Lots of early Dec/CP/Holiday Tour/CM party questions!

[Sleepless Knight]

If your MIL is renting an ECV, you may not need to take the tour. Most attractions have special access lines for guests in wheelchairs though IASW is always a longer line at Christmastime. There's also special parade viewing for guests in wheelchairs and a special handicapped viewing area for the Candlelight Processional.

If you want to take the tour, then go for it, but you may not need to take the tour if you're taking it for the front of the line access. HM has FP during the Christmas season only as well.

 

[ballarinamom]

With an ECV, up to five family members can go through the handicap exits on all of the rides. In most cases it's like having a FP for all of the rides. I think they believe that being handicap and needing an ECV is enough trouble as it is. It was very helpful for DMIL on Indy, Splash and Space Mountain since those ques are long and not on the flat side. All you do is go in through the handicap gate. Sometimes, if they do not see the ECV, you just show the key

 

[liesel]

Thanks for the ECV info. If the inlaws do decide to come with us, it would be for just one day and we may still do the holiday tour another day if they're not interested. I looked at the historic park hour data on miceage for the nights of the CM parties and it looked like the hours were from 9-6. Has anyone done these days before? Is the park less crowded due to the shorter hours?

 

[liesel]

bump

 

[liesel]

I thought I'd bump this thread again since I have seen a few of these questions pop up recently.

 

[Disney Dreams]

I just thought I would add a comment to highlight the crowds this brings. Last year, friends of mine went to DL on the day of the CP. I had no interest in CP and asked them what their plans were at the Park that day. The reply: "Avoid Main Street and CP at all costs."

 

[vettegirl]

We will be there that Sunday and will get in the parks at rope drop. How bad are these crowds going to be for the CP. We will avoid it, so should we spend the evening in DCA to avoid the crowds?

 

[Brady's Mom]

My fam was at DLR last year for the CP and the CM parties last year. It was VERY CROWDED!!! When we walked into DL on Sunday afternoon the ticket booth lines were 45-60 minutes long and some of the people in the lines were locals and complaining very loudly because they were going to be late for the Processional (1st showing). When we actually walked under the bridge and by Town Square and the train station it was so crowded with people already waiting for the Processional that it was hard to walk through.

I was hoping the days for the CM parties would be slower, but it was very crowded those days, too. The one thing I did like about the parties is that they close DL early on those days and do the fireworks and parade earlier. We were able to see the fireworks at 5:45. This was great for us, since our little kids do not EVER sleep in, even if they have been up really late the night before. It was actually the first time they had been able to see fireworks at DLR.

Even when we were there in May, my little kids weren't able to keep themselves awake for the fireworks. They both fell asleep right before they started.

 

[allimaree]

Any idea what the dates will be for CM parties this year? We are looking at going the first week in December (Monday-Thursday) and we would like to aviod crowds. TIA!

 

[disneyfan4ever54]

Any idea what the dates will be for CM parties this year? We are looking at going the first week in December (Monday-Thursday) and we would like to aviod crowds. TIA!

They are usually the first Monday and Tuesday of the month, (after the Sat. and Sun. Candlelight Processionals), so that would be Mon. the 7th and Tues. the 8th this year. We were there last year during that week and we didn't mind DL closing early for the CM parties at all. Were you concerned about the crowds in DCA after DL closes early on those days? I expected it to be bad, but it wasn't at all. I wanted to avoid that week too, but after experiencing it, I would go again during that time.

 

[DisneyMomma81]

I disagree about the crowds on the CM party nights ~ we visited Mon-Thurs. 12/8-11 so the 8th & 9th were party nights ~ I noticed very little crowds, I loved the early fireworks and we spent the evening over in CA Adventure. We plan to visit during this same time frame this Dec.

 

[liesel]

I was suprised by the report of crowds on the CM party days as well, that was the first I had heard of it. We now have a new definition of crowded after spending a half day at DL on Tuesday June 16, where I believe the attendance was around 63,000. We still got quite a bit accomplished by using FP and getting there early, never waiting in line more than 15 minutes. Anyway, I had heard from past CM party day goers that DL is open 9-6 and DCA is usually open a little later. I looked up past park hours on Mice Age and it stated that DCA also closed at 6. I hope I'm just looking at the wrong dates. Anyone who has been there the last couple of years: do you happen to remember when DCA closed? If the parks shut down at 6, we can plan to have dinner outside the parks after closing, otherwise, we'll head to DCA and more TSM!

 

[DisneyMomma81]

DCA definitley stay open past 6pm on CM party nights. This past Dec. we stayed in DL till 6pm then made our way over to CA.

Go to the very bottom of this page ~ http://www.mouseplanet.com/8634/Disneyland_Resort_Update

Party dates were 12/8 & 9

 

[Beck & the Beast]

With regards to the Holiday Tour, how far in advance can you book them? There is going to be 11 of us going from Dec 13 - 19, and I was thinking that the parades might be busy the last couple nights as AP black out dates start. There will be a combination of first-timers and repeat visitors, so thought it might be neat to see some behind the scenes type things.

 

[disneyfan4ever54]

I was suprised by the report of crowds on the CM party days as well, that was the first I had heard of it. We now have a new definition of crowded after spending a half day at DL on Tuesday June 16, where I believe the attendance was around 63,000. We still got quite a bit accomplished by using FP and getting there early, never waiting in line more than 15 minutes. Anyway, I had heard from past CM party day goers that DL is open 9-6 and DCA is usually open a little later. I looked up past park hours on Mice Age and it stated that DCA also closed at 6. I hope I'm just looking at the wrong dates. Anyone who has been there the last couple of years: do you happen to remember when DCA closed? If the parks shut down at 6, we can plan to have dinner outside the parks after closing, otherwise, we'll head to DCA and more TSM!

DCA was open until 9 P.M. when DL closed early for the CM parties this past December. We stayed until it closed then went over to DCA. As I mentioned a few posts above, I was happily surprised that that it wasn't crowded because I had also heard stories of how packed it would be when DL closed early on those days. I think a lot of people just headed to DTD or just went back to their hotel thinking it would be very crowded at DCA.

 

[bumbershoot]

For the CP days, get there early (to avoid the people who will just be coming in for the CP later on), get things done, and head to DCA. If you're going to be in the park during a CP time, do not do anything on Main Street! Just stay in the "back" of the parks, in the lands. If you need to leave the park, leave by monorail instead of wondering if the train is running on schedule (I can't imagine it runs during the CP b/c at least last year stuff was set up right on the Main Street RR station's steps). And don't try to walk out along Main Street.

I'm really trying to remember the cast party day last year, but I think we just made that a DCA day before leaving. Or we started off.

No matter what, getting in line at the turnstiles well before they open is ALWAYS a good idea, b/c you'll get so much of your "to do" list (or "to enjoy"? "to experience?") done, well before things start getting more crowded.

 

[liesel]

With regards to the Holiday Tour, how far in advance can you book them? There is going to be 11 of us going from Dec 13 - 19, and I was thinking that the parades might be busy the last couple nights as AP black out dates start. There will be a combination of first-timers and repeat visitors, so thought it might be neat to see some behind the scenes type things.

I think from the responses I've gotten and what I have read that the holiday tour books 30 days in advance, but as soon as I receive confirmation I can add it to the thread. It will be interesting to see the crowd patterns this December with regards to the AP blockout dates. I've seen quite a bit of speculation on other threads.

A 9PM closing time at DCA works for us, the kids will be 4 and 8 and that will be a nice full day. I also really like the monorail tip for exiting the park during CP. I think we will take part of the weekend and go to the Griffith Observatory and escape some of the large crowds. We will also plan on DL at rope drop on whichever day we decide to go (I'm torn between guessing whether Sat or Sun will be more crowded) and then head over to DCA in the afternoon.

 

[MyMonkies]

Wait, I don't get it, lol. DL was crowded on days of CM Parties??? Why?

 

[DisneyMomma81]

Wait, I don't get it, lol. DL was crowded on days of CM Parties??? Why?

Not crowded IMO ~ we plan to be there during CM parties again this year.

 

[ballarinamom]

With regards to the Holiday Tour, how far in advance can you book them? There is going to be 11 of us going from Dec 13 - 19, and I was thinking that the parades might be busy the last couple nights as AP black out dates start. There will be a combination of first-timers and repeat visitors, so thought it might be neat to see some behind the scenes type things.

Book 30 days out. We did the Holdiay tour and Walking in Walt's last November. We got a AAA discount for Wlat's I think. For the Holiday tour they had no AA. But I paid with my Chase Visa which underwrites the Disney Visas. The first four digits were the same as a Disney Visa so the CM gave us a 10% Disney Visa discount

FWIW, we loved it so much we plan to do it again this November trip. We're choosing Sunday night (same day as last year) as crowds should be pretty large. It is the weekend before Thanksgiving