Disneyland at Christmas/Holiday Season Superthread #4

[Misskitty3]

Things are finally falling into place or to a certain extend are being forced into place. I had the Howard Johnson Anaheim Hotel and Water Playground booked for November 23rd to December 1st for a while, but was keeping my fingers crossed that my waitlist for the Villas at the Grand Californian for November 10th to 13th would come through. Unfortunately my banking window closes on Thursday and I will be traveling the next couple of days so I made a reservation at Disney's Paradise Pier Hotel today using my DVC points. I am actually really looking forward to staying there. We also now have the flights from the UK to Los Angeles and back booked now. This is starting to feel real.

Corinna

What an amazing trip you will have! Two of my favorite places for sure! Doesn't get much better than Disneyland AND Hawaii!!

 

[mvf-m11c]

Do they have it "snow" somewhere during the holidays?

It also snows during Sleeping Beauty Winter Castle Enchantment lighting. That is only around the Hub.

 

[rentayenta]

Things are finally falling into place or to a certain extend are being forced into place. I had the Howard Johnson Anaheim Hotel and Water Playground booked for November 23rd to December 1st for a while, but was keeping my fingers crossed that my waitlist for the Villas at the Grand Californian for November 10th to 13th would come through. Unfortunately my banking window closes on Thursday and I will be traveling the next couple of days so I made a reservation at Disney's Paradise Pier Hotel today using my DVC points. I am actually really looking forward to staying there. We also now have the flights from the UK to Los Angeles and back booked now. This is starting to feel real.

Corinna

I'm sorry your GCV didn't come through but I think you'll like the PPH. The room pics are darling. Beach meets Disney. Sounds like some issues from years ago have since been resolved. I am seeing consistently good reviews on the PPH.

 

[tksbaskets]

Things are finally falling into place or to a certain extend are being forced into place. I had the Howard Johnson Anaheim Hotel and Water Playground booked for November 23rd to December 1st for a while, but was keeping my fingers crossed that my waitlist for the Villas at the Grand Californian for November 10th to 13th would come through. Unfortunately my banking window closes on Thursday and I will be traveling the next couple of days so I made a reservation at Disney's Paradise Pier Hotel today using my DVC points. I am actually really looking forward to staying there. We also now have the flights from the UK to Los Angeles and back booked now. This is starting to feel real.

Corinna

I'm sorry your GCV didn't come through but I think you'll like the PPH. The room pics are darling. Beach meets Disney. Sounds like some issues from years ago have since been resolved. I am seeing consistently good reviews on the PPH.

This is exactly what we did two weeks ago. We didn't get our GCH waitlist so we stayed at the PPH with points.

On the plus side - it is a very nice hotel and the couch flips over to make quite a comfortable twin sized bed so my boys didn't have to fight over a queen sized bed (and frankly the pull out in the 1BR villa isn't too comfy. It is literally a hop, skip, and a jump to cross the street and enter the GCH through the side lobby door.

We missed the kitchen with seating area and the quick service eatery at GCH. We ate several tasty meals at White Water Snacks (um love those beef nachos!) with a few of them being take out to go back to our room.

You're going to have an awesome trip!

 

[KCmike]

Everyone and I mean everyone WOW such great photos!

 

[PixiDustDears]

Before I post my pics, I just have to share with those who understand. I just booked a trip for Labor Day weekend! Why is this exciting (beyond the fact that, hey, Disney)? It means we'll have had trips in May, July, Aug/Sep, October and November!

Ok, pictures!



I love her dress!




Someone mentioned Max

 

[dolphingirl47]

What an amazing trip you will have! Two of my favorite places for sure! Doesn't get much better than Disneyland AND Hawaii!!

I am really excited about this. Aulani has been on my bucket list ever since it was announced. We have been to Disneyland a number of times, but I have never been during the holiday season.

I'm sorry your GCV didn't come through but I think you'll like the PPH. The room pics are darling. Beach meets Disney. Sounds like some issues from years ago have since been resolved. I am seeing consistently good reviews on the PPH.

I am good with this and actually quite looking forward to trying another hotel.

This is exactly what we did two weeks ago. We didn't get our GCH waitlist so we stayed at the PPH with points.

On the plus side - it is a very nice hotel and the couch flips over to make quite a comfortable twin sized bed so my boys didn't have to fight over a queen sized bed (and frankly the pull out in the 1BR villa isn't too comfy. It is literally a hop, skip, and a jump to cross the street and enter the GCH through the side lobby door.

We missed the kitchen with seating area and the quick service eatery at GCH. We ate several tasty meals at White Water Snacks (um love those beef nachos!) with a few of them being take out to go back to our room.

You're going to have an awesome trip!

There is only the two of us and we would have had a studio at VGC so the difference in what we have access to in the room will not be that big. I like the idea though that I just have to go downstairs for breakfast with Stitch.

Corinna

 

[tksbaskets]

I am really excited about this. Aulani has been on my bucket list ever since it was announced. We have been to Disneyland a number of times, but I have never been during the holiday season.



I am good with this and actually quite looking forward to trying another hotel.



There is only the two of us and we would have had a studio at VGC so the difference in what we have access to in the room will not be that big. I like the idea though that I just have to go downstairs for breakfast with Stitch.

Corinna

We did the "Surf's up breakfast with Mickey & Friends" and really enjoyed it.

 

[dolphingirl47]

We did the "Surf's up breakfast with Mickey & Friends" and really enjoyed it.

We have done it twice and loved it. The food is just a bit different from other character breakfasts so even my husband enjoys it and Stitch is my absolute favourite.

Corinna

 

[crystal1313]

YAY! Theme weeks!!!

 

[tksbaskets]

We have done it twice and loved it. The food is just a bit different from other character breakfasts so even my husband enjoys it and Stitch is my absolute favourite.

Corinna

If the food is tasty and the characters come right to us you can get pics of Stitch with smiling young adults.

 

[Sherry E]

crystal1313 -- You missed one whole theme last week! I was worried you would not be joining in. Thankfully, you got in to week #2 -- A Christmas Fantasy Parade and Believe...In Holiday Magic Fireworks!!


Amanda/PixiDustDears -- How great that you have a Labor Day weekend trip coming up! We're at the end of July, so Labor Day will be here in no time. And, let's face it, Labor Day is a reason to get excited because it is just a couple of weeks away from Halloween Time and it's that much closer to the holiday season! (I love your parade pictures -- they're so bright and colorful!)


Corinna -- I really like the PPH. It's not for everyone, especially if they are big fans of the GCH, but it has its own charm. I do enjoy the Mickey surfboard lamps/table stands and hidden Mickeys in the white bedding.

KCmike -- That very first photo of the last group that you posted is just awesome! They're always awesome, but that one is very special!

 

[dolphingirl47]

Corinna -- I really like the PPH. It's not for everyone, especially if they are big fans of the GCH, but it has its own charm. I do enjoy the Mickey surfboard lamps/table stands and hidden Mickeys in the white bedding.

I do love the Grand Californian, but at Walt Disney World I also love the Beach Club, Board Walk and Old Key West, which have all kind of a laid back beach style. Actually, I should be a bit more precise. I love the public areas at the Grand Californian, but the rooms don't really do anything for me. There is nothing stopping me coming to sit in the lobby to listen to the piano player or having a drink and a light meal at the Hearthstone Lounge even when we are at the Howard Johnson. That early in the trip, I will be in bed before World of Color starts so I would not even get the benefit of being able to sit on the balcony to watch it.

Corinna

 

[ishbit92]

Great pictures everyone!

I have to admit...normally I am not a parade person. I like to see them once, but after that I'd rather use parade time for going on rides that are slightly emptier due to people watching the parade. But I will say that I am very excited to see the Christmas parade, since I never have before!

I just love all of the character's Christmas outfits

 

[crystal1313]

crystal1313 -- You missed one whole theme last week! I was worried you would not be joining in. Thankfully, you got in to week #2 -- A Christmas Fantasy Parade and Believe...In Holiday Magic Fireworks!!

Oh No I was at Disneyland last week, that's probably why! Major bummer. I'll be sure to check in better from now on. I wasn't on the Dis much last week.

 

[Sherry E]

I do love the Grand Californian, but at Walt Disney World I also love the Beach Club, Board Walk and Old Key West, which have all kind of a laid back beach style. Actually, I should be a bit more precise. I love the public areas at the Grand Californian, but the rooms don't really do anything for me. There is nothing stopping me coming to sit in the lobby to listen to the piano player or having a drink and a light meal at the Hearthstone Lounge even when we are at the Howard Johnson. That early in the trip, I will be in bed before World of Color starts so I would not even get the benefit of being able to sit on the balcony to watch it.

Corinna

Corinna --

I totally agree about the GCH -- the public areas are what I love. I love the lobby and the fireplace and all of the stuff that anyone can access. The GCH lobby/hearth just lends itself well to the holiday season -- it's the best setting to relax, get comfy and listen to carolers or the pianist and/or guitarist. The actual rooms don't thrill me, even if some of them are very close to the elevators and, therefore, a short walk to the parks. I find the rooms to be cramped and slightly dark, even with the balconies.

The PPH rooms, on the other hand, while not tremendously fancy, are a bit more spacious and definitely much brighter and cheerier.

Great pictures everyone!

I have to admit...normally I am not a parade person. I like to see them once, but after that I'd rather use parade time for going on rides that are slightly emptier due to people watching the parade. But I will say that I am very excited to see the Christmas parade, since I never have before!

I just love all of the character's Christmas outfits

ishbit92 --

Hi there!

I admit to not being a parade person either. I think I loved parades as a kid, but not as much now. In fact, I haven't even taken any pictures of the Christmas parade since 2010, even though I have seen A Christmas Fantasy Parade since then. For the purposes of this thread, and for my yearly Theme Week Countdowns, it might be good to get a few new shots, just to have something different to use when I set up the themes.

One thing about this Christmas parade is that I seem to not be able to escape it, wherever I go! I enjoyed the parade when I actually took the time to see it, but even when I was trying to get elsewhere in DL the theme song of the parade seemed to follow me wherever I went. I can still hear it now! It is forever etched in my mind!

What I love most about the parade are the chubby-cheeked snowmen and the burnt-around-the-edges/flat-headed gingerbread men!

I am also not usually a huge fireworks person, although the Believe in Holiday Magic fireworks at DLR are special, due to the snowfall at the end. They look spectacular in photographs too (like in the photos we have seen thus far in this thread).

I suspect that, in 2015, there may be a disruption of the schedule, affecting both the holiday fireworks and parade, due to the whatever new events happen for the 60th anniversary of DL. So I would suggest that everyone try to see A Christmas Fantasy Parade and Believe in Holiday Magic fireworks this year -- just in case they are not available next year!

Oh No I was at Disneyland last week, that's probably why! Major bummer. I'll be sure to check in better from now on. I wasn't on the Dis much last week.

crystal1313 --

That's okay! You're here now!

I thought I remembered you mentioning that you had a DLR trip sometime around now, so when you didn't pop up in the first Theme Week last week, I suspected that was where you might have been.

Just in case you want to go back and see the first theme and everyone's amazing contributions, it began on page 50, post #747 -- Holiday Characters-PhotoPass-Santa!!!

 

[kylie71]

Sherry, I have 2 trips planned for DLR in 2015, and one will for sure be staying at the PPH. One at the Candy Cane..
Very much looking forward to the PPH, since I have not stayed there since Disney took it over! lol!

--Lori

 

[Sherry E]

Sherry, I have 2 trips planned for DLR in 2015, and one will for sure be staying at the PPH. One at the Candy Cane..
Very much looking forward to the PPH, since I have not stayed there since Disney took it over! lol!

--Lori

Lori --

I remember you mentioned staying there in its Pan Pacific days, correct? Then it became the Disneyland Pacific...and then the Paradise Pier.

I definitely think that Disney charges too much for the PPH because there is not much to the hotel in general -- there are not a lot of "hotel grounds" to wander around and explore. A standard room at the PPH should not cost as much as it does.

However, that said, I do appreciate the room upgrades and the improved décor and bedding in the last few years. And -- when I have been fortunate enough to have a park view room -- I can't get enough of that DCA park view!

 

[dec2009mama]

here are my photos for the theme week!!

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[Sherry E]

I just want to make sure I have a complete list of entries into the random draw for the current Theme Week so far:

Chris/Elk Grove Chris
figment_jii
Janet/mom2rtk
TK/tksbaskets
Lori/kylie71
Orbitron
Speechphi
Jenny/rentayenta
pattyduke34
Jamie/DisneyJamieCA
Trish/Phoenixrising
Mike/KCmike
pudinhd
sgrap
Bret/mvf-m11c
Amanda/PixiDustDears
crystal1313
dec2009mama




The people with 2 entries into the random draw for a Disney Gift Card so far (meaning they have posted for both Theme Weeks to date) are:

pattyduke34
Bret/mvf-m11c
Lori/kylie71
Orbitron
figment_jii
Jenny/rentayenta
Amanda/PixiDustDears
Jamie/DisneyJamieCA
Speechphi
Chris/Elk Grove Chris
dec2009mama
pudinhd
Janet/mom2rtk
sgrap
Mike/KCmike
TK/tksbaskets


We have had 18 people enter (with multiple photos) into this week's "A Christmas Fantasy Parade and Believe...in Holiday Magic Fireworks" Theme Week so far, compared with last week's 26 entries into "Holiday Characters--PhotoPass--Santa Claus" Theme Week.

We're doing pretty well, and we still have until Sunday night at 11:59 p.m., P.S.T. for more people to post their photos for the current theme! Last week we started this Countdown on page 50, and we are already on page 62 now. It's not too late to join in, lurkers or people-who-have-photos-that-they-have-not-posted-yet!

So far, I only know of one person who is following the Code Word Challenge -- so that Disney Gift Card giveaway might be easy!

On Monday, August 4th, I will kick off a new theme! What could it be?