Disneyland at Christmas/Holiday Season Superthread #5

[figment_jii]

Yes, I'm not sick of Frozen (yet), but I'm also not a huge fan. I liked the movie well enough, but it wasn't my favorite Disney movie. I think I'd be less receptive to the Frozen elements if I hadn't just gone to DLR with a little girl that loves Frozen (and all things princesses), so I can imagine how it would look through her eyes. I remind myself to look at the Frozen elements through that view point, and it all seems much better.

I'm curious about the show at Fantasy Faire. If you had asked me two months ago, I would have said "meh", but I actually watched the Tangled and Beauty and the Beast shows for the first time and they were a lot more fun than I expected. It wasn't a faithful re-telling; it re-told the story, but with a decidedly comic/campy/almost-slap stick twist. I have hopes that they'll keep the comic element when they debut the Frozen show.

For Hollywood Land, I never really saw it as a cohesive land to start with. I agree that ToT thematically looks like it fits into the land based on the decor at the entrance. The Main Street looks thematically similar, but the side area (with Muppets, Monsters Inc) always just seems separate to me. Maybe it was supposed to look like the backlot area of a Hollywood studio? It just seemed like it was kind of a random assortment of attractions, shows, and buildings.

In terms of Star Wars land, I agree that Tomorrowland is a better fit. It'll be interesting to see what happens. Although, I'm not sure I love the idea of a land dedicated to Star Wars - one or two rides is good, but I'm not sure about a whole land (and I like Star Wars - mostly). In terms of a Frozen-land, I agree that Toontown's space would fit thematically better, but again, I'm kind of glad the major additions (and this point) are temporary. The stuff in Hollywoodland can be easily removed when the craze dies down (unlike the redo of Malestrom in Epcot, which will have Frozen influences for the foreseeable future - even after the craze dies down). So guess in the end, I'm glad that most of the major Frozen additions are concentrated in one area and easy to find or avoid, depending on one's point of view.

 

[pudinhd]

I really enjoyed the Frozen movie, but I am feeling overwhelmed by it all! I will check out everything DLR is offering, but probably only once. I just prefer a variety of characters and wish there were more characters than from the same movie over and over again!

I am much more upset about the Star Wars land! I don't mind Star Wars in general, but I think Disney should just reimagine Tomorrowland. I don't think it needs to be ALL Star Wars, either. Wasn't there talk about Tron 2.0 at some point? I don't know if they have the rights to do any Marvel rides... Cars Land and Bugs Land work at DCA, but I really do love the variety at DLR!

Getting back to Christmas... We activated our new annual passes today and I took pictures for next year's theme weeks!

 

[Sherry E]

Did everyone see the link that I posted here (yesterday, 12/26), to the Yesterland blog with photos of California Adventure's first holiday season in 2001? Am I the only one who found some of those photos fascinating as far as seeing the older decorations in DCA -- some of which were actually kind of cool? I'm disappointed that the holiday scarecrows were gone by the first time I visited DCA for the holidays, as was the Mickey ears Santa hat on the water tower. And Rustic Log Cabin Santa was not there in later years either.

It actually kind of seems like the first couple of years of DCA Christmas decorations were interesting, and the decorations are very interesting now, of course -- but during the middle years they were kind of lacking, with the exception of the seasonal CALIFORNIA letters out in front.

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I really enjoyed the Frozen movie, but I am feeling overwhelmed by it all! I will check out everything DLR is offering, but probably only once. I just prefer a variety of characters and wish there were more characters than from the same movie over and over again!

I am much more upset about the Star Wars land! I don't mind Star Wars in general, but I think Disney should just reimagine Tomorrowland. I don't think it needs to be ALL Star Wars, either. Wasn't there talk about Tron 2.0 at some point? I don't know if they have the rights to do any Marvel rides... Cars Land and Bugs Land work at DCA, but I really do love the variety at DLR!

Getting back to Christmas... We activated our new annual passes today and I took pictures for next year's theme weeks!

pudinhd --

I am not necessarily on board with an all Star Wars Land either -- and the rumored locations for it (Toontown and the Big Thunder Ranch) are not my ideal areas for where it should go, when -- clearly -- Tomorrowland is the land that should get it. Or, it should just go into a third park.

I wasn't thrilled with the idea of an all Cars-themed land, because I'm just not that big of a fan of the movie Cars. That land was done so well, though -- making it interesting for kids and adults, and for those who are not huge fans of the movie. Visually, there are a lot of things to see and details to notice, so it makes Cars Land interesting to me. And the soundtrack/music loop is fun and lively.

I just have a problem with cramming a bunch of attractions based on one movie into one area where the movie's theme doesn't really fit -- such as Frozen in Hollywood Land. Hollywood Land has now become sort of a catchall place for all of the attractions that can't fit in any other area of DLR! But if Disney were to actually devote time and money to building a complete Frozen Land, I think it would be good, and would have some great details and gems.

I just hope that Toy Story will once again take center stage and get a lot of attention when TS4 comes out in 2017. It was huge for a while, and even though it still has a strong presence at DLR, it has kind of settled in to a less prominent role over time, as all the movies should over the years.

 

[pudinhd]

pudinhd --

I am not necessarily on board with an all Star Wars Land either -- and the rumored locations for it (Toontown and the Big Thunder Ranch) are not my ideal areas for where it should go, when -- clearly -- Tomorrowland is the land that should get it. Or, it should just go into a third park.

I wasn't thrilled with the idea of an all Cars-themed land, because I'm just not that big of a fan of the movie Cars. That land was done so well, though -- making it interesting for kids and adults, and for those who are not huge fans of the movie. Visually, there are a lot of things to see and details to notice, so it makes Cars Land interesting to me. And the soundtrack/music loop is fun and lively.

I just have a problem with cramming a bunch of attractions based on one movie into one area where the movie's theme doesn't really fit -- such as Frozen in Hollywood Land. Hollywood Land has now become sort of a catchall place for all of the attractions that can't fit in any other area of DLR! But if Disney were to actually devote time and money to building a complete Frozen Land, I think it would be good, and would have some great details and gems.

I just hope that Toy Story will once again take center stage and get a lot of attention when TS4 comes out in 2017. It was huge for a while, and even though it still has a strong presence at DLR, it has kind of settled in to a less prominent role over time, as all the movies should over the years.

I totally agree with the Toon Town / Big Thunder Ranch location! Especially when it will basically be a "Star Wars Tomorrowland".

I think they have always struggled with the Hollywood Land in DCA. It's never quite been an area that fits!

I wouldn't mind a Frozen Land, assuming they make it as well as they did Cars Land. However, I don't want it to be in Disneyland. DCA would be fine, a third park would be fine, just keep the variety at Disneyland!

 

[Sherry E]

I totally agree with the Toon Town / Big Thunder Ranch location! Especially when it will basically be a "Star Wars Tomorrowland".

I think they have always struggled with the Hollywood Land in DCA. It's never quite been an area that fits!

I wouldn't mind a Frozen Land, assuming they make it as well as they did Cars Land. However, I don't want it to be in Disneyland. DCA would be fine, a third park would be fine, just keep the variety at Disneyland!

pudinhd --

I neglected to ask -- did you find DLR to be insanely crowded when you activated your APs yesterday? I guess that yesterday was another capacity day for DL at some point.

Even though all but the highest level of APs are blocked out right now, I have still seen a lot of the "blame the AP holders for the parks being crowded" sentiment around the Internet (on other sites). It seems to be the go-to thing to do now -- if the parks are super-crowded any time of year, no matter when it is, blame the AP holders (even if many AP holders are blocked)...it must be the AP holders' fault. Or... it's "the locals." Again, no matter when it is, if it is busy in the parks it's the fault of the locals and AP holders.

It's a shame, really -- there seems to be a real anti-Annual Pass holder resentment around the Internet. People seem to really dislike the fact that people buy APs and use them. I've seen venom-filled comments criticizing people for using their APs to go into the parks for a few hours (heaven forbid!), or using their APs to see the Christmas decorations once again, or using their APs to go in and eat lunch, etc. There is a certain assumption that all AP holders have a particular attitude and sense of entitlement, and that they throw around that attitude freely when in the parks.

All I know is, when I was a young kid visiting Disneyland, there were no AP holders -- or at least not as they exist right now -- and the parks were still crowded, the lines were still long, and there were still rude, obnoxious people to deal with. And I would bet that those elements would still exist today even if all levels of AP were obliterated!

 

[pudinhd]

pudinhd --

I neglected to ask -- did you find DLR to be insanely crowded when you activated your APs yesterday? I guess that yesterday was another capacity day for DL at some point.

Even though all but the highest level of APs are blocked out right now, I have still seen a lot of the "blame the AP holders for the parks being crowded" sentiment around the Internet (on other sites). It seems to be the go-to thing to do now -- if the parks are super-crowded any time of year, no matter when it is, blame the AP holders (even if many AP holders are blocked)...it must be the AP holders' fault. Or... it's "the locals." Again, no matter when it is, if it is busy in the parks it's the fault of the locals and AP holders.

It's a shame, really -- there seems to be a real anti-Annual Pass holder resentment around the Internet. People seem to really dislike the fact that people buy APs and use them. I've seen venom-filled comments criticizing people for using their APs to go into the parks for a few hours (heaven forbid!), or using their APs to see the Christmas decorations once again, or using their APs to go in and eat lunch, etc. There is a certain assumption that all AP holders have a particular attitude and sense of entitlement, and that they throw around that attitude freely when in the parks.

All I know is, when I was a young kid visiting Disneyland, there were no AP holders -- or at least not as they exist right now -- and the parks were still crowded, the lines were still long, and there were still rude, obnoxious people to deal with. And I would bet that those elements would still exist today even if all levels of AP were obliterated!

It was a mad house!!! We walked in super close to 8 am and went straight to Peter Pan. The ride was already at 60 minutes as there was early entrance at 7 am. There were sooo many people everywhere! We came out of Disneyland around 11:00 and there were extra long lines at the ticket booths. They didn't move that slowly, but it took a little while to wait and activate our APs. There were tons of people at California Adventure, too! We didn't do any Frozen activities, but Hollywood Land did have a lot more people than normal. Not sure if it was because of Frozen, the holidays, or a combination of both.

 

[rentayenta]

I am so sorry I have yet to post my pics. I took a ton but life has been crazy since returning. Hopefully everyone had a Merry Christmas at the Happiest Place on Earth.

We did get to view the NYE WoC from our villa. We saw it twice one night and almost nightly every night after. If you are going to be there, it's going to be pretty cool. I won't go into detail and not to spoil it.

 

[KCmike]

Sherry the first Christmas decorations at DCA were not even close to the standards that they have now. How funny indeed. Almost like they allowed me to go in and decorate. Lol.

 

[Sherry E]

Hi, Jenny! I look forward to seeing your pictures!

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Sherry the first Christmas decorations at DCA were not even close to the standards that they have now. How funny indeed. Almost like they allowed me to go in and decorate. Lol.

Mike --



I think that today's DCA holiday decorations package is superior, of course, because they put more effort into the whole endeavor now. There were a couple of interesting elements to the decorations in 2001. I really like those holiday scarecrows, but the whole farm/agricultural area of DCA is gone, so there would be nowhere to put them if they were ever to return. They weren't even there in 2007.

And I like the idea of the outdoorsy Rustic Santa posing with guests by the waterfalls -- though that setting really makes no sense for Santa at all.

At least those little touches in 2001 were kind of interesting. By the time I experienced my first DCA holiday (in 2007), the seasonal pickins' were slim.

 

[Speechphi]

Hi Sherry! We got back a week ago from an AMAZING vacation, and I just started writing up a trip report here http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=52802381&posted=1#post52802381

We went on the Holiday Tour on Fri 12/19 at 2:55...WOW! I reviewed that in posts 8 & 9. Thought I'd share here

 

[mvf-m11c]

I did saw your post from Yesterland blog and it has been a long time since I have seen DCA like that during the first year in 2001. So much has changed from 2001 and now. There is no question in my opinion that today's holiday decorations at DCA is superior over 2001. But it is nice to see decorations that I have seen in the past and was never able to get pictures of them. Even now, I still do miss the old Golden Gate Bridge where it was all nicely decorated. Thanks for posting the link from the other day Sherry. It brings back a lot of memories.

 

[lorijohnhill]

I may have missed this info... I am interested in some details about Olaf's SnowFest area. Is it real snow? As in, is it wet? Should we bring a change of clothes for my daughter?

 

[Sherry E]

I may have missed this info... I am interested in some details about Olaf's SnowFest area. Is it real snow? As in, is it wet? Should we bring a change of clothes for my daughter?

I've picked up bits and pieces from various places online, so I don't know how much of it is accurately relayed and how much of it is enhanced/exaggerated.

One comment I read (I believe it was on MiceChat) said that it is "actual snow."

Another comment on another site (it was either on MouseWait or MouseWait's Facebook page) said that it is "more ice than powdery snow."

Somewhere or another I saw a photo of people sliding down the snow slide (it didn't appear to be a very long slide) on a sled/mat of some kind, which looked fun -- but today I cannot seem to find that same photo that I saw yesterday.

I also saw a photo of some people down in the snow, starting to form a small ball (probably the beginnings of a snowman!).

One thing I did notice was that there appeared to be more snow (or ice) than I expected there to be. I thought it would be a little sandbox with some contained snow, but there was quite a bit in certain spots.

I read somewhere -- I think on Facebook -- that the menu at one of the stands in Snow Fest includes meatballs and cinnamon twists.


Maybe figment_jii or Bret/mvf-m11c saw/read more about Olaf's Snow Fest than I did, and can relay some additional details??

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[mvf-m11c]

I may have missed this info... I am interested in some details about Olaf's SnowFest area. Is it real snow? As in, is it wet? Should we bring a change of clothes for my daughter?

From what I have read on the Disneyland Resort News about Olaf's Snow Fest "Olaf’s Snow Fest” takes place next door to the Crown Jewel Theatre in Stage 17, which is transformed into a charming castle courtyard reminiscent of Arendelle. Music and lighting bring to life an immersive wintry environment for guests to meet and share a warm hug with Olaf. Kids of all ages will have fun in a giant play area with real snow where they are encouraged to build snow creations and zip down a snow slide. Guests who wish to observe the icy fun will have a nearby viewing area. A traveling musical duo, The Tubadors, will celebrate the tales of Arendelle in storytelling and song while, on their own stage, The Frolicking Fjords will present arrangements of Arendelle-themed tunes. Guests may enjoy a cup of hot chocolate and decorate their own Olaf cookie, making memories that will warm their hearts."

From what I have read on all these different sites that it is mixed reviews of real snow and fake snow.

 

[Sherry E]

...And I just read another comment from someone (on MiceChat) who was at Snow Fest, who said that the snow/ice is slippery and it does melt. Supposedly it is cooled from underneath and fluffed every so often.

It is suggested to bring gloves if you plan on getting down in the snow and playing with it.

 

[lorijohnhill]

Thank you! I think I will pack extra clothes just in case. I think it may be a bit chilly to walk around in wet, or even damp, clothing.

 

[Sherry E]

Thank you! I think I will pack extra clothes just in case. I think it may be a bit chilly to walk around in wet, or even damp, clothing.

I just watched someone's video (he's on MiceChat) of his Snow Fest time, and there is snow all over the floor (or at least it appears that way). Sledding down the snow slide looks like a lot of fun. He and his group ordered corn dog bites -- which they didn't seem to enjoy -- and the meatballs, which were said to be good. There is also some sort of white hot chocolate -- they said it had something peppermint in it too.

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New blog (for those who will be at Disneyland Resort between January 2-January 6):

"Three Kings Day Celebration Returns to Disney California Adventure Park" -- Disney Parks Blog; posted on December 29th, 2014 by Erin Glover, Social Media Director, Disneyland Resort



There are additional links to Three Kings Day-related blogs and videos in this California Adventure post (under Paradise Pier/Three Kings Day), and in this Eating, Drinking and Being Merry post.

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Now that the holiday season is winding down (it will be officially over one week from tomorrow), and we look ahead to the mysteries of Disneyland's 60th anniversary celebrations (and how those new events will impact the holiday season's traditional entertainment), it is also a time for reflection and for looking back.

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As I was pondering this past year in Disney-related happenings, it struck me how very fast the time has flown by. Remember that it was near the beginning of the year when the "Disney Side" promo was being hyped, and the free, fun Disney Side decals became available for us to create.

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Then, when we received our free Disney Side decals, we noticed that the mailer in which they were contained included that quizzical wording about the holiday season -- "Select Nights Nov. and Dec.," which had us pondering what it could mean in terms of the holiday events (it turns out, it really meant nothing!).

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In April, I embarked upon my very first Easter egg hunts at Disneyland and in California Adventure, which was great fun. I also really loved the Springtime Roundup (this was the first year for it) and its fun egg art and Spring-y décor everywhere (lots of bunnies, flowers and carrots). I hope that Disneyland continues to build on its Easter activities, and makes the egg hunts a little more difficult, or creates different levels of the hunts, for those who want more of a challenge.

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Let's not forget the "Get Happier" Monday surprise promotion that lasted from the beginning of June all the way up until Labor Day. That seemed to mainly only work for the people who were in the parks.

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There was, of course, a 24-hour event to kick off the summer season in late May, and that's when the Olaf "Sandman" sculpture made its debut in the Esplanade.

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There were assorted contests this year too -- many of which seemed to require Twitter and Instagram accounts, and involved sharing photos of Disney trips past.

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Frontierland and Adventureland took turns in the spotlight due to the Legends game and the hunt for juju, respectively.

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As for the holidays, we saw the elusive Peppermint ice cream return to at least a couple of locations at DLR, after the debacle/shortage that occurred in 2013.

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(By the way -- a side note... My Vons store brought me 2 cartons of the Slow Churned Peppermint Wonderland ice cream this past weekend -- I guess they didn't know to pick the Grand version -- and I took a couple of spoonfuls of it.

The Slow Churned is worse than ever. It used to be vaguely pink -- like the palest shade of pink it could possibly be -- and it used to have a tiny bit of faint flavor to the cream, underneath all of the mint. Now the ice cream is totally white, and the flavor of the peppermint bits overpowers everything -- all I tasted was the harsh mint, with nothing to balance it out.

It was literally like eating frozen toothpaste!

Believe me -- if you really like a good peppermint ice cream that has flavor to balance out the mint, go for a pink ice cream. Even if you don't choose Dreyer's/Edy's and pick another brand, get something that is pink. Don't go for the white ice cream with peppermint bits in it -- it is not the same! And if you go for the Dreyer's or Edy's, go for the GRAND, not the Slow Churned. If you are going to eat the Slow Churned, you might as well freeze your tube of Colgate or Crest and eat that instead.)

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We also saw the debut of the gingerbread GCH model in the GCH lobby. We scratched our heads over the disappearing and reappearing hubcap tree in Cars Land, as well as over the 2 gingerbread houses in Storytellers Café, which suddenly became only one house.

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What secrets does 2015 hold? And... will 2015 finally be the year when Disney decides to spring some sort of Christmas Party on us (especially, if the rumors are true, they decide to have the Halloween party in DCA, and could decide to start a Christmas party in DCA too)? Will we have to wait until September once again, to get the confirmed dates of the holiday season? Will this finally, finally be the year that Disney decides to unveil the long-rumored Toy Story Midway Mania holiday overlay, or are they now holding back on that until TS4 comes out in 2017? And how much more of Frozen can Disneyland Resort handle? When will Olaf, Anna, Elsa and the gang make their inevitable appearances in It's a Small World?

Stay tuned!

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[NewbieMouse]

Can't wait for the 2015 holiday season surprises, Sherry! We are back now and had a lot of fun. My best *new* find (for me, anyway) were those Bread Cones with the Mac & Cheese/Chili in DCA - YUM! - I'm still trying to figure out how I could make that at home!

Next year our conference is such that it will be better to go to DLR the Monday, Tuesday, & Wednesday of the first full week in January (the 4th to 6th) so we will barely make the holiday season, but I know you will get us all pumped up for it. I look forward to seeing how busy it is this year at that time so I know what to expect. I may even get an annual pass to get the discounts.

 

[Sherry E]

New:

"Disneyland Resort Celebrates Three Kings Day with New Performances – ‘The Spirit of Navidad’" -- Disneyland News press release; posted on December 30, 2014

New at the park this year for Three Kings Day is “The Spirit of Navidad,” a joyful storytelling performance presented by two bilingual, musical artists. This festive addition will deepen guests’ appreciation of the various Latino traditions celebrated during Christmas, New Year’s Eve and Día de Los Reyes (Three Kings Day). The storytellers will perform interactive musical interludes throughout this spirited celebration. Guests may take photos with sculptures of the Three Kings bearing gifts and enjoy a traditional sweet treat known as Rosca de Reyes. Children may participate in crafts and make paper crowns with sparkling “jewels.”

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Happy New Year, everyone -- especially to those of you who have already crossed over into 2015!


It is another cold night in Los Angeles, but I prefer this to the heat of summer any day! I hope that all of you who are ringing in the New Year at DLR are bundled up!

I realized that cable TV has completely changed the way I experience New Year's Eve. In "the old days" (and I realize that I sound like I'm 80 years old, sitting on the porch, sipping lemonade, while fondly recalling the glory days of my youth), New Year's Eve and staying up until midnight were a big deal. It was a major event to watch the ball drop in Times Square, as Dick Clark counted down. There was an excitement for me -- even as a child, before I could go out and do things on New Year's Eve -- knowing that the year was about to change over and begin anew, and I would be awake to see it all.

Back then, there was no "East Coast feed" on TV, showing me the midnight revelry 3 hours ahead of time. In fact, as far as I was concerned, it seemed as if the clock struck midnight for everyone at the same time.

This was all before the days of CNN and other basic cable channels that are based on the East Coast. Aside from the fact that I'm old and can't stay awake until midnight anymore, there is no longer an urgency to try to do so because I can watch the shimmery ball drop at 9 p.m., Pacific Standard Time. Why force myself to stay up until midnight in Los Angeles, when the quintessential New Year's Eve televised moment has already happened 3 hours earlier?

That said, it is now 11:10 p.m. I probably wouldn't be awake now if not for my upstairs neighbor stomping around in what surely must have been cement shoes. Can I stay up for another 50 minutes, to ring in the New Year with Ryan Seacrest and Fergie? I already watched the ball drop over 2 hours ago, so the suspense is kind of gone.


What did everyone do tonight? If anyone was at DLR, please report back here and let us know!

 

[Luisa]

It's nearly 7pm on New Year's Day here, but last night I stayed in and watched the fireworks in Melbourne and Sydney on tv as well as having a small show on the street outside provided by the kids across the road (even though fireworks are banned in Victoria). I also watched the live stream of the Magic Kingdom fireworks on the Disney parks blog this afternoon.

Hope everyone has a happy and safe 2015 with plenty of Disney fun!