Santa????

[disneyluvbug]

We are going from 12/24/12/28..staying at GCH..is santa only there the 24th?? Are the reindeer there all week???
I can't find dates of the santa.. I thought I saw somewere he was gone by the 25th?? I am trying to figure out when to do santa pictures!!! Thank you..also my Ds LOVES the reindeer so I would like to know how many days we can visit them. thank you!!

 

[Sherry E]

We are going from 12/24/12/28..staying at GCH..is santa only there the 24th?? Are the reindeer there all week???
I can't find dates of the santa.. I thought I saw somewere he was gone by the 25th?? I am trying to figure out when to do santa pictures!!! Thank you..also my Ds LOVES the reindeer so I would like to know how many days we can visit them. thank you!!

Santa is gone from all of DLR as soon as the 25th passes, but he is there every day until and through the 25th/Christmas Day. He can be found in the GCH lobby every evening, he is at the PPH lobby in the morning and the DLH lobby in the afternnon. He is in DLR at the Reindeer Round-Up every day until the 25th too.

 

[disneyluvbug]

Ok thank you!!! Just as long as he is there on the 25th!!! We were planning on checking in on the 24th, visiting family in long beach, than go back to GCH.. xmas day is perfect for pictures!!!

 

[Sherry E]

Ok thank you!!! Just as long as he is there on the 25th!!! We were planning on checking in on the 24th, visiting family in long beach, than go back to GCH.. xmas day is perfect for pictures!!!

I agree - what better day than Christmas? You should be able to see the Reindeer in the Round-Up and the GCH Santa all on the 25th. But he hightails it right back to the North Pole as soon as the 25th is gone! He wastes no time. The carolers supposedly stick around for a few days after the 25th (they sing in the lobbies of all three hotels, but it is great to see them at the GCH, where it is warm and cozy and Christmasy!), but then they leave before the New Year approaches, I think.

I stayed at the GCH last year right before Christmas and it was SO nice for the holiday season. I WISH I were staying there again this year but it wasn't in the budget, so back to the Paradise Pier for me....which is better than not going to DLR at all!

 

[BurnsideMommy]

We stayed at the GCH last week and the line for Santa wasn't TOO bad, but still longer than I had patience for.

When we left Goofy's after dinner one night santa came down the escalator and went to his chair - we got 3rd in line for him so visited there in the DLH.

Never did go into the PP so no idea on the wait there.

The wait IN DL at Thunder Ranch was nuts every single time. We went there 3 or 4 times.

I'd say you're better of trying to visit with him in a hotel before the parks, especially if you only have the one day to see him.

And maybe it's just me, but I was kind of under-whelmed by the Cmas decor in the GCH. We'd never stayed there before (PP once and DLH always), and I thought it would be the perfect rustic feel for Cmas like a lodge. I can't explain what, but I feel more Christmasy on Main Street or even in a mall at the santa booth (tacky) than I did in GCH. It just wasn't as classy/decorated as I expected. The big tree IS amazing though, it's just not as cozy as I'd hoped I guess.

 

[Sherry E]

Since the OP is already planning to stay at the GCH, then hopefully she/they will be pleased with the GCH decor!

I have to respectfully disagree with BurnsideMommy's opinion about the GCH's cozy factor. I think it is all a matter of personal interpretation and also whatever pre-conceived ideas are already in our minds about what the GCH may look like at Christmas before we see it that affect the view of what it looks like when it is actually seen.

For me, I think the lobby/hearth area (and location of the GCH to the parks) are the BEST parts of it. I am not overwhelmed by the rooms - at least not the standard rooms, anyway. I think it is a LOT of money to pay for rooms that are basically on par with the ones at DLH and PPH. But in my opinion, I think the GCH lobby and hearth area, with the dim lights, fireplace, dark wood, extremely comfy chairs and sofas and nightly piano player make it the definition of cozy!! It's I am not saying I am blown away beyond belief by the GCH - very few things have that kind of impact on me in life anyway - but I definitely get a 'rustic but elegant mountain chalet/lodge' kind of vibe from the GCH when I am there! And I think the GCH's existing decor lends itself to the Christmas season very well, while not going overboard on the decorations. It is not supposed to be a Christmas hotel, per se. It just complements the season and the season complements it. The gorgeous tree is the main decoration. And when the carolers come and sing every night in that huge GCH lobby, by the tree and lounge, it all seems to paint a very ideal Christmas scene. It is always interesting to see how different people can view the same thing and have totally different outlooks or perspectives of it!!!

I have not witnessed the lines for Santa in GCH (for some reason, when I was there last December I didn't see Santa even though he should have been around). I don't know if we will wait in line for him tonight or not. Depends on how long the line actually is. I am the sort of person where I WILL wait in lines up to an hour (if I have to) if it is a ride that I love or something I MUST do. Like I will wait for 45 minutes for Toy Story, no problem, or IASW Holiday or POTC, etc. But for Santa, I am not sure yet if I would wait that long!!!