Family Christmas trip booked - 1st for Disneyland!

[Toadlover]

Our family has been to WDW many times. We've never gone to DL together. We've been separately for short bits at a time but never as a group of 11. The last time I was there was for 4 or 5 hours and I was 8 or 9 weeks pregnant and couldn't ride much.

We will be 11 people- six of those kids ages 10, 14, 14, 14, 16 and 18- going over Christmas break this year. I'd love any advice you can give me for navigating the parks. We have plane tickets and hotel reservations already. We are staying at the Grand Californian in a suite that will sleep us all.

My sister lives in California now- she will be very helpful- but I"m throwing this out there for anybody.

I have Birnbaum's Disneyland book. It's so confusing! Everything in it is foreign even though a lot of the attractions are similar to WDW.

We are a family that likes to get up early and go! Any imput is appreciated. Especially since it will be over Christmas break. I know it will be busier then.

 

[ADLFAN]

You are going to LOVE convenience of the GCH and how it is practically IN DCA!

The rides with holiday overlays are the Haunted Mansion with it's Nightmare Before Christmas theme, Small World with Christmas around the world, the Jungle Cruise as the Jingle Cruise complete with decorations, and I heard they even decorate the miniature sets of Storybookland Canal Boats!

I think they offer a holiday tour, which covers a few of these rides and includes treats. The kids might enjoy feeling like VIP's, and the adults might enjoy the information.

Make sure you enjoy the parts of DL that WDW doesn't have, like New Orleans Square, Toontown, and Paradise Pier and Carsland in DCA. A Bugs Land is very cute, with three real little kid rides and a neat splash area.

Choose one or two entertainment options for each day, like the Aladdin show, Mickey and the Magical Map, the Frozen sing along, any of the parades, and the new World Of Color show and Fireworks.

Have fun planning!

 

[5forMickey]

Toadlover - congrats on your trip you are going to have so much fun!!! We went during that same time last year. Be prepared for crowds and know that going in and you will be fine. I can not overstate how thankful I was for these boards and their advise/knowledge about dining reservations. I saw countless people trying to eat at sit down places that were turned away. None of them were taking walk ins (especially with a large party), my family thought me mad before we left and brilliant by the time we got home. Also utilize your early entry morning hours for your rides, it get's crazy around noon. We rode in the mornings and enjoyed the entertainment options in the afternoons and it worked wonderfully. You will be really thankful that you are staying so close and can escape as you wish. Have Fun!!!!

 

[Sherry E]

Feel free to join us In the Disneyland at Christmas/Holiday Season Superthread for DLR holiday season information and discussion, if you have the time - http://www.disboards.com/threads/di...ek-countdown-2015-begins-august-10th.3358217/. Page 1 has a lot of posts with all kinds of info about various facets of the holiday season.

We know very little about what's going to be happening for this year's season thus far, but anytime a new tidbit of info or a new rumor pops up we discuss it, along with helping to answer questions and share our experiences. Starting next Monday, 8/10, we will begin our annual Theme Week Countdown and Disney gift card giveaway -- which is basically a 3-month bonanza of DLR holiday photos to pass the time and fill in the gaps until we get news or details about this year. At the very end of the Countdown will be our final theme week -- Holiday Cornucopia -- to which anyone can contribute, even if they have not been to DLR for the holidays.

 

[luulu1999]

We went a few years ago for our first trip at Christmas, it was only 3 days and it was crowded DL more so than DCA but getting there early helps a ton and using FP helps!! Also it rained several mornings on us (which helped a ton with crowds) but we always go to the dollar tree and get $1 ponchos to take with us just in case (we actually take them lots of places with us) it will be awesome!! Have a great time