OFFICIAL CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY SEASON & NEW YEAR'S 2017 THREAD

[mpadilla89]

OK Halloween is over and although i loooove it. It now means Christmas is so much closer. I just finished all my dining reservations this morning. Added Storytellers brunch, Fantasmic at RBT and surfs up. Counting down the days

 

[ttig34]

Ooooooooooo I wanna see it! Wonder if it's available online anywhere..

The Disneyland website has it- doesnt have the same music that I heard on tv though.

 

[blondietink]

We only see WDW commercials here. :-(

 

[DisneyJamieCA]

Have been seeing holiday time Disneyworld commercials for a few weeks. Just saw the Disneyland one twice this morning. Guess they must have just started airing it today. Commercial is played to the song "It's the most wonderful time of the year". Seeing the commercial really starts upping the anticipation of the holiday season .

I saw it this morning too! So excited!

 

[egritz]

Ugh, back to a discussion from last week, the park hours are updated the first week of December....last week they showed DL closing at 11pm....now it is midnight every night. I'm very afraid of the crowds! bummed to see all the nighttime shows (WOC & F!) aren't showing until 9pm (and fireworks at 9:30)...that's SUPER late for my kiddos .... i will need to re-think our reservations for both shows on whether they can hang (especially the 3 year old). At this point I'm re-thinking our plan to get AP's even for the next year, and maybe cancel our trip we were planning for next fall.....

 

[EGHopeful]

Question about the Tea Party - We will be there in 3 weeks (So I'm hoping it's the Holiday Tea) but is it possible to order 1 Classic Tea and 1 Child Tea or does the entire table have to have the same thing?

 

[Elsaalltheway]

Ugh, back to a discussion from last week, the park hours are updated the first week of December....last week they showed DL closing at 11pm....now it is midnight every night. I'm very afraid of the crowds! bummed to see all the nighttime shows (WOC & F!) aren't showing until 9pm (and fireworks at 9:30)...that's SUPER late for my kiddos .... i will need to re-think our reservations for both shows on whether they can hang (especially the 3 year old). At this point I'm re-thinking our plan to get AP's even for the next year, and maybe cancel our trip we were planning for next fall.....

My brother had the same fear when he saw the time postings.

 

[katyringo]

Ugh, back to a discussion from last week, the park hours are updated the first week of December....last week they showed DL closing at 11pm....now it is midnight every night. I'm very afraid of the crowds! bummed to see all the nighttime shows (WOC & F!) aren't showing until 9pm (and fireworks at 9:30)...that's SUPER late for my kiddos .... i will need to re-think our reservations for both shows on whether they can hang (especially the 3 year old). At this point I'm re-thinking our plan to get AP's even for the next year, and maybe cancel our trip we were planning for next fall.....

No Disney expert here- first trip coming up. But There were a lot of upset people in October when the hours were shorter and crowds were bigger. Maybe they are trying to help?

We are going Christmas week so we are expecting huge crowds and going into expecting it. We have little kiddos too. We are doing one late night in the park to see a show.

 

[lilsassymom]

So if the week we are going the park closes at 9pm and DCA closes at 8pm does that mean they expect lowish crowds? I hope so

Edited to add. We arrive the Saturday after thanksgiving and leave the first Saturday in December.

 

[PoohsFan1]

New Year's Eve dining reservations made.....

Did that this morning too . Since we are going to be spending the entire day at DCA, we are having lunch at Carthay Circle and I was able to make WOC dining package reservations at Ariel's Grotto. We are treating NYE at DCA like we are treating Christmas Day at DL Park, get to the park early and stay until close. We know it will be a long day but that is why I made 2 sit down reservations, I don't want to run the risk of the park closing due to capacity and not be able to do what we want to do later. What is your plan for New Year's Eve?

 

[millie0312]

I guess because we’ve always gone the first full week of Dec we know it’s crowded- sometimes hard to walk- but not to capacity crowd, so I don’t feel too daunted? I love the early to late hours even with a now 10 and 3 year old- we wait at RD hit the park, have lunch and take a nap, come back around dinner and close the parks. My littlest uses the pack and stroller when he needs and we do days off in between so we don’t overdo it. I prefer the longer hours since the early and late times are much better in my opinion then semi-crowded but less hours since everyone is there the whole day (lots don’t make it at 7-8 am or stay until 12 am). I know not all prefer or agree but I’m glad the hours are longer- better shot at some time not totally packed hopefully lol (it does seem to get busier each year but it seems like that’s true of ALL times now and I’d rather be packed like a sardine at DLR watching fireworks then stuck at home )

 

[Susie63]

Did that this morning too . Since we are going to be spending the entire day at DCA, we are having lunch at Carthay Circle and I was able to make WOC dining package reservations at Ariel's Grotto. We are treating NYE at DCA like we are treating Christmas Day at DL Park, get to the park early and stay until close. We know it will be a long day but that is why I made 2 sit down reservations, I don't want to run the risk of the park closing due to capacity and not be able to do what we want to do later. What is your plan for New Year's Eve?

I am 99% sure will spend NYE at DCA. I made WOC reservations for dinner at Carthay Circle. We are doing the dessert party on the 21st so I don't have to worry about lining up on NYE. I just can't imagine fighting the crowds at DL and this is the only opportunity to see fireworks at DCA. We might do DL for a couple hours in the morning and go to DCA at lunch time.

 

[Susie63]

Question about the Tea Party - We will be there in 3 weeks (So I'm hoping it's the Holiday Tea) but is it possible to order 1 Classic Tea and 1 Child Tea or does the entire table have to have the same thing?

The Holiday Tea Party starts on December 1

 

[2tinkerbell]

Where do I find information regarding the Holiday Tea Party?

 

[Susie63]

Where do I find information regarding the Holiday Tea Party?

There is a link on page 1.

 

[belle'ssister]

We’ll be there Nov 15-20th. My granddaughter is performing with her dance group from Vancouver Washington. So excited for that and joining in all theChristmas fun! We’re staying at Courtyard Marriott across the street. The reviews look good so we’re trying it this trip.

 

[Paul Smith]

Ugh, back to a discussion from last week, the park hours are updated the first week of December....last week they showed DL closing at 11pm....now it is midnight every night. I'm very afraid of the crowds! bummed to see all the nighttime shows (WOC & F!) aren't showing until 9pm (and fireworks at 9:30)...that's SUPER late for my kiddos .... i will need to re-think our reservations for both shows on whether they can hang (especially the 3 year old). At this point I'm re-thinking our plan to get AP's even for the next year, and maybe cancel our trip we were planning for next fall.....

The best thing to do is expect crowds. It won't be crowded if you get there for opening with your 3 year old. You will probably get 2 good hours on rides in fantasyland that the kids will enjoy before they start to get busy. A lot of people will leave after the fireworks and if you are willing to continue after that you can get in some of the more popular rides for a couple of hours with a quicker queue (although this might be hard with kids). If you have a stroller it works great for the 3 year old to have a rest in it and they can sleep while the rest of the family watch the fireworks.

The shows have always been at those times and I can't ever remember them being earlier then 9pm. You will be surprised how long the kids can say awake if they get a rest in the afternoon. Of course you can only rest in the afternoon if you are going for multiple days.

You don't have to get AP's till you have been in the park all day so maybe you can assess it after that. You can put your ticket value to the AP price. No need to rush into it until you know how your kids can handle it.

The worst thing you can do is stress about it. It will be a great time, the kids will love it and you will make exciting memories which will live with you and them for a long time to come. Isn't that the whole point of going to disneyland ? To have a great day, forget the outside world an all its stress, and as a family create magical memories which you can all remember..

 

[PoohsFan1]

Just made our last reservation for our trip. I am so happy with all of the reservations that I got...I got everything too for the times that I wanted (a couple I had to take what I could get).
This is the run down of reservations:

- Arrival day - Naples Restaurant for dinner
- Christmas Day - lunch at Cafe Orleans
- Fantasmic Dinner package at BB
- 12/26 - Minnie's Breakfast
- Story Teller's Dinner (never did the dinner, only the breakfast)
- 12/27 - Napa Rose
- 12/28 - Carnation Cafe Breakfast (only had for dinner, first time doing breakfast)
- Cafe Orlean's Dinner (my family loves this restaurant, we normally go twice a trip)
- 12/29 - Open day
- 12/30 - Holiday Tea at Steakhouse 55 with just my 2 daughters while DH goes to either ESPN Zone or someplace else for lunch (I am very excited about this one)
- New Year's Eve - Carthay Circle lunch
- WOC dining package at Ariel's Grotto
- 1/1 - Departure Day - Goofy Kitchen brunch (a send off before we have to leave for the airport )

 

[katyringo]

Just made our last reservation for our trip. I am so happy with all of the reservations that I got...I got everything too for the times that I wanted (a couple I had to take what I could get).
This is the run down of reservations:

- Arrival day - Naples Restaurant for dinner
- Christmas Day - lunch at Cafe Orleans
- Fantasmic Dinner package at BB
- 12/26 - Minnie's Breakfast
- Story Teller's Dinner (never did the dinner, only the breakfast)
- 12/27 - Napa Rose
- 12/28 - Carnation Cafe Breakfast (only had for dinner, first time doing breakfast)
- Cafe Orlean's Dinner (my family loves this restaurant, we normally go twice a trip)
- 12/29 - Open day
- 12/30 - Holiday Tea at Steakhouse 55 with just my 2 daughter's and I while DH goes to either ESPN Zone or someplace else for lunch (I am very excited about this one)
- New Year's Eve - Carthay Circle lunch
- WOC dining package at Ariel's Grotto
- 1/1 - Departure Day - Goofy Kitchen brunch (a send off before we have to leave for the airport )

Sounds like an amazing trip!

I wonder if we have enough reservations. It's just hard to know how we will feel! Ours is this

27th
Lunch @ ariels character dinning
Dinner @ blue bayou fantasmic package

28th
Breakfast at plaza inn character dinning
WOC desert partt

29th
Breakfast at surfs up character dinning


The rest of the meals I figure we would just eat in the park with counter service. I do worry about wanting to take a break at table service and not being able to get in...thoughts?!

 

[PoohsFan1]

Sounds like an amazing trip!

I wonder if we have enough reservations. It's just hard to know how we will feel! Ours is this

27th
Lunch @ ariels character dinning
Dinner @ blue bayou fantasmic package

28th
Breakfast at plaza inn character dinning
WOC desert partt

29th
Breakfast at surfs up character dinning


The rest of the meals I figure we would just eat in the park with counter service. I do worry about wanting to take a break at table service and not being able to get in...thoughts?!

If you think that your family will need a break from the crowds, and you are not planning on going back to your hotel, then I would consider making reservations for either a lunch or dinner or whatever works with your plans. This was my intention for both Christmas day and New Year's Eve. We are expecting the crowds to be insane those 2 days (we know the crowds will be insane during the week too) so DH and I figured that we would get to the parks early in the morning (we are going to utilize EMH) and stay until park close...also, instead of our usual break during the afternoon at our resort, we would make lunch reservations and just take it slow...if it takes us 2 hours to eat, then so be it, at least we are sitting inside out of the madness.