lvdis --
I think your dates are good! I don't know if the crowds will be substantially lower (I suppose we have to see how popular the new events of the 60th anniversary turn out to be), but if they are going to be lower at all while the holiday season is in full swing then that would be the time, as it is right after Thanksgiving break and before Christmas break.
The parks should be in almost full holiday mode after Thanksgiving. F! might be only thing that is still on a weekend-only schedule, although we don't know what other changes will be coming to this holiday season because of the 60th. If you leave on Friday, 12/4, you'll most likely miss most of the Candlelight Processional crowds. Last year there are a few conventions and unofficial events that increased crowds on the weekends around that time, but the weekdays will probably be okay. My general experience is that December gets more crowded as it goes on, but the weekdays (Mon-Thu) of the first two weeks are generally okay.
I'm just clarifying/expanding on this so that no one (lurkers, etc.) gets the wrong idea if they are contemplating holiday trip dates based on when things are in full swing---
The 2 parks are usually in 'just about full' holiday mode when the holiday season officially starts (mid-November-ish), or with a couple of days after (for example, if Viva Navidad starts a day or two late -- even though it soft launched early last year). I'm not counting the late start of Frozen Fun -- which didn't begin until 12/20 -- because I don't know if that is technically going to be considered part of the holiday season going forward. I think it will be back -- and that it will probably start much earlier than 12/20 this time around -- but we'll see. I don't know if the Storybook Land Canal Boat ride will get tiny Christmas decorations again this year but if it does, they usually appear closer to Thanksgiving.
The rest of the Resort (the hotels and some things in Downtown Disney) begin to gradually get into full holiday mode after the season officially begins. Last year, the hotels' Christmas trees began appearing about 9 days after the holidays officially began. The GCH gingerbread house, as you remember, was being constructed the week before Thanksgiving (but not right when the season began), and I guess that the little area where the snacks and beverages were sold opened on Thanksgiving Day. The small gingerbread house in Storytellers Café was there on Thanksgiving (but not when the season began), but the gingerbread house in White Water Snacks appeared after Thanksgiving.
Santa Claus and the carolers begin appearing at the hotels on Thanksgiving. Santa is there through 12/24, and the carolers, I believe, are there through Christmas Day and then they leave -- though there could be exceptions if Christmas falls on a Friday or weekend day.
Olaf's Frozen Ice Rink and the Winter Village were open in DTD when the holiday season began right before the Avengers marathon weekend, but because they stayed open for a much longer period of time this time around I wonder if they will open quite as early in November. However, certain other decorations around DTD (in the assorted restaurants, etc.) did not appear until closer to Thanksgiving.
In any case, short of any new, pop-up events or special, unexpected things that Disney has in store for the 60th and/or for the holidays that could take place in December (for example, Elf Days was a pop-up, limited event that took place in December 2013 only), everything -- meaning all of
Disneyland Resort -- should be in full holiday mode from Thanksgiving going forward.
