Disneyland at Christmas/Holiday Season Superthread #4

[hclifford]

Lisa --

So the race (combined with the first weekend of the official holiday season) was a success? Since it's happening again next year in November, I am assuming that Disney had high hopes for it being a success before it even happened!

Did you find the crowds to be too big, or were they not that bad?

Just thought I would add my tidbit from being there last weekend. We had originally planned our inpromptu trip this weekend both because it worked with our schedule and because we figured it wouldn't be crowded. However, the race did change that. Saturday was definitely crowded, not as much as peak holiday season but still a bit harder to get around then expected. There wasn't any incredibly long lines though (longer than one hour) with the exception of Radiator Springs and Space Mountain/Indy from time to time.

Sunday was much better though, there was still some people but very manageable. Lines, especially in the morning were pretty short, as most of the half marathon runners seemed to go back to their hotels to shower before coming into the park. Also Sunday had much less kids (and strollers...the strollers, im assuming from tired racing kids on Saturday got to be a little bit much). Mid-day it got a little bit busier but after the second parade it weaned off again and the evening crowds were pretty mellow.

I have to say, it was my first time experiencing the Jingle Cruise and the World of Color: Winter Dreams and both were the highlights of my trip. They did a great job making holiday jokes to fit the decorations on the Jingle Cruise...we went at night and I think that was the best choice since the xmas lights made it more magical. Winter Dreams (though almost to focused on Frozen, as much as I love it) was spectacular...I appreciated the tidbits of old school Mickey xmas movies/shows they added and had a great time singing along to all the music!

It being my first time experiencing a weekend at Disney with a race going on I am not sure if its normal or not but the crowd (despite their being a decent amount of kids on Saturday) seemed to be of a more mature nature. A lot of the people we met were great to talk to (me also being a runner I found much to chat about) and people seemed a bit more laid back. And even the kids, though probably tired were some of the better behaved I have seen at Disneyland in the past couple years.

 

[Sherry E]

revwog1974 -- The Dollar Stores (or the 99 Cents Only Store in my area) are treasure troves of amazing finds, aren't they? I am often shocked by the great stuff they have for such low prices!

Anyone have Santa's Schedule for the GCH for 2014?

southlake --

The schedule probably won't be posted until Santa appears at the hotel (which will be Thanksgiving), or maybe shortly before. I am guessing it will be the same as or very similar to last year's schedule, give or take a few minutes -- and you can find the 2013 schedule HERE -- but the giant gingerbread house and hot chocolate counter coming to the GCH lobby this year might affect that somehow. We'll find out next week!

Just thought I would add my tidbit from being there last weekend. We had originally planned our inpromptu trip this weekend both because it worked with our schedule and because we figured it wouldn't be crowded. However, the race did change that. Saturday was definitely crowded, not as much as peak holiday season but still a bit harder to get around then expected. There wasn't any incredibly long lines though (longer than one hour) with the exception of Radiator Springs and Space Mountain/Indy from time to time.

Sunday was much better though, there was still some people but very manageable. Lines, especially in the morning were pretty short, as most of the half marathon runners seemed to go back to their hotels to shower before coming into the park. Also Sunday had much less kids (and strollers...the strollers, im assuming from tired racing kids on Saturday got to be a little bit much). Mid-day it got a little bit busier but after the second parade it weaned off again and the evening crowds were pretty mellow.

I have to say, it was my first time experiencing the Jingle Cruise and the World of Color: Winter Dreams and both were the highlights of my trip. They did a great job making holiday jokes to fit the decorations on the Jingle Cruise...we went at night and I think that was the best choice since the xmas lights made it more magical. Winter Dreams (though almost to focused on Frozen, as much as I love it) was spectacular...I appreciated the tidbits of old school Mickey xmas movies/shows they added and had a great time singing along to all the music!

It being my first time experiencing a weekend at Disney with a race going on I am not sure if its normal or not but the crowd (despite their being a decent amount of kids on Saturday) seemed to be of a more mature nature. A lot of the people we met were great to talk to (me also being a runner I found much to chat about) and people seemed a bit more laid back. And even the kids, though probably tired were some of the better behaved I have seen at Disneyland in the past couple years.

hclifford --

Thank you so much for the info! I appreciate it, since the marathon is happening again next year at the same time, and people will be wondering what the crowds and overall situation will be like. This year was uncharted territory as far as having a marathon on the first weekend of the holiday season and we had no idea what to expect.

It sounds like it was definitely very crowded at times, but not unbearable in general.

I can't wait to ride the new and improved Jingle Cruise and see it in person! I rode the minimally decorated version last year, and I never thought Disney would go all out with it and make it bigger and more holiday-ish, but they obviously have! I am a sucker for a holiday overlay, so I know I will love it. I already love what I have seen of it! I like the concept of the animals getting into the stash of decorations and supplies and scattering them about. I think it's hilarious.

 

[DisneyJamieCA]

So our Comcast was installed yesterday and I have been recording Hallmark like crazy

One more day and we leave for our trip!!!

 

[mlnbabies]

This is my first attempt at writing a trip report so we will see how it goes! I wish I could post some pictures but my post count is not high enough. I guess I need to do more posting and less lurking!


I was traveling with my DD17 and DN15. We did the 2:55 tour. We checked in at the Guided Tours booth about 2:40. At check-in, we were given pins with our names on them. We were asked to wear them on our left shoulder so we could be identified as a part of the tour.


We were given audio receivers to wear around our necks and headphones. Hint: You can use your own earbuds, if you prefer. The girls usually are not caught without their earbuds but on this occasion they had left them in the room. The ear phones just hook over one ear or you can ask for a double headset.

We had a group of about 9 people. It was just about the right size group. Our tour guide was Maria. She was very sweet and very well-spoken. We started out going over to CA. They took us in a side gate. Maria talked about the decorations on Buena Vista Street and the Christmas tree. She pointed out several things I would have never noticed. We then went to the candy shop and were given a yummy treat. A marshmallow dipped in caramel and chocolate. It was delicious. I ate mine and DD’s. She is not a fan of marshmallows so her loss!

We then went back over to DL. Maria gave us some history on how the Christmas tree is put together and some of Walt’s wishes that are still important in decorating for the holidays. We then headed over to Adventureland. One issue we ran into was the parade was ending and the crowds on Main Street were very heavy. It was a little difficult to keep up but we worked as a group to keep track of everyone. Our 1st ride was Jingle Cruise and I loved it! We went in the exit and waited for just a few minutes for our boat. Our boat Captain was very good with the jokes. I am a sucker for corny jokes. I was laughing the entire time and the girls were just looking at me weird. Luckily, I am used to that! I don’t have anything to compare it to but I thought there were quite a few decorations worked into the ride.

From Adventureland we headed to New Orleans Square. Maria told us about the history of New Orleans Square and pointed out several details about the decorations. It was interesting to stop and look at things we probably would have just walked right by on our own. Next, we went to the Haunted Mansion Holiday. The Haunted Mansion is one of my favorite rides so I was excited to get to see the holiday overlay. The ride was very crowded. We went in the exit and entered the stretching room with another group. When we came out the other side, it was kind of a madhouse and we were all separated. The girls and I hopped on the ride and thoroughly enjoyed it. The attention to detail is amazing. We were able to quickly assemble our group again at the end of the ride.

We stopped for a “comfort break” about this time and were able to get some water at a nearby cart. The girls had to have what surely was at least their 5th bucket of popcorn this trip. They loved the popcorn. (We were able to get a Santa Mickey bucket!)

Fantasyland was our next stop. It’s a Small World was our last ride. We again went in the exit and were waiting for our boat when the façade was lit up with the Christmas lights. It was truly an amazing sight. We hopped on our boat and enjoyed the holiday overlay of this ride. We always have fun identifying the countries as we go. My husband works in Nigeria so after visiting him a few times, we have become familiar with a lot of African customs and it is fun to pick some of those out. As we came out of the ride, the crowd was lined up for the parade and our group was separated. There were several guides looking out for us and they were great about rounding us all up.

We were escorted to our seats to watch the parade right in front of It's a Small World. After several days of walking, I was very excited about having a place to sit! They passed out hot chocolate in the holiday souvenir cups and yummy gingerbread cookies. We were also given a neat pin. We were at the very end of the parade and did get a little extra attention from some of the walking characters. It was really neat to see the performers stay in character right up until they went behind the gates. The parade was very good and really put you in the holiday mood. The whole tour was about 3 1/2 hours. It went by very quickly though.

I felt like this was money very well spent and would do it again in a heartbeat! There was really nothing negative to say about it. All the guides were very friendly from check-in to making sure we were taken care of at the parade. The girls and I will be talking about this for awhile!

We are now counting down the days until next year's Christmas cruise on the Magic!

Thanks so much for the report! I would love to do this but we are only there for 2 days. This really makes me want to do this.

 

[Sherry E]

New Parks Blog:

"Disneyland Resort Entertainment Team Shares Their Favorite Festive Feature for ‘it’s a small world’ Holiday" -- Disney Parks Blog; posted on November 17th, 2014 by Shannon Swanson, Public Relations Manager, Disneyland Resort

​

New in Peppermint Pandemonium/Holiday Hoopla sightings/reports:



1. The Junk Food Guy says that he really likes the Limited Time Cinnamon Sugar Pringles Tortillas;

2. The Consumerist has just now discovered Christmas Candy Corn (specifically, Brach's Candy Cane Corn);

3. (Courtesy of The Impulsive Buy) Kemps has put out two seasonal flavors of frozen yogurt: Cinnamon and Peppermint Bark Moose Tracks;

4. Red Velvet Peeps (dipped in cream-flavored fudge) ;

5. Hot Cocoa and Cream Peeps (dipped in white fudge) ; and

6. Hostess Cherry Chocodile Twinkies!!

​

It's time to start the "Hotel Decorations Watch"!! Last year, the first signs of the decorations at the 3 Disneyland Resort hotels appeared 9 days before Thanksgiving.

And tomorrow -- Tuesday, November 18th -- will be 9 days before Thanksgiving this year. If nothing appears at the hotels tomorrow I would expect decorations to start popping up on Wednesday, and certainly by Friday.

Anyone who happens to be heading to DLR in the next couple of days and can check the hotels, please report back to us on what you see! I am especially curious about these things:

1. Are there any signs of the giant gingerbread house in the Grand Californian Hotel lobby? Is anything being set up or built somewhere that looks like it will be the site of the house?;

2. Is the fake gingerbread Castle back in the lobby of the Disneyland Hotel Fantasy Tower?;

3. Are the "interesting" sea-themed decorations back on the Paradise Pier Hotel tree this year (complete with all of that clunky sea-themed stuff underneath it), or has the décor been toned down a wee bit?;

4. Even though Santa Claus won't appear at the hotels until Thanksgiving, is his meet and greet schedule up at the hotels yet?;

5. Are the wicker (or whatever they are made of) reindeer back in front of the Grand Californian entrance (Disneyland Drive side)?; and

6. Does Storytellers Café have a gingerbread house again?



I am mainly curious to know the date that any decorations are first spotted. This year I can tell people that the hotels were decorated 9 days before Thanksgiving in 2013. Next year I want to be able to tell people that the first signs of hotel décor were reported on _________, 2014!!!

Let us know if you see something!

So our Comcast was installed yesterday and I have been recording Hallmark like crazy

One more day and we leave for our trip!!!

Jamie --

Free from the clutches of AT&T!!! I don't know what time of day your Comcast was installed, but I know that at least 2 or 3 of the movies on the list I posted a few days ago have aired between yesterday and today. Let it Snow and Snow Bride have both been on. I think that A Bride for Christmas has been on as well.

I can't believe your trip is already here! Wow, time flies! I can still remember when you left and then returned from your trip last year, and how your trip seemed to be over very quickly. And now, here we are and a new trip is about to begin for you!

Keep checking the GCH lobby for early signs of the giant gingerbread house!

​

 

[mershell]

Hi, Michelle!

Disney doesn't announce the narrators of the CP beforehand -- except for in 2012, when they ran it for 20 nights and offered more people a chance to see it -- but the rumors of the narrators usually trickle out online (on forums such as these) a few weeks in advance.

This time around the (unconfirmed, unofficial) rumor is that Beau Bridges will be narrating both nights of the CP this year. Last year's rumor of Blair Underwood and Kurt Russell turned out to be true, so I am guessing that Beau Bridges will end up narrating this year.

Yes, the actual fold-up chairs -- which you will see set up in front of the stage in Town Square -- are very limited, and are for invited guests, VIPs, Disney family members, Club 33 members, etc. I think that people who take the expensive VIP tour may have a shot at getting seats as well. Many of the people who attend the CP have been doing so for years or even decades.

There are a few extra benches for non-invited guests that are set up around the perimeter of Town Square, but they are limited and people snap them up right away. There are literally people who will sit on those benches and wait all day long, just to keep the seat.

Everyone else (the civilians!) who wants to watch Candlelight has to stand.

The Ceremonies usually begin at 5:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. People who wish to view the 8 p.m. performance are allowed to begin lining up about 90 minutes beforehand -- or even sooner, in some cases. Last year I was waiting for performance #2 while the first performance was still happening. The Cast Members will direct you where to line up. You stand there on Main Street for a while, until the first performance is over, and then the CMs move you up to Town Square, and they keep filling in the roped areas around Town Square with spectators.

I don't know if the CMs will allow waiting for the first performance 90 minutes in advance -- possibly not -- but there will be all sorts of people hovering and lurking around Town Square, waiting for the CMs to open up the designated waiting area.

I stood on the right side -- facing the stage -- last year. I was sandwiched in between all of the other spectators and those previously mentioned benches on which people had camped out all day! I didn't get a bench, but there were people packed into them and my leg kept banging into the bench.

The narrator's podium is on the right when you face the stage. However, the further back in the crowd you are, the less you'll see of the narrator. And if you get up too close on the right-hand side you might end up looking at the back of the narrator a bit. So, in a way, it almost might be better to get on the left-hand side and move up as close as you can, so you can just look straight at the narrator's face.

I also had seats back in 2012, during the 20-night run, and it was a far better experience than standing! That is for sure! The Ceremony is beautiful. The setting is intimate and haunting. The music is moving. It's really a wonderful experience if you love Christmas music and are not bothered by the religious nature of the Ceremony.

Thanks so much for the great info. Much much appreciated

 

[egritz]

Hope the baby slept well (and momma did too). Thanks for the info on and Anna and Elsa FP. I hadn't heard that.

He has been sleeping pretty well, I wasn't sure if all the stimulation would make him wired or crash. Last night he was asleep for the night before 8pm (a first in his short life) and he slept all the way until 1:15! of course he didn't want to go to back to sleep so I was up with him until 2:40, and then again at 3:30 to nurse him (back to sleep quickly that time), but I can't complain

Sherry, I'm not sure if you've heard this, but yesterday as we were stuck trying to exit DL just before the parade stopped, I heard a CM tell another visitor that the employee schedule shows the Holiday Season until FEBRUARY 6th! The other visitor and I commented that it seemed strange, she agreed, but said that is what is on the employee schedules.

I'll try to post a re-cap of our day in DCA in a bit.

 

[revwog1974]

Can anyone tell me anything about the Christmas Mickey/Minnie ear options available at the parks? Are things such as that likely to be sold out by the week of Christmas?

 

[egritz]

We spent today in DCA. Crowds were very manageable about 95% of the time. I was glad to be in DCA today though, WOW the lines to get into DL appeared REALLY long before park opening. They were all way past the monorail tracks and it looked like they were lined up at every gate.

I went directly for FP at RSR and at 10:09 our return time was 12:05. We finally made it over to Viva Navidad (never did last year) and got pictures with Mickey and Minnie. DD is barely 40" so we have been trying to enjoy a few rides previously unavailable to her. She chickened out of TT, but rode Soarin' (didn't want to go a second time with DH), Jumpin' Jellyfish, and LOVED the Golden Zephyr. Saw Sulley, Buzz, Woody, and Jessie, and Doc McStuffins (DD3 has never seen the show, but wanted to meet her anyway, lol) but the Incredibles eluded us today, will try again on Wednesday. We also ended up staying for the Pixar Parade. It is fun touring DL/DCA with a cute little baby, the characters love playing with him and dancers in the parade came over to check him out too. We also had more people from the parade interact with us than ever before, and Woody imitated the way I was dancing with the baby's arms.

We didn't get on TSMM at all, the wait was too long, so we are trying to figure out our morning game plan for Wednesday when we'll be starting the day in DCA again.

I tried to write out what we did all day long, but I honestly can't remember, too tired! I will have to wait to look at the pictures from my camera & the PPP card to figure out the timing of everything. I have always gotten and loved the PPP card, but it is especially useful this trip since my hands are usually full with one of the kids. I'm not taking nearly as many photos as last year, but I think I'm enjoying myself more just "being" in the experience and not obsessing over every little detail like I did last December.

Tomorrow is MM at DL at 9am. Trying to prep everything tonight so we can jet out of here in the morning. DD has no interest in any of the FL rides so we are going to hit Tomorrowland first thing instead. Right now I'm glad to have 5 day PH tickets (and 5 full days at that, this is our longest trip ever to DL). we are so much slower with 2 kids and no grandparents, and later opening times, it is going to take us the full 5 days to hit everything we want to do!

 

[Sherry E]

He has been sleeping pretty well, I wasn't sure if all the stimulation would make him wired or crash. Last night he was asleep for the night before 8pm (a first in his short life) and he slept all the way until 1:15! of course he didn't want to go to back to sleep so I was up with him until 2:40, and then again at 3:30 to nurse him (back to sleep quickly that time), but I can't complain

Sherry, I'm not sure if you've heard this, but yesterday as we were stuck trying to exit DL just before the parade stopped, I heard a CM tell another visitor that the employee schedule shows the Holiday Season until FEBRUARY 6th! The other visitor and I commented that it seemed strange, she agreed, but said that is what is on the employee schedules.

I'll try to post a re-cap of our day in DCA in a bit.

egritz --

I wonder if the CM had a schedule with a mistake on it. The holiday season has been publicly advertised as lasting through January 6th, but the odd thing is that the Olaf ice rink and the Winter Village in DTD are/were showing on the DTD website as being open until February 22nd? That is doubly strange, because if/when this Frozen madness invades Hollywood Land just before Christmas, it is supposed to last until early May and include an ice rink. So why would the ice rink in DTD stay open 1-1/2 months longer than it should be open when there would also be a rink in Hollywood Land that's open until May?

Another odd thing is that Haunted Mansion Holiday -- which would normally be open until the end of the holiday season and then shut down -- is apparently going to be open through January 11th (a Sunday) and closing on 1/12/15, which is not what Disney advertised or originally said.

So I am confused by the whole thing -- what's starting when, and where it will be, and for how long?!


Thank you again for reporting in and letting us know how things are going in the parks! I know that people appreciate the live reports.

​

Can anyone tell me anything about the Christmas Mickey/Minnie ear options available at the parks? Are things such as that likely to be sold out by the week of Christmas?

revwog1974 --

Jamie/DisneyJamieCA posted these photos of current merchandise, the last of which features something that appears to be a pair of very interesting ears -- HERE. (Those are ears, right?)


This post features merchandise from 2013, but from what I have seen and heard, most of these ears in the first few photos are at DLR again this year -- HERE.


In the past I've seen all sorts of ears -- Jack Skellington Mickey ears, gingerbread Mickey with peppermint candy-swirled ears, reindeer ears, etc.

I would expect that, this year, there will be some sort of crazy Mickey-Olaf hybrid ears or something.

I think that sometimes some of the merchandise (including ears) can sell out by Christmas week. Certain items are "hot" items -- like the Santa Mickey nutcrackers a couple of years ago -- and they catch on right away, flying off the shelves.

I think that, because ears are available in so many shops around DLR, you should have a lot of options of places to look for them (including World of Disney and the assorted hotel gift shops).

Disney tends to order their merchandise shipments early, and then not reorder anything after a certain point in the season, which is why a lot of things seem to disappear by the end of the holidays. I don't think you'd have a problem finding the ears -- except the ones in Jamie's photo may be a hot item -- but there's no telling what will happen.

 

[liesel]

Lisa --

So the race (combined with the first weekend of the official holiday season) was a success? Since it's happening again next year in November, I am assuming that Disney had high hopes for it being a success before it even happened!

Did you find the crowds to be too big, or were they not that bad?

Saturday was definitely busy, but we managed with FPs. I'm glad we had FPs for HMH since the wait was 45-60 minutes in the early afternoon. ST and Space were an hour, POTC 30 minutes, Jingle Cruise about 20 (but we were there when POTC closed down so I'm sure that impacted their line). We didn't make rope drop because we were busy at the race expo so that delayed us a bit. The usual touring pattern of a runner is to leave the parks in the early evening on Saturday and head into the parks later Sunday after racing, showering, and possibly napping so I'm sure Sunday morning had much lighter crowds. Places that serve pasta and pizza tend to be more crowded Saturday evening as well. We were in the parks very briefly on Sunday and heard that the weather also impacted the quiet morning. It was very windy! After running a half marathon in the wind I had no desire to spend much time outside so a few other runners might have felt the same way.

We had lunch at Storyteller's and walking through GCH I heard 2 CMs discuss how much quieter it was compared to other race weekends. It was a smaller race than the others. It looks like next year they will be expanding the race and adding a 10K and possibly a challenge. This year it was expo Friday and Saturday with racing Saturday and Sunday. Next year it will most likely be expo Thursday, Friday and Saturday, with races Friday, and Saturday, and Sunday. That will increase the crowds. It will be more important to book hotel rooms early if anyone is planning on that weekend, especially if you want to stay onsite. Runners are a friendly group and it is always fun to meet up with fellow runners in the parks.

 

[krispin41]

So excited to hear about your experience! I will be taking this tour on 12/12!

This is my first attempt at writing a trip report so we will see how it goes! I wish I could post some pictures but my post count is not high enough. I guess I need to do more posting and less lurking!


I was traveling with my DD17 and DN15. We did the 2:55 tour. We checked in at the Guided Tours booth about 2:40. At check-in, we were given pins with our names on them. We were asked to wear them on our left shoulder so we could be identified as a part of the tour.


We were given audio receivers to wear around our necks and headphones. Hint: You can use your own earbuds, if you prefer. The girls usually are not caught without their earbuds but on this occasion they had left them in the room. The ear phones just hook over one ear or you can ask for a double headset.

We had a group of about 9 people. It was just about the right size group. Our tour guide was Maria. She was very sweet and very well-spoken. We started out going over to CA. They took us in a side gate. Maria talked about the decorations on Buena Vista Street and the Christmas tree. She pointed out several things I would have never noticed. We then went to the candy shop and were given a yummy treat. A marshmallow dipped in caramel and chocolate. It was delicious. I ate mine and DD’s. She is not a fan of marshmallows so her loss!

We then went back over to DL. Maria gave us some history on how the Christmas tree is put together and some of Walt’s wishes that are still important in decorating for the holidays. We then headed over to Adventureland. One issue we ran into was the parade was ending and the crowds on Main Street were very heavy. It was a little difficult to keep up but we worked as a group to keep track of everyone. Our 1st ride was Jingle Cruise and I loved it! We went in the exit and waited for just a few minutes for our boat. Our boat Captain was very good with the jokes. I am a sucker for corny jokes. I was laughing the entire time and the girls were just looking at me weird. Luckily, I am used to that! I don’t have anything to compare it to but I thought there were quite a few decorations worked into the ride.

From Adventureland we headed to New Orleans Square. Maria told us about the history of New Orleans Square and pointed out several details about the decorations. It was interesting to stop and look at things we probably would have just walked right by on our own. Next, we went to the Haunted Mansion Holiday. The Haunted Mansion is one of my favorite rides so I was excited to get to see the holiday overlay. The ride was very crowded. We went in the exit and entered the stretching room with another group. When we came out the other side, it was kind of a madhouse and we were all separated. The girls and I hopped on the ride and thoroughly enjoyed it. The attention to detail is amazing. We were able to quickly assemble our group again at the end of the ride.

We stopped for a “comfort break” about this time and were able to get some water at a nearby cart. The girls had to have what surely was at least their 5th bucket of popcorn this trip. They loved the popcorn. (We were able to get a Santa Mickey bucket!)

Fantasyland was our next stop. It’s a Small World was our last ride. We again went in the exit and were waiting for our boat when the façade was lit up with the Christmas lights. It was truly an amazing sight. We hopped on our boat and enjoyed the holiday overlay of this ride. We always have fun identifying the countries as we go. My husband works in Nigeria so after visiting him a few times, we have become familiar with a lot of African customs and it is fun to pick some of those out. As we came out of the ride, the crowd was lined up for the parade and our group was separated. There were several guides looking out for us and they were great about rounding us all up.

We were escorted to our seats to watch the parade right in front of It's a Small World. After several days of walking, I was very excited about having a place to sit! They passed out hot chocolate in the holiday souvenir cups and yummy gingerbread cookies. We were also given a neat pin. We were at the very end of the parade and did get a little extra attention from some of the walking characters. It was really neat to see the performers stay in character right up until they went behind the gates. The parade was very good and really put you in the holiday mood. The whole tour was about 3 1/2 hours. It went by very quickly though.

I felt like this was money very well spent and would do it again in a heartbeat! There was really nothing negative to say about it. All the guides were very friendly from check-in to making sure we were taken care of at the parade. The girls and I will be talking about this for awhile!

We are now counting down the days until next year's Christmas cruise on the Magic!

Not going to lie, I am excited about those light up things too!! I usually pick up some gow in the dark goodies...and will probably hit the dollar store this year again, since I am traveling solo, will pick some up to give out as well.

I was shopping today, looking for little things for my girl's Advent box when I happened upon these at the Dollar Store. My older daughter said to me, "Mom, you're so weird." because I was excited. But honestly, I hate the whining for flashy light toys in the evenings and we have 2 little girls in our party who will flip for light up princess bracelets. Also, the Christmas packs of crayons and activities will be perfect to toss in a backpack and bring out at dinner or maybe even in a really long line. Ok, maybe my daughter is right, maybe I am weird.

I just ordered the red and green Minnie headband from the Disney Store online. I find the headbands fit me best, and I wanted to make sure I had a pair...but who knows I may pick up another hat/ears while I am there.

egritz --

I wonder if the CM had a schedule with a mistake on it. The holiday season has been publicly advertised as lasting through January 6th, but the odd thing is that the Olaf ice rink and the Winter Village in DTD are/were showing on the DTD website as being open until February 22nd? That is doubly strange, because if/when this Frozen madness invades Hollywood Land just before Christmas, it is supposed to last until early May and include an ice rink. So why would the ice rink in DTD stay open 1-1/2 months longer than it should be open when there would also be a rink in Hollywood Land that's open until May?

Another odd thing is that Haunted Mansion Holiday -- which would normally be open until the end of the holiday season and then shut down -- is apparently going to be open through January 11th (a Sunday) and closing on 1/12/15, which is not what Disney advertised or originally said.

So I am confused by the whole thing -- what's starting when, and where it will be, and for how long?!


Thank you again for reporting in and letting us know how things are going in the parks! I know that people appreciate the live reports.

​

revwog1974 --

Jamie/DisneyJamieCA posted these photos of current merchandise, the last of which features something that appears to be a pair of very interesting ears -- HERE. (Those are ears, right?)


This post features merchandise from 2013, but from what I have seen and heard, most of these ears in the first few photos are at DLR again this year -- HERE.


In the past I've seen all sorts of ears -- Jack Skellington Mickey ears, gingerbread Mickey with peppermint candy-swirled ears, reindeer ears, etc.

I would expect that, this year, there will be some sort of crazy Mickey-Olaf hybrid ears or something.

I think that sometimes some of the merchandise (including ears) can sell out by Christmas week. Certain items are "hot" items -- like the Santa Mickey nutcrackers a couple of years ago -- and they catch on right away, flying off the shelves.

I think that, because ears are available in so many shops around DLR, you should have a lot of options of places to look for them (including World of Disney and the assorted hotel gift shops).

Disney tends to order their merchandise shipments early, and then not reorder anything after a certain point in the season, which is why a lot of things seem to disappear by the end of the holidays. I don't think you'd have a problem finding the ears -- except the ones in Jamie's photo may be a hot item -- but there's no telling what will happen.

 

[Disney127]

Disney127: wondering who Tinkerbelle had with her in Pixie Hollow? My daughter loves all of them but just curious who it might be around this time.

It was Silvermist at Pixie Hollow with Tink. There was no line up at all at around 10 am - even the cast member mentioned that it was very quiet.







We had a late start at DL today - 11:15 am. Headed straight for gate 14 and got right in. All the other lines had about 15-20 people waiting. Got FP for Space Mtn - stand by was around 45 mins. Lined up to meet Baymax and Hero - 1/2 hour wait but before it was our turn, Baymax had to go re-charge. Then off to Innoventions to check out Thor and Iron Man. Rode Space Mtn and visited Jingle Jamboree. Minnie, Pluto and Goofy were dressed in their Christmas attire and mingling around. We had a 2:30 lunch reservation at Big Thunder BBQ. Have always wanted to try this place but I think that once is enough for us. Great service but food was okay and we couldn't eat that much. After that, we went over to DCA. Wandered around the stores, watched Red Car Trolley News Boys and the lighting of the Christmas tree. Watched the Pixar Parade again - this is one of our favorite parades because we love Toy Story. Then it was a walk on to Flik's Flyers and a 10 minute wait for Screamin'. Also walked onto Little Mermaid. Enjoyed all the lighting on Route 66. For this trip, it seems that we are enjoying DCA more due to more open spaces. It doesn't feel as crowded and congested as DL. DL in the mornings are great but around noon, sometimes it seems to be wall to wall people - on the pathways in Adventureland, Tomorrowland and New Orleans Square, on the rides and in the stores. We were hoping for a quieter time the week before Thanksgiving but I guess that this is the way it is nowadays. We are still having fun even with all the people. But I am glad that we are here for the week and have APs so that we can take our time. Tomorrow is the Holiday tour, looking forward to this!

 

[tksbaskets]

Sailorwife Great recap of the Holiday Tour. Now I'm really bummed that I didn't book it early enough.

He has been sleeping pretty well, I wasn't sure if all the stimulation would make him wired or crash. Last night he was asleep for the night before 8pm (a first in his short life) and he slept all the way until 1:15! of course he didn't want to go to back to sleep so I was up with him until 2:40, and then again at 3:30 to nurse him (back to sleep quickly that time), but I can't complain

Sherry, I'm not sure if you've heard this, but yesterday as we were stuck trying to exit DL just before the parade stopped, I heard a CM tell another visitor that the employee schedule shows the Holiday Season until FEBRUARY 6th! The other visitor and I commented that it seemed strange, she agreed, but said that is what is on the employee schedules.

I'll try to post a re-cap of our day in DCA in a bit.

Good to hear the little one is sleeping well. Your update was great too. Keep 'em coming.

TK

 

[dec2009mama]

This is my first attempt at writing a trip report so we will see how it goes! I wish I could post some pictures but my post count is not high enough. I guess I need to do more posting and less lurking!


I was traveling with my DD17 and DN15. We did the 2:55 tour. We checked in at the Guided Tours booth about 2:40. At check-in, we were given pins with our names on them. We were asked to wear them on our left shoulder so we could be identified as a part of the tour.


We were given audio receivers to wear around our necks and headphones. Hint: You can use your own earbuds, if you prefer. The girls usually are not caught without their earbuds but on this occasion they had left them in the room. The ear phones just hook over one ear or you can ask for a double headset.

We had a group of about 9 people. It was just about the right size group. Our tour guide was Maria. She was very sweet and very well-spoken. We started out going over to CA. They took us in a side gate. Maria talked about the decorations on Buena Vista Street and the Christmas tree. She pointed out several things I would have never noticed. We then went to the candy shop and were given a yummy treat. A marshmallow dipped in caramel and chocolate. It was delicious. I ate mine and DD’s. She is not a fan of marshmallows so her loss!

We then went back over to DL. Maria gave us some history on how the Christmas tree is put together and some of Walt’s wishes that are still important in decorating for the holidays. We then headed over to Adventureland. One issue we ran into was the parade was ending and the crowds on Main Street were very heavy. It was a little difficult to keep up but we worked as a group to keep track of everyone. Our 1st ride was Jingle Cruise and I loved it! We went in the exit and waited for just a few minutes for our boat. Our boat Captain was very good with the jokes. I am a sucker for corny jokes. I was laughing the entire time and the girls were just looking at me weird. Luckily, I am used to that! I don’t have anything to compare it to but I thought there were quite a few decorations worked into the ride.

From Adventureland we headed to New Orleans Square. Maria told us about the history of New Orleans Square and pointed out several details about the decorations. It was interesting to stop and look at things we probably would have just walked right by on our own. Next, we went to the Haunted Mansion Holiday. The Haunted Mansion is one of my favorite rides so I was excited to get to see the holiday overlay. The ride was very crowded. We went in the exit and entered the stretching room with another group. When we came out the other side, it was kind of a madhouse and we were all separated. The girls and I hopped on the ride and thoroughly enjoyed it. The attention to detail is amazing. We were able to quickly assemble our group again at the end of the ride.

We stopped for a “comfort break” about this time and were able to get some water at a nearby cart. The girls had to have what surely was at least their 5th bucket of popcorn this trip. They loved the popcorn. (We were able to get a Santa Mickey bucket!)

Fantasyland was our next stop. It’s a Small World was our last ride. We again went in the exit and were waiting for our boat when the façade was lit up with the Christmas lights. It was truly an amazing sight. We hopped on our boat and enjoyed the holiday overlay of this ride. We always have fun identifying the countries as we go. My husband works in Nigeria so after visiting him a few times, we have become familiar with a lot of African customs and it is fun to pick some of those out. As we came out of the ride, the crowd was lined up for the parade and our group was separated. There were several guides looking out for us and they were great about rounding us all up.

We were escorted to our seats to watch the parade right in front of It's a Small World. After several days of walking, I was very excited about having a place to sit! They passed out hot chocolate in the holiday souvenir cups and yummy gingerbread cookies. We were also given a neat pin. We were at the very end of the parade and did get a little extra attention from some of the walking characters. It was really neat to see the performers stay in character right up until they went behind the gates. The parade was very good and really put you in the holiday mood. The whole tour was about 3 1/2 hours. It went by very quickly though.

I felt like this was money very well spent and would do it again in a heartbeat! There was really nothing negative to say about it. All the guides were very friendly from check-in to making sure we were taken care of at the parade. The girls and I will be talking about this for awhile!

We are now counting down the days until next year's Christmas cruise on the Magic!

Thank you for your review of the tour -- we are booked for 12/5 -- i hope its worth the $$ we paid esp b/c DS is 5

Can't wait!

 

[crystal1313]

I have a friend at the parks and he posted a photo of the gingerbread house at the DLH. Wonder if the one in the Grand is up now?

 

[DisneyJamieCA]

Yes Sherry, that is an ears hat. I know from a friend who was just there, they also have the red/green sequin Minnie headband ears. I'll update if there are more holiday styles I see.

I watched Hitched for the Holidays this morning. And I have Snow Bride set to record, along with a bunch of others, including the new ones for this year (well as far as the guide goes for now).

Our boarding passes are printed and I need to pack, but otherwise we are ready to go. I will take pictures of the GCH lobby if anything is up tomorrow when we get there

Thanks again for this thread! I can't believe it's trip time!

 

[mom2rtk]

Yes Sherry, that is an ears hat. I know from a friend who was just there, they also have the red/green sequin Minnie headband ears. I'll update if there are more holiday styles I see.

I watched Hitched for the Holidays this morning. And I have Snow Bride set to record, along with a bunch of others, including the new ones for this year (well as far as the guide goes for now).

Our boarding passes are printed and I need to pack, but otherwise we are ready to go. I will take pictures of the GCH lobby if anything is up tomorrow when we get there

Thanks again for this thread! I can't believe it's trip time!

Have a great trip. Can't wait to see more photos of Holidays 2014!

 

[kylie71]

Jamie: Have a Magical trip!! Looking forward to your report on the GC decorations!
We are now 8 days out, and I am getting Super Excited!!!

Safe travels!


--Lori

 

[Sherry E]

Jamie -- Don't miss recording The Christmas Ornament, The Most Wonderful Time of the Year, Let it Snow and A Very Merry Mix-Up, all of which are airing over the course of the next few days. They are 100 times better than some of this year's new ones!

Have a great trip!

​

I'll be back in a short bit to comment on recent posts that have come in, but I just had to give a quick Hallmark movie review/commentary for my other Hallmark Christmas movie-watchin' peeps out there...

Angels and Ornaments (which I finally just watched this morning) ......

What a special little movie this was/is. Its is not a comedic romantic story, and it has a bit more of a serious tone (though not in a depressing, somber way), but it is wonderful. It has a couple of slow sections in it, and it takes some patience to get through those slower moments. Plus, the Harold character (who, for some reason, reminds me of Matthew Broderick) is a bit quirky -- and he takes some getting used to. Also, the woman's singing voice (which we get to hear quite often) is merely pleasant, but not great -- although the music in the movie is beautiful.

But if you can stick through the slower moments, the awkwardness of Harold and the not-great singing voice of the lead actress, the movie pays off overall. I guess that I must not have been expecting much from it because I was not thrilled with Northpole, nor was I thrilled with One Starry Christmas, and I was not tremendously impressed with A Cookie Cutter Christmas. So when a certain twist/development in Angels and Ornaments began to reveal itself mid-way through, I was actually surprised! It wasn't a smack-you-in-the-face sort of twist like in The Sixth Sense or anything, but it was a nice subtle development that I didn't see coming because I was thinking the movie would go in a different direction.

Much like The Christmas Ornament from last year, Angels and Ornaments is a quiet movie that kind of grew on me as it went along, and I wasn't sure what my ultimate feeling would be... but I ended up liking all of the lead characters -- even awkward Harold -- and by the end of the movie I decided I loved it!!

So, my current rankings of the 2014 Hallmark movies (and there are still 8 more new ones coming up through December 14th) are:

1. Nine Lives of Christmas;
2. Angels and Ornaments (this would have tied with Nine Lives for the #1 spot if it didn't have the slower moments in it);
3. A Cookie Cutter Christmas (A fairly distant 3rd place position, I should add -- it wasn't anywhere near as good -- for me and my tastes -- as the first 2 on the list, and it could have been a lot better);
4. One Starry Christmas (with different actors it could have been better -- and this one only gets a very slight edge over Northpole); and
5. Northpole (I neither loved nor hated this movie, but it was pretty to look at in certain spots and I think that a lot of other people might love it -- it was hyped and promoted too much and that annoyed me, but I think it would be a good family film... It seemed more like an ABC movie than a Hallmark movie to me).

​