Holiday Season Information is Overflowing!

[Sherry E]

I've already posted this in our Disneyland at Christmas Time Superthread for discussion but in case anyone missed it, this week the holiday season at DLR has been the subject of assorted articles, news pieces, etc.




1. From the Disney Parks Blog: http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/bl...-at-the-disneyland-resort-begins-november-14/


2. The Brand New Official Facebook page for the Disneyland Holiday season has begun: http://www.facebook.com/DisneylandHolidays


And....

3. From Disneyland News...a brand new piece with new info appeared on Disneyland News today: http://disneylandnews.com/2011/11/0...esort-celebrates-the-season-beginning-nov-14/





To sum up what I learned from all of this exciting new information:

1. There will be a new Christmas tree and new decorations in Toontown;

2. IASW Holiday will receive a special Magic, Memories and You holiday projection on its facade, with all kinds of nifty effects; and

3. The Little Mermaid attraction (facade only, I'm sure - not the interior of the ride) and the new restaurants in Paradise Pier will be decorated, as will lampposts and other parts of Paradise Pier (the lampposts in that area have previously been unadorned).



And, of course, most folks know about the new Prep & Landing holiday-themed segment/pre-show for World of Color.

It sounds like A Bug's Land will be the same as it usually is each holiday season.

Hopefully New Orleans Square, Santa's Reindeer Round-Up, Main Street and the hotels will get their usual treatments as well.

It sounds like it's going to be amazing!!

 

[skiingfast]

Hopefully New Orleans Square

NOS is well on it's way to getting it's overlay.

Thanks Sherri, I had been wondering about a few of these.

 

[Sherry E]

NOS is well on it's way to getting it's overlay.

Thanks Sherri, I had been wondering about a few of these.

You're welcome! I was just glad to find some little shred of info that didn't appear to have been posted yet.

I think NOS is usually the first place in DL to get the holiday treatment. Although, as Bret knows, Disney is very sneaky in quietly removing things from the decorations that were there the previous year (like the dramatic light canopy of holiday seasons past).

Apparently - according to the recent Dateline Disneyland article (from MiceChat) that Bret pointed out a few days ago, it sounds like some other stuff has been removed from NOS that was there last year, and we were trying to figure out what it is. We know the ornate light canopy is long gone and simple strands of light have been added in its place, overhead. But supposedly the "rope sculptures" on the balconies have been removed. While we definitely would have seen the rope sculptures, we couldn't figure out what the Dateline writer was referring to by "rope sculptures"!!

Hopefully the popular Mardi Gras-esque masks are back again this year.

Also, the various mouse-shaped wreaths that have appeared on lampposts along Main Street or in Toontown in the past had disappeared entirely over the years, for some mysterious reason, so I am wondering if they will be brought back and incorporated into Toontown again, now that there are some new Toontown decorations being revealed.

 

[rentayenta]

Freaking out with excitment!!!!!

 

[blackjackdelta]

Thanks Sherry. Even though we can not make to DLR during the holidays I still like to be in the loop if there is one.

Jack

 

[DTDkettleCORNfan]

Ooooo...thanks for staring a new thread. Great information!

 

[mvf-m11c]

Great thread Sherry about the Holiday information.

I am wondering too what NOS will be like this year. When I read that article, (Dateline Disneyland from Micechat) I thought that DL was going to tone down the Holiday decorations at NOS. NOS during the Holiday season is so great with those decorations and just have to wait until we get closer to the Holiday season if they are going to add any more to NOS. Even though that NOS is getting a string of lights over Royal Street, it isn't the same without the light canopy that we have seen in NOS in the past.

 

[larina]

Thanks!!! Getting more and more excited as each day passes and each new info bit comes out!

 

[Sherry E]

Freaking out with excitment!!!!!

Ditto that for me, Jenny! (It doesn't take much to amuse me, I suppose!)

It seems like there are a lot of areas around the Resort that are getting extra touches or being altered in some way this year (compared to previous seasons), and that's what is so exciting. Even the Fantasyland side of the Castle seems to have an extra wreath or two - and a blue bow - this season.

I have no idea what Toontown is going to look like. I have no clue what California Adventure is going to look like (but it will be totally different than one year ago). I have no clue what the subtle additions and subtractions in New Orleans Square are going to look like. I have no idea what the new Prep & Landing segment of WoC is going to be like. I have no clue what the new Magic, Memories and You holiday projections on IASW Holiday will look like. So many new things are happening this year for the holiday season that it makes me wonder what other changes we could see in places like the hotels or DTD.

I didn't expect so many changes until next year, when all the DCA work is finished - I'm not sure any of us did - so because this is probably catching a few of us off guard, it's the element of surprise that is extra exciting!

Thanks Sherry. Even though we can not make to DLR during the holidays I still like to be in the loop if there is one.

Jack

You're welcome, Jack! I know what you mean - it's good to stay in the loop, just in case. Eventually - one of these years - you will break from your August tradition and make it to DLR for the holidays!

Ooooo...thanks for staring a new thread. Great information!

DTDkettleCORNfan - You're welcome! Normally I wouldn't want to start a whole new thread for it but for anyone who is not on the Superthread with us and who did not see the post in giant red letters that I did there last night (with the Snoopy dance!), I figured I'd better do it. But I would always post in the Superthread first!

Great thread Sherry about the Holiday information.

I am wondering too what NOS will be like this year. When I read that article, (Dateline Disneyland from Micechat) I thought that DL was going to tone down the Holiday decorations at NOS. NOS during the Holiday season is so great with those decorations and just have to wait until we get closer to the Holiday season if they are going to add any more to NOS. Even though that NOS is getting a string of lights over Royal Street, it isn't the same without the light canopy that we have seen in NOS in the past.

Thanks, Bret - Yep. It sounds like we have a lot to investigate in several areas at DLR this year, and New Orleans Square is one of them. I am hoping they found a way to improve upon the existing New Orleans Square decorations, but if they keep removing things I am not so sure.

Thanks!!! Getting more and more excited as each day passes and each new info bit comes out!

larina - You're welcome! I know what you mean - any time there is a little trickle of info, it's so exciting. It just happened that in the last couple of days, all of this info popped up at once. It was a bonanza!

Even though I can already tell that my upcoming holiday DLR trip is probably going to be a stressful one in some ways, I have to say that, in a way, I am looking more forward to it than previous years just because I can't wait to see all of this new stuff!

 

[JaxsonsMom]

Just got an email for a special AP Holiday night 11/14 from 8pm-12am - anyone else?

 

[Denton]

I just got it too. We'll be there Nov 13-17th, so we are going!

 

[Sherry E]

I don't think I will get the AP thing, sadly. I'm happy for those who have gotten it though.

I can't remember the specifics and exactly why I deduced I wouldn't be getting one, but it seems like I read that some of the criteria DLR was using to determine who received these special invitations was going to be based on the number of times the AP had been used within a certain time frame, or the frequency/infrequency of use - or something like that. (Don't quote me - that's a real rough recap!) And they were aiming the invitations at the AP holders who had not been to the park recently, or had only visited infrequently, or some such thing, I think. In other words, they were trying to lure in the folks who might not be likely to visit at that time anyway.

I was just there for Halloween Time, so I have a feeling I will be left out of the holiday AP invitation rounds. Drat!

 

[V2000]

I received an email too! I haven't heard back yet. Have you received an confrimation email that you're on the list yet?

Veronica~

 

[rentayenta]

Christmas music on full blast in my office!

 

[Brady's Mom]

Sherry, not to hijack your thread, but are you doing any sort of trip report for your Halloween time visit and have you started a pre-trippie for you Christmas trip? Inquiring minds want to know!

 

[Sherry E]

Sherry, not to hijack your thread, but are you doing any sort of trip report for your Halloween time visit and have you started a pre-trippie for you Christmas trip? Inquiring minds want to know!

Shannon -

Yes!

My Halloween TR is "The Return of the Masked Mouse & His Diabolical Twin," and it begins on Page 145 of my existing, ongoing, mega-TR - specifically in Post #2170. It ends on Page 155, Post #2312. I cover 2 separate Halloween Time days in this TR - 9/16/11 and 10/3/11 - and there are lots o' Halloween Time photos! While not being quite as amusing and action-packed (in a calamitous sort of way) as my holiday TR from last year - "The Evil Chair and the Peppermint Cone of Death" - I think I got some fairly interesting Halloween photos here and there.


As for the pre-TR for the holiday trip, yes, there will be a sort of pre-TR - at least a post or two in my existing TR with the trip details, which have changed so much since I first set the dates and booked the PPH for this trip that I had to literally wait until everything had finally settled into a sort of 'definite' scenario, so I would have something concrete to report about! It was getting to the point where every time I was going to post about the holiday plans, something major would change so it seemed pointless to go on until things seemed more settled.

Now, I think everything is on course for a big holiday extravaganza in just about one month, and it looks like it is going to be a trip filled with characters, old friends, new friends, more characters, silly PhotoPass pictures, a possible temperamental 4-year-old (not mine!) and all kinds of seasonal merriment...oh, and of course...another peppermint cone of death and a gingerbread cookie with mouse ears (or two..or three).

 

[CMG1]

Hi Sherri E - or any one with any info ...

Why does DLR not do a Mickey's Christmas Party like WDW? I had so much fun last year that it would be so awesome if they brought it to DLR. I know it will be well received.

TIA!!

 

[skiingfast]

Why does DLR not do a Mickey's Christmas Party like WDW? I had so much fun last year that it would be so awesome if they brought it to DLR. I know it will be well received.

I'm not sure why they don't. It's an attendance and renvue driver for WDW.

In this case WDW seems to be much better than WDW. WDW has far more Halloween parties in the MK and runs it semi along F+W in Epcot. Giving two reason to come at the end of Hurricane Season, once the slowest time of year in WDW. It also does the Christmas Parties while Epcot host many showings of the Candelight Proccessional with meal packages. This gives two more nights to be in WDW in what was a semi slow season.

When it comes down to it, WDW is really good at giving reasons to come during the off times. DLR is slow to get into the act.

 

[Sherry E]

Hi Sherri E - or any one with any info ...

Why does DLR not do a Mickey's Christmas Party like WDW? I had so much fun last year that it would be so awesome if they brought it to DLR. I know it will be well received.

TIA!!

Well, I'm not exactly sure why DLR has chosen to not have a Christmas party up to this point, but I will say that quite a few of us over in the Christmas Superthread and other holiday-related threads have said that we suspect that there will be some sort of Christmas party at DLR in the future. I think it's inevitable that they will at least attempt to have one at DLR. Of course, there's no actual inside information to support this, but it's a strong hunch.

The way I see it, the Halloween party has grown increasingly popular at DLR over the last few years. That alone would be one indicator that a Christmas party may happen down the road.

Also, DCA's massive makeover is coming to an end next year (give or take some finishing touches) and, presumably, DLR will expect large crowds descending upon the entire Resort to see all the new additions and changes both in DCA and at the re-themed Disneyland Hotel. If they expect to have a captive audience and a bunch of new visitors to the parks for those things, it is not a far stretch to think that, perhaps, they will take that opportunity to also debut a Christmas party, when business and crowds are up even more than they are now.

One problem that I see in having a Christmas party inside Disneyland would be that the highlights or attractions used to lure guests to buy tickets to such an event would most likely be things that have already been available to the general public for many years. For example, if DLR decided to suddenly make the Christmas Fantasy Parade a Christmas party exclusive, that could cause an uproar as it has been open to everyone in the park for years, as has the Believe...in Holiday Magic fireworks show, the snow on Main Street, etc.

For the Halloween party, DLR took the Halloween Screams fireworks - which had only been available to the general public for one Halloween season (2009) - and made them party exclusives. But at least that particular fireworks show was not a longstanding Disneyland tradition, so people didn't have the time to get used to it yet. Also, there is a little parade/cavalcade that is a party exclusive too.

For DLR to make a Christmas party justifiable to many folks, it would have to offer something exclusive - and that would mean either introducing totally new things that we have not seen thus far, OR taking away something we have gotten used to seeing and making it exclusive, which I think would be controversial.

DLR could, of course, always decide to try a Christmas party in DCA first, before Disneyland. And they could make an all-holiday World of Color and the eventual Toy Story Midway Mania holiday overlay to be the signature party exclusives. That's a possibility as well.

So I feel that there is a party coming to us somewhere in the future, but how soon it would happen is the question - 2012 may be too soon - and in which park would it debut?

 

[Disney Dreams]

Hi Sherri E - or any one with any info ...

Why does DLR not do a Mickey's Christmas Party like WDW? I had so much fun last year that it would be so awesome if they brought it to DLR. I know it will be well received.

TIA!!

Not everything that works at WDW (or the MK, actually) works at DL. They are different demographics, different patterns, different places.

- Dreams