and I have to admit it was a very mixed experience this trip. Riccardo makes a very strong argument for going at Christmas and, to a large extent, I agree with how he sums it up. But (and it may be a fairly big but), I didn't think the Disneyland Park coped with the crowds very well at the weekend and, with the wet weather on the Saturday, it was borderline obnoxious at times (although staying at the Disneyland Hotel would have made a difference 
).
The Xmas decorations ARE spectacular (although the Studios seem very plain compared to the ostentation of the main park), and the Lighting Ceremony is an absolute must-see. Belle's Christmas Village is also beautifully done (even if it is another opportunity to push Disney merchandise
), but, during the main part of the day, it was almost impossible to get through and around because of the crowds being funnelled through here. Not great crowd flow, IMHO.
With Phantom Manor closed, Frontierland seemed very thin for attractions, with the Riverboat ride drawing some long queues and Big Thunder topping 90 minutes even in late afternoon. We had to queue (!) for FastPasses for Star Tours, and the FP's were all long gone by 1pm, leaving another 60-minute-plus queue here. I also noticed several restrooms closed all 3 days we were there, none of the drinking fountains worked (and I mean none, in either park) and the usually enjoyable buffet at the Plaza Gardens was a bear garden, with badly organised queues and very slow service (in fact, getting the bill here and at Auberge du Cendrillon took nearly as long as the meal!).
My overall impression was of the park being caught out by high guest numbers (although the Studios remain easy to negotiate), with the wet weather making things (and people) worse. The queue for dinner at Hotel Cheyenne was just ridiculous at 7.30 (way out into the lobby), and breakfast at 9 was just as bad. We still enjoyed ourselves (knowing where to avoid the worst of the crowds and when to book for meals, etc) and the Xmas lights were well worth seeing. But, I do feel that there has been some cutting of corners in staffing levels and general maintenance, and some people could be distinctly discouraged if this was their first DLP experience.
Hopefully, the rest of the Xmas period will see better crowd management and happier guests!
).The Xmas decorations ARE spectacular (although the Studios seem very plain compared to the ostentation of the main park), and the Lighting Ceremony is an absolute must-see. Belle's Christmas Village is also beautifully done (even if it is another opportunity to push Disney merchandise
), but, during the main part of the day, it was almost impossible to get through and around because of the crowds being funnelled through here. Not great crowd flow, IMHO.With Phantom Manor closed, Frontierland seemed very thin for attractions, with the Riverboat ride drawing some long queues and Big Thunder topping 90 minutes even in late afternoon. We had to queue (!) for FastPasses for Star Tours, and the FP's were all long gone by 1pm, leaving another 60-minute-plus queue here. I also noticed several restrooms closed all 3 days we were there, none of the drinking fountains worked (and I mean none, in either park) and the usually enjoyable buffet at the Plaza Gardens was a bear garden, with badly organised queues and very slow service (in fact, getting the bill here and at Auberge du Cendrillon took nearly as long as the meal!).
My overall impression was of the park being caught out by high guest numbers (although the Studios remain easy to negotiate), with the wet weather making things (and people) worse. The queue for dinner at Hotel Cheyenne was just ridiculous at 7.30 (way out into the lobby), and breakfast at 9 was just as bad. We still enjoyed ourselves (knowing where to avoid the worst of the crowds and when to book for meals, etc) and the Xmas lights were well worth seeing. But, I do feel that there has been some cutting of corners in staffing levels and general maintenance, and some people could be distinctly discouraged if this was their first DLP experience.
Hopefully, the rest of the Xmas period will see better crowd management and happier guests!
