Will we see some Christmas deco if we go Nov 1-4?

[Purplegal]

I just LOVE going at Christmas time but we are debating on fighting the crowds...we pretty much have to do a Fri-Mon visit so according to the crowd calendar the only weekend that is "alright" is Nov 1-3. I have read in the past they start putting up Christmas decorations immediately after they close on Halloween night....any truth to this? How much do you think we will actually get to see that first weekend? Or is it nothing and we should just bite the bullet and go at a high crowd time? Decisions decisions....
Anyone that has BTDT I'd love to hear!

Thanks!

 

[MrsMears]

My husband and I will be there that weekend and I an anticipating seeing holiday decorations! I think they will be adding to things daily during that time.

 

[Sherry E]

I pay attention to all of the reports and photos of what is going up and when.

Honestly, if you love Christmas and Christmas decorations, and Christmasy things, you will be short-changing yourself if you do go during that time frame. I would bite the bullet and go when it's more crowded.

The season does not start until 11/12 this year, so everything is a gradual decorating process between Halloween and 11/12. You won't see most of the big Christmas trees put up yet. You won't get any of the holiday entertainment. You won't see the nighttime Winter Castle glowing in icicle lights and snow on Main Street. You won't get to experience the Reindeer Round-Up. You won't see the beautiful trees and decor in the 3 hotels. You will not see Main Street in full decor (but it will be partially decorated for the parade taping, which I think is over that same weekend). If Cars Land is getting decorations this year, you won't see those yet. Same thing with Buena Vista Street. Also, IASW Holiday will not even be open yet. That will not open until at least 11/9, if not 11/12.

What you will experience is Haunted Mansion Holiday. You will probably see some holiday merchandise in the shops. You will probably see a holiday treat or two (but not all of the the treats) in the bake shops or candy stores.

You will probably see decorations up in New Orleans Square, and beginning to go up in ToonTown. You will see the fake snow on the Castle.

So if you just want to catch some decorations as they start to go up here and there, then yes, you will see some things going up. But you will miss out on a lot. So it comes down to how important it is to you to get the full holiday experience vs. going when the crowds are lighter.

 

[Malcon10t]

It will be minimal. They will start taking down the pumpkins on the 1st from Halloween. There will be some decor up though. They will be doing the Christmas Parade filming on the 2-4th. Last year, we went during the filming, it was quite busy, especially on Main St. People lined up early, in Christmas sweaters and Santa hats despite it being quite warm!! But it was fun!

 

[Eeee-va]

I don't know what crowd calendar you're looking at (some are notoriously bad). And I don't know how crowds will be this year. But last year, the weekend after Thanksgiving (well, Saturday-Monday) was at least "all right". Not saying it wasn't busy, but I didn't find it to be bad at all--I thought it was better than summer. Unless you need very small crowds, it might work for you. That time is also likely to have fewer refurbishments. All holiday items were up and in full swing during the weekend after Thanksgiving, as well.

A weekend in early December can be OK too, though there will certainly be crowds in the middle of the day (unless it rains like it did on our trip!) The weekend BEFORE Thanksgiving is probably particularly packed so I would avoid that one.

Anyway, I think your 1-4 weekend will probably be one of the least busy times of the last 2 months of the year. But it sounds like Christmastime is a priority, so I'd look into another weekend. Crowds will be a bit higher, but maybe not terrible, and there will be more entertainment and decorations.

Have a great trip!

 

[disneegrl4eva]

It will be minimal. They will start taking down the pumpkins on the 1st from Halloween. There will be some decor up though. They will be doing the Christmas Parade filming on the 2-4th. Last year, we went during the filming, it was quite busy, especially on Main St. People lined up early, in Christmas sweaters and Santa hats despite it being quite warm!! But it was fun!

busy would not be the word I would describe the parade filming days...I avoid it like the plague

I don't know what crowd calendar you're looking at (some are notoriously bad). And I don't know how crowds will be this year. But last year, the weekend after Thanksgiving (well, Saturday-Monday) was at least "all right". Not saying it wasn't busy, but I didn't find it to be bad at all--I thought it was better than summer. Unless you need very small crowds, it might work for you. That time is also likely to have fewer refurbishments. All holiday items were up and in full swing during the weekend after Thanksgiving, as well.

A weekend in early December can be OK too, though there will certainly be crowds in the middle of the day (unless it rains like it did on our trip!) The weekend BEFORE Thanksgiving is probably particularly packed so I would avoid that one.

Anyway, I think your 1-4 weekend will probably be one of the least busy times of the last 2 months of the year. But it sounds like Christmastime is a priority, so I'd look into another weekend. Crowds will be a bit higher, but maybe not terrible, and there will be more entertainment and decorations.

Have a great trip!

Im in agreement with everything you said here Eeeva...Ive been a hundred times the weekend after thanksgiving and the first couple weeks in dec. and the crowds are very good in comparison to what they will get like starting the 3rd week in Dec. through the new year...I would say you should go on one of these weekends for sure..everything will be up and going for the holidays full blown

 

[Malcon10t]

busy would not be the word I would describe the parade filming days...I avoid it like the plague

I am trying to find our pics form last year during the filming. We would't have gone that weekend, but it was a friend's birthday.

 

[Sherry E]

I agree with Lynn about early December (like no later than the second full week of December) being a good time to go as well - I've had good luck during that time frame, with crowds that were very reasonable. The week that is immediately following Thanksgiving (in other words, starting on Monday, after Thanksgiving break is over) is highly recommended by a lot of people for the lighter crowds (it's immediately after Thanksgiving break ends and before Christmas break is close to beginning, when many people are stuck at work/school and can't travel), while the full array of holiday decorations and entertainment are in effect.


I just remembered that DIS'er mariezp did a TR for her trip last year that spanned October 31 - November 12. So she was there as the decorations were going up around DLR, but she left 2 days before the season officially began. Still, you can glance at her pictures and maybe get some kind of an idea of which decorations might have been up in the earlier part of her trip. Here is the link to her TR: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2873452

 

[NiceOneSimba]

We were there before Halloween last year (the 20-somethingth of October), and there were decorations in New Orleans Square already, and it "snowed" on the castle one night....no "snow" one day, full snow the next. SO chances are that you will see some decorations for sure, but not the full complement.

 

[Purplegal]

Wow thank you so much for all the helpful information! I really appreciate it!

So that filming of the parade...sounds like that will NOT make it a low crowd day at all! Hmmm...we may try for the first weekend in December and just hope for the best.

 

[longtimedisneylurker]

Wow thank you so much for all the helpful information! I really appreciate it!

So that filming of the parade...sounds like that will NOT make it a low crowd day at all! Hmmm...we may try for the first weekend in December and just hope for the best.

First weekend in December? PPs know more on this particular topic, but wouldn't that likely be Candlelight Processional weekend? Also not a low crowd time!

 

[Sherry E]

Wow thank you so much for all the helpful information! I really appreciate it!

So that filming of the parade...sounds like that will NOT make it a low crowd day at all! Hmmm...we may try for the first weekend in December and just hope for the best.

My trip last year began on Sunday, December 4 - the second day of the Candlelight Processional. Even though it was a Candlelight Processional day, the crowds were not bad early on. They only picked up in Disneyland around mid-to-late afternoon. However, a Facebook friend told me the crowds were awful the day before (Saturday).

We assume the CP will take place on December 1 & 2 this year (not confirmed yet). But you can plan it so that you're in California Adventure when the Processional starts in DL, in case you don't want to risk running into crowds. After the CP, the crowds cleared out and it was delightful around DLR.

Personally, I really think that the overall experience one gets when they go during the full-throttle holiday season (meaning everything is up and running) is worth some crowds (within reason, of course) in comparison to going when there are just a few things up here and there and none of the holiday entertainment has kicked in yet, but the crowds are lower. In other words, if someone is a Christmas fan, I think that waiting to go when the season is officially underway is well worth it, even if it will be more crowded than the first few days of November.

But it really all boils down to you and how much you want that overall Disneyland Resort Christmasy experience again or how much want lower crowds this time around.

 

[disneegrl4eva]

My trip last year began on Sunday, December 4 - the second day of the Candlelight Processional. Even though it was a Candlelight Processional day, the crowds were not bad early on. They only picked up in Disneyland around mid-to-late afternoon. However, a Facebook friend told me the crowds were awful the day before (Saturday).

We assume the CP will take place on December 1 & 2 this year (not confirmed yet). But you can plan it so that you're in California Adventure when the Processional starts in DL, in case you don't want to risk running into crowds. After the CP, the crowds cleared out and it was delightful around DLR.

Personally, I really think that the overall experience one gets when they go during the full-throttle holiday season (meaning everything is up and running) is worth some crowds (within reason, of course) in comparison to going when there are just a few things up here and there and none of the holiday entertainment has kicked in yet, but the crowds are lower. In other words, if someone is a Christmas fan, I think that waiting to go when the season is officially underway is well worth it, even if it will be more crowded than the first few days of November.

But it really all boils down to you and how much you want that overall Disneyland Resort Christmasy experience again or how much want lower crowds this time around.

you sound just like me Sherry with the we dont know for positive the dates, but we know ...my bestie is coming all the way from FL on that weekend and we are braving that saturday as well but Im with you...gonna try and steer clear as much as possible from DL and instead focus on DCA that day but OP just so you know....it really starts to get busy around 2:30 or 3ish in the afternoon on MS...thats when A LOT of people are lining up and waiting for the show to start and also, they usually only do 1 parade during that sat. and sun and its mid afternoon so that also adds to the packed crowds all on MS...once you can hack your way through those crowds though, it wont be too terribly bad but yeah it is going to be packed...also, for a couple of years they did the CP at the FL theater..I didnt go last year during that weekend but I heard from a friend of mine that it had been put back to MS...I really dont know why they brought it back there again because at least back in the FL Theater, the crowd level could be contained to a bigger area...I wish they would do that again!!

 

[DisneytheKid]

Great recommendation. I have been reading the trip report for a while now

I just remembered that DIS'er mariezp did a TR for her trip last year that spanned October 31 - November 12. So she was there as the decorations were going up around DLR, but she left 2 days before the season officially began. Still, you can glance at her pictures and maybe get some kind of an idea of which decorations might have been up in the earlier part of her trip. Here is the link to her TR: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2873452

 

[yaya74]

the content in this thread really has made my stomach churning.
We have already bought our flights and booked our package for Nov 1-4.
We plan to go that weekend expecting less crowd. But we didn't know there is a
Christmas parade filming...

Can anyone who has been to the park during the filming weekend share some strategic tips and suggestions with me PLEASE??? I will be travelling with my hubby and my two kids, aged 4 and 1. WE will be in the park on Fri, Sat and Sunday.