Thoughts on the second weekend in December...

[LizzyS]

Amazingly, my hubby agreed to go for a quick trip to the DLR this holiday season and no begging was involved!

We're going to go for one or one and a half days (a 3 day weekend scenario) in December, I'm pretty sure. We live under four and a half hours away and we've done the one day trip before, so we know what to expect on that front.

I understand Holiday Season is pretty busy and the candlelight processional is historically or planned for the first weekend in December, so I'm eyeing the second weekend in December for this trip.

What other things might I be unaware of for this weekend or the holiday season in general? I've been doing some reading in the holiday super thread, so I'm not totally clueless, but I like to hear others' opinions.

Is this a bad time to go? How cold is it generally in December in Anaheim?

Any advice/thoughts are GREATLY appreciated!

 

[LizzyS]

I will take it that it's not a huge disastrous move since no one has commented, lol.

 

[millie0312]

LOL I'd also be happy to hear what others are saying. We are going 12/12 and not sure what to expect of weather (we live in CA, but not Anaheim obviously). As far as I can tell the "peak" holiday doesn't start until after the second weekend, so I'm also hoping that this will be slightly more mellow than the busiest time of year

 

[jennilouwho]

We went the first week of December last year and I just wanted to warn you to take warm clothes. There were a couple of nights that I wished we had packed a heavier coat and gloves. We finally just had to leave the parks because we couldn't take it anymore with our lighter windbreaker type jackets I love December at Disneyland, but next time I will prepare better. During the day we did fine with jeans and a t-shirt.

 

[Viva Las Disney]

I haven't gone in Dec yet but from what I've been told the whole month of December is very busy, the first 2 weeks being similar to busy summer weeks with the last 2 weeks absolutely packed.

I went the 2nd week of January last year and the weather was nice during the day but was pretty cold after the sun went down. IIRC it was in the 70's during the day but in the 50's at night.

I also plan on going this December but am going with the expectation of heavy crowds. I went a few weeks ago on a weekend that was very busy and had a blast. I hit all the majors in the morning and then once it got busy I enjoyed the secondary rides, watched the shows, used FP to hit some majors again, watched the fireworks, Woc, F!, did the animation academy, ate tons of snacks, etc, etc, etc. Even with it being packed there was so much to do I never ran out of ways to have fun.

I went to WDW last Dec and loved the decorations so I'm excited to see DL decked out too.

 

[elphaba91]

We will be there at that time too! Arriving at Disneyland on 12/6 and leaving on 12/13. We'll have 8 days in the parks (although the first day will likely be just a few hours) so will be able to take things a bit slower. From what I've heard the crowds aren't too awful at that time, although not exactly off peak. There seem to be very few ride closures at that time too, which should be nice.

I'm pretty sure the day we arrive will be the Candlelight Processional. Does anyone have any tips for being in the parks those days? We'd love to be able to start the trip off by walking down Main Street towards the castle - is that going to be an impossible task at (roughly) 4.00pm?

 

[Malcon10t]

I'm pretty sure the day we arrive will be the Candlelight Processional. Does anyone have any tips for being in the parks those days? We'd love to be able to start the trip off by walking down Main Street towards the castle - is that going to be an impossible task at (roughly) 4.00pm?

Yes, it will be rough. Last year, it took me 20+ mins to walk from City Hall to Emporium at about 415p. Once you get about half way down Main St, it will ease up. After that, stay in the back part of the park and you will be fine.

 

[mom2rtk]

Keep your eye out for confirmation of when CP will be. That would definitely make a difference in your Main Street experience on those days and likely add to a busier overall park feel.

If you are there during CP, do what you can to avoid Main Street those hours as it really becomes a mess. Last year they made each side one way, so very difficult to get around.

I also recall they did not run the Lilly Belle once they started putting in the CP platform.

I'm guessing it will be the 6th and 7th though, so if you go the following weekend you should miss all of that.

The only other issues affecting crowds would be AP blackout dates and school schedules. Anyone know when local schools start letting out? The way Christmas falls this year, most of our schools out in the Midwest are in session a little later, until the 19th.

 

[Malcon10t]

I also recall they did not run the Lilly Belle once they started putting in the CP platform.

I could have sworn we rode last year the morning of the Saturday performance. However, they stop running the trains somewhere around 2pm.

 

[ColeyOley]

The first few weeks of December is our preferred time to go. This year our trip is 12/8-12/12.

We've been there during the Candlelight Processional and it was definitely not easy getting out of the park in the evenings. But other than that, I don't think I would compare the crowds to the busy summer weeks. It was pleasant and the lines weren't terribly long. We've been there for Valentines Day and Presidents Day and THAT was bad!

As for weather, I'd bring a warmer coat or jacket for the evening. During the days, jeans, Tshirts and maybe a hoodie or light windbreaker in the morning is all I need. The night is a different story. Suffice to say that when we go, I pack my light-weight down coat. Because once the sun goes down and if there's a breeze - it gets downright chilly! And I'm a Seattle girl, so it's not like I've got thin, warm-weather blood .

Enjoy your trip! It's such a beautiful time to go and if there's ever a time when Disneyland could possibly get MORE magical, Christmas is it!

 

[mom2rtk]

I could have sworn we rode last year the morning of the Saturday performance. However, they stop running the trains somewhere around 2pm.

We specifically asked about the Lilly Belle on Sunday morning but were told it wouldn't be on the track until after the CP stage was down. We ended up doing it the Tuesday after that weekend. Who knows if that was a straight scoop or not though.

 

[LizzyS]

Thank you, thank you to those who have responded to this thread!

I appreciate all of your comments and advice!