Halloween Vs. Christmas

[Tink6810]

Hi,
We are looking into going to go after summer for several reasons 1st would be less crowds (I hate them) 2nd would be Carsland. We would like to be there during a holiday. I just dont know what would be better Halloween or Christmas. Here is a little back ground on my family. We are a young family with 2 boys at the time they will be just shy of 3 and 4 1/2. We throw costume partys at halloween and we love being with family at christmas. We are looking to go to disneyland either the 1st or 3rd week on October or the 1st week of December.
What are your opinons of the two holidays?
Please let me know the differences of the two holidays.
Crowds?
Attmosphere?
Activities?
Overall?
Thanks,

 

[rentayenta]

That's tough but having been during both times, I'd say Christmastime and we are Jewish. There is something so magical about Disneyland all dressed up for the holidays. Halloween and Fall are super great too. Both times the characters are dressed seasonally. Crowds start to get thicker the week before Christmas and the week of Christmas is the busiest time. You won't face refurbs and holiday layovers being put up like you may in October. I'd face more crowds in order to not miss my favorites.

Having said all that, we׳re going to Disneyland this late November/early December and to WDW next October.

 

[sonnyjane]

Hi,
We are looking into going to go after summer for several reasons 1st would be less crowds (I hate them) 2nd would be Carsland. We would like to be there during a holiday. I just dont know what would be better Halloween or Christmas. Here is a little back ground on my family. We are a young family with 2 boys at the time they will be just shy of 3 and 4 1/2. We throw costume partys at halloween and we love being with family at christmas. We are looking to go to disneyland either the 1st or 3rd week on October or the 1st week of December.
What are your opinons of the two holidays?
,

To be clear, are you talking about going NEXT year, in 2012 instead of this year? Just want to make sure, since Carsland won't be open until after next summer.

Now that that's taken care of, I would pick Christmas over Halloween if you had to pick one. They are both cool, but the Christmas experience immerses you in magic holiday sights, sounds, smells, and tastes everywhere you look, whereas the Halloween decorations aren't quite as impressive.

 

[Tink6810]

Yes we are going in 2012

 

[Sherry E]

See these threads:

Halloween at DLR Superthread (Posts #1 and #2)

Disneyland at Christmas Time Superthread (Posts #1, #2 and #3)


These threads will show you photos and descriptions of all the seasonal offerings during both Halloween Time and Christmas Time, which may help your decision-making process (or it will make you want to do both seasons!)!


I love them both (hence, the two superthreads), but I am suggesting Christmas time because it is much, much, much more of an overall sensory experience than HalloweenTime. It emcompasses the entire Resort (hotels and Downtown Disney included), whereas HalloweenTime mainly occupies Disneyland Park and that's it.

During Christmas time, you hear holiday music in different themes to fit each land, you see unique holiday decorations in each land, there are carolers, there is snow on Main Street, there is the stunning nighttime Winter Castle and IASW Holiday, the GCH lobby is welcoming and festive, the smells of peppermint and gingerbread fill the air, etc.

HalloweenTime is great fun and I highly recommend it (the Halloween Round-Up is a gem), but I feel that DLR doesn't do enough with the season in general, so it is not as thorough and detailed as Christmas time. They do nothing at the hotels for Halloween season except on Halloween night. There are no decorations in DCA. There's nothing in DTD. Whereas at Christmas time, the holiday spirit and magic is everywhere you go! It's much more extensive.

 

[specialks]

We went to DLR Dec 7-14 last year. The parks were gorgeous and many of the characters have festive outfits. There are so many amazing things to see and experience around Christmas time. That being said, we weren't expecting the crowds we faced and it really affected our trip. I'm honestly getting the feeling that any holiday time period at the DLR is going to bring in a healthy number of crowds. I should add, that this was our personal feeling (Sherry E was there on one of our days and agreed the crowds were crazy) and our only other 2 trips had been during Sept after school started. The first week of Dec will also likely see the Candlelight Proc and perhaps even cast member parties which will have a real noticeable affect on your schedule and touring plans.
We are headed to DLR in October so we can experience the new rides and take in the MHP for the first time. We saw the start of the Halloween season on our final day of our 2009 trip, and there was a large change in the crowd numbers between the beginning of our trip and the last. The beginning & mid of October also have a large influx of crowds because of fall school breaks around the west (this has been a big surprise to many non-fall breakers who think it would be a great time to visit).
So, my point is, if you want to go for a holiday then you have to be prepared for the crowds (if not, it could really throw you off during your trip and cause you not to enjoy it as much as you could). And finally, with my 1 day Halloween decor knowledge and my 1 week of Christmas knowledge, I would choose Christmas.

 

[Sherry E]

....(Sherry E was there on one of our days and agreed the crowds were crazy)....

Yep! I thought 12/12, 12/13 & 12/14 were all pretty crowded. I didn't see much difference in the lines for, say, POTC on any of those days when I walked by, especially not on 12/12 & 12/13. December 15 (Wednesday) was the day I felt the crowds were starting to thin out a bit.

 

[marciemouse]

We're also a young family, and we went to DLR both of those times last year. Our daughter was 3 then. I liked Halloween time more than I expected to, but I'd choose Christmas. The late-day crowds were awful on the Halloween party days. December was much better. (Avoid the choir/candle thing though!) We don't "do" Halloween at our house, but we all enjoyed seeing the beautiful fall decorations. However, our daughter (and the rest of our party) enjoyed the Christmas decorations much more, and the Christmas parade was definitely a highlight. Have fun!

 

[Tink6810]

I think we are going towards Christmas time. I just have some reservations about going durning a holiday. Last time we went to DL was in September 2009. We also went to WDW in January 2011. Both of these time were low crowds. In December are the crowds out of control meaning ride wait times are like 60 min or more? I am just unsure if dealing with the crowds is worth it. How are the crowds?
First or second weekend of December vs. September?
First or second weekend of December vs. First or second weekend of October?

Thanks for all your help

 

[Sherry E]

Did you read the question about crowds in the Q&A section of the Christmas Superthread (Post #3)?

Don't worry too much about crowds, really! I don't think you're going to find hour-long waits for rides in early December. If you were going in between Christmas and New Year's, then, yes, I would say to brace yourself for huge crowds. But early December is said to be not that bad, according to many people. I, myself, have a plan this year that extends into the first few days of December.

This is the thing - DLR is going to be crowded in some way or another. Yes, the crowds levels vary in intensity and may ebb and flow, but you are not going to find a totally slow, quiet time with "low" crowds at the parks in the near future, unless it's raining, in my opinion.

There are too many new things happening at the Resort right now and many people from all over are coming to see them. And many more people are trying to find 'off-peak' seasons to go...which, inevitably and ironically, is probably filling in the off-peak seasons with more crowds!

If the holiday crowds were out of control consistently, you would not see me at the helm of the Christmas Superthread and being so involved in that season at DLR. I would not go back repeatedly.

I have been to DLR at different times during the holiday season - in November, before and after Thanksgiving, week between Christmas and New Year's, weekend before Christmas, and last year I was there in early/mid-December (12/12 - 12/15) with a couple of Cast Member party nights thrown in. Last year it was more crowded than I expected it to be - and I am one who gets very daunted and discouraged if crowds are too heavy - but not at all enough to scare me away. I got a lot done and had a fantastic time! I realize that it is going to be more crowded overall now that all of this exciting stuff is happening at DLR. It is even going to be more crowded in the off-peak seasons now.

There are crowds you can live with and crowds you can't live with! And I honestly think that early December will be something you can live with.

The first couple of full weeks of October are going to be busy, too. Many people who have gone in October have said that the crowd level didn't seem that much different than what it looked like in mid-late December. It's a busy season.

If you go in September around mid-month, it will be crowded because that's when HalloweenTime begins and people come out. Late September this year is when the Halloween party begins, so, again, crowds. Early September - before HalloweenTime - will probably be the lowest crowd point of the month.

So if you're going to go to DLR and experience one of these wonderful seasons, and the park may be crowded anyway during these times, you may as well go for Christmas season and have a much more immersive and extensive experience! And yes, it will be sooooo worth it! Trust us!

 

[Tink6810]

Thank you for your help I think we will go in the first part of December. I looked at the superthreads but it gets a little overwhelming. I was just worried about heavy crowds since I know next year will probably have more crowds then normal due to all the expansion. I will just plan for December and stop worrying. See even though its over a year away I will obsess about it until it is here. Thanks for all the help.

 

[specialks]

I think you will have a great time. Based on your other trip times I think the crowds will be more than your previous trips, but not unbearable. Try to allow plenty of days and make sure you have some kind of touring plan or list in mind so you can stay focused. You probably already know about getting FPs and arriving before opening, but read HydroGuys tips (in the sticky thread at the top of the board) so you can really be prepared. I think you will have a fabulous time and it really is worth it to get to see DLR at Christmas time.

 

[Sherry E]

Thank you for your help I think we will go in the first part of December. I looked at the superthreads but it gets a little overwhelming. I was just worried about heavy crowds since I know next year will probably have more crowds then normal due to all the expansion. I will just plan for December and stop worrying. See even though its over a year away I will obsess about it until it is here. Thanks for all the help.

You're welcome! You'll really love DLR at Christmas time.

You don't need to read through the entire Superthread for either Halloween or Christmas. That can certainly be overwhelming! It's only the first 2 posts of the Halloween thread and the first 3 posts of the Christmas thread that will be helpful and will probably answer a lot of your questions over the course of the next year and a half. They are just kind of meant to be an overview of the seasons so you can know what wonderful things to expect. And, of course, you can always join us in either of those threads and post any questions.

The crowds are already more than normal because of all the new stuff happening this year. And they were more than normal last year because of World of Color. There is no normal anymore - at least not for a while. It's a new normal. Even the off-peak seasons will be more crowded than they used to be. Maybe after all the dust settles and the new stuff has been out for a while and is no longer new anymore, crowds will die down a bit. But overall, Disneyland's and California Adventure's attendance is up, and the attendance was up last year too.

Really, you'll have a wonderful time - no need to worry or obsess! As specialks said, just go in with a plan of some kind. Lists help a lot.

 

[twopeasonepod]

Don't tell anyone my secret, but we go for Halloween and get the best of both worlds. We stay for several days (last year and this year, Halloween allowed us to travel on a weekend, then go to MHP on the 31st and then stay until the following Tuesday - 10 days).

I swear to you that on November 1st, you will see absolutely ZERO Halloween stuff up at DLR. Mickey's workshop elves stay up all night transforming it to Christmastime. You won't have *all* of the Christmas stuff up, but a lot of it will be, and we were also in the "Christmas" parade/show that was broadcast on ABC. It's not the same as going the week of Christmas or anything, but it was worth it to me (and way less crowded AFTER Halloween).

 

[Sherry E]

Don't tell anyone my secret, but we go for Halloween and get the best of both worlds. We stay for several days (last year and this year, Halloween allowed us to travel on a weekend, then go to MHP on the 31st and then stay until the following Tuesday - 10 days).

I swear to you that on November 1st, you will see absolutely ZERO Halloween stuff up at DLR. Mickey's workshop elves stay up all night transforming it to Christmastime. You won't have *all* of the Christmas stuff up, but a lot of it will be, and we were also in the "Christmas" parade/show that was broadcast on ABC. It's not the same as going the week of Christmas or anything, but it was worth it to me (and way less crowded AFTER Halloween).

twopeasonepod -

I just wanted to clarify this, because we answer a lot of questions on this board about when certain things are up and out for the holidays (both Halloween & Christmas) and I don't want anyone to misunderstand about what they will find and when. True, there will be some decor going up in early November, but only a little bit at a time, here and there. It's not the full immersive holiday experience that we have been telling the Tink6810 about. She will miss out on a lot of what makes the season special.

It's true that crowds are lower in that time frame you are talking about, post-Halloween and pre-Christmas season, because the holiday season has not officially started yet. If Tink6810 wants to go to DLR when its at the lowest crowd point (and that lowest crowd point is still going to be different than it used to be because attendance is up at the parks in general), that might be the time to go!

But the overall experience will not be the same at all if you have a family who really loves Christmas. People have said in the past that there are still some pumpkins up on 11/1, so it's not a guarantee that they will be all gone, although they should be gone! I think it differs every year, depending on what schedule DLR is up against. Actually, I think it's kind of fun when there is that crossover of Halloween and Christmas so I wouldn't mind it even if the pumpkins were still up into November, but the Christmas offerings are limited until official opening day of the season.

Also, the week immediately following Thanksgiving weekend and into the very first week of December is supposed to be one of the lowest crowd points - if not the lowest crowd point - of the official holiday season.

This is how the holiday season rolls out, in phases:

Phase 1 of the holiday decor is when the decorations slowly start to go up here and there in the 2 parks only, in early November, and gradually appear each day over the first couple of weeks. New Orleans Square is one of the first places to show its decor. Certain bits of holiday merchandise start to appear.

Phase 2 is the official season opening day and it's all about the 2 parks. By this time ToonTown, A Bug's Land, Main Street, Frontierland and NOS will be full decorated. The holiday season does not officially begin until 11/14 this year and things like IASW Holiday and the nighttime Winter Castle, the Reindeer Round-Up, snow on Main Street, Santa's appearances in both parks, characters in Winter sweaters, carolers in DL, the holiday parade and the holiday fireworks, etc. begin on this day. Because 11/14 is a Monday, I suspect there may be some soft openings of at least IASW Holiday, if not other stuff, in the weekend leading up to it this year. Most of the seasonal treats will be in the bake shops and candy stores by this time, and most of merchandise will be out by this time - but not all of it. In my opinion, if you love the holidays and want a holiday experience at DLR, you can't miss IASW Holiday, the nighttime Winter Castle, the snow on Main Street, Santa and the Reindeer Round-Up. The Storybook Land ride may or may not have its miniature decorations on the cottages by this time.

Phase 3 is immediately after Thanksgiving ends, when the 3 hotels and Downtown Disney get their decor. DTD starts playing holiday music. Santa and carolers appear at all 3 hotels. The GCH lobby during Christmas time is a real highlight, in my opinion. And in the parks, usually by this time things like tamales are sold, and some of the table service restaurants like Cafe Orleans may add some holiday items to their menu. All of the merchandise is out by now, and seasonal songs are played in different lands, matching the themes of those lands (like a jazz "Jingle Bells" in New Orleans Square, Western-themed "Deck the Halls" in Frontierland, and so on). Also, the Reindeer Round-Up - even though it will have already been open since the start date of the holidays - will be a little more extensive by this time, as there are certain touches and details that seem to be added to it as the season progresses.


As you can see, there is a vast difference between what you will get in Phase 1 and Phase 2, and for some people (like myself), Phase 3 is very important too! I want the full holiday experience when I am at DLR, so I always go during Phase 3. If I couldn't make it then, then I would at least go during Phase 2. Sometimes bits & pieces of Phase 2 might start to appear a little earlier in certain years and creep into Phase 1, but you can't 'officially' plan on seeing certain things like the Reindeer Round-Up until the start day of the season.

 

[cyclenut]

Thank you for your help I think we will go in the first part of December. I looked at the superthreads but it gets a little overwhelming. I was just worried about heavy crowds since I know next year will probably have more crowds then normal due to all the expansion. I will just plan for December and stop worrying. See even though its over a year away I will obsess about it until it is here. Thanks for all the help.

Sherry E is obviously the most educated about the Holiday seasons. I wish I had her passion!

I think you are wise in choosing the first week of December for your trip. As far as holiday crowds are concerned, this point will be the lowest point for the whole season. But it is DL and there will be crowds.

The Christmas experience is absolutely worth any hassle you may find from an increase in crowds. Just remember that your kids are going to love every minute of their experience, even if you don't get as many rides/attractions in as you might otherwise prefer.

The superthreads are amazing but they can be overwhelming. But as Sherry E said, reading the first few posts in those threads will give you most of what you need.

I think the Christmas season is enough to justify the cost difference between a Premium AP and a Deluxe ... just to be able to experience the true Holiday spirt any time we want. We're local but we go sometimes without even getting on a single ride.

 

[Belle Ella]

Don't worry too much about crowds, really! I don't think you're going to find hour-long waits for rides in early December. If you were going in between Christmas and New Year's, then, yes, I would say to brace yourself for huge crowds. But early December is said to be not that bad, according to many people. I, myself, have a plan this year that extends into the first few days of December.

We all have different definitions of what is crowded and busy (mine tend to be very lenient - I didn't even think New Years was that bad ) but I was at Disneyland pretty early in December. My AP says my first day was December 6 so tail end of the first week and the crowds were pretty darn perfect as far as I was concerned. It should be as good a time as any, but even so the Holidays are worth the crowds or non-crowds in my opinion. Absolutely amazing.

 

[twopeasonepod]

twopeasonepod -

I just wanted to clarify this, because we answer a lot of questions on this board about when certain things are up and out for the holidays (both Halloween & Christmas) and I don't want anyone to misunderstand about what they will find and when. True, there will be some decor going up in early November, but only a little bit at a time, here and there. It's not the full immersive holiday experience that we have been telling the Tink6810 about. She will miss out on a lot of what makes the season special.

I absolutely agree with you. Just didn't explain it remotely as well haha. I guess what I was saying was that if she was contemplating between the two, she could have both. Obviously not the full flavor of Christmas, but it is still pretty awesome. And yes, I've heard a lot about the week after Thanksgiving. I wish we could justify going back so quickly!