Thanks everyone! And I've been sifting through the super thread. What an awesome resource!
I really had thought I'd consider Hallween at DL this year, but since my husband may have to be there in December, that decision might be made for me.
I can't believe how little I know about DL. I just assumed there had been a Christmas party. At WDW you can't see the Christmas parade unless you do the party or arrive after the last party around the 20th.
I have much reading to do! And I'd still love to hear from others who have been there that week. I guess weather (maybe rainy) doesn't scare me as much as it used to. After hitting record heat at WDW in Sept 09, and record cold at WDW this past December, how bad can it be?????? (she asks while looking to the heavens waiting to be struck by lightning..........)
I think what scares me most about DL would be potentially huge crowds. After being there the first week of June last summer, I've seen just how bad THAT can be......
What you said about not being able to see the Christmas parade at WDW unless you do the party is something we've tossed around here on the DLR side of town. It's an interesting scenario. I have a strong feeling that a Christmas party at DLR is inevitable - the Halloween party is just too popular for them to not try having a Christmas party. It's just a matter of whether DLR will start a Christmas party this year or wait until next year, when all the work in DCA is done.
But, the Halloween party may be more palatable than a Christmas party is to guests, I think, because the Halloween Screams fireworks had only been available to everyone (general public) for one year - in 2009 - before they became party exclusives in 2010. In other words, it wasn't like Halloween Screams had been running for years and years, available to everyone, and were then suddenly made party exclusives out of the blue. They had only been around one year, so it was easier to 'let them go' to become part of the party, if that makes sense. (But it was still a bit controversial at first!)
Now, if you suddenly have a Christmas party at DLR, then you would need to have certain signature 'events' as party exclusives, just like Halloween Screams at the Halloween party. IF they have a DLR party and make the
parade a party exclusive, then that will automatically change the popular
holiday tour - which currently features reserved parade seats as one of its perks. They would have to remove the parade from the tour, and that will not go over well with many people.
So, if not the parade, then what would be the signature party event for the holidays? What would become of the holiday fireworks (Believe...In Holiday Magic)? Would those become party exclusives? And the snow on Main Street?
These holiday events have been happening at DLR for years and years, with no separate admission required. They have been available as part of regular admission. I think a lot of people will be up in arms if the things they are used to enjoying for years suddenly becomes party exclusives. It would be one thing if it helped minimize the lines and crowds...but, according to those who attended many of the Halloween parties last year, the crowds were not that light and the lines were not that short. So I'm not sure a ticketed Christmas party would really cut lines way down, either, especially since it's a busy season anyway.
I suspect there are going to be a lot of changes at DLR over the next couple of years in conjunction with the DCA transformation. I think they are really gearing up for big price increases (more than usual), a restructuring of the Annual Pass system, reorganizing the DLR hotels' reservations/booking policies/system (I am guessing that based on the survey I just did for them in which they were talking about some of the changes they are currently "considering" making to the current room reservations, packages and bookings), bigger and better celebrations of Halloween Time, and probably more stuff for Christmas...like a party. And the Candellight Processional is rumored to be moving to DCA in the future and out of DL, but we don't know that for sure yet. Eventually there will be a World of Color holiday overlay and also a Toy Story Midway Mania holiday overlay.
Anyway, stay tuned to the first page of the Christmas Superthread as that's where I'll be adding in any news we get on this year's season as it comes in. There's already a lot of good stuff on Page 1 right now. And feel free to just jump in over there and ask any questions you have if you don't get your answers elsewhere. There's lots of seasoned DL holiday visitors in that thread, many of whom have gone in early December, I'm sure.
As for the Halloween season crowds at DLR - yes, as you described about WDW, at DLR the way it usually seems to work is that it's extra busy up until Columbus Day, because there are various school breaks and other events that occur in early October that drive up crowds. After Columbus Day, as a rule, it quiets down a bit until, as you said, right before Halloween, when it picks back up again. That's kind of the general pattern, but, as I said to villain luvr above, the Halloween crowds have increased substantially overall in the last few years - especially last year. A random day in October could easily seem like a random day in December, crowd-wise.
October used to be considered "off peak season," but that has definitely changed!
There's a few "stickies" but nothing like you guys keep up over here.
