Garland Watch 2017

[Kender]

No garlands in WDW any more either. Not since Festival of Fantasy started.

That's correct. I believe 2014 was the last time the garland was up for Christmas.

Does anyone remember in prior years if it went up a day or two before the start of the holiday season or if it was sort of a last minute installation?

I don't recall when they went up, but definitely the last year we saw them was 2014. That was the first Christmas time I was ever there and 2015 was PtN (plus 2016 with the special holiday performances of it) so no garlands.

 

[figment_jii]

This is one of those good/news bad type of things...I was looking through some old Micechat photo archives and they garland was not up on 11/10/14, but was up on 11/13 or 11/14 (I couldn't quite tell which day they were there). So it looks like it does not take DL long to put it up. However, they also didn't have the tree in Town Square up on the 10th either, and from the photos I've seen of this year, the tree is already up and in place (sometime in the last few days). My feeling is that if the garland is not up by the 10th (aka the official start of the holiday season), it probably won't be back this year.

 

[DizFan13]

I was looking through some old Micechat photo archives and they garland was not up on 11/10/14, but was up on 11/13 or 11/14 (I couldn't quite tell which day they were there).

I can say for sure that the three times we went the week after thanksgiving, the garland was up. Where that week lands changes, of course, so maybe those all happened to be late thankgsgivings. If I remember correctly, the year we went during the second week in November (2009? 2010?), the decorations were not complete by the time we left, and it seemed a chunk was added each night. The mornings were fun because there were little surprises along the way.

No garlands in WDW any more either. Not since Festival of Fantasy started.

Is it pathetic that I actually can't remember if I noticed garland being up or not when we were in WDW at the end of December, 2015?

 

[mom2rtk]

I can say for sure that the three times we went the week after thanksgiving, the garland was up. Where that week lands changes, of course, so maybe those all happened to be late thankgsgivings. If I remember correctly, the year we went during the second week in November (2009? 2010?), the decorations were not complete by the time we left, and it seemed a chunk was added each night. The mornings were fun because there were little surprises along the way.

Is it pathetic that I actually can't remember if I noticed garland being up or not when we were in WDW at the end of December, 2015?

I think I'm the odd duck who does actually remember stuff like this! We weren't in the MK in December 2015, but I do know it wasn't up then. The Festival of Fantasy floats were too tall for it, so it would have ended when that parade began in 2014.

Maybe as someone mentioned, it's tied to the filming of the Christmas parade. I thought I saw something about when that is this year but can't recall. Anyone recall when they're filming this year?

 

[figment_jii]

I've looked for information on the 2017 filming of the parade in DL, but so far I've only found the dates for WDW (they filed earlier this week). I don't know...maybe DL films later or maybe they're just re-using the footage from a previous year.

 

[mom2rtk]

I've looked for information on the 2017 filming of the parade in DL, but so far I've only found the dates for WDW (they filed earlier this week). I don't know...maybe DL films later or maybe they're just re-using the footage from a previous year.

Thanks! I thought I had seen something on it, but maybe it was just WDW info I'm recalling.

 

[longtimedisneylurker]

I've looked for information on the 2017 filming of the parade in DL, but so far I've only found the dates for WDW (they filed earlier this week). I don't know...maybe DL films later or maybe they're just re-using the footage from a previous year.

Thanks! I thought I had seen something on it, but maybe it was just WDW info I'm recalling.

Mouseplanet shared their parade taping speculations in last week's update. 4th tpic in the News and Views section.
https://www.mouseplanet.com/11929/Disneyland_Resort_Update_for_October_31__November_5_2017

 

[mom2rtk]

Mouseplanet shared their parade taping speculations in last week's update. 4th tpic in the News and Views section.
https://www.mouseplanet.com/11929/Disneyland_Resort_Update_for_October_31__November_5_2017

Thanks! That timing would be consistent with what they did last year. It filmed on Wednesday of that week last year, the 16th.

The only tip-off in advance last year was an unusual parade time on the schedule. Looking at that week now, I see they have the parade scheduled for 4 PM that day, which is very much an exception to the 1 and 3:30 times the rest of the season (just 3:30 on expected lower crowd days, 1 and 3:30 on the rest of the days). Based on that, I'd say odds are high they will be taping on Monday the 13th.

So the question then is will they wait to put garland up after the taping? I have no idea how they handled that in the past.

 

[Lesley Wake]

Thanks! That timing would be consistent with what they did last year. It filmed on Wednesday of that week last year, the 16th.

The only tip-off in advance last year was an unusual parade time on the schedule. Looking at that week now, I see they have the parade scheduled for 4 PM that day, which is very much an exception to the 1 and 3:30 times the rest of the season (just 3:30 expected lower crowd days, 1 and 3:30 on the rest of the days). Based on that, I'd say odds are high they will be taping on Monday the 13th.

So the question then is will they wait to put garland up after the taping? I have no idea how they handled that in the past.

I'll probably be there Tuesday afternoon, so I'll watch out for wires then too!

 

[SOCALMouseMommy]

This is one of those good/news bad type of things...I was looking through some old Micechat photo archives and they garland was not up on 11/10/14, but was up on 11/13 or 11/14 (I couldn't quite tell which day they were there). So it looks like it does not take DL long to put it up. However, they also didn't have the tree in Town Square up on the 10th either, and from the photos I've seen of this year, the tree is already up and in place (sometime in the last few days). My feeling is that if the garland is not up by the 10th (aka the official start of the holiday season), it probably won't be back this year.

The tree is up!

 

[Susie63]

The tree is up!

Holy smokes that's a big tree!!!!

 

[Lesley Wake]

Holy smokes that's a big tree!!!!

Yeah! It's anchored into the ground, so the "trunk" goes a far distance under the street! Since SWGE has been under construction, especially in the fall, you can see it in pieces behind the foliage scrim when taking the tram from Mickey and Friends to DTD!

 

[Tink1987]

Holy smokes that's a big tree!!!!

I’m so excited for you to experience your first holiday season at DL

 

[Tink1987]

I’m really grateful that DLP are going to have their Main Street wreath up on our actual Christmas trip - we go 3 days after getting back from Disneyland!

For once DLP have something right and it will be lovely to see them after 2 Christmas trips to WDW and DL and not seeing them.

 

[Elk Grove Chris]

I can say for sure that the three times we went the week after thanksgiving, the garland was up. Where that week lands changes, of course, so maybe those all happened to be late thankgsgivings. If I remember correctly, the year we went during the second week in November (2009? 2010?), the decorations were not complete by the time we left, and it seemed a chunk was added each night. The mornings were fun because there were little surprises along the way.

Is it pathetic that I actually can't remember if I noticed garland being up or not when we were in WDW at the end of December, 2015?

We were there for 10 days in Dec of 2015-no garland-we left on the 23rd.

 

[mom2rtk]

So tomorrow is the start of the season. Why do I get the feeling we'll be garland-less?

Does anyone remember if they have left it down until after parade taping in prior years?

 

[Susie63]

I’m so excited for you to experience your first holiday season at DL

Thanks....me too! We only travel in the off season so I can't wait to see the whole park in Christmas mode. I am going to cry....

 

[mom2rtk]

So the Holiday Season officially started yesterday. No reports from the field? I take that as a bad sign.....

 

[DizFan13]

So the Holiday Season officially started yesterday. No reports from the field? I take that as a bad sign.....

 

[figment_jii]

DisneyGeek has photos from the park from yesterday and he explicitly mentioned there was no garland on Main Street.
https://disneygeek.com/disneyland/pictures/2017/11/10/45