Disneyland at Christmas/Holiday Season Superthread #4

[jbravo78]

Sgrap... We are going 17th-21st and im hoping its not like the week of christmas.... Our travel agent said it gets pretty crowded 21st through christmas day

 

[meljensmom]

Hello,
My Dad just passed away and we lived with my parents and I am their caregivers....so we are feeling the loss very significantly. I am seriously thinking about taking my girls and my Mom to Disneyland for Christmas to make some new memories.....we've never gone to DL any other time than during July....so I'm completely clueless about what to expect and when (or if) there will be deals posted for packages.

We'd like to stay at the DLH like we normally do. If anyone is willing to give me some advice or point me in the right direction with this thread, I'd appreciate it. I don't have a lot of time to read through tons of pages unfortunately at this present time.

It's looking like we might be nuts for trying to go during this time....but I'm hoping it would still be a nice way to celebrate our family and Christmas this year.

Thanks for any help,
Cindy

 

[DisneyJamieCA]

Hello, My Dad just passed away and we lived with my parents and I am their caregivers....so we are feeling the loss very significantly. I am seriously thinking about taking my girls and my Mom to Disneyland for Christmas to make some new memories.....we've never gone to DL any other time than during July....so I'm completely clueless about what to expect and when (or if) there will be deals posted for packages. We'd like to stay at the DLH like we normally do. If anyone is willing to give me some advice or point me in the right direction with this thread, I'd appreciate it. I don't have a lot of time to read through tons of pages unfortunately at this present time. It's looking like we might be nuts for trying to go during this time....but I'm hoping it would still be a nice way to celebrate our family and Christmas this year. Thanks for any help, Cindy

I've never been Christmas week, so I hope somebody(s) here can give you some advice, but I just wanted to say I'm so sorry for your loss. I think making new memories at Disneyland is a great idea.

 

[JadeDarkstar]

Hello,
My Dad just passed away and we lived with my parents and I am their caregivers....so we are feeling the loss very significantly. I am seriously thinking about taking my girls and my Mom to Disneyland for Christmas to make some new memories.....we've never gone to DL any other time than during July....so I'm completely clueless about what to expect and when (or if) there will be deals posted for packages.

We'd like to stay at the DLH like we normally do. If anyone is willing to give me some advice or point me in the right direction with this thread, I'd appreciate it. I don't have a lot of time to read through tons of pages unfortunately at this present time.

It's looking like we might be nuts for trying to go during this time....but I'm hoping it would still be a nice way to celebrate our family and Christmas this year.

Thanks for any help,
Cindy

I do not know i it is in the price range for you but Try to do the Christmas tour, you will get front row seats for the parade, and it will be a special trip and memory for you guys. *HUGS* i am so sorry that your father just passed away. Good luck for your whole family over this hard time.

 

[tksbaskets]

meljensmom I'm very sorry for your loss.

We are at DISNEYLAND It's pretty strange to NOT see the Christmas decorations. 'Grumpy' even texted yesterday "I'm on Mainstreet where the big tree usually is" All our spacial references are Christmas related! If I do a trip report I think the title will be 'Where are the trees??"

WOW the crowds were comparitivley nice yesterday afternoon. Many rides with a 15 minute of less stand-by time. Star Tours had a 25 minute wait. We faded early in the afternoon because of our long day of travel and the time change.

We've all been up since about 4 am today and will be waiting at the GCH entrance to DCA for early entry. Guess what we'll be riding for an hour?

Sherry it was HOT yesterday. 90 in the afternoon. I'm with you about not enjoying the heat.
TK

 

[mvf-m11c]

Hello,
My Dad just passed away and we lived with my parents and I am their caregivers....so we are feeling the loss very significantly. I am seriously thinking about taking my girls and my Mom to Disneyland for Christmas to make some new memories.....we've never gone to DL any other time than during July....so I'm completely clueless about what to expect and when (or if) there will be deals posted for packages.

We'd like to stay at the DLH like we normally do. If anyone is willing to give me some advice or point me in the right direction with this thread, I'd appreciate it. I don't have a lot of time to read through tons of pages unfortunately at this present time.

It's looking like we might be nuts for trying to go during this time....but I'm hoping it would still be a nice way to celebrate our family and Christmas this year.

Thanks for any help,
Cindy

I'm so sorry for your loss.

As for your question going to the DLR during Christmas time will be very busy and one of the busiest times of the year to visit. I went during after Christmas last year and it wasn't as bad as I have thought during Christmas break. I would be prepared for all the ride wait times (not only the big rides but also the other rides like King Arthur's Carousel) to be in the 20+ minute wait time in the afternoon which is the worst. If you are planning on staying at the DLR hotels, I would take advantage of MM/EMH so you will be able to go on the rides that you want to do in the morning and don't have to worry about it later during the day. Hope this helps and ask what other questions on this thread.


Great to hear from you TK that you got there safely. You and your family have a great time. I can guess what you did this morning at DCA.

 

[KCmike]

So sorry for your loss meljensmom. I hope you can find quick answers to your questions. I know you all will create some magic moments at Christmastime.

TK...hope your having an awesome time. We love going in summertime especially in July. If you post a side trip report please give me the link.

Sherry E..hope your feeling better. 17 more days till theme weeks. Woohoo.

 

[Phoenixrising]

Attention all DISer's going during Christmas time!! I was going through my pile of stuff from my Nov/13 trip to DL and found some maps of DL and CA. I've got 2 full sets of both DL and CA, as well as 3 extra CA maps. For those of you are interested in having them, it's on a first come first serve basis. I should have them in the mail by the end of the week to those who are interested in them. Please PM me with your address so that I can put them in the mail. Have a great day everyone!

Trish

 

[mlnbabies]

Attention all DISer's going during Christmas time!! I was going through my pile of stuff from my Nov/13 trip to DL and found some maps of DL and CA. I've got 2 full sets of both DL and CA, as well as 3 extra CA maps. For those of you are interested in having them, it's on a first come first serve basis. I should have them in the mail by the end of the week to those who are interested in them. Please PM me with your address so that I can put them in the mail. Have a great day everyone!

Trish

Sent you a PM

 

[Phoenixrising]

The 2 full sets of maps are gone, but I've got 3 maps of CA if anyone's interested in them. Have a great day!

Trish

 

[JadeDarkstar]

ty

 

[lucysmom]

I send you my sympathy for your loss. When my brother died, we celebrated his one year anniversary with an extended family trip to WDW. It was very healing.

We have greatly enjoyed our DLR trips the past two Christmas seasons. Staying on-site will definitely enhance your experience. Here is my advice Make good use of EMH every day. You will be able to get on rides more easily during the mornings. Then, enjoy a lovely lunch or late breakfast and head back to the hotel for a nap, swim, movie. Devote your evenings to shows, fireworks, shopping.

We have loved the holiday tours because they have had instant access to Small World Holiday, Haunted Mansion Holiday, and Jingle Cruise. We prefer the late afternoon tour because it ends with parade seats right in front of the most amazing holiday light display ever!!

Consider the Fantasmic Dessert Package as well. The snacks are yummy, and the seats are comfortable.

Don't miss the holiday firework show. You can see it from your Fantasmic seats, but it is extra special from a spot on Main Street in front of the castle. Be prepared to shed a tear, though, because it mightl have a big emotional impact for you this year.

Consider getting a Photopass Plus photography package. This will be a special trip and the disk will help you commemorate your visit.

Take time to enjoy the decorations. They are phenomenal. There is holiday magic everywhere you look. I hope a DLR holiday will help your family heal. God bless.

 

[emacat]

We went the 15th-21st of December a few years ago, and the last day or two were crazy! Is the week after Christmas any better than the week of? Are there any annual pass blocks? We have a friend with a pass, and we were thinking of having her join us.

 

[SweetAlex]

Hello,
My Dad just passed away and we lived with my parents and I am their caregivers....so we are feeling the loss very significantly. I am seriously thinking about taking my girls and my Mom to Disneyland for Christmas to make some new memories.....we've never gone to DL any other time than during July....so I'm completely clueless about what to expect and when (or if) there will be deals posted for packages.

We'd like to stay at the DLH like we normally do. If anyone is willing to give me some advice or point me in the right direction with this thread, I'd appreciate it. I don't have a lot of time to read through tons of pages unfortunately at this present time.

It's looking like we might be nuts for trying to go during this time....but I'm hoping it would still be a nice way to celebrate our family and Christmas this year.

Thanks for any help,
Cindy

I'm so sorry for your loss . I think Disney is a fantastic idea in times like this. Our neighbors husband passed away 2 years ago in September and they had two daughters (ages 11 and 7 maybe). Instead of staying home, flooded by memories and sadness, she decided to take them to Disneyland. She said it was the best decision she ever made. They were able to have fun and see past their overwhelming sadness for their first really hard Christmas without their dad/husband. Of course, they would have preferred if he was there but it helped them get through Christmas.

 

[meljensmom]

Thank you for all your kind words and your expertise and suggestions! I called this morning and booked our vacation and purchased our flight as well. For the first time in quite a while, I felt happy....the look on my girl's faces (18 years old and 8 years old) and my Mom's face (I told her when I arrived at the care home this morning) was absolutely worth it!! Everyone is glowing and happy.

I know it will be a little crazy crowd wise, but we don't care. Now, I'm thinking about stockings.....think they will need to be Disney themed items inside them....and I will probably do most of my shopping there (since their main gift is the trip).

Any suggestions for an 8 year old girl and an 18 year old girl (who's a senior at a university)??


Thanks!!!

 

[lucysmom]

We stayed at the GCH and ordered their decorated tree and holiday gift bag our first year. The gifts and tree were so fun. For our second Christmas, we took the tree and small gifts with us. We decorated the tree together and even strung pine cone lights in the room. I don't know where you are staying, but I am pretty sure you can decorate anywhere. An item for their stockings could be a Disney gift card so each girl can make their own choice.

 

[meljensmom]

We stayed at the GCH and ordered their decorated tree and holiday gift bag our first year. The gifts and tree were so fun. For our second Christmas, we took the tree and small gifts with us. We decorated the tree together and even strung pine cone lights in the room. I don't know where you are staying, but I am pretty sure you can decorate anywhere. An item for their stockings could be a Disney gift card so each girl can make their own choice.

We are staying at the DLH. How much did the tree and holiday gift bag cost? Great idea about the gift cards! Will definitely do that.

 

[KCmike]

So my wife and I are going to cross off a bucket list item on our Disney list by doing the Walk in Walt's Footsteps Tour to see Walt's Apartment. We have done the tour several years ago but it didn't include the Apartment before. Now to the question. Since they use to let you walk into the lobby and see the elevator for the tour and since Club 33 has been remodeled do you think they will allow the tour into the new lobby? I've seen the new menu and the some of the rules and regulations but I haven't heard anything about how it might affect the tour. Any thoughts?

 

[Sherry E]

As of tomorrow, Monday, July 14th, there are...

ONLY 7 DAYS UNTIL
THE 4th ANNUAL THEME WEEK COUNTDOWN BEGINS ON JULY 21st!!!!!!​

I will post the rules and details during this upcoming week, for both the photo contributors and the non-photo contributors (who follow the Code Word Challenge)!!

There will be three $25 Disney gift cards given away when the Theme Week Countdown is all said and done -- 2 to randomly selected photo contributors, and 1 to the person who wins the Code Word Challenge!

Everyone is welcome to participate if you either have theme-fitting DLR holiday photos to share, or if you want to try to win the Code Word Challenge, but be sure and pop in and introduce yourselves first!

Either way, if you do not want to participate, sit back and enjoy the show! You will be treated to a 3-month parade of beautiful DLR holiday photos covering all aspects of the entire holiday season at DLR, provided by our many contributors and DLR holiday vets! These photos will not only showcase everyone's pictures, theme by theme, but they may also raise questions among those who are headed to DLR to experience the holidays for the first time this year! You may see something in a photo that you want to know more about. Even those of us who have been enjoying the Holidays at Disneyland Resort for years still see things in others' photos that we have somehow overlooked, so there is always something new to discover!


Anyway, stay tuned this week for the details and rules!


Oh, and to everyone who has joined this thread in the last week, and thank you to those who stepped in to answer questions!

​

17 days, really?! So excited!

Jamie --

It was 17 days on July 4th. It's 7 days as of tomorrow, July 14th!

Loving Christnas in July! I have set my DVR for Mrs. miracle, Fir Crazy, Snow Bride and Naughty and Nice.

Sherry in glad you finally saw Window Wonderland. I enjoyed Thant one and Bride for Christmas.

Sitting at out gate in Detroit ready to head to the Happiest Place on Earth!! We all said it will be strange to see DL without the Christmas decorations.

TK --

I tracked down press releases and outlines for 7 of the 12 new Countdown to Christmas movies coming this Nov-Dec, and got the names of 2 more! I'm not sure how good they will or will not be, judging by the titles, but I hope they're as good as last year's group of movies.

We're looking at December, wanting to take a holiday trip while the parks are not insanely crowded. Is the 18-20th already into crazy crowded time frame? We are homeschoolers, so we have flexibility in picking our travel times. Having taken a couple trips in the past 18 months, we no there is no longer a "no crowd" time frame, but try to pick something that is somewhat on the more sane level for us non-crowd people. Thanks!

Hi, sgrap!

Welcome!

Without looking at the calendar I am trying to figure out which days of the week those dates are. Is it a Thurs-Sat or something like that?

My guess is that the wave of Christmas crowds will probably begin to descend upon DLR over those days/that weekend that you are considering, because a lot of people will be out of work and school for the whole week of Christmas and will want to get there on the weekend. You could encounter big crowds on Saturday, and maybe even Friday.

I used to go to DLR on the weekend immediately before Christmas every year, and when the crowds began to get a little too big for my liking, I switched to early December!

Hello,
My Dad just passed away and we lived with my parents and I am their caregivers....so we are feeling the loss very significantly. I am seriously thinking about taking my girls and my Mom to Disneyland for Christmas to make some new memories.....we've never gone to DL any other time than during July....so I'm completely clueless about what to expect and when (or if) there will be deals posted for packages.

We'd like to stay at the DLH like we normally do. If anyone is willing to give me some advice or point me in the right direction with this thread, I'd appreciate it. I don't have a lot of time to read through tons of pages unfortunately at this present time.

It's looking like we might be nuts for trying to go during this time....but I'm hoping it would still be a nice way to celebrate our family and Christmas this year.

Thanks for any help,
Cindy

Cindy --

Welcome!

Thank you so much for joining us. I am very sorry about the loss of your father.

I think that the idea of taking your mom and girls to Disneyland for Christmas is an excellent one, and what a way to make new memories! Are you planning on being there actually over the Christmas holiday?

You've already been given some great ideas in this thread.

Reading through all the pages is not necessary, but I will recommend that you scroll down page 1 and just glance at the topics to see what catches your eye because there is a lot of good information there. It's sort of set up for people to be able to read at their own leisure, or only read what they are interested in reading if the title catches their eye.

In the various posts on page 1, there are extra bits of holiday-specific info in the Hotels section. There is good info about Christmas dining and treats in the Food post. There is info about the Holiday Tour. In the Trip Reports section there are links to a couple of reviews of 2012 Christmas trips. All kinds of things.

Also, you are actually planning to be at DLR over December 25th I can locate some extra posts that may be of interest to you (I have the links saved offline, but I would have to get them tomorrow).

In any case, we will all try to help as much as we can!

Sgrap... We are going 17th-21st and im hoping its not like the week of christmas.... Our travel agent said it gets pretty crowded 21st through christmas day

jbravo78 --

I think it will be crowded over the weekend before Christmas and that whole week of Christmas, honestly, but the best thing to do is just go in knowing that it will be crowded. It will probably be more crowded in between Christmas and New Year's, but it will be crowded in the week leading up to Christmas too.

meljensmom I'm very sorry for your loss.

We are at DISNEYLAND It's pretty strange to NOT see the Christmas decorations. 'Grumpy' even texted yesterday "I'm on Mainstreet where the big tree usually is" All our spacial references are Christmas related! If I do a trip report I think the title will be 'Where are the trees??"

WOW the crowds were comparitivley nice yesterday afternoon. Many rides with a 15 minute of less stand-by time. Star Tours had a 25 minute wait. We faded early in the afternoon because of our long day of travel and the time change.

We've all been up since about 4 am today and will be waiting at the GCH entrance to DCA for early entry. Guess what we'll be riding for an hour?

Sherry it was HOT yesterday. 90 in the afternoon. I'm with you about not enjoying the heat.
TK

TK --

It sounds like you guys had an awesome time on your trip! Did you get on TSMM with a short wait?

I like "Where are the trees?" or "Where have all the trees gone?" or "Who moved the trees?"

When I went to DLR in April it was very odd to not see any signs of Halloween or Christmas! Most of the park was decoration-free, except for the obvious giant eggs scattered about, and the Springtime Roundup.

The heat has not been my friend in the last couple of weeks. Headaches, nausea, fatigue -- all sorts of fun for me. And I guzzle water all day long. It does no good! I probably would have passed out at DLR.

Sherry E..hope your feeling better. 17 more days till theme weeks. Woohoo.

Thanks, Mike!

Seven days until the Countdown as of tomorrow, July 14th!!

I'm a feeling a bit better, but I am ready for the heat to mosey on now. We never get a "real" fall or winter out here, so for summer heat to leave just means that it cools down 10 or 20 degrees or so! Our fall weather would be perfectly sufficient for anyone who wanted warm weather.

We went the 15th-21st of December a few years ago, and the last day or two were crazy! Is the week after Christmas any better than the week of? Are there any annual pass blocks? We have a friend with a pass, and we were thinking of having her join us.

emacat --

Welcome back! I haven't seen you in a Christmas/Holiday Superthread in a while!

From all that I have heard, I think that the week between Christmas and New Year's is the worst week! All APs are blocked except for the Premium and Premier, but there are also tons of people out of school and work who pile into the parks from December 26th and on through the New Year.

So my wife and I are going to cross off a bucket list item on our Disney list by doing the Walk in Walt's Footsteps Tour to see Walt's Apartment. We have done the tour several years ago but it didn't include the Apartment before. Now to the question. Since they use to let you walk into the lobby and see the elevator for the tour and since Club 33 has been remodeled do you think they will allow the tour into the new lobby? I've seen the new menu and the some of the rules and regulations but I haven't heard anything about how it might affect the tour. Any thoughts?

Great question, Mike!

I have no answer for you, but I will be curious to find out what you find out! I have not looked at the new menu yet or the new rules!

I would certainly hope that the tour still brings people into the lobby, even though it is the new lobby!

​

 

[trainingupmy4princes]

Hi. I thought since a lot of people in this thread visit in December that this would be a good place for questions on a December visit.
We used to go to DL and I was on this forum years ago (different name as I had lost my login password) when it was just my boys but then we moved from Portland to the midwest and WDW became our Disney place. Anyways, I have always missed DL as it seemed more magical, can't seem to explain why to my family . So with the whole MB and FP+ I convinced DH that going to DL was a better idea albeit more expensive.

So we have Dec. 5-15 as our dates. We are going to take a 2 or 3 days to go to Legoland and Seaworld but other than that we will be in Anaheim. I am looking at the 5 day tickets as that's the biggest they sell. Oddly I could have sworn we bought 6 day tickets 10 years ago when we used to go with the older boys but maybe my memories aging.

Would it be better to do the non Disney stuff first and the DL later so that we have a better chance of getting later hours so we can see the FW/Fantasmic/WOC? Or would it be too crowded by then? Due to the 60th would this December be a bad time to visit ie do you think there will be a lot of ride refurbs./closures?

I absolutely love Christmas and lights and decorations. We are looking at DL hotel or PP. Is one more festive? GC is definitely out of our budget so we are only looking at the other 2. We have Costco and AAA. Does anyone know if either give you a discount to book through them? It will also be our anniversary as I love Christmas so had a Dec wedding. Does anyone have any experience with the childcare place at GC in case we wanted a fancy dinner out?

Also, I tend to get really bad migraines from too much heat/humidity. Anyone know what the temps tend to be that time of year?

Thanks.