Disneyland at Christmas/Holiday Season Superthread #5

[peanutmomma]

Looks like there will be a few of us there that weekend - our dates are the 5th-9th.

I told the fella that we were missing Raver Day and he told me that I am no fun at all. I'll have to pack an extra glow stick for him or something.

 

[Kauai4life]

Thank you Sherry for taking the time for all this great information. My Ohana are going December 2-9 and just cant wait.

 

[mommy2girls79]

Following this... we will be there November 16 to 20.

 

[kculvie]

We will be there Nov 13-17. We usually go the first week in Dec and love it. Hopefully the 13-17th won't be crazy.

 

[planningjollyholiday]

We will be there Nov 13-17. We usually go the first week in Dec and love it. Hopefully the 13-17th won't be crazy.

Yikes, i hate to be the one to tell you this, but that is the Avengers run weekend. It will be a bit crazy.

 

[Sherry E]

We will be there Nov 13-17. We usually go the first week in Dec and love it. Hopefully the 13-17th won't be crazy.

Yikes, i hate to be the one to tell you this, but that is the Avengers run weekend. It will be a bit crazy.

...And you might miss some of the decorations at the hotels, as well...

You'll still have fun, of course!

 

[planningjollyholiday]

...And you might miss some of the decorations at the hotels, as well...

You'll still have fun, of course!

That's right, that sunday of race weekend we woke up to a few Christmas trees in the lobbies, but not everything was decorated. As the week went on more and more decorations went up. By the following saturday i think everything was up except they were still finishing off the gingingerbread house at the grand.

 

[Sherry E]

That's right, that sunday of race weekend we woke up to a few Christmas trees in the lobbies, but not everything was decorated. As the week went on more and more decorations went up. By the following saturday i think everything was up except they were still finishing off the gingingerbread house at the grand.

Are you sure it was Sunday, planningjollyholiday? The reports that came in last year and in 2013 were that the hotels' main trees first appeared exactly 9 days before Thanksgiving -- which would be a Tuesday. In fact, I recall seeing someone's Facebook page that showed the GCH tree appearing overnight and then being 'assembled,' for lack of a better word, on a weekday.

None of the real gingerbread houses (including the ones in Storytellers and White Water Snacks) went up when the trees went up. The main GCH lobby house was under construction within a couple of days after the trees went up, getting put together piece by piece, but its companion "gift shop" (or gift table, as the case may be) was not open until Thanksgiving. The Storytellers and White Water Snacks gingerbread houses did not appear until Thanksgiving (or immediately after), if I recall correctly. And there were two of them in Storytellers to begin with, but eventually one of them disappeared!

 

[kculvie]

Fortunately after reading this awesome super thread in 2012 I had to do christmas at disney. We have been to christmas and Halloween several times since then. Thankyou so much Sherry.

 

[Sherry E]

Fortunately after reading this awesome super thread in 2012 I had to do christmas at disney. We have been to christmas and Halloween several times since then. Thankyou so much Sherry.

You're very welcome! Both the Holiday season and Halloween Time are very addictive -- it's hard to not want to go every year.

 

[Sherry E]

Thank you Sherry for taking the time for all this great information. My Ohana are going December 2-9 and just cant wait.

You're very welcome -- and thank you for following along. I'm glad the thread has been of interest/help. I think that you'll have a great trip in December! I'm eager to find out what surprises are in store -- and if there is anything special happening that would be completely and totally unexpected (because of the 60th anniversary).

 

[ilovelucydog]

This will be our first Christmas season trip. We are going December 6-12. Park days Monday-Friday. I cannot wait for holiday announcements! I hope there are special things in store this year. My daughter (8) and I are surprising my husband...he thinks we are staying at Desert Inn....we are actually staying at The Grand Californian! He will be mighty surprised when our shuttle drives up there!

 

[Sherry E]

This will be our first Christmas season trip. We are going December 6-12. Park days Monday-Friday. I cannot wait for holiday announcements! I hope there are special things in store this year. My daughter (8) and I are surprising my husband...he thinks we are staying at Desert Inn....we are actually staying at The Grand Californian! He will be mighty surprised when our shuttle drives up there!

What a wonderful trip you'll have! I hope your husband enjoys the Grand Californian. It is certainly a great place to enjoy the holidays -- carolers singing by the giant, golden, glowing tree. Santa greeting guests on the other side of the tree, A pianist who plays holiday music. I saw a guitarist one time as well. There should be another large gingerbread house in the lobby, and then smaller gingerbread houses in Storytellers and at White Water Snacks. There are reindeer figures (maybe made of wicker? I'm not sure) out in front of the hotel (at the drive-up entrance). Also, whoever it is that narrates the Candlelight Ceremony this year (most likely, on 12/5 and 12/6) will probably stay there, so you may have a celebrity sighting. I saw Kurt Russell standing just a few feet away from me, by himself, in the GCH lobby the morning after the final Candlelight Ceremony of 2013, which he narrated.

When you're at the GCH, ask a Cast Member if they're doing the Winter Ornament Workshop (hotel guests can sign up and make snow globes) and possibly the Merriest Holiday Hunt (which I think is some sort of holiday-ish scavenger hunt or tour??? No one seems to know anything about it on this board).

 

[ilovelucydog]

Thank you Sherry! You have made me more excited (which I didn't think was possible)!

 

[Disney127]

There should be another large gingerbread house in the lobby, and then smaller gingerbread houses in Storytellers and at White Water Snacks.

Looking forward to seeing the completed large gingerbread house this year, last year we had to leave before it was done. And we missed the ones at Storytellers and White Water Snacks. There is something so Christmasy about gingerbread houses!

Sherry, thanks for taking care of this thread, it has so much information. We haven't even went on our July trip yet but I am getting excited about our Christmas trip already!

 

[planningjollyholiday]

Sherry i looked back at my notes and you're right, it wasn't on sunday when the trees went up. Monday morning we woke up in the frontier tower and the western trees were up. I do not know if the grand had their trees up on monday though.
I didn't even know that storytellers and white water snacks had gingerbread houses! Now i really want to see them! Unfortunately our AP's expire mid november so it looks like I won't get to see them this year either I am really hoping Christmas time starts a little earlier this year since we will be there remembrance day week which is a bit early.
Last year on our weekly magical adventures sheet they had the merriest holiday hunt listed but no description on the back stating what it was, and like a fool we didn't end up doing it so i don't know what that entails. There was no winter ornament listed on the DLH sheet but maybe it was on the GCH weekly adventures. I do remember you linking rentayenta's trip report from 2013 and her DLH sheet did have it listed.

 

[dtnrhi]

I just saw my cousins over the weekend, and was helping them book their hotel for the days they will be at Disney and dancing. I was speaking to my aunt, and she said that Disney has changed their tune in regards to their being no Christmas parade to perform with. Instead of telling them they would be dancing for a stage show, they are now saying they will be dancing, but it may or may not be for a stage show. They aren't exactly committing to a parade, but it is not as ruled out as they made it seem before. Now, the rumor can be rehashed again. This may be to throw off the scent, they may have had a change of mind, or maybe Disney doesn't even know what they are doing at this point.

No idea what to make of this at all, but that was the updated report I got Sunday.

 

[MarcV]

My trip will begin on the Dec 13th. Last time we went for the Holidays we stayed at the Grand Californian and loved it. The decorations and activities were phenomenal. I tried to get a villa there this time but no luck. Had to "settle" for a room with points at the Disneyland Hotel. We did not get to do much exploring of this hotel previously so I am excited to see it and the decorations they put on for the holidays. From everything i have read up on so far DH will be a blast to stay at. Would love to hear what people think of the holidays there.

 

[Malroy]

Yikes, i hate to be the one to tell you this, but that is the Avengers run weekend. It will be a bit crazy.

Ugh! This is when we will be there too (Park days the 14, 15 and 16) and I had somehow COMPLETELY MISSED that it is a run weekend. Oh well, we will still have a great time. Too bad I hadn't realized this earlier or I might have worked signing up for the 10k into our trip. The half marathon is still open but I don't think I'd be ready (and would have to re-do everyone's plane tickets!)

 

[tiffjoy]

Our dates are getting firmed up for the holidays. I decided to run the Avengers Half, so we will be there Nov 13-15. I don't think there will be much in the way of holiday stuff at that point yet, though. Then I'm thinking Dec 11-13 since the Candlelight will be the previous weekend, in all likelihood.

Excited to have APs this year, but i'm a little bummed they aren't going to have the holiday fireworks. I really love them and feel it won't be quite the same feeling without them.