP during the first trip and second trip since I didn't plan on going back to the DLR. I have wished that I bought an AP on the first trip and on the second trip since I knew that I was coming back on the third trip but you just don't know until the last second. Both my DA's have looked carefully at the two AP's they bought and it make sense for them to get the DAP since we aren't going much on Saturday's (unless it is not blocked out like in September-November) and have at least one party member that have a PAP so they are able to get the full AP discount and parking.

I do enjoy the park hopping at the DLR since the parks are right next to each other where at WDW where you will have to travel (car, monorail, bus, boat, etc.) to another area and it takes part of your day. It makes more sense (in my opinion) to buy non-park hopper tickets at WDW then at the DLR with the traveling to another park unless you like to go to a different park that day for a change of scenery. Just as you said that I would like a change scenery and go from DL to DCA later that day and go back to the room and go to DL that night and enjoy the fireworks. It is

As you said that it makes no sense to spend that much money on one day park tickets or AP's to go the parks for a couple of hours. If I was a local and not staying at the hotels around the DLR, I would go for a few hours a day and enjoy myself where when I am coming from NorCal and trying to get as much done as I can.

We have been talking about this again and again and we hope that there will be no Christmas party this year and years to come since we are so used to the holiday season at DL. Unless DL is going to add something new like a new fireworks, parade, etc. it makes no sense to do a paid party admission to the current fireworks and parade during the holiday season where it is part of it.

I have compared the parties at both DL and WDW during the Halloween and Christmas season (only at WDW) and they are nice and offer special shows which you don't get during the regular days at the parks. They are nice to have a hard ticket for a special event where it won't be that busy. But all the parties that I have attended can be very busy just like a regular park day. The rides wait times are shorter during the parties but the wait time for the shows are long as a regular day in my opinion from waiting for HS fireworks at DL, HalloWishes fireworks at the MK during MNSSHP and Holiday Wishes fireworks.

Just like you said that it will be inevitable that a party ticket will happen during the holiday season at the DLR but when will it happen is the big question. Will it be this year, next year or five years from now on. We just don't know what TDA is thinking. TDA needs to think clearly of doing a part during the holiday season at DL since it is part of it during the Holiday season.

 

[kkmcan]

Will these new increases affect your holiday season trip budgets at all? Will you plan to buy fewer things? Stay at a different hotel than where you had planned? Eat at fewer table service restaurants? Skip the holiday tour? Cut your trip short by a day?

And...if the (rumored, not confirmed) Christmas party does, indeed, happen this year (I still have my doubts that it will), will you buy tickets for it (which would surely be in the range of $50-$60 each, I would think)??

Are Annual Passes still worth it for everyone who has them or who wants to buy them? Has the price pushed you too far, or is the AP still a bargain/value to you based on your park-touring habits?

We've had Deluxe AP's twice now for our family and I felt those were very good deals (before they hit the $400 range). We live in Az so if we were planning 2 multi day trips in one year then it made sense to get them. Now it no longer makes sense. One 3 day hopper at $265 x 2 trips is $530 which I guess is just a few dollars off with the new price being $519. But our days of several trips to DL a year are over anyways. Our kids are older and we are all wanting to see new places now. We didn't do DL at all last year but snuck in 2 parks at WDW during our Orlando trip. Then we saved up to go to Aulani in Oahu this past Spring Break. We are still getting plenty of Disney just in other ways.

Right now I've got DL planned for Nov 21-23 to see the Christmas Decorations. We've never done DL at that time of the year and my kids were begging last year to go see WOC Holiday Dreams and Jingle Cruise. They are getting older (17 and 14) so I think we need to do this while they still want to. We are getting the park hoppers and I've signed up for the YES Program so that should save us a few dollars on tickets and get the kids into a cool high school physics class. They are excited about that!

We wouldn't change our plans for the $5 increase on the 3 days parkhopper. Its not much and we use our Disney Visa reward dollars to help offset the price of our trip. In fact we used $749 that we'd saved up to help with Aulani. Without those reward dollars we wouldn't have been able to stay there. Love our Disney Visa!!

I'm always looking for ways to cut costs on tickets, airfare and hotel. And I'm usually ready to jump on a deal. I didn't jump on the Ebates/Orbitz deal a few months ago and I regret that.

 

[AmberStar]

Nothing has changed as far as our plans go. The goal is to be paid off by the time we leave. All expenses accounted for. So far so good... makes me nervous though since we live on a limited budget and since we had not saved much prior to committing to going this year.

I did get a disney visa though and spent my 500 dollars (bought 2 of 5 tickets) the other day so I can get the 200 dollar gift card. Will pay of the CC when I get the bill but Plan to use the GC in the park so that has defiantly helped.

We are calling our trip Christmas. I wanted an experience this year and less plastic toys. Can't wait!!! In fact... it may become tradition at least every other year if we enjoy ourselves. I just hate spending money on crap the kids could care less about a month later.

 

[DisneyJamieCA]

Since we have APs, the price increase doesn't affect us - this year!

But Sherry, you won't believe what I saw today! I was at the discount grocery store buying some stuff for the kids' school (ice cream party today) and they had TWO DOZEN cartons of Winter Wonderland ice cream, not slow churned....for $2.99 a carton!

 

[dolphingirl47]

I am back from my spring trip and now it is full steam ahead planning for the birthday/ holiday trip. I managed to book the Aulani part before we left, but on the 7 months mark for VGC, I could only waitlist. So I have to be patient. All the points that I have to use or lose have been used up for the Aulani stay so if my waitlist does not come through by the end of my banking window, I will just cancel this and book both stays at a Good Neighbour hotel. If my waitlist does come through for the nights after Hawaii, I am planning to splurge on the Disneyland hotel for the nights before we fly to Hawaii.

I am planning to get an Annual pass as this works out cheaper than a 2 day hopper and a 4 day hopper. There is also a chance that we may be back before this expires. If there should be a party and it takes place while we are there, I would most certainly get a ticket for this.

Corinna

 

[Sherry E]

Just as you stated that you got to know how many days you will be visiting the DLR in order to get an AP. I have done it in the past where I have visited the DLR more then three trips in one year and I didn't even consider buying an AP during the first trip and second trip since I didn't plan on going back to the DLR. I have wished that I bought an AP on the first trip and on the second trip since I knew that I was coming back on the third trip but you just don't know until the last second. Both my DA's have looked carefully at the two AP's they bought and it make sense for them to get the DAP since we aren't going much on Saturday's (unless it is not blocked out like in September-November) and have at least one party member that have a PAP so they are able to get the full AP discount and parking.

I do enjoy the park hopping at the DLR since the parks are right next to each other where at WDW where you will have to travel (car, monorail, bus, boat, etc.) to another area and it takes part of your day. It makes more sense (in my opinion) to buy non-park hopper tickets at WDW then at the DLR with the traveling to another park unless you like to go to a different park that day for a change of scenery. Just as you said that I would like a change scenery and go from DL to DCA later that day and go back to the room and go to DL that night and enjoy the fireworks. It is

As you said that it makes no sense to spend that much money on one day park tickets or AP's to go the parks for a couple of hours. If I was a local and not staying at the hotels around the DLR, I would go for a few hours a day and enjoy myself where when I am coming from NorCal and trying to get as much done as I can.

We have been talking about this again and again and we hope that there will be no Christmas party this year and years to come since we are so used to the holiday season at DL. Unless DL is going to add something new like a new fireworks, parade, etc. it makes no sense to do a paid party admission to the current fireworks and parade during the holiday season where it is part of it.

I have compared the parties at both DL and WDW during the Halloween and Christmas season (only at WDW) and they are nice and offer special shows which you don't get during the regular days at the parks. They are nice to have a hard ticket for a special event where it won't be that busy. But all the parties that I have attended can be very busy just like a regular park day. The rides wait times are shorter during the parties but the wait time for the shows are long as a regular day in my opinion from waiting for HS fireworks at DL, HalloWishes fireworks at the MK during MNSSHP and Holiday Wishes fireworks.

Just like you said that it will be inevitable that a party ticket will happen during the holiday season at the DLR but when will it happen is the big question. Will it be this year, next year or five years from now on. We just don't know what TDA is thinking. TDA needs to think clearly of doing a part during the holiday season at DL since it is part of it during the Holiday season.

Bret --

That makes sense, for your DA's to get the Deluxe while one person (you) keeps a higher level of AP, to get the discounts at meals. There's no need to get the PAP if they can get by with a lower tier AP.

I actually wonder what kinds of prices (and crowds) we will be looking at in DLR in 2016. Isn't 2016 when Harry Potter comes to USH? That is going to be a huge, massive hit for Universal Studios, no question about it, but USH as a whole is just not as interesting or as engaging as DLR is (as you know, since you were just there not long ago). So I wonder if the lure of Harry Potter will be enough to give Disney a run for its money and draw some crowds away.

I kind of hope that lots and lots of people avoid DLR and flood USH in 2016. Even though I live much closer to USH than I do to DLR, I'd rather head to DLR when all of the crowds have headed to USH!

At the same time, the Disney Parks planning people are no fools. They are well aware that Harry Potter is coming our way in the next couple of years and will suddenly put USH firmly back on the map as being a must-do attraction for a lot of people. Could DLR have something exciting up its sleeve to keep the crowds interested in 2016? If so, what could it be and how would it be finished by 2016? Could Disney make a big announcement about a possible 2016 attraction/event during the D23 Expo in summer 2015? Or will they just offer a whole bunch of discounts on everything (tickets. hotels, food, etc.) in 2016 to keep everyone interested?

My feeling is that something exciting will be happening at DLR by 2016, with the 60th anniversary year leading up to it. A new event, a new ride, a new makeover for a land -- something. I think they are going to do something exciting to compete with Harry. Let's face it -- as fun and imaginative as Cars Land and Buena Vista Street are, some of the novelty of Cars Land will have worn off by 2016. It won't be so "new" anymore, so DLR can't exactly rely on a couple of no-longer-new lands in DCA to keep people away from Harry Potter.

About a potential Christmas party -- I totally forgot about the possible brand new nighttime parade coming in 2015 (I was just reminded of it when my MiceChat newsletter arrived)! That is a major factor if it actually happens. That's something to consider in regards to the likelihood of a Christmas party -- if DLR trots out a new nighttime parade for the 60th Anniversary, I suspect that it will affect the Christmas Fantasy Parade. Maybe they will skip the Christmas Fantasy Parade altogether in 2015 and just run the new night parade (if there is one) all holiday season long?? They could use the new night parade as the selling point for a Christmas party somehow, even if it is not a Christmas parade.

Or, Disney could throw a party into the mix this year with some sort of hint about it possibly being the last time to see the Christmas Fantasy Parade -- that would easily get people to buy tickets if they did that.

Oh well. We shall see what unfolds in the next few months!

We've had Deluxe AP's twice now for our family and I felt those were very good deals (before they hit the $400 range). We live in Az so if we were planning 2 multi day trips in one year then it made sense to get them. Now it no longer makes sense. One 3 day hopper at $265 x 2 trips is $530 which I guess is just a few dollars off with the new price being $519. But our days of several trips to DL a year are over anyways. Our kids are older and we are all wanting to see new places now. We didn't do DL at all last year but snuck in 2 parks at WDW during our Orlando trip. Then we saved up to go to Aulani in Oahu this past Spring Break. We are still getting plenty of Disney just in other ways.

Right now I've got DL planned for Nov 21-23 to see the Christmas Decorations. We've never done DL at that time of the year and my kids were begging last year to go see WOC Holiday Dreams and Jingle Cruise. They are getting older (17 and 14) so I think we need to do this while they still want to. We are getting the park hoppers and I've signed up for the YES Program so that should save us a few dollars on tickets and get the kids into a cool high school physics class. They are excited about that!

We wouldn't change our plans for the $5 increase on the 3 days parkhopper. Its not much and we use our Disney Visa reward dollars to help offset the price of our trip. In fact we used $749 that we'd saved up to help with Aulani. Without those reward dollars we wouldn't have been able to stay there. Love our Disney Visa!!

I'm always looking for ways to cut costs on tickets, airfare and hotel. And I'm usually ready to jump on a deal. I didn't jump on the Ebates/Orbitz deal a few months ago and I regret that.

kkmcan --

Great thoughts. I can't believe you've never been to DLR during the holiday season! So you've never even gotten to experience It's a Small World Holiday? Well, that may or may not be something that your kids are interested in, but it is absolutely beautiful inside and out (the façade is especially stunning at night), so don't miss it!

You are one of several people whose comments I have heard or read about wanting to branch out and do other things besides DLR now that the kids are getting older (and the prices are continuing to rise). Some folks are still working DLR into their general trip plans, but also incorporating a lot of other things into their trips too (DIS'er DizNee Luver/Laurie has a current Pre-TR in the DLR TR forum about a big road trip she and her family are taking in July, which includes 3 days at DLR, but the entire rest of the trip is jam-packed with other activities and interesting places -- whereas in the past they have spent at least 5 full days at DLR, if not a full week!). Other folks are simply skipping DLR for a trip or two and instead heading elsewhere.

It's coincidental that you posted because I just happened to (silently) be reading your Hawaii/Aulani TR 2 days ago! I think I saw an Aulani ad somewhere and I got to thinking that I had never read an Aulani TR, and I wanted to see some photos of it. I went looking for an Aulani TR and yours was the first TR I found. I thought that the Dole Plantation looked particularly interesting, as did the giant maze! I would have loved to do that maze! (Also, I love pineapple so Dole is my kind of place.) And all of that beautiful, lush greenery, white sand and blue water everywhere! So lovely!

Nothing has changed as far as our plans go. The goal is to be paid off by the time we leave. All expenses accounted for. So far so good... makes me nervous though since we live on a limited budget and since we had not saved much prior to committing to going this year.

I did get a disney visa though and spent my 500 dollars (bought 2 of 5 tickets) the other day so I can get the 200 dollar gift card. Will pay of the CC when I get the bill but Plan to use the GC in the park so that has defiantly helped.

We are calling our trip Christmas. I wanted an experience this year and less plastic toys. Can't wait!!! In fact... it may become tradition at least every other year if we enjoy ourselves. I just hate spending money on crap the kids could care less about a month later.

AmberStar --

The $200 GC you get from Disney Visa will be a tremendous help towards costs at DLR! That can buy a lot of food, or go towards holiday tours, or PhotoPass, or whatever.

I think that sounds like a good plan -- create some extra memories and experiences instead of the toys that the kids will outgrow.

You mentioned that this Christmas trip may become a tradition of sorts of you all enjoy yourselves. I don't know how much you like/love/enjoy the holiday season to begin with, so that will have a lot to do with it. If you are someone who loves the holiday season in general -- the lights, the treats, the colors, the music, the trees, the aromas, etc. -- and you love Disneyland Resort anyway, you should love the Holidays at DLR. There could be mitigating factors, such as bigger crowds than expected or some sort of schedule interruption, but if not, hopefully you will love it.

I get caught up in all of it. I love the sounds (such as the Main Street vehicle drivers honking out "Jingle Bells" on their horns as they mosey down the street, or the themed variations of Christmas songs in New Orleans Square, Buena Vista Street, Cars Land and Critter Country). I love the smells and tastes of gingerbread and peppermint. I love the stunning lights on the IASW Holiday façade and on the Winter Castle at night, and the assorted Christmas trees everywhere. I loved the uplifting, joyous Viva Navidad celebration in DCA. I love the (real) gingerbread house in Storytellers Café. I love the reindeer (made of wicker or wood or something rustic) holding court at the drive-up entrance to the Grand Californian Hotel. I love it all -- but I am a sucker for holidays in general.

If you don't love the holidays to begin with, however, then the extra sensory overload could be a bit much.

I will say that most people seem to come away from their first holiday trips to DLR with glowing reviews. In fact, to be honest, the holiday season at DLR can be a bit addictive and end up becoming a must-do for many people every year. Every so often someone will go and not have that great of a time, for whatever reason. It happens. More often than not, though, people adore what the entire Resort (including the 3 hotels) does for the season and want to go back again and again.

Since we have APs, the price increase doesn't affect us - this year!

But Sherry, you won't believe what I saw today! I was at the discount grocery store buying some stuff for the kids' school (ice cream party today) and they had TWO DOZEN cartons of Winter Wonderland ice cream, not slow churned....for $2.99 a carton!

Jamie -

You're kidding! The peppermint ice cream -- many, many cartons of it -- was available at your discount store? Madness! Is that a Grocery Outlet sort of place (which is where Gisele saw it earlier this year)? I don't have one of those stores near me. I do have a really good 99 Cents Store near me, but I guess Dreyer's has not gotten desperate enough to send the ice cream to the 99 Cents Only stores yet because I have neither seen it nor heard of it there.

I mentioned here that I got a carton -- er, uh, excuse me, I "may or may not have" gotten a carton I saw -- of the peppermint ice cream in CVS last month, and it may or may not have had freezer burn on it. I took that as a sign to let me know that I really should wait for the ice cream to come out at its "usual" time -- in September!

Now I am afraid that Dreyer's sent too many cartons to too many stores when they got wind of the fact that everyone was suddenly on the hunt for Peppermint Wonderland (word spreads around the Internet), and now they have not been able to sell all the cartons. So then what will happen? They will probably either not make as much of the ice cream when we need it -- this Fall and Winter -- or they won't send it to the stores as early as they normally do.

Just because we were all on a hunt for it in the Fall and Winter months doesn't mean we wanted the ice cream in the summer, or year-round. There has to be some seasonal novelty to it -- but Dreyer's will probably think, "Oh well, it's not totally sold out, so I guess that people didn't want it after all." And then it won't be there on the store shelves when it needs to be there.

Also -- one of the main issues last year, as you know, was that the ice cream was not at DLR when we needed it to be there, nor was it in the shops where it should have been. It was in unexpected table service places like the Blue Bayou or the BBQ. It didn't show up at Gibson Girl until the week of Christmas. It apparently came and went at Ghirardelli quicker than we could even say "Peppermint Wonderland." I would rather that DLR skips the whole "Christmas in July" thing (which included the peppermint ice cream last year) and just puts the ice cream where it should be in November and December -- in the ice cream shops!! But, with all of this ice cream in the stores that hasn't sold (like the 24 cartons you saw), will they even send it to DLR this year?

I am back from my spring trip and now it is full steam ahead planning for the birthday/ holiday trip. I managed to book the Aulani part before we left, but on the 7 months mark for VGC, I could only waitlist. So I have to be patient. All the points that I have to use or lose have been used up for the Aulani stay so if my waitlist does not come through by the end of my banking window, I will just cancel this and book both stays at a Good Neighbour hotel. If my waitlist does come through for the nights after Hawaii, I am planning to splurge on the Disneyland hotel for the nights before we fly to Hawaii.

I am planning to get an Annual pass as this works out cheaper than a 2 day hopper and a 4 day hopper. There is also a chance that we may be back before this expires. If there should be a party and it takes place while we are there, I would most certainly get a ticket for this.

Corinna

Hi, Corinna!

Your trip is going to be amazing, with 2 legs of Disneyland Resort holiday fun, and then your birthday at Aulani! Absolutely incredible. Hopefully the waitlist will come through and you can also stay at the DLH.

Yes, an AP definitely makes sense in your case, even with the price increase. If a Hopper is needed for 6 days or more, for November and possibly a trip next year, then the price just isn't cost effective in comparison to an AP, and you get more bang for your buck with an AP.

Was your spring trip a trip to Aulani? A cruise? A visit to WDW or to DLR, or somewhere else?

 

[DisneyJamieCA]

Yes, it was at a Grocery Outlet! I don't usually go in there, but they donated a gc to our school event so I went in to use it. Unfortunately, I couldn't use for my Peppermint Wonderland I have a feeling this was the old stuff - and now VERY old stuff, so even at that great price, I skipped it. I was just so shocked to see it.

 

[dolphingirl47]

Hi, Corinna!

Your trip is going to be amazing, with 2 legs of Disneyland Resort holiday fun, and then your birthday at Aulani! Absolutely incredible. Hopefully the waitlist will come through and you can also stay at the DLH.

Yes, an AP definitely makes sense in your case, even with the price increase. If a Hopper is needed for 6 days or more, for November and possibly a trip next year, then the price just isn't cost effective in comparison to an AP, and you get more bang for your buck with an AP.

Was your spring trip a trip to Aulani? A cruise? A visit to WDW or to DLR, or somewhere else?

The fall trip will be our first trip to Aulani. The spring trip was a Panama Canal cruise on the Disney Wonder and two bonus days in San Diego.

Corinna

 

[kkmcan]

Thanks Sherry! I actually forgot about my trip report, I don't think I finished it. We have found in our quest to do different trips that some of our best days together were the days we were seeing something new. We were all so excited and fresh faced for a day of firsts so we are trying to create lots of firsts. Hoping for a trip to NYC next summer. Don't get me wrong.... we still love DL, our kids still love DL and ask all the time is we can go but I want them to see and experience other places to. So far we've managed a couple places in Mexico, Las Vegas, a beach trip every year at different towns in So Cal, San Francisco, Branson, Orlando (Discovery Cove, & WDW), Grand Canyon & Sedona, Wash DC but the kids were little and don't remember, Bahamas, and Hawaii. I would love to do an Alaskan cruise but I haven't figured out a way to keep that under $5000 total. Its usually $5000 plus airfare plus excursions and then its getting close to $10,000. Too much for us.

So in keeping with our new experiences mantra, I've got a list running of stuff we want to do that we've never done before. Like the Kitchen sink sundaes, getting a fresh made candy cane if possible, ice skating in the rink in DTD, Big Thunder Ranch bbq, trying some holiday treats and of course seeing WOC Winter Dreams and riding Jingle Cruise. Also got the kids signed up for a YES class that they are excited about. I have considered doing the Holiday tour but I don't know if I can commit to the expense for 4 of us. Maybe... we'll see.

As for the Peppermint Ice cream, I love that stuff!!! And now I can't help but look and see if they have it when I'm at the grocery store. Just one lonely carton...but none so far. I did notice it was still around well into Feb this year.

We have actually seen Its A Small World Holiday but just cuz we got lucky one year when we went for MLK weekend and it was still up and running. I didn't know it ahead of time and when we rounded the corner from Fantasyland to head back there I saw it and freaked out! I was smiling ear to ear and saying oh my gosh, oh my gosh. I cried through the whole ride and my family thought I was crazy.

 

[Sherry E]

This is not Disneyland Resort/holiday-related, but it is holiday season-related, and it touches on a holiday sub-topic that has come up in previous versions of this thread.

I am hoping that TK (tksbaskets) is out there, reading along, though I have a feeling she might be on a Memorial Day weekend adventure?? She will be interested in this.

What does it have to do with? The Hallmark Channel's Christmas movies, of course!

Those of you who have followed along with the Christmas/Holiday Season Superthread in the past are aware that a not-so-guilty pleasure of mine is the super-addictive "Hallmark Channel Countdown to Christmas" marathon that begins in early November and ends in early January. Almost nothing else gets me in the spirit of the season more than that, outside of making my annual Disneyland Resort holiday visits.

The 2-month long Countdown to Christmas on Hallmark consists of holiday movies that are shown every day after a certain time of the afternoon, and over each weekend there are movies playing all day long. It is a true marathon of holiday goodness. There are typically 12 brand new movies rolled out over the course of the season -- last year there were actually 13 -- and integrated into the mix of older Hallmark holiday movies (and I say "holiday" because they also have Thanksgiving movies and they have even done a New Year's movie or two in the past).

These Hallmark gems are not deep, thought-provoking movies. Some of the movies have a slightly more serious tone than others, while some are lighthearted, whimsical and comedic -- but they all have a happy ending of sorts. There is usually some sort of predictable romance involved, and some sort of plot involving someone who has lost his or her Christmas spirit, but has found it by the end of the movie.

In other words, you won't be watching an Emmy Award-caliber TV movie if you watch a Hallmark Countdown to Christmas movie, but you will know what to expect from it and, hopefully, can enjoy the ride.

I always say that these little Hallmark movies (which are made on the cheap and star a lot of B-List, C-List and D-List actors, some of whom you may recognize and some you may not) are like little pieces of sweet Christmas candy, or equivalent to wrapping oneself in a cozy Christmas blanket. For some reason, as sappy, flimsy and hokey as they probably are, they do a fantastic job of kicking off and continuing to celebrate the holiday season for two glorious months.

I mentioned TK (tksbaskets) earlier, as she is also a Hallmark Countdown to Christmas fan. We usually compare notes about which movies were our favorites of the new batch each year. In 2013, the Countdown to Christmas saw its highest ratings to date. I know that a few other folks out there on this board also began watching the Countdown last year, or managed to catch a handful of the movies, such as Jenny/rentayenta, Pesky, Vintage Mousketeer, Liza/funatdisney, lucysmom and, if I recall correctly, Luisa. With any luck, this year Jamie will be able to catch a few of the movies too!!!


Anyway, I learned (from a site called countdownuntilchristmas.com) that the shorter, one-week long "Christmas in July" Hallmark marathon begins on Monday, July 7th. Some of the movies in this year's CIJ lineup will include (and this is only a partial list, as I don't have the complete list):

• A Boyfriend for Christmas

• Christmas With Holly

• Debbie Macomber’s Mrs. Miracle thumbsup2 Starring James Van Der Beek and Doris Roberts. One of my favorites!)

• Debbie Macomber’s Call Me Mrs. Miracle

• Fir Crazy

• Help for the Holidays

• Holiday Engagement

• Let it Snow thumbsup2 Starring Candace Cameron Bure. Delightful! One of my favorites of all of the Christmas movies on Hallmark, from any year!)

• Matchmaker Santa thumbsup2 Starring Lacey Chabert. Pretty cute movie.)

• The Christmas Ornament thumbsup2 Starring Kellie Martin and Cameron Mathison. One of my favorites of last year's new movies!)

• The Most Wonderful Time of the Year thumbsup2 Starring Brooke Burns and Henry Winkler. This is also one of my favorites from any year.)

• Window Wonderland

I am hopeful that, as the Christmas in July schedule gets filled in a bit more, we will also see (more of my favorites):

• Trading Christmas (Starring Faith Ford and Tom Cavanagh. Think The Holiday, with Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet, but on a smaller budget!)

• 
  Farewell, Mr. Kringle (Starring Christine Taylor, a.k.a. Mrs. Ben Stiller)

• A Bride for Christmas (Starring Arielle Kebbel, who I had never heard of prior to this movie)

• Naughty or Nice (Starring Hilarie Burton, Michael Gross and Meredith Baxter, the latter two of whom played Mr. and Mrs. Keaton on Family Ties)

• Snow Bride (Starring Katrina Law. Love this one from last year! Definitely one of my favorites!)

• A Very Merry Mix-Up (Starring Alicia Witt)

And if those hopeful movies are not added in to the Christmas in July line-up starting on 7/7/14, they will certainly pop up during the actual Hallmark Countdown to Christmas that starts on Saturday, November 1, 2014.




The only information I have been able to find about any of the new movies in this year's Countdown to Christmas is this, from a site called Broadwayworld.com/TVWorld.com (but there will be 12 new movies shown, and countless older movies, so this barely tells us anything):


ANGEL ON MY TREE

When Carrie, a hopeless romantic, wishes on a Christmas tree ornament for a great romance, she doesn't expect it to materialize into a choice between three suitors and a quest to find her true love before Christmas day. Stars: TBD. Premieres: Saturday, November 1 @ 8pm ET/PT, 7C.



COWBOY FOR CHRISTMAS

Having missed the last few Christmases at her home in New York City, Holly Jensen is ecstatic to go back and finally introduce her executive boyfriend to her family and have the perfect Christmas Day. But things don't quite go according to plan when on the ride home she meets a handsome Kentucky Cowboy who comes with her to New York and forces her to think twice about her future. Stars: TBD. Premieres: Saturday, November 15 @ 8pm ET/PT, 7C.



NORTHPOLE

"Northpole" tells the charming tale about a reporter who, with the help of her son and his teacher, recaptures the joy of the holiday season and in the process saves Christmas. Stars: Tiffani Amber Thiessen, Josh Hopkins and Bailee Madison. Premieres: Saturday, November 22@ 8pm ET/PT, 7C.





Also, the Hallmark Channel has also has acquired pitches for three other Christmas movies, all of which are in development as scripts (source: the It's a Wonderful Movie website and The Hollywood Reporter):

"A Royal Christmas, tentatively scheduled for Christmas 2014, centers on a young girl who, after accepting her boyfriend’s proposal, learns he is a prince. She must then gain the acceptance of his mother, who looks down on her humble origins. It is being written by Michael and Janeen Damian, who did the 2011 Hallmark original movie, A Princess for Christmas, their second-highest-rated original movie that year. Michael Damian also will direct.

"Christmas Neverending, slated for 2015 and being written and directed by Robbie Fox (Playing for Keeps), features a Groundhog Day-esque plot about a girl who learns over Christmas vacation that her parents are planning to divorce. She wants them to fall in love again and makes a wish to repeat her vacation until they reignite their love.

"Better Than Perfect, a film about a woman’s search for the perfect man that is being written by Brad Holmes (Prison Women) and executive produced by casting director Penny Perry and Eugene Davis.


"Titles and release dates for these movies may change - so please stay tuned!"

​

So there you have it, for those of you who enjoy immersing yourself in syrupy, uplifting, predictable, comforting holiday TV fare -- synopses for 3 of the (at least 12) new movies coming to the Hallmark Channel starting on Saturday, November 1, 2014; synopses for 3 more possible upcoming Christmas movies; and a partial list of what is coming to Hallmark for Christmas in July for one week, starting on Monday, July 7, 2014!

I can't wait! During this time of year I start to get really annoyed that a long, hot summer is right around the corner and I begin anticipating the sweet relief of autumn and the magic of the holiday season. The Hallmark Christmas in July mini-marathon will be followed shortly thereafter by the (3 month+) Theme Week Countdown in this very Superthread, and the Theme Week Countdown will take us right up to November -- at which time Hallmark will have begun its real Countdown to Christmas and the holiday season will be upon us at Disneyland Resort, meaning many of this thread's followers will be about to embark on their trips!!

 

[lucysmom]

Oooooh, Hallmark Christmas in July!! Thank you, Sherry!

 

[Sherry E]

Oooooh, Hallmark Christmas in July!! Thank you, Sherry!

lucysmom --

My pleasure!

You know, I don't know why I never thought of it before today but I just stumbled upon quite a few Hallmark (and Lifetime) Holiday gems on YouTube!! I was mainly thinking of Jamie/DisneyJamieCA, because she does not have the Hallmark Channel and has had to miss out! Now she can see a few of them, as can anyone else who doesn't have Hallmark!!

I should mention that I could not find many of the movies I listed above (in my earlier post) on YouTube. Some of them I simply did not look for and some could not be found. However, I did find the full-length versions of:

• Snow Bride (which I mentioned was one of my absolute favorites from last year, and I highly recommend it)

• A Very Merry Mix-Up (also pretty cute)

(There were others from Hallmark there, too, but those two popped out at me as the titles scrolled down the right side of the page! It appears that they were recorded without commercial interruption -- which is even better!)



And from Lifetime's array of holiday movies (they call their Countdown "It's a Wonderful Lifetime") I found full-length versions of 2 more of my favorites:

• A Snow Globe Christmas

• The 12 Men of Christmas

I really wanted to find The Most Wonderful Time of the Year, as it is not only one of my favorites of the Hallmark movies but it is also one of the highest-rated Hallmark holiday movies on IMDB. A lot of people like it, it seems. I can't figure out why it's not on YouTube in full-length form.

Anyway, those movies that I referenced are on YouTube for right now, in case anyone wants a little dose of holiday spirit! (I wasn't sure if I was allowed to link them here or not, so I didn't.)

 

[dedesmith32]

I love Christmas movies and hopefully I can catch all these! Thanks so much for the info!

 

[Sherry E]

I love Christmas movies and hopefully I can catch all these! Thanks so much for the info!

Oh good! I'm so glad that I'm not the only one! I am a sucker for those feel-good, uplifting, lighthearted Hallmark and Lifetime holiday movies, and then I discovered more on other channels last year -- like Ion, Up and some other channel I had never heard of (Inspire or Inspiration, or something like that?)! They're all fairly low-budget movies, I think, but they seem to pack a powerful holiday punch!