Disneyland at Christmas/Holiday Season Superthread #4

[mom2rtk]

Lots of great shots, Mikey. I especially love the cu of Madame Leota. I'm impressed that you could use a 5.6 aperture in there. I would have been too weenie to even try!

 

[SweetAlex]

SweetAlex --

Not a Scrooge!

A lot of people will head to DCA at night, I think. As I was saying to another DIS'er who just asked the same thing here recently, other people will have the same idea that you have and will be trying to "avoid the crowds"! (I have seen the mass exodus of people on Candlelight nights, and I have to assume they are headed to DCA and into Downtown Disney.)

People are not keen on standing around in the masses gathered around Town Square if the Candlelight Ceremony is not their cup of tea. There are no seats to be reserved or purchased for the general public, so that will dissuade a lot of people. And the narrators are generally not made public -- presumably so that even more masses don't flock to Town Square to see them.

It cannot hurt to go over to DCA, but I would not expect that to be crowd-free.

I find that the crowds get worse in Disneyland on Candlelight Sundays in the mid-to-late afternoon. Avoid Town Square from mid-afternoon until about 9 p.m., if you can help it. I have heard that Candlelight Saturdays are super-crowded all day in Disneyland.

Bummer . I was afraid of that. Ah well, we'll do our best to just enjoy some of the "quieter" sides of the parks that day. We're only in DLR for the 5 days we have passes so leaving the parks is just not even an option. Miss out on Disney time?! Never!

 

[petals]

Some of the masks in New Orleans Square are a little creepy looking. Maybe that's just me?!

I haven't been on haunted mansion since I was 10 and refused to look and fell asleep... I've watched the videos of the Nightmare before Christmas one and watched that dvd as well so I think I might be able to handle that one this year

Also I go offline for two days and they announce dates! If they do Frozen land in the park will they not take the ice rink out of DTD or are they having two?!

 

[OHBelle]

I am so happy I found this thread!

My DH and I are planning a trip to Disneyland in early December!

We moved to Arizona 5 years ago from Ohio and I have been trying to get over to DL ever since. My last trip to DL was about 35 years ago when I was a teenager and still lived in AZ. When I married DH, I moved to Ohio. We took our boys on trips to WDW. I have been there 11 times. I have wanted to go back to DL for a long time. FINALLY we are going!!! During the Christmas season no less!! I wasn't sure it was going to happen this year because my son proposed to his GF in June and I wasn't sure when the wedding would be. Lucky for me they chose October of 2015.

This thread has been a great help! Sherry you do an amazing job. The info on the first page is so helpful. The Theme of the Week is awesome. Seeing all the pictures has made me even more excited! Thank you so much! I hope I can get some good ones during my trip to contribute next year.

The fact that you all discuss the Hallmark Christmas movies and Peppermint Ice Cream are added bonuses. I work from home and the Hallmark Channel stays on all through the Countdown to Christmas!

Sorry to have rambled on, but I am just so excited!

 

[blackjackdelta]

We have been here since Sunday and Staying at the GCH, the last three days crowds have been heavier than I expected and Dapper Day is tomorrow. This place is not Macbook pro friendly so I will try to post a pic until we get back home.

Addendum: WWS is closed until the 20th, such fun

Jack

 

[KCmike]

For those who saw the Holidays Version of World of Color last year. What did you think???? i LOVE the regular version. How does the holiday version stack up???

I also love the original version but hate to report that the holiday version was a major letdown. My whole family came out of it thinking that we wished they would have left the original in its place. Maybe they will update it this winter? If I were going back this winter I would personally skip it but how do you skip the major nighttime entertainment in that park? Again this is only my personal opinion. On another note I'm a big fan of the overlay of HM, overlay of IASM, and all the other holiday entertainment.

 

[flyingdumbo127]

Thank you again Sherry. I'm sorry you had that experience The only true snowy weather I've been in was a couple Yosemite trips, otherwise just up in the mountains for day trips as a young kid. I think snow for Christmas would be beautiful but I don't think I'd care to live in it. It sure is hot out there! Back to the CP, so maybe the earlier one is also a good idea for less crowds? Please anyone let me know if you are going either Saturday or Sunday and just to DL in general, it'd be fun to meet up.

 

[Sherry E]

Have a great time, blackjackdelta! Enjoy riding Haunted Mansion Holiday tomorrow!


PHXscuba -- Great photos! I was hoping you were back from WDW and would be able to post them!



Janet -- I will certainly keep you posted (if you don't find out elsewhere first) about any new discounts or developments that pop up that might open up those supposedly booked PPH and DLH hotel rooms (which I still don't believe are truly booked this far out)/calendar dates in December. I think that blocks of rooms will open up at some point, but being able to catch them when they do is crucial!

​

Bummer . I was afraid of that. Ah well, we'll do our best to just enjoy some of the "quieter" sides of the parks that day. We're only in DLR for the 5 days we have passes so leaving the parks is just not even an option. Miss out on Disney time?! Never!

SweetAlex --

You never know. Crowds sometimes surprise me and do exactly the opposite of what they have done in the past! Sometimes certain time periods will suddenly be less crowded when they used to be more crowded, and vice versa.

Don't forget to spend some Disney time at the hotels and in Downtown Disney too -- there are all kinds of cool details and holiday things to see!

Some of the masks in New Orleans Square are a little creepy looking. Maybe that's just me?!

I haven't been on haunted mansion since I was 10 and refused to look and fell asleep... I've watched the videos of the Nightmare before Christmas one and watched that dvd as well so I think I might be able to handle that one this year

Also I go offline for two days and they announce dates! If they do Frozen land in the park will they not take the ice rink out of DTD or are they having two?!

petals --

I like the masks and have spent a crazy amount of time photographing every single one of them up close (there are many of them) -- but, to be honest, you are not the first person to say that they are creepy! Others have said it too. They are very Mardi Gras-esque, and they fit with the New Orleans theme.

Haunted Mansion Holiday is worth a ride for the gingerbread house in the ballroom/dining room alone, let alone all of the other wonderful details. The overlay is very extensive.

It is still up in the air as to whether or not there will be anything Frozen-ish thrown into DCA at all. That was never confirmed or made official, so it is possible that it was something that Disney was considering and decided to abandon. Or maybe it was never a real option at all.

The Parks Blog that came out yesterday was pretty 'thin' in terms of telling us anything new about the seasonal festivities. Jingle Cruise wasn't even included in it, which may or may not have been an oversight. I think that the Blog was really just to give the season dates to the people who had been asking for them (us!!).

My feeling is that if there is still any plan to put a meet and greet and a Frozen sing-along in DCA, it would make no sense to have an ice rink in DCA as well as in Downtown Disney. The Parks Blog said the ice rink would be in DTD. Having two different Frozen-themed ice rinks at Disneyland Resort would not only be overkill but would also be a bad use of space that could go for some other type of activity/event.

And yet, it is almost a certainty that the ice rink will not be in place in DTD until after the Avengers marathon is over, so probably after 11/17 or so.


So I think that either the Frozen plan for DCA was never on the table and MiceAge was completely wrong, or there was a Frozen plan and it got shelved, or the Frozen plan is in the works but the details have not been fine-tuned yet, which is why they have not been announced. Disney could be trying to figure out if there is way to do a hard ticket event for one or two nights, revolving around Frozen.

I am so happy I found this thread!

My DH and I are planning a trip to Disneyland in early December!

We moved to Arizona 5 years ago from Ohio and I have been trying to get over to DL ever since. My last trip to DL was about 35 years ago when I was a teenager and still lived in AZ. When I married DH, I moved to Ohio. We took our boys on trips to WDW. I have been there 11 times. I have wanted to go back to DL for a long time. FINALLY we are going!!! During the Christmas season no less!! I wasn't sure it was going to happen this year because my son proposed to his GF in June and I wasn't sure when the wedding would be. Lucky for me they chose October of 2015.

This thread has been a great help! Sherry you do an amazing job. The info on the first page is so helpful. The Theme of the Week is awesome. Seeing all the pictures has made me even more excited! Thank you so much! I hope I can get some good ones during my trip to contribute next year.

The fact that you all discuss the Hallmark Christmas movies and Peppermint Ice Cream are added bonuses. I work from home and the Hallmark Channel stays on all through the Countdown to Christmas!

Sorry to have rambled on, but I am just so excited!

Welcome, OHBelle!

Thank you for joining us -- and thank you for the kind words! I really appreciate it. I'm so glad that the thread has been helpful and fun.

Wow! You have been away from Disneyland for a very long time! Needless to say, you will have a lot to catch up on! There are so, so, so many new things to see. I'm happy for you that you get to go -- and that you are going during Christmas time, which is so beautiful in the parks, hotels and everywhere. Do you have an idea of how long the trip might be (how many days)?

Another Countdown to Christmas fan! A kindred spirit! And it all starts on 10/31 this year -- ! I am all about the Hallmark Christmas movies, and all about peppermint ice cream (especially Dreyer's Peppermint Wonderland)! Actually, I'm all about the holiday season in general -- music, decorations, lights, TV specials, treats, you name it! But I check the Hallmark Channel Facebook page every day, hoping to see another one of their Countdown to Christmas reminders!

I am one of those people who is not only looking forward to the 12 new movies that Hallmark airs this season, but also seeing all of my favorites over and over again! Plus, I was delighted to learn that The Christmas Ornament and A Very Merry Mix-Up (two of my favorites from 2013) are coming out on DVD next month -- which means I can clear them off of the DVR and make room for new movies!

Fellow DIS'er tksbaskets is another avid Hallmark Countdown to Christmas enthusiast, so you're in good company here!

And fellow DIS'ers Jamie/DisneyJamieCA and PHXscuba are avid Dreyer's peppermint ice cream enthusiasts as well! Last year the ice cream was rather elusive at first, and then it appeared a little at a time in stores, and then a lot of it suddenly came out -- and stayed out -- well into the first half of this year. I am hoping it will be back in the freezer section this month.

Thank you again Sherry. I'm sorry you had that experience The only true snowy weather I've been in was a couple Yosemite trips, otherwise just up in the mountains for day trips as a young kid. I think snow for Christmas would be beautiful but I don't think I'd care to live in it. It sure is hot out there! Back to the CP, so maybe the earlier one is also a good idea for less crowds? Please anyone let me know if you are going either Saturday or Sunday and just to DL in general, it'd be fun to meet up.

flyingdumbo127 --

Thank you -- normally I would have been fine in 30-degree nighttime weather because I was prepared for it. The combo of the cold and the pain in my leg and hip was the issue, I think. But I made it out of the crowd and got back to my hotel room fairly soon, so I could rest. I hated having to leave the CP while it was still going on -- especially before my favorite part, which is the Silent Night segment -- but I did see Kurt Russell at the Grand Californian Hotel (which was not where I stayed) the next morning.

I think that snow is absolutely gorgeous in photos, isn't it? Snowy, wintry scenes are stunning -- snow-covered trees and houses and wooded lanes... It's just magical to look at. Snowmen and snowball fights are just pure fun. However, as anyone who lives with snow every year (such as Jenny/rentayenta) will tell us, it is a pain! It is not fun to deal with on a regular, ongoing basis. Plus, pipes freeze and all kinds of mayhem can ensue.

I don't know if the earlier CP on Saturday would have lighter crowds. Saturday is supposedly the day that has the worst crowds. I think that there will still be a lot of people waiting to see the any performance of the CP on either Saturday or Sunday, but the Cast Members probably won't allow them to stand in certain areas during the daytime. That's why a lot of them plunk down on the benches they see and just stay there for the rest of the day and night! I would suggest to just be prepared to stake out a spot where you are allowed to stand or wait, at least a couple of hours ahead of time -- if not more than that.

You might want to ask the Cast Members keeping watch over the Candlelight/Town Square area during the daytime where the best place to wait would be. Even if you don't begin waiting yet, at least you will know where to go.

As we get closer to December I'll have a better idea of what I am doing, and we should know who else will be at Disneyland at the same time, and if anyone is up for the CP. You're in the right places -- here in this thread and in the December Check-In Thread -- to find other December travelers and CP viewers!

 

[Jenasweetemotion]

I also love the original version but hate to report that the holiday version was a major letdown. My whole family came out of it thinking that we wished they would have left the original in its place. Maybe they will update it this winter? If I were going back this winter I would personally skip it but how do you skip the major nighttime entertainment in that park? Again this is only my personal opinion. On another note I'm a big fan of the overlay of HM, overlay of IASM, and all the other holiday entertainment.

That's how we felt as well. We said that if it was the same this year that we are going to miss it and do something in it's place.
On a side note that is how I feel about the Christmas Parade in DL the repetitive short song that we hear every year (like the small world song) and the lack of change has me not watching it and wishing they would do something different if it was just a song change.

 

[mvf-m11c]

Bret --

It will be very interesting to see what's in store for the holiday season this year (any surprises that Disney comes up with) and for next year's 60th anniversary events!

As I said yesterday, I would be fine with a carbon copy of last year's festivities, if that were to happen (including the hotels and DTD)! As long as nothing is taken away or removed, I am good with what was at DLR last year for the holidays.

Every year during the holiday or Halloween season is very interesting to see what Disney is going to do during those season from Viva Navidad & WoC: Winter Dreams for the holiday season. I am looking forward to DL 60th anniversary next year.

For sure. It will be nice if the DLR doesn't remove any of the past holiday decorations replacing it with some other decorations that isn't inspiring.

 

[Sherry E]

That's how we felt as well. We said that if it was the same this year that we are going to miss it and do something in it's place.
On a side note that is how I feel about the Christmas Parade in DL the repetitive short song that we hear every year (like the small world song) and the lack of change has me not watching it and wishing they would do something different if it was just a song change.

Jenasweetemotion --

I probably could have worked Winter Dreams into my schedule somewhere last year and didn't. I didn't bother with it. I had read the views and I saw the footage and stills, and it didn't look like anything that I needed to see.

The Christmas Fantasy Parade song is still stuck in my head! I can hear it now! As I have mentioned in this thread before, even when I am not taking time to stop and see the parade I seem to encounter it without trying! I can't escape that song. The parade itself is cute and fun, but that song drives me nuts.

At least the soundtrack changes a bit in It's a Small World Holiday, to "Jingle Bells" and "Deck the Halls" -- and the fun, themed twists on the Christmas music/lyrics when you get to the Ariel scene and the Toy Story scene -- so it's not the usual IASW song over and over again.

Every year during the holiday or Halloween season is very interesting to see what Disney is going to do during those season from Viva Navidad & WoC: Winter Dreams for the holiday season. I am looking forward to DL 60th anniversary next year.

For sure. It will be nice if the DLR doesn't remove any of the past holiday decorations replacing it with some other decorations that isn't inspiring.

Bret --

I think that we know that something will probably change or get removed from the holiday decorations/offerings this year. Something is always a little different, or some little detail is missing. On the other hand, last year there was quite a lot of new stuff added in around DLR (in DCA, DTD and the hotels, especially), so maybe they will shock us and add in something totally unexpected.

Whatever the case, we will be on the trail of any new or missing decorations at DLR, so they can't sneak anything past us!

 

[petals]

petals --

I like the masks and have spent a crazy amount of time photographing every single one of them up close (there are many of them) -- but, to be honest, you are not the first person to say that they are creepy! Others have said it too. They are very Mardi Gras-esque, and they fit with the New Orleans theme.

Haunted Mansion Holiday is worth a ride for the gingerbread house in the ballroom/dining room alone, let alone all of the other wonderful details. The overlay is very extensive.

It is still up in the air as to whether or not there will be anything Frozen-ish thrown into DCA at all. That was never confirmed or made official, so it is possible that it was something that Disney was considering and decided to abandon. Or maybe it was never a real option at all.

The Parks Blog that came out yesterday was pretty 'thin' in terms of telling us anything new about the seasonal festivities. Jingle Cruise wasn't even included in it, which may or may not have been an oversight. I think that the Blog was really just to give the season dates to the people who had been asking for them (us!!).

My feeling is that if there is still any plan to put a meet and greet and a Frozen sing-along in DCA, it would make no sense to have an ice rink in DCA as well as in Downtown Disney. The Parks Blog said the ice rink would be in DTD. Having two different Frozen-themed ice rinks at Disneyland Resort would not only be overkill but would also be a bad use of space that could go for some other type of activity/event.

And yet, it is almost a certainty that the ice rink will not be in place in DTD until after the Avengers marathon is over, so probably after 11/17 or so.


So I think that either the Frozen plan for DCA was never on the table and MiceAge was completely wrong, or there was a Frozen plan and it got shelved, or the Frozen plan is in the works but the details have not been fine-tuned yet, which is why they have not been announced. Disney could be trying to figure out if there is way to do a hard ticket event for one or two nights, revolving around Frozen.

I may give HM a go if I don't chicken out once I get there lol! I got a second email saying something along the lines of there being more announcements 6 weeks before the season starts so maybe they'll announce all this Frozen stuff then. It seems odd that WDW and Hong Kong would get extra holiday Frozen stuff and not Disneyland.

 

[Sherry E]

I may give HM a go if I don't chicken out once I get there lol! I got a second email saying something along the lines of there being more announcements 6 weeks before the season starts so maybe they'll announce all this Frozen stuff then. It seems odd that WDW and Hong Kong would get extra holiday Frozen stuff and not Disneyland.

petals --

Of course, never having been to WDW or Hong Kong I am not sure about the available space those parks have, but everything at Disneyland Resort has to be carefully thought out because of a lack of space, and also because certain things just work better at the other resorts than at Disneyland, which has such a large, influential local visitor base.

Six weeks out is usually when the Entertainment Calendar and park hours begin to get filled in, slowly but surely, on the Disneyland website. So that would be a good time to announce any new events or entertainment, if there is to be any.

However, even when the calendar begins to fill in it is not always complete or correct. Last year, the Enchantment Lighting of the Winter Castle was left off of the calendar for certain dates in November and December, even though it was happening nightly. People began to think they would miss it. I knew that it would be happening nightly (it's a huge part of the season), but I confirmed with someone behind the scenes at DLR that it would be happening as well. The fact that it was missing from the calendar on certain dates was just an oversight or mistake.

What's interesting is that there should be a Disneyland News press release about the holiday dates now. Usually, the same day or the day after the Parks Blog announces dates for any season, Disneyland News will post a press release with almost identical language and details.

I have been waiting for the Holidays press release from Disneyland News, expecting that it would be a carbon copy of what the Parks Blog told us. Nothing has come through about the Holidays so far -- only about Halloween Time!

So I wonder if Disneyland News is holding back on a Holidays press release until there is more -- a bigger newsworthy event -- to announce??? What was posted in the Parks Blog was not really press release-caliber, I don't think.

Or, maybe Disneyland News is having trouble with its site, because they seem to keep posting the same Halloween Time press release over and over! Hopefully the Holidays release will come through soon.

​

Even though this press release references Halloween Time 2014, it is relevant to the Disneyland at Christmas/Holiday Season Superthread as well, as it involves Haunted Mansion Holiday:

"Halloween Time 2014 at the Disneyland Resort Fun Facts: Haunted Mansion Holiday" -- Disneyland News press release; September 12, 2014

"Tradition Continues with 14 Creepy Creation: Gingerbread House Traps a Gingerbread Zombie"

​

Also:

"Haunted Mansion at Disneyland Park: An Idea that Couldn’t be Laid to Rest" -- Disney Parks Blog; posted on September 12th, 2014 by Valarie Sukovaty, Disneyland Public Relations

​

 

[mom2rtk]

Janet -- I will certainly keep you posted (if you don't find out elsewhere first) about any new discounts or developments that pop up that might open up those supposedly booked PPH and DLH hotel rooms (which I still don't believe are truly booked this far out)/calendar dates in December. I think that blocks of rooms will open up at some point, but being able to catch them when they do is crucial!

Thanks Sherry!

I had my friend/TA call today to check and see if moving back a week to that week immediately following Thanksgiving would help. There was nothing available with the discount that week either. At least nothing in a standard room. I'm guessing maybe they remove some of those rooms from inventory just to push the more expensive rooms for a while. So I remain optimistic something will come up.

 

[Sherry E]

Thanks Sherry!

I had my friend/TA call today to check and see if moving back a week to that week immediately following Thanksgiving would help. There was nothing available with the discount that week either. At least nothing in a standard room. I'm guessing maybe they remove some of those rooms from inventory just to push the more expensive rooms for a while. So I remain optimistic something will come up.

Janet --

More than likely you are exactly right about some of the rooms being removed from inventory to push the more expensive ones first (hence, the reason why the 20% Disney Visa/Debit discount was suspiciously only available for the premium view GCH rooms!)! And there are rooms set aside for specific other discounts (AP discounts and general Disney Destinations discounts or PIN codes), so the reservations system just shows "booked" or no availability, but then there will magically be availability after a while.

 

[blackjackdelta]

Rode HM early today, always done well. Then it broke down for about 2 hours, looked like it was back up again by noon. Parks are JAMMED.

Jack

 

[Sherry E]

Rode HM early today, always done well. Then it broke down for about 2 hours, looked like it was back up again by noon. Parks are JAMMED.

Jack

That's what I was just reading -- HMH broke down (already) and the parks are crowded! In this heat, big crowds won't be fun.

Enjoy your trip, Jack! Have a great time!

 

[Brunolvr]

Hotel Discount Info (for those who have Disney Visa Debit or Credit Cards):

Disney Visa Debit Card (which means that the Credit/Rewards card should have the same thing, or better) is offering discounts of "20% on most rooms at any Disneyland® Resort Hotel most Sunday through Thursday nights (subject to availability)":

Booking period: 9/10/14 - 12/18/14
Travel dates: 10/26/14 - 12/18/14

Travel must be completed by 12/19/14.


Call 866-275-1417 for info.

Do you know if this discount is good on suites?

 

[Sherry E]

Do you know if this discount is good on suites?

Brunolvr --

My guess is that the Disney Visa discount would not be good on suites. It probably just covers standard rooms and view rooms. I could be wrong, though. You might want to call them and ask.

When I called the number and inquired about availability, the Cast Member on the phone told me that their system was showing no availability for my early December dates . I think that some rooms will eventually open up (based on what has happened in the past), but if you have specific dates in mind you might want to call soon and find out if they have anything for your time frame with the Disney Visa discount!

 

[flyingdumbo127]

Snow beautiful to look at in pictures, I agree Sherry. I also enjoy hearing about kids playing in snow. Someday when my Mr. Right comes into my life, I think it would be romantic to spend some snow time with him. I just and probably because I did grow up here in CA, don't think I'd care to live in it.

Thank you for the CP info, that is a great idea to ask a CM in the morning where to stand and get a better idea. I have never been to DL on a weekend let alone during an event. I wish the CP were expanded the way it is in Florida to be more days and during the week but am grateful it is out here at all. I want to have the extra Saturday time to see it since I'll be there anyway and lol that is my reason for going then. When I chatted with DL last week, they told me next month was when more info on the CP should be out but could be longer. I think once we do know times for sure that could help with planning for that.

Stay cool everyone where its hot like here and have a great weekend.