Disneyland at Christmas/Holiday Season Superthread #4

[Orbitron]

Christmas season at Disneyland Paris will be from November 9th to January 7th (Official Christmas 2014 Trailer). I hope Disneyland, the original one, will be following this example very soon!

Last year I did the Holiday tour at DL (see TR in my signature) and our guide told a story about an ornament in one of the trees at the Disneyland Hotel. It's an angel which was placed there by a family who's son died. Does anyone know where it is or maybe has a picture of it? We forgot to go there and look for it.

I don't think anybody here knows. They put it on a different tree every year, but keep it a secret on which one it is. That's at least what our guide did tell us.

 

[petals]

Last year I did the Holiday tour at DL (see TR in my signature) and our guide told a story about an ornament in one of the trees at the Disneyland Hotel. It's an angel which was placed there by a family who's son died. Does anyone know where it is or maybe has a picture of it? We forgot to go there and look for it.

I read your holiday tour trip report thing... did they give you the souvenir mug as part of the tour?

 

[yupikgal]

Remember, everyone, we're in the middle of "Hotels" theme week, so if you have holiday photos of the GCH, PPH or DLH, post them here before the end of Sunday, 8/31. I would imagine that a lot of people will get busy with Labor Day weekend fun, so don't forget to post your pictures if you haven't already done so!

Sherry, I do have hotel holiday pics from 2012, but I haven't posted pics on DISboards for so long, I forgot how! Shame on me, right? Is it Photobucket that I use to upload pics? I think I actually already have some on there, so that would be easy, but I just need to figure out how to get them in here! I just have to remember my sign in to get into my account!

*Update* I was able to get into my account, but now I just have to figure out how to upload them here!! Help? Quick tutorial? I may have to do this after work tonight since I've got to start getting ready for work (wa-wah)

 

[nicolispicoli]

I read your holiday tour trip report thing... did they give you the souvenir mug as part of the tour?

I can help with this. I did the tour a couple years back and you do get a mug, a holiday themed plastic travel mug. We got ours in Toontown before heading over to the parade. We also got a gingerbread cookie and a nutcracker pin. I cannot speak highly enough about the Holiday Tour. It was the highlight of my first holiday trip to DL. The spot we got for the parade was amazing, right in front of IASW. Completely worth the money IMO

 

[Sherry E]

Last year I did the Holiday tour at DL (see TR in my signature) and our guide told a story about an ornament in one of the trees at the Disneyland Hotel. It's an angel which was placed there by a family who's son died. Does anyone know where it is or maybe has a picture of it? We forgot to go there and look for it.

the_princess --

Did you see my welcome/reply to you after you posted your photos for this week's theme? I also mentioned that I have the link to your tour recap/review on page 1 of the thread, in the Holiday Tour section, under Main Street. I am guessing that a lot of people have enjoyed reading it, as it is very helpful!

I was hoping that someone would pop up and say "Here is the angel on the tree" -- but I don't think anyone has seen it!

There is probably no one who takes more "tree" photos that I do. I get up close and spend a loooooong time at every Christmas tree, taking ornament photos and getting all kinds of different angles. I spend hours at the hotels, just walking around and taking photos of the trees and decorations.

And yet...I have no idea where that angel is! I have been all around different sides of all the trees, and up close. I've taken photos of the tree toppers as well as ornaments. I don't know where the angel is, but I am going to guess that it is well-hidden and not within the average person's reach -- either that, or the tree with the angel is not out on display for the general public, but maybe stationed in a private room somewhere. If the tree with the angel is visible and out in the open, the decorators probably put the angel up high, or somewhere where most people will not be able to yank it off the tree.

Christmas season at Disneyland Paris will be from November 9th to January 7th (Official Christmas 2014 Trailer). I hope Disneyland, the original one, will be following this example very soon!

I don't think anybody here knows. They put it on a different tree every year, but keep it a secret on which one it is. That's at least what our guide did tell us.

Orbitron --

DLP's season is starting on 11/9? That's a Sunday, correct? Do their holiday seasons usually begin on Sundays?

What's funny is that Pam Brandon said (in her blog about Haunted Mansion Holiday) that HMH would be up until January 6, 2015. That's a Tuesday. The season at DLR usually ends on a Sunday or Monday. For a moment I actually wondered if she was just looking at the season end date from this past holiday season (the 2013-2014 season), and then added the 2015 on to it.

If the season is truly ending on 1/6/15, then maybe the official start date at DLR will again be 11/12 (even though that's a Wednesday). They always used to go with a season start day of Friday and a season end day of Sunday (in the past), but once they changed season start dates to Mondays and Tuesdays, and began ending the season on Monday, anything became possible! DLR could end up starting the holiday season at any time, on any day, at this point.

Sherry, I do have hotel holiday pics from 2012, but I haven't posted pics on DISboards for so long, I forgot how! Shame on me, right? Is it Photobucket that I use to upload pics? I think I actually already have some on there, so that would be easy, but I just need to figure out how to get them in here! I just have to remember my sign in to get into my account!

*Update* I was able to get into my account, but now I just have to figure out how to upload them here!! Help? Quick tutorial? I may have to do this after work tonight since I've got to start getting ready for work (wa-wah)

yupikgal --

All you have to do is click on the IMG code that is next to or underneath each photo. Not the thumbnail IMG, but the actual IMG code. Copy it (the whole code, not just part of it) and paste it right here in a post!

You have until Sunday night (8/31) to get in your Hotel photos for this theme of the Countdown, and the new Theme Week begins in 3 days!

 

[the_princess]

I read your holiday tour trip report thing... did they give you the souvenir mug as part of the tour?

Yeah, they give you the mug with hot chocolate, a pin and a cookie... Pretty awesome!!! Oh yeah and a button with your name

the_princess --

Did you see my welcome/reply to you after you posted your photos for this week's theme? I also mentioned that I have the link to your tour recap/review on page 1 of the thread, in the Holiday Tour section, under Main Street. I am guessing that a lot of people have enjoyed reading it, as it is very helpful!

I was hoping that someone would pop up and say "Here is the angel on the tree" -- but I don't think anyone has seen it!

There is probably no one who takes more "tree" photos that I do. I get up close and spend a loooooong time at every Christmas tree, taking ornament photos and getting all kinds of different angles. I spend hours at the hotels, just walking around and taking photos of the trees and decorations.

And yet...I have no idea where that angel is! I have been all around different sides of all the trees, and up close. I've taken photos of the tree toppers as well as ornaments. I don't know where the angel is, but I am going to guess that it is well-hidden and not within the average person's reach -- either that, or the tree with the angel is not out on display for the general public, but maybe stationed in a private room somewhere. If the tree with the angel is visible and out in the open, the decorators probably put the angel up high, or somewhere where most people will not be able to yank it off the tree.

I didn't even notice that you already linked to it, sorry I hope someone someday will find the angel. I would hate to find out that it was just a story made up to tell on the tour to have us all tear up.

 

[Sherry E]

Yeah, they give you the mug with hot chocolate, a pin and a cookie... Pretty awesome!!! Oh yeah and a button with your name




I didn't even notice that you already linked to it, sorry I hope someone someday will find the angel. I would hate to find out that it was just a story made up to tell on the tour to have us all tear up.

the_princess --

Oh, there's absolutely no problem with linking to your tour review again! I just wanted to make sure that you knew that I was referring people to your tour review and photos (via the link on page 1, where a lot of people will look -- even the lurkers!) because it was such a great, comprehensive report, and people always want to know about the tour! I don't link every single report or post or thread about everything -- I have to be somewhat selective and just choose certain ones -- but yours was a good one so I wanted to be sure that people saw it when they read the first page of this thread!

I hope the angel story is true as well, and not part of Disney mythology. It is quite possible that the tree with the ornament is in a private room somewhere at the DLH. I think that it would be risky putting that special angel on a tree that is easily accessible to clumsy adults and tiny, curious hands. So the angel either has to be out of the public's view or it is way up at the top of a tree where no one can reach it.

 

[the_princess]

Welcome back to the Superthread, the_princess!

Did you see that I have your Holiday tour recap/review linked in the Holiday Tour section on page 1 (under the Main Street category of the Disneyland post)?

I'm so glad you joined in for the Theme Week Countdown! We're on our 6th theme of the Countdown this week, and this coming Monday, September 1st, we will start the 7th theme. After the current Hotels theme we have 16 more themes to go (8 weekly themes; 7 mini-daily themes; and the final "Holiday Cornucopia" theme on Monday, November 3, 2014). I know that you have photos for many of the themes, so I can't wait for you to share your pictures!

For every theme you contribute to, you get an entry into a drawing to win a $25 Disney gift card. When the Countdown wraps up in early November, I will choose 2 winners at random for the gift cards, and then another person (someone who has not posted photos) will solve the Code Word Challenge that I set forth for the people who don't have photos to post, and that person will win the 3rd Disney gift card!

So you have earned your first entry into the random draw for the gift card!

I am also very happy that you posted something from Trader Sam's! not only does TS serve holiday cocktails, they also have some interesting holiday decorations inside (from what I have seen in photos). I was going to go in and take photos in TS when I was at Tangaroa Terrace, but I felt odd going into the bar to snap photos without ordering a drink or snack, so I didn't go in and I didn't see what they had as far as décor!

Sherry, I completely missed this nice welcome.... Thank you, I'm happy to be back I actually don't really remember the deco at TS. It can't have been that impressive then And the holiday cocktails looked really nice and festive, but didn't really taste that good. But I like TS in general, it has a really nice theming.

 

[Sherry E]

​

In my Halloween Time at DLR Superthread, a very helpful DIS'er -- 2tinkerbell -- pointed out that the marathon runners usually go through Downtown Disney, and RunDisney likes to also keep DTD open for spectators and people trying to get to the parks.

An ice rink in DTD would just get in the way.

So...that lends even more credibility to the MiceAge rumor about the ice rink moving to DCA/HL this year. If Disney were going to put a rink in DTD, they'd have to do it after the events of the Avengers Half-Marathon weekend were over -- in which case, the holiday season would have already begun, most likely.

It is doubtful that a big ice rink will be constructed well after the season has begun, so it is looking more and more likely that MiceAge was correct in that the rink will be thrown into DCA as part of a temporary Frozen mini-land set-up. This would also be consistent with all of the Frozen-themed blogs that Parks Blog has been doing lately too. It's been all Frozen, all the time on the Parks Blog.

In any case, I still wonder if there is anything that Disney can put in DTD this year, after the marathon weekend is over, to make it festive. I am wondering if the Winter Village is going to move into DCA as part of the whole Frozen thing.

Let's face it -- an ice rink has no business in Hollywood, nor does a bunch of 'snowy' décor. But there is no room to put an ice rink and a Frozen mini-land in Fantasyland, so I guess it has to go wherever there is space.

​

Sherry, I completely missed this nice welcome.... Thank you, I'm happy to be back I actually don't really remember the deco at TS. It can't have been that impressive then And the holiday cocktails looked really nice and festive, but didn't really taste that good. But I like TS in general, it has a really nice theming.

the_princess --

The cocktails weren't good? Oh no! If a bar can't get the drinks right, there's a problem! It seemed fairly dark in there when I poked my head in and decided I wasn't going to go in and take photos. So I have only seen other photos (in blogs) of the holiday décor in TS. It looked like it was appropriately themed to the whole Trader Sam's concept. I wonder if some of the décor was toned down the last couple of years.

 

[mom2rtk]

IMG_3427 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

IMG_6388 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

IMG_3440 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

IMG_6286 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

IMG_6311 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

IMG_6421 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

IMG_6457 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

IMG_6474 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

 

[Sherry E]

Absolutely gorgeous photos, Janet! So clear and sharp! Another entry in the random draw!

As I was looking at your photos I was trying to decide which outfits I like better on the Carolers! I think I kind of like the PPH Carolers' outfits better, but the GCH Carolers' outfits seem to be more theme appropriate for the setting. Hmmm.

I also realized that I don't think I have ever seen any photos of Carolers at the DLH! I know that they perform there as well, but I tend to spend most of my time walking through the PPH and the GCH to get to/from the parks and I have never caught them at the DLH.

 

[mom2rtk]

Absolutely gorgeous photos, Janet! So clear and sharp! Another entry in the random draw!

As I was looking at your photos I was trying to decide which outfits I like better on the Carolers! I think I kind of like the PPH Carolers' outfits better, but the GCH Carolers' outfits seem to be more theme appropriate for the setting. Hmmm.

I also realized that I don't think I have ever seen any photos of Carolers at the DLH! I know that they perform there as well, but I tend to spend most of my time walking through the PPH and the GCH to get to/from the parks and I have never caught them at the DLH.

Thanks Sherry!

I like all the caroler costumes. But then I love most things that are Victorian looking. And we certainly never saw any carolers around the DLH either. I'll need to check the schedule next time. Do you have any idea where they would appear there?

And I bet you're excited to hit Labor Day weekend. YEAH! Summer is finally OVER! I know, I know..... tell that to the weather man..... at least we finally cooled off a bit with some showers today. But like you, I'm more than ready for fall!

 

[DisneyJamieCA]

I'm pretty sure I got photos of the carolers at the DLH last year. I know my mom videotaped in any case. I'll look through the pictures over the weekend and post one if I do.

ETA: When we saw them they were by the giant gingerbread house at the entrance.

 

[petals]

I can help with this. I did the tour a couple years back and you do get a mug, a holiday themed plastic travel mug. We got ours in Toontown before heading over to the parade. We also got a gingerbread cookie and a nutcracker pin. I cannot speak highly enough about the Holiday Tour. It was the highlight of my first holiday trip to DL. The spot we got for the parade was amazing, right in front of IASW. Completely worth the money IMO

awesome... I'm working on convincing Momma it's worth the money lol!

 

[Sherry E]

Thanks Sherry!

I like all the caroler costumes. But then I love most things that are Victorian looking. And we certainly never saw any carolers around the DLH either. I'll need to check the schedule next time. Do you have any idea where they would appear there?

And I bet you're excited to hit Labor Day weekend. YEAH! Summer is finally OVER! I know, I know..... tell that to the weather man..... at least we finally cooled off a bit with some showers today. But like you, I'm more than ready for fall!

Janet --

Thankfully, Jamie was able to answer the question about the carolers at the DLH. I would have assumed that they'd be somewhere in the Fantasy Tower, but the giant castle area makes sense.

Although we have been having some icky 90-degree days, you are so right -- I am excited to get past Labor Day because I am so over summer (sorry, Olaf!)! I wish it were going to end sooner than September 23rd, but at least it is on its way out the door! The air has been just a touch cooler in the morning, and it is taking longer for the heat to set in during the day. Those are usually good signs that the seasons are shifting and preparing to change.

Last year I was at DLR for the first day of Halloween Time (on the day of that crazy Unleash the Villains mess), and it was very hot (90 degrees or so). It was also humid. I hate being at DLR when it's like that, especially when there are wonderful Fall/Halloween decorations to appreciate in Frontierland and on Main Street. It is hard to get in an Autumn state of mind when it is so hot. My zombie cookie's frosting started to melt as soon as I bought it. It was still humid and sticky at night -- ick.

I envy you for having rain! I wish it were nice and gloomy, with just a hint of sprinkles! We need the rain out here in SoCal so badly, and it literally seems to be all or nothing. We either get no rain for absurd stretches of time (not good for our drought situation), or we get pummeled with too much heavy rain in a short period of time, when our storm drains, structures, roofs, hillsides -- and drivers!! -- are not built to withstand that kind of rainfall.

I'm pretty sure I got photos of the carolers at the DLH last year. I know my mom videotaped in any case. I'll look through the pictures over the weekend and post one if I do.

ETA: When we saw them they were by the giant gingerbread house at the entrance.

Jamie --

Thank you for answering that! At least someone has proof that the carolers exist somewhere at the DLH!

 

[PHXscuba]

Absolutely gorgeous photos, Janet! So clear and sharp! Another entry in the random draw!

As I was looking at your photos I was trying to decide which outfits I like better on the Carolers! I think I kind of like the PPH Carolers' outfits better, but the GCH Carolers' outfits seem to be more theme appropriate for the setting. Hmmm.

I also realized that I don't think I have ever seen any photos of Carolers at the DLH! I know that they perform there as well, but I tend to spend most of my time walking through the PPH and the GCH to get to/from the parks and I have never caught them at the DLH.

My picture of carolers on the previous page was from the DLH during my 2010 visit. We saw the same group a little later in the GCH.

Sherry, pretty please don't do Haunted Mansion next week -- I will be at WDW all week and unable to post photos. And I have some good ones of HMH from last year!!

Have a magical week to all,

PHXscuba

 

[Sherry E]

My picture of carolers on the previous page was from the DLH during my 2010 visit. We saw the same group a little later in the GCH.

Sherry, pretty please don't do Haunted Mansion next week -- I will be at WDW all week and unable to post photos. And I have some good ones of HMH from last year!!

Have a magical week to all,

PHXscuba

Oh, you're right -- I completely blanked out on your caroler photo! I am glad to see the carolers at the DLH!

I'm not saying which theme is coming up, but whatever it is, it has been predetermined!

KCmike has had to sit out the last 2 weeks, so he will be happy that this is a week in which he will be able to participate.

You will always have the Holiday Cornucopia week on 11/3 to post anything that doesn't make it into any other week.

Have a great time at WDW and take lots of Halloween photos of whatever they have!

 

[Misskitty3]

I was really hoping we would learn more yesterday but we didn't. I don't think today, being the Friday before a 3 day weekend is the best time to release info so I wasn't expecting anything today.

Ironically, I did receive a Disneyland brochure in the mail today that contains my kids school holiday periods - Disney did the research for us and list 3 possible periods for us to visit during a Feb, April or May 2015.

If they know when MY kids have school breaks NEXT year.....they must know when the Christmas season will begin THIS year at Disneyland, right?

 

[KCmike]

Getting close to the new theme week! Can't wait to see what Sherry E has in store for us all.

Janet those pics inside GCH are really clear and vibrant. Bravo.

Any word on the star returning to the top of the Matterhorn this year?

It's hard to believe that Halloween is invading the parks and there is no mention of the Holidays at Disneyland yet.

PHXscuba I will cross my fingers that you won't miss Haunted Mansion week!

 

[Sherry E]

I was really hoping we would learn more yesterday but we didn't. I don't think today, being the Friday before a 3 day weekend is the best time to release info so I wasn't expecting anything today.

Ironically, I did receive a Disneyland brochure in the mail today that contains my kids school holiday periods - Disney did the research for us and list 3 possible periods for us to visit during a Feb, April or May 2015.

If they know when MY kids have school breaks NEXT year.....they must know when the Christmas season will begin THIS year at Disneyland, right?

Misskitty3 --

Of course!

Well, we've got one more of those crazy #GetHappier Monday Summer Surprises in 3 days (and then that whole promotion is over), so maybe that will be a day for some kind of news.

I think that we are now verging on this being the longest period of time we've had to wait to get the official season start date in the last few years.

Even in years when the Parks Blog did not do a blog to announce the season until October or November , the dates of the season always came out in some other official way -- like there would be a press release, or an email sent out as early as July by Disney Destinations that had the season dates in it, or something. Last year the season start date was printed in the Backstage Pass newsletter for Annual Passholders -- in MAY!!!!!

So there has always been some sort of official Disney source that has "revealed" the season dates by now, for the last few (or several) years.

This year...nothing!

There are least three maddening things about this weird delay in info:

1. We now know the end date of the season, because of Pam Brandon's blog about Haunted Mansion Holiday (yesterday). If we can know the end date, we should be able to know the start date. Clearly, the people who decide such things at DLR must know when it is;


2. Even if nothing exciting were going to be happening for the entire holiday season -- nothing new, nothing different, nothing that affects the schedule that has to be announced -- we don't need that in order to know the dates. They could just do a Blog that says nothing more than:

"Even though it's still summer, we know that many of our readers are already planning their holiday trips. The Holidays at Disneyland Resort will begin on... Stay tuned for more exciting details as we get closer to November."


Nothing more than that is needed at the moment. I mean, it would be nice to get details of other things, but if we didn't get more info then at least we'd have the start date; and


3. It almost seems as if Disney doesn't want to give an official date. They probably just want us to think that the season starts in "mid-November" (which is what it says on the DLR website) and base everything on that. But it is realistic and reasonable for people to want to know exactly what will be up and running before, during and after the Avengers marathon weekend.

Getting close to the new theme week! Can't wait to see what Sherry E has in store for us all.

Janet those pics inside GCH are really clear and vibrant. Bravo.

Any word on the star returning to the top of the Matterhorn this year?

It's hard to believe that Halloween is invading the parks and there is no mention of the Holidays at Disneyland yet.

PHXscuba I will cross my fingers that you won't miss Haunted Mansion week!

Mike --

It is especially odd that there is no mention of the holidays from any official Disney source at all, even aside from the Parks Blog! There is no official info about the holiday start date trickling in from anywhere. The only thing we know is that Haunted Mansion Holiday will be up through January 6, 2015, and we know the rumor (which is likely to be at least somewhat accurate) from MiceAge about the Frozen mini-land/ice rink/sing-along/meet and greet in DCA.

Quite frankly, even the Halloween-related bits of news have been non-news and a bit anticlimactic. There's nothing all that new on the Halloween front this year, from what has been revealed so far. At least there have been official date announcements, though!

The last rumor I read about the Matterhorn star -- and I don't know if it was on MiceChat or on another site where I read it -- was that next year is the year that the star may return (for the 60th anniversary).