Disneyland at Christmas/Holiday Season Superthread #4

[Sherry E]

Do you think Its a Small World will be up and running Nov 14th for the Holidays?

jibada --

Yes, most definitely!

It's a Small World Holiday usually soft opens (meaning an unofficial opening) at least a couple of days before the holiday season officially begins. Last year the season officially began on Tuesday, 11/12, and IASWH was up and running on Friday, 11/8 (and so were many other things too, such as Jingle Cruise)!

I would guess that IASWH will once again be open early this year -- perhaps even as early as Friday, 11/7, but definitely before 11/14.

Be sure to check in on this Days/Dates/Events to Remember post from page 1 of this thread, as I will be filling it in more as we learn details about the season.

Also, just for reference, I left the Dates to Remember for 2013 in there too, just so people can get an idea of which things began on which dates, and how it could translate to this year.

Thanks! I love Disneyland during the holidays (Which is why it will be our 6th year going). If you would like to see more pictures I have them all on FB you can find the link under contact info.

Jenasweetemotion --

Also, don't forget -- we have themes coming up all the way until November 3rd in this Countdown, so there will be lots of opportunities for you to share photos here!

 

[mom2rtk]

Some Santa photos:

Santa's Arrival by mom2rtk, on Flickr

IMG_6213 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

IMG_6398 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

IMG_6484 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

IMG_7077 by mom2rtk, on Flickr


Some holiday characters:

[/url]IMG_0054_2 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

IMG_8147 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

IMG_8145 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

IMG_7273 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

IMG_7069 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

IMG_4037 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

IMG_4044 by mom2rtk, on Flickr





How about a Christmas goat?

IMG_4069 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

 

[petals]

Luvin all the photos. I've only ever experienced Christmas season in Paris or WDW so can't join in with the photos

OMG How did I miss the photo with the 3 Cabelleros last year? I saw them in the Feliz Navidad parade, but didn't see a character meet & greet!

Excuse to go back

 

[DisneyJamieCA]

Luvin all the photos. I've only ever experienced Christmas season in Paris or WDW so can't join in with the photos Excuse to go back

You will be in the final theme though. The cornucopia, at least in past years, has allowed for any kind of Christmas photos. I believe Sherry said it will be the same this year

 

[mom2rtk]

Excuse to go back

I like your thinking!

 

[sgrap]

These are from our only Christmas-time trip: November 2005. This is my first time posting photos, so please forgive me if I mess it up!
My daughter (now we have 2 daughters) wasn't too thrilled about this Santa:

Gepetto was a little better, though

My son was 14, need I say more?

 

[petals]

You will be in the final theme though. The cornucopia, at least in past years, has allowed for any kind of Christmas photos. I believe Sherry said it will be the same this year

Oooh cool..


Also glad to read that the Christmas stuff will have started by the time we get there

I like your thinking!

I'm always looking for excuses to go to Disney lol.. Like I need to go back to Florida because they have new Fantasyland now and the Harry Potter area in Universal Studios and new stuff at Seaworld.

I need to go back to Paris because they have the new Ratatouille ride

 

[KCmike]

May I use a Christmas Character in the parade?





Sorry it took so long my work has been so crazy crazy busy. Worst time of the year for me.

 

[mvf-m11c]

I can't wait to hear the dates for the holiday season this year and what will be happening.

Very nice pictures everyone.

 

[Sherry E]

I'm glad to see that Janet and Mike were able to get in some photos for the Santa--Holiday Characters--PhotoPass Theme Week!

Mike --Yes, the Pooh Christmas Fantasy Parade picture counts as a character photo. (As I always say, some photos that people have will count for more than one theme!)

Janet -- I love the Christmas goat "character" idea! That is creative thinking, but basically any human or animal inside DLR is a character of some kind! Did you see that you are in the very first photo I posted for this theme week (on page 50)? It's a nice group shot, although my scanner diminished the quality a bit.


sgrap -- Yay! You got your photos in! You didn't mess up at all. Did you use Photobucket? What fun pictures too! I remember that Beach Blast Santa from the old version of DCA!


Anyway, Janet, Mike and sgrap all have gained entries into the random draw!

​

Luvin all the photos. I've only ever experienced Christmas season in Paris or WDW so can't join in with the photos

Excuse to go back

petals --

As Jamie said, the final theme -- which will be "Holiday Cornucopia/A Few of My Favorite Things," on Monday, November 3rd -- can include any holiday photos, in or out of Disney parks, in Disneyland or at WDW, in any of the international parks, or even just a nice holiday family photo! As long as it is a holiday photo of some kind, and it belongs to you, it can go into that final theme!

In fact, some of our most interesting photos in 2013 came from the Holiday Cornucopia Theme Week!

You will be in the final theme though. The cornucopia, at least in past years, has allowed for any kind of Christmas photos. I believe Sherry said it will be the same this year

Jamie --

Yep!

Oooh cool..


Also glad to read that the Christmas stuff will have started by the time we get there

petals --

Last year there were a lot of things unofficially running on Friday, November 8th, but the season "officially" began on 11/12, and then other things -- such as Olaf's ice rink, Viva Navidad and World of Color-Winter Dreams -- began on 11/15. And then the 3 hotels were decorated about 9 days before Thanksgiving.

This year, we can only assume that things will go pretty much the same as they did last year, with many things quietly, unofficially beginning before the season start date, then other things beginning on the season start date, and the hotels getting their decorations shortly thereafter.

 

[sgrap]

sgrap -- Yay! You got your photos in! You didn't mess up at all. Did you use Photobucket? What fun pictures too! I remember that Beach Blast Santa from the old version of DCA!

Yes, I went to sign up for Photobucket and found out I already had an account! It had some very old pictures in it, too! Thanks for the help; I've always wondered how people get photos in their posts! The old pictures of my kids are so funny--both my boys are grown now, my daughter in the pictures is 13 and we now have another daughter from China. 2005 seems like a million years ago, but yesterday at the same time. It was a fun Disney trip, back when they sold 8-day hopper passes! We bought them and used all 8 days, too!

 

[Sherry E]

I can't wait to hear the dates for the holiday season this year and what will be happening.

Very nice pictures everyone.

Bret --

The most frustrating thing is that we know that Disney must already have the dates and info, but they take their time in releasing them -- even though there have already been holiday season-related blogs about WDW and DCL at this point!!

Also, there has been no sign of an AP Backstage Pass newsletter/calendar this year, so I guess Disney decided to give up on those.

I am just curious to see if Disney will once again cling to that 11/12 date as the official season start date, or if they will say that it's Friday, 11/14 instead. And then I want to see if Viva Navidad and Winter Dreams are going to begin on that date this year, or a couple of days later.

And, of course, I am still pondering the mystery of the "Select Nights Nov and Dec" wording that was on the decal insert. I want to know if there will, indeed, be select nights for anything, or if that was just a poor choice of wording!

 

[mom2rtk]

I'm glad to see that Janet and Mike were able to get in some photos for the Santa--Holiday Characters--PhotoPass Theme Week!


Janet -- I love the Christmas goat "character" idea! That is creative thinking, but basically any human or animal inside DLR is a character of some kind! Did you see that you are in the very first photo I posted for this theme week (on page 50)? It's a nice group shot, although my scanner diminished the quality a bit.

Thanks Sherry! I actually just got time tonight to look through what has been posted all week. I'm flattered to be in the first post of the first theme week! I'm almost up to the point where we took that photo in my trip report.

I really enjoyed seeing your collection of photos from through the years.

 

[Sherry E]

Yes, I went to sign up for Photobucket and found out I already had an account! It had some very old pictures in it, too! Thanks for the help; I've always wondered how people get photos in their posts! The old pictures of my kids are so funny--both my boys are grown now, my daughter in the pictures is 13 and we now have another daughter from China. 2005 seems like a million years ago, but yesterday at the same time. It was a fun Disney trip, back when they sold 8-day hopper passes! We bought them and used all 8 days, too!

sgrap --

You have a beautiful family!

It's weird to think that there were 8-day Hoppers at one point, and now there are none. I think that many people would even be happy to have 6-day Hoppers at this rate, if not 8 days. Five days just isn't enough for a lot of families and groups.

 

[mom2rtk]

sgrap --

You have a beautiful family!

It's weird to think that there were 8-day Hoppers at one point, and now there are none. I think that many people would even be happy to have 6-day Hoppers at this rate, if not 8 days. Five days just isn't enough for a lot of families and groups.

But nobody is surprised to hear me say that, right?

I'd be thrilled at this point with a 6 day ticket. But that's just not happening. That's one of the primary reasons I'm the odd man out in wanting them to offer a Christmas party.

 

[mvf-m11c]

Bret --

The most frustrating thing is that we know that Disney must already have the dates and info, but they take their time in releasing them -- even though there have already been holiday season-related blogs about WDW and DCL at this point!!

Also, there has been no sign of an AP Backstage Pass newsletter/calendar this year, so I guess Disney decided to give up on those.

I am just curious to see if Disney will once again cling to that 11/12 date as the official season start date, or if they will say that it's Friday, 11/14 instead. And then I want to see if Viva Navidad and Winter Dreams are going to begin on that date this year, or a couple of days later.

And, of course, I am still pondering the mystery of the "Select Nights Nov and Dec" wording that was on the decal insert. I want to know if there will, indeed, be select nights for anything, or if that was just a poor choice of wording!

It is frustrating to wait until they announced the dates for the holiday season. It would be easier for everyone if they would announce the dates in advance instead of waiting till early August (last year announcement on the Disney Park Blog). This is an intimidating year with the dates so I can plan out my trip.

I haven't seen or heard anything new about the AP Backstage Pass newsletter/calender.

I am just as curious as you when they will start the holiday season on 11/12 or 11/14. It would be nice to know if Viva Navidad and WoC: Winter Dreams will be playing on those dates.

Oh yeah. That "Select Nights Nov and Dec" still has me puzzled ever since we have talked about it on the thread. It might be poor wording until we hear something about it.


I wonder what the GetHappier Monday day will be like this coming Monday since I will be down there?

 

[dolphingirl47]

Also glad to read that the Christmas stuff will have started by the time we get there

What a shame. We are just going to miss each other. By the time you arrive, I will have moved on to Aulani.

I am getting so excited about this trip. Can somebody remind me what the time frames are for making reservations? Am I correct in thinking that for the tours it is 30 days out and for dinner reservations 60 days out? Can I make a reservations for the chef's counter at Napa Rose at the same time as the other dinner reservations or is there a different time frame for this?

Corinna

 

[tksbaskets]

Greetings from West Texas! I had to make a quickly planned trip with my oldest son (by 15 minutes) as he was offered and accepted his first teaching job for the fall. We have less that 3 weeks to get him settled down here. If I thought Disneyland was hot in July - it's nothing compared to Odessa!

I love my iPad for many reasons but it stinks to try and have photobucket up on one tab and DIS on another to post the many pics I'd like to share

That said, I'll post a teaser picture now and get to work when I get home. We fly in late tonight so I'll post more tomorrow.

2009 - Grumpy in the Western Michigan shirt is my baby who is moving 1500 miles away...sigh...

Orbitron- Great character photos!

Pixidustdears - Adorable picture at Flo's with the kiddo's shielding their eyes

Sgrap - GOTTA LOVE your sullen teen. Ah, I remember the days... what helped my sons improve their picture attitude was a kindly uttered 'smile for the photos guys or this may be your last trip'.

I'm Mikey - WOW. You, Bret, Sherry and KCMike keep me wanting to improve my photography skills. I take good pictures....you all compose photographs. I have much to learn. More trips to DL are needed for sure!

Sherry - Thank you so much for all you do for this (and my other fav Halloween) thread. It's made me smile this stressful week to be able to look at all these great holiday pictures from my happy place!

 

[sgrap]

Greetings from West Texas! I had to make a quickly planned trip with my oldest son (by 15 minutes) as he was offered and accepted his first teaching job for the fall. We have less that 3 weeks to get him settled down here. If I thought Disneyland was hot in July - it's nothing compared to Odessa!

I love my iPad for many reasons but it stinks to try and have photobucket up on one tab and DIS on another to post the many pics I'd like to share

That said, I'll post a teaser picture now and get to work when I get home. We fly in late tonight so I'll post more tomorrow.

2009 - Grumpy in the Western Michigan shirt is my baby who is moving 1500 miles away...sigh...

Orbitron- Great character photos!

Pixidustdears - Adorable picture at Flo's with the kiddo's shielding their eyes

Sgrap - GOTTA LOVE your sullen teen. Ah, I remember the days... what helped my sons improve their picture attitude was a kindly uttered 'smile for the photos guys or this may be your last trip'.

I'm Mikey - WOW. You, Bret, Sherry and KCMike keep me wanting to improve my photography skills. I take good pictures....you all compose photographs. I have much to learn. More trips to DL are needed for sure!

Sherry - Thank you so much for all you do for this (and my other fav Halloween) thread. It's made me smile this stressful week to be able to look at all these great holiday pictures from my happy place!

Sweet picture! Thankfully my sullen teen(s) have grown out of that stage, although DD is now entering! I just tell them that I'm taking the pictures regardless and they will have to live with it

Congratulations to your son on his job! Hang in there, mama! It is so hard to have them leave the nest, but so good to know they are jumping into adulthood and doing what they want to do.

 

[tksbaskets]

Sweet picture! Thankfully my sullen teen(s) have grown out of that stage, although DD is now entering! I just tell them that I'm taking the pictures regardless and they will have to live with it

Congratulations to your son on his job! Hang in there, mama! It is so hard to have them leave the nest, but so good to know they are jumping into adulthood and doing what they want to do.

Aww...thanks sgrap, I needed this today.