What to expect for DL's 60th anniversary in 2015 (Starting May 22)

[kylie71]

WOW! Thank You Mike! I am SUPER Excited for everything now! Its going to be Magical!
Can you post a link?

When are you going, July 17th?

--Lori

 

[Sherry E]

WOW! Thank You Mike! I am SUPER Excited for everything now! Its going to be Magical!
Can you post a link?

When are you going, July 17th?

--Lori

The text that Mike posted is from MiceChat's article, which can be found here -- http://micechat.com/93387-disneyland-60th-anniversary/. (I had received the blog on my RSS feed and posted about it in the Superthread, just as Mike was posting here!)

There are also links to press releases -- HERE.


...And links to several blogs -- HERE.

​

 

[Keels]

OMG. Like, OMG. That's all I have to say!

I'm so excited to see ALL of this when I'm at DLR for the Half Marathon in September!!!

 

[kylie71]

Thank You, Sherry!

Lori

 

[KCmike]

WOW! Thank You Mike! I am SUPER Excited for everything now! Its going to be Magical!
Can you post a link?

When are you going, July 17th?

--Lori

Shooting for Early June because we want to hit the waterfalls in full ROAR at Yosemite National Park.

 

[JadeDarkstar]

Man oh man more I read more I wonder if I can make a trip to Dl in sep-Oct and still make my wdw rip in dec. Man it just looks so cool

 

[kylie71]

Shooting for Early June because we want to hit the waterfalls in full ROAR at Yosemite National Park.

Cool! Hopefully our drought does not effect that!
I will be there Dapper week, in Sept... rates at the DLH are Amazing!

--Lori

 

[DaeHyFoog]

Shooting for Early June because we want to hit the waterfalls in full ROAR at Yosemite National Park.

Your trip sounds a ton like what we're planning to do, too. Driving to San Francisco, Yosemite, Anaheim, and Grand Canyon.

All of this 60th excitement has been fun! I've been sick for several days with a cold, and there's nothing more fun than California Dreamin'. Can't wait for June.

 

[AngiTN]

I can hardly believe that a random thought between DH and I about trying DL this year has led us to be there for these events. We arrive June 2.

 

[Mommy26]

I'm wondering what its going to be like to ride the matterhorn and IASW while the projections are going on during the fireworks.

Or are they going to shut those rides down during the show?

 

[theworldneedscolor]

So incredibly disappointed that we will be missing this by a matter of weeks. I personally would love to see it, but I also think my dad, who hasn't been to Disney in 15 years and probably will never go again, would be blown away. So discouraged.

 

[mystic95]

Here are a few other IMPORTANT ITEMS: - The celebratory shows and parades will run throughout the anniversary celebration – no Christmas parade or shows will be running in 2015, according to Davison at the press Q&A. - #itsallconnected – The parade floats will communicate with the costumes, the toys in the audience, the environment, everything will work together. - Everything is still in the planning stages – rehearsals start in a few months. This means that everything above is subject to change.

I now have mixed emotions over the whole 60th anniversary!!! We are planning a trip to DL the beginning of December in hopes of seeing all the holiday decor and entertainment... But now we won't see ANY of it. I've been to DL twice and this was suppose to be our chance to see it at Christmas. As Oct 2016 is my chance to see DL during Halloween....

Don't get me wrong, I bet everything is going to be MAGICAL.... Just bummed about not seeing any holiday decorations...

 

[Sherry E]

I now have mixed emotions over the whole 60th anniversary!!! We are planning a trip to DL the beginning of December in hopes of seeing all the holiday decor and entertainment... But now we won't see ANY of it. I've been to DL twice and this was suppose to be our chance to see it at Christmas. As Oct 2016 is my chance to see DL during Halloween....

Don't get me wrong, I bet everything is going to be MAGICAL.... Just bummed about not seeing any holiday decorations...

mystic95 --

Why do you think you won't see any decorations or holiday entertainment? I think that maybe you have an incomplete picture of what is included in the holidays at Disneyland Resort (you need to stick with us over in the Disneyland at Christmas/Holiday Season Superthread for the full scoop!).

What you're going to be missing for sure is World of Color-Winter Dreams, Believe in Holiday Magic fireworks, A Christmas Fantasy Parade (more than likely -- though it's still quite possible that it could be worked into a daytime schedule, leaving room for Paint the Night after dark) and maybe -- but no one is sure yet -- the Winter Castle Enchantment Lighting at night.

Now, in no way am I diminishing the impact and importance of those events in a typical holiday season at Disneyland Resort, but there will be plenty of decorations all over the place. The decorations and the entertainment are not one and the same. There will be diamond décor as well, but it cannot possibly be so extensive that it obliterates all of the themed holiday décor all over both parks.

Disney is making a big deal of the 60th anniversary, but it's not going to be so big a deal that it wipes out the entire holiday season (which is a huge hit)! If anything, they probably have some holiday surprises in store because of the 60th anniversary.

And as for entertainment, you will still see Viva Navidad in DCA -- which is a great show. I'm sure that there will be something else added into the holiday line-up too. There will still be Bell Ringers on Buena Vista Street, and Carolers at the 3 hotels. Santa Claus will still be meeting people. I'm sure the Jingle Jangle Jamboree will still be happening. It's a Small World Holiday and Haunted Mansion Holiday will definitely return. I would imagine that Jingle Cruise will be back as well. I'm sure the snow will still fall in Disneyland. I'm sure that Frozen Fun will be back. The Olaf ice rink and Winter Village in Downtown Disney should be there.

And again, there are themed decorations in many lands! There should be gingerbread creations at the Grand Californian Hotel, and assorted decorations around the 3 hotels.

You will see a lot of things -- the holiday season is a very involved, extensive extravaganza, so even when it loses a few things for a year, there will be a lot left of it to enjoy.

The Halloween Time season, on the other hand, is rather thin and sparse -- so to take anything away from it would leave a very big dent!

 

[mystic95]

I sure hope you're right Sherry E.... I have found that super thread and have started following it!!!

I guess I misunderstood everything....

My June 2013 & May 2014 trips were MAGICAL!!! We loved every second of it. So much that our December 2015 trip won't be any different.

Yes, I was kinda bummed to hear that the Holiday parade/fireworks won't be happening... But on the other hand, we will get to see a special parade and fireworks that might be showing only during the anniversary year... And what's from saying we don't plan a future Christmas trip to DLR to catch the shows we will miss...

I truly believe the 60th anniversary + Christmas is going to = as close as a person can get to heaven while still on earth!!!

No matter what happens.... This trip and any future DLR trips will all be MAGICAL and all our dreams will come true!!!

 

[Sherry E]

I sure hope you're right Sherry E.... I have found that super thread and have started following it!!!

I guess I misunderstood everything....

My June 2013 & May 2014 trips were MAGICAL!!! We loved every second of it. So much that our December 2015 trip won't be any different.

Yes, I was kinda bummed to hear that the Holiday parade/fireworks won't be happening... But on the other hand, we will get to see a special parade and fireworks that might be showing only during the anniversary year... And what's from saying we don't plan a future Christmas trip to DLR to catch the shows we will miss...

I truly believe the 60th anniversary + Christmas is going to = as close as a person can get to heaven while still on earth!!!

No matter what happens.... This trip and any future DLR trips will all be MAGICAL and all our dreams will come true!!!

That's the right outlook to have! It will be a great trip no matter what -- and hopefully it will end up being the right mix of "holiday season" and "Diamond Celebration" to make everyone happy.

And again, I am definitely not diminishing the impact that the Christmas parade, the holiday fireworks and Winter Dreams have on the usual line-up of holiday fare -- I am a bit shocked that all 3 of those things would be taken out, even in light of the fact that the 3 new shows for the Diamond Celebration will be added in.

But the holiday season is enormously popular at Disneyland Resort -- hugely popular, and getting more popular each year. Disney has to recognize that, while lots of people will want to see the new nighttime shows for the 60th, there are a lot of people who are headed there specifically to see Christmasy things! They know that the holiday season is a big moneymaker for the parks, and it would be foolish of them to wipe it off the map completely this year. It may be scaled back a bit in some areas, but I still tend to think that they will also add in a couple of extra holiday surprises because of the 60th anniversary (they could stand to add in a couple of nights to the Candlelight Ceremony -- I would love that!).

Unfortunately, because Disney waits sooooo long before releasing info about DLR, we probably won't get any solid, official holiday season news until at least July or August (maybe later than that) -- and that's only if they have a big announcement to make. There should be rumors trickling out before that time, though, so we will probably hear about what might happen before it is officially revealed.

 

[PatriciaH]

Do you think they will do World of Color every night? How about the parade? The fireworks at DL are usually Friday/Saturday/Sunday-right? We were going to do a Thursday night after our CA road trip in June, but I will add Friday as well if the fireworks are only on the weekend. So happy this is starting in May! We were there for the 50th and now the 60th!

 

[Blue32]

Do you think they will do World of Color every night? How about the parade? The fireworks at DL are usually Friday/Saturday/Sunday-right? We were going to do a Thursday night after our CA road trip in June, but I will add Friday as well if the fireworks are only on the weekend. So happy this is starting in May! We were there for the 50th and now the 60th!

Once the celebration starts, the fireworks, nightly parade, and WOC will without a doubt show nightly. Once summer hits, they run shows on a nightly basis anyway. WOC might even go back to 2 shows per night but we shall see.

 

[Masonmj84]

We're arriving on May 17th and are going to miss it by literally one day as we leave on the morning of the 22nd.

However, as long as none of the refurbs of major attractions (Mattherhorn, Soarin, etc.) get pushed back and the castle isn't behind a tarp (I can live with them doing work on the castle when we're there, as long as we can see it), I'll be happy. Crowds shouldn't be too crazy and maybe we can still snag some hotel discounts (we're hoping to stay at DLH).

One question I have regards WOC. It's currently closed and scheduled to re-open on March 13. I assume, when it re-opens, it will still be the old show. Then, on May 22, they'll start doing the new show. Does that mean they'll need to shut it down again for some period between March 13 and May 22 to change between the old show and the new show?

 

[HydroGuy]

Once the celebration starts, the fireworks, nightly parade, and WOC will without a doubt show nightly. Once summer hits, they run shows on a nightly basis anyway. WOC might even go back to 2 shows per night but we shall see.

I would be highly surprised if they do NOT go back to two shows a night. We may even see three shows a night this summer like in 2010.

 

[HydroGuy]

We're arriving on May 17th and are going to miss it by literally one day as we leave on the morning of the 22nd.

However, as long as none of the refurbs of major attractions (Mattherhorn, Soarin, etc.) get pushed back and the castle isn't behind a tarp (I can live with them doing work on the castle when we're there, as long as we can see it), I'll be happy. Crowds shouldn't be too crazy and maybe we can still snag some hotel discounts (we're hoping to stay at DLH).

One question I have regards WOC. It's currently closed and scheduled to re-open on March 13. I assume, when it re-opens, it will still be the old show. Then, on May 22, they'll start doing the new show. Does that mean they'll need to shut it down again for some period between March 13 and May 22 to change between the old show and the new show?

I think your guess will turn out to be correct. Old WOC from March until May 21. Then new WOC starting on May 22. I doubt they will need to shut WOC down to switch it. If they do, I would have to believe it would be brief. Like a day or two.