Disneyland at Christmas/Holiday Season Superthread #4

[tksbaskets]

Am I the only one excited about the giant gingerbread house (selling hot chocolate) in the GCH lobby? I have been waiting for something like that to happen at the GCH for years.

And... am I the only one wondering where, exactly, the gingerbread house will go in the GCH lobby -- assuming the giant tree stays in place? Where would the house go? Can they both fit in the center of the lobby, or would the sofas and chairs have to be moved?

And, more importantly, when will this glorious new bit of holiday décor at the GCH go up? Will it be in place by 11/13? Or will it be later, as usual?

I'm excited!!

Personal Disneyland shopper on FB has a photo of the Elf popcorn bucket:

https://www.facebook.com/PersonalDl...0091307072400/736432063104985/?type=1&theater

It's adorable!

 

[DisneylandPlanner]

Am I the only one excited about the giant gingerbread house (selling hot chocolate) in the GCH lobby? I have been waiting for something like that to happen at the GCH for years.

And... am I the only one wondering where, exactly, the gingerbread house will go in the GCH lobby -- assuming the giant tree stays in place? Where would the house go? Can they both fit in the center of the lobby, or would the sofas and chairs have to be moved?

And, more importantly, when will this glorious new bit of holiday décor at the GCH go up? Will it be in place by 11/13? Or will it be later, as usual?

I read that and was not sure what to think. Because it stated selling hot chocolate, not gingerbread shingles. Here's hoping it will be awesome!!!

I am also interested in the drinking stein, but mostly the travel mug I love to use my travel mug all year long.

 

[crystal1313]

The real question is -- did Mickey go to the Elf name site and get his Elf name? Lol.

I'm sure you are now seeing that you made a good choice by deciding to skip Halloween Time and go for the holidays instead, Crystal! More bang for your buck; more holiday merriment all over the place; just more fun to be had!!

Yeah Sherry! We are SOOOOO excited! We just love the parks at Christmas time! And as a bonus this year, my mom is coming with us! Yay!! She hasn't been with us during the holidays in a couple years, and has never seen BVS or Cars Land decorated. So exciting!!

 

[DisneylandPlanner]

The real question is -- did Mickey go to the Elf name site and get his Elf name? Lol.

I could not help myself Mickey's Elf Name . . . Melvis

Melvis You share your name with a legend and one of the best singers ever to come out of Northpole. You can certainly live up to your name. You’re no stranger to passion and to following your dreams!

 

[pudinhd]

I have to admit, I am feeling a lot of jealousy that Disney World is getting Sandy Claws... I mean, we have Haunted Mansion Holiday, so he should come, too!

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/bl...to-walt-disney-world-resort-for-the-holidays/

 

[Sherry E]

I love how, whenever Erin at the Disney Parks Blog posts about the holiday season, someone speaks up and tries to coax her to reveal the details of the (rumored) Frozen stuff in DCA. It happened when she put out the first holiday season Blog in September (announcing the dates), and it happened again today (in the Blog that figment_jii linked earlier).

Clearly, these people who are commenting under the Blogs must realize that Erin is not going to answer the Frozen-in-DCA questions until there has been an official announcement about it. MiceAge is not an official source, and their rumors have not panned out probably 75% of the time. Erin either doesn't have the answers about what's happening with Frozen in DCA, OR all of the Disney news sources are holding off until a specific time before revealing anything.

​

Holiday parades and fireworks starting today! Question - is there any kind of pre-show before the fireworks with a castle lighting, similar to what happens at WDW? If so, what time is this?

Pheran --

The schedule for the Wintertime Enchantment Lighting -- which is what DLR has -- seems to be a mystery. I don't see it on the DLR calendar at all, and I don't even see it in my Times Guide from December of 2013, but it was definitely happening every night. In 2013 the Lighting was listed for certain dates on the calendar and not for others -- even though it was happening every night. Maybe DLR just decided to leave it off of the calendar, for whatever reason, but it will still be happening.

Maybe Bret/mvf-m11c might remember the times?

Given that, I wonder if they'll do anything to make the Frozen float look holiday-themed or will they just put it in as is? It'll be interesting to see! I thought I read a rumor that Mickey and Minnie will be taking over the Mrs. Claus float...I guess we'll know for sure in a few hours (assuming someone is there today and reports back here!)!

figment_jii --

Yes, DIS'er theggs4ever reported this rumor just recently, here:

Oh I see. Ok, well the article said that the ice skating float will now be Frozen themed and Mickey and Minnie will be moving to the float with Mrs. Claus (the baking float I believe it is). Poor Mrs. Claus is kicked out. I hope they find a place to keep her in the parade somewhere.

Me 4!!!
Yes, I am wondering which corner it will be in? The exit towards Storytellers? Or over by Hearthstone? Or maybe near the gift shop? New PHOTO'S! are awating us!
--Lori

Lori --

Yes, indeed! More photo opportunities, and more photos for the "Hotels" portion of the Theme Week Countdown next year! (I'm always thinking ahead.)

Since I have not been to the Grand Floridian to see its gingerbread house/shop and have only seen photos of it, it's hard for me to put into perspective how large the GCH lobby is in comparison to the GF's lobby. I only know what the GCH lobby looks like, and from what I know of it I am having a hard time visualizing where this 6-foot gingerbread house and hot cocoa counter will go! If I were to see the GF's lobby in person and how the gingerbread house is set up there, it might give me some perspective on how it could work at the GCH.

It seems like, no matter where in the lobby the gingerbread house goes, something would have to be moved. Some chairs or sofas might have to be moved. Some of the other regular décor around the lobby might have to be moved. The giant tree might even have to be moved over just a tad.

I am really looking forward to seeing how this works.

Woohoo! I wonder if it will up for our trip in 1.5 weeks! I will definitely report back. I hope it doesn't move the tree or take away from the grandness though. And I agree, I wonder what this means for the one at the DLH. It was fun there, but did block the entrance to the lobby, honestly. Not by itself, but with the PP photographer and everybody trying to get pictures. I am so excited for our trip!!!

ETA: I read the article - do you think Elsa & Anna are actually going to be a part of the parade or continue with the pre-parade? I would love to see them IN the parade.

Jamie --

Of course, I don't know any more than you do about it, but my guess would be that Anna & Elsa would be an actual part of the parade. I think that they would fit better in the theme/context of the Christmas Fantasy Parade.

I think that if the GF at WDW could have the gingerbread house in its lobby every year and still maintain its grandness, it could work at the GCH without messing up the overall theme and feel. I am just not sure where -- logistically -- the house will go without things needing to be moved. I don't think it was an overnight decision for DLR, though. I mean, just last year they added in the reindeer at the entrance to the GCH, and the Castle in the Fantasy Tower lobby, and they could have done it at any point in the past. They could have copied the GF's lobby gingerbread house idea years ago and didn't, so I am guessing a lot of thought was put into how and where it could work.

I do think that a giant gingerbread gift shop would be better suited for the Disneyland Hotel -- just because it's a fairly whimsical idea, and a playful one, and that seems to fit the theme of the DLH a bit better. I think that there's a lot of good space that could be put to use around the different towers' lobbies as well -- and it wouldn't be a big thematic misstep to move a few chairs and tables to make room for the gingerbread house at the DLH.

However -- maybe for the exact reasons you described (the photographers at the entrance and people trying to get photos) -- Disney's Enhancement Team decided that putting the real gingerbread house at the DLH would not work, since the fake one caused foot traffic at the entrance.

I liked seeing the big Castle in that spot in that DLH Fantasy Tower, though -- even though it was fake, and had a fake piped-in smell of gingerbread. I will be disappointed if it is gone this year -- although it will give me one more thing to add to the "Holidays Gone By" theme week in next year's Theme Week Countdown! (See? I'm always thinking ahead!)

I am seriously excited about this. I love all the huge Gingerbread structures at the WDW resorts.

Corinna

Corinna --

I hope that our gingerbread house will be a worthy enough counterpart to the GF's version, but I think it will be finding its footing in this first year, only selling hot chocolate and that's it. If it turns out to be successful and not a nightmare in terms of causing crowds in the GCH lobby, and if it doesn't collapse into a giant plywood-gingerbread heap in the middle of the lobby, it will probably return in future years to sell more goodies.

I really enjoy the real (but small) gingerbread houses at Storytellers Café and White Water Snacks -- the smell is amazing when they are fresh -- but I fear that DLR may use up all of its "gingerbread budget" on the 6-foot house in the GCH lobby and not make the smaller houses for those two restaurants.

Guests didn't actually shop inside the GF's gingerbread house. It had a window from which CMs sold the items. So only CMs were inside the actual gingerbread house. I wonder if it'll be up by the start of the Holiday season next week!

figment_jii --

Does the GF house have 4 walls and a door for the CMs to enter? Or is one side of it without a wall?

I would think that, if ever there were a time to get the hotels ready early in the season and not dilly dally until right before Thanksgiving, it would be when a new gingerbread house and hot cocoa counter were debuting at the GCH -- especially because that house has now been announced in a press release. However, last year there were new decorations at all 3 hotels -- and those were not announced anywhere, ever. People who went to DLR just found them. But those decorations were up 9 days before Thanksgiving last year, so I think that our DLR hotels will be in holiday mode by at least 11/18 (but hopefully earlier than that!).

OMG he's cool. I think I prefere the Santa one but he's still cool.

petals --

I think that my favorite Christmas Mickey bucket is the Snowman Mickey from a few years ago (a photo of it is in the Merchandise post on page 1). I like the Snowman a lot better than Santa. I will have to look at the Elf up close. I love the idea of Elf Mickey, but it doesn't look as cute as I'd hoped.

I read somewhere that Walt's apartment has been closed for refurbishment (at least in September/October) and that the tour went to the "Dream Suite" instead.

Does anyone know if the tour now goes to Walt's apartment?

Brunolvr --

You know, I heard the same thing you did -- that the Apartment was temporarily removed from the tour while some work was being done. I am not sure what the status is on that -- I don't know if it is back in the tour now, or if it's the Suite that's on the tour. I would hope that, for the busy holiday season, the Apartment is fixed up and ready for visitors!

I read that and was not sure what to think. Because it stated selling hot chocolate, not gingerbread shingles. Here's hoping it will be awesome!!!

I am also interested in the drinking stein, but mostly the travel mug I love to use my travel mug all year long.

DisneylandPlanner --

My guess is that, if this year's house works out well and doesn't cause a confectionery disaster in the lobby of the GCH, it will be set up to sell singles and other treats in future years. I think this will be a trial run.

I'm excited!!

It's adorable!

TK --

Be sure to pop in with your reviews of Nine Lives of Christmas and A Cookie Cutter Christmas after the weekend! Hopefully those will be better than One Starry Christmas!

Yeah Sherry! We are SOOOOO excited! We just love the parks at Christmas time! And as a bonus this year, my mom is coming with us! Yay!! She hasn't been with us during the holidays in a couple years, and has never seen BVS or Cars Land decorated. So exciting!!

Crystal --

A lot of things have been added (to the parks, hotels and to DTD) since your mom last saw DLR for the holidays, so she will have a lot of new things to enjoy!

I can't wait for the season to officially kick off!

When is it acceptable to start saying "Happy Holidays" to people?

I could not help myself Mickey's Elf Name . . . Melvis

Melvis You share your name with a legend and one of the best singers ever to come out of Northpole. You can certainly live up to your name. You’re no stranger to passion and to following your dreams!

DisneylandPlanner --

Mickey = Melvis?? Good grief! The Elf names just get more and more puzzling as time marches on.

I have to admit, I am feeling a lot of jealousy that Disney World is getting Sandy Claws... I mean, we have Haunted Mansion Holiday, so he should come, too!

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/bl...to-walt-disney-world-resort-for-the-holidays/

pudinhd --

True, we should get Sandy Claws, but at least we have the HMH ride. I'd rather have the HMH overlay than have Sandy Claws -- if it came down to it. And now we are stealing the Grand Floridian lobby's gingerbread house idea too, so I think we're doing okay at DLR!

 

[pudinhd]

pudinhd --

True, we should get Sandy Claws, but at least we have the HMH ride. I'd rather have the HMH overlay than have Sandy Claws -- if it came down to it. And now we are stealing the Grand Floridian lobby's gingerbread house idea too, so I think we're doing okay at DLR!

Very, very good points, as usual, Sherry! I guess I should feel happy for them that they get a little bit of NBC!!

 

[Sherry E]

Very, very good points, as usual, Sherry! I guess I should feel happy for them that they get a little bit of NBC!!

I just hope that we can hang on to Haunted Mansion Holiday at DLR for years to come! There are so many people who don't like it (or who don't like it for both Halloween Time and for the holidays) that I fear it will eventually be taken away and 'given' to WDW (although their version would probably have to be staged a little differently).

 

[GeneralTso]

I KNEW choosing Grand Californian for our Christmas trip was the way to go!!!
This is great news. It's going to be so cute. That lobby is just over the top anyway. You can't help but feel the Christmas spirit when you're in there. This addition is a fantastic idea. Looking forward to it

 

[pudinhd]

I just hope that we can hang on to Haunted Mansion Holiday at DLR for years to come! There are so many people who don't like it (or who don't like it for both Halloween Time and for the holidays) that I fear it will eventually be taken away and 'given' to WDW (although their version would probably have to be staged a little differently).

Please bite your tongue, knock on wood, throw salt over your shoulder, or whatever anyone might do... Even thought I did not like NBC, I love, love, love HMH!! Even more than the original! (gasp!) I would be sooooo sad to hear that it would go away!!!!!

 

[siskaren]

The Grand Floridan has a "function" gingerbread house in their lobby and while it is the biggest, you could see a lot of the plywood structure underneath.

Interesting. I've seen it in person and I never thought the structure underneath was noticeable.

 

[OHBelle]

What fun news has come out today! We are planning on touring the hotels the first night we are there and now GCH will be first on my list! A gingerbread house that sells hot chocolate......now that's my kind of place!
The popcorn Mickey Elf bucket is cute! I like the pictures of the Mickey Santa ones better though. I am getting more and more excited! I think my husband thinks I have gone a bit Holiday Crazy!!

 

[Sherry E]

I KNEW choosing Grand Californian for our Christmas trip was the way to go!!!
This is great news. It's going to be so cute. That lobby is just over the top anyway. You can't help but feel the Christmas spirit when you're in there. This addition is a fantastic idea. Looking forward to it

GeneralTso --

I think it's great news too! I am hoping that, if done well and made to fit in with the theme of the GCH, the gingerbread house/hot cocoa counter will be a big hit! Then again, I was gleeful when I saw the new reindeer figures outside of the GCH entrance last year! I am happy with any and all new decorations that appear at the hotels.

Imagine the glorious aroma that will be wafting through the GCH lobby in the early days, when the house is still fresh!

Please bite your tongue, knock on wood, throw salt over your shoulder, or whatever anyone might do... Even thought I did not like NBC, I love, love, love HMH!! Even more than the original! (gasp!) I would be sooooo sad to hear that it would go away!!!!!

pudinhd --

I hope that we never lose HMH. I think that it is too costly and too much of an investment (not to mention too popular of an attraction) for DLR to only keep it around for the holidays and not for Halloween Time too, or vice versa, but I know that a lot of the people who dislike HMH want it to be there for one season or the other, or not at all.

Let's be honest -- Halloween Time needs HMH, because the offerings for that season are not as bountiful as they are for the holidays. But you can't have the Holidays without HMH either. Just like It's a Small World Holiday, Haunted Mansion Holiday is too much a part of seasonal merriment at DLR now. There would be a huge void without it.

 

[pudinhd]

pudinhd --

I hope that we never lose HMH. I think that it is too costly and too much of an investment (not to mention too popular of an attraction) for DLR to only keep it around for the holidays and not for Halloween Time too, or vice versa, but I know that a lot of the people who dislike HMH want it to be there for one season or the other, or not at all.

Let's be honest -- Halloween Time needs HMH, because the offerings for that season are not as bountiful as they are for the holidays. But you can't have the Holidays without HMH either. Just like It's a Small World Holiday, Haunted Mansion Holiday is too much a part of seasonal merriment at DLR now. There would be a huge void without it.

I agree!!!! Let's just pretend the idea was never typed by your fingers!

 

[jammyjam25]

I'm so excited to hear about the addition of the ginger bread house to the GCH lobby! We're having breakfast at Storytellers the first day of our trip and this will be another thing to look forward to seeing!

I saw a few people mention a drink stein?? Did I miss that in the news this morning somewhere?

I've hit the three week mark till I leave for my trip. Can't wait!

 

[egritz]

Pheran --

The schedule for the Wintertime Enchantment Lighting -- which is what DLR has -- seems to be a mystery. I don't see it on the DLR calendar at all, and I don't even see it in my Times Guide from December of 2013, but it was definitely happening every night. In 2013 the Lighting was listed for certain dates on the calendar and not for others -- even though it was happening every night. Maybe DLR just decided to leave it off of the calendar, for whatever reason, but it will still be happening.

Maybe Bret/mvf-m11c might remember the times?

I looked at my excel sheet from Last December and they Castle Lighting Ceremony was being done at 6:30 and 7:00

Regarding the NBC HM overlay, my parents don't care for the movie, but loved the overlay, even more than the normal ride. They liked that it tied into a Disney movie and thought it should be like that year round! I think that is my favorite part of the Holiday stuff (possibly bc my daughter loves the movie so much!)

 

[Sherry E]

As I was looking around the Internet to see if there were any updates on who the narrators would be for the Candlelight Ceremony and Processional on December 6th and 7th (there were no updates when I looked a couple of weeks ago), I found a reliable rumor.

The person who posted the reliable CP narrator rumor on another site is one of our very own DIS'ers, but I don't know if she wants to be mentioned so I won't mention who it is. She will speak up if she wants to.

In any case, according to our DIS'er (who was on the other site), apparently the reliable rumor of who the narrator will be for this year's CP is that it will be Beau Bridges, on both nights.

Again, nothing has been confirmed, and Disney won't announce it to the public via a blog or press release or anything in advance (except for maybe the folks who take the VIP tour), but last year's reliable rumors (of Blair Underwood and Kurt Russell) turned out to be true, so I am thinking that Beau Bridges will be there on 12/6 and 12/7. We'll see what happens.

​

I'm so excited to hear about the addition of the ginger bread house to the GCH lobby! We're having breakfast at Storytellers the first day of our trip and this will be another thing to look forward to seeing!

I saw a few people mention a drink stein?? Did I miss that in the news this morning somewhere?

I've hit the three week mark till I leave for my trip. Can't wait!

jammyjam25 --

The drink stein is mentioned in this press release which I linked earlier (which is how I found out about the GCH gingerbread house) --

http://disneylandnews.com/2014/11/0...-begins-nov-13-featuring-holiday-magic-firew/.

It's in the "Special holiday food items..." paragraph/bullet point.

 

[petals]

Will the gingerbread house be there from the 13th onwards or later? That post needs more photos. What does this drink Stein look like!

 

[Sherry E]

I looked at my excel sheet from Last December and they Castle Lighting Ceremony was being done at 6:30 and 7:00

Regarding the NBC HM overlay, my parents don't care for the movie, but loved the overlay, even more than the normal ride. They liked that it tied into a Disney movie and thought it should be like that year round! I think that is my favorite part of the Holiday stuff (possibly bc my daughter loves the movie so much!)

egritz --

Thank you so much for coming forward with that info! I remembered that the Lighting was missing from the calendar for a bunch of nights in 2013, and I had to ask someone behind the scenes to be sure it was happening nightly, but I completely blanked out on the times. I have no clue why it's not on the calendar.

I am surprised that your parents liked HMH so much! I really love Haunted Mansion Holiday. So much detail goes into it, from the outside queue to the actual ride itself. I've never been a huge Nightmare Before Christmas fan, though. I don't hate the movie. I am just so-so about it. The ride I love, though.

Will the gingerbread house be there from the 13th onwards or later? That post needs more photos. What does this drink Stein look like!

petals --

Disneyland's press releases don't have photos, as a rule, but today's release gave more info and details than what the Parks Blog gave -- when they usually seem to give about the same amount of details. I'd rather have more info (because we have been lacking info).

No one knows when the gingerbread house will go up at the GCH. As I was saying to figment_jii on the previous page, if ever there were a time to get the hotels ready early in the season and not dilly dally until right before Thanksgiving, it would be when a new gingerbread house and hot cocoa counter were debuting at the GCH -- especially because that house has now been announced in a press release.

I'm sure the gingerbread house will be there at some point during your trip. If the hotel decorations are not in place by 11/13, as I've mentioned in the past, I think they will go up at least by 11/18 or so. They'll be up by the pre-Thanksgiving weekend.

 

[OHBelle]

I am a little confused. What is the difference between Early Magic Hours and Magic Mornings? I think one has to do with if you are staying on property, but what is the other one? Or are they the same thing? Thanks!

I am so excited by all the news that came out today. I seriously cannot wait to see the gingerbread house.

I am still trying to watch Nightmare Before Christmas before we go, but with the Countdown to Christmas on Hallmark, I haven't found time yet! Plus I am not sure my husband is interested in it.