Okay, "less Christmassy" folks...let's see your comparison pictures!

[Pecobill]

No, I'm referring to people saying that Tomorrowland feels much less Christmassy, or that the Boardwalk lacks a Christmassy feel. I'm just sayin', people keep saying it, and they aren't just referring to LOW. They've said it is pervasive, and several have said that it is extremely noticeable at MK. So, LOW being gone at Epcot doesn't account for the Christmassy feel being absent at MK.

LOW is definitely a big deal. It's one of my favorite things at Epcot. But I can see why they removed it. My dh thought it was a bit chintzy and feels he has seen better things in our hometown. (I disagree with him.) Anyway, the walkway from Futureworld to World Showcase HARDLY accounts for the entire WDW resort. I'm not just hearing that EPCOT is less Christmassy. I'm hearing the whole darned thing (including DTD) just doesn't have as many decorations.



Meg

Tomorrowland was a lot less Chrismassy.The new show sucks and thats the only Christmas things they have there.

 

[NashBridges]

and his family go every year early-mid december. This year they went from the 2nd-13 and said they really noticed a lack of Christmas decorations in the parks and at the hotels. They've gone 9 years in a row and this is the 1st time he made that comment.

 

[WDSearcher]

Oh, I just mean general shots, like a picture looking down Tomorrowland from Dec. 2004 compared with a shot from Dec. 2009. Not, "here is a picture of a lamppost without garland."

Regardless of what people say, I think the "lack of decor" is partially due to the world in general. It's a lean Christmas, no doubt about it. And Disney has widely publicized its layoffs and cutbacks. People are still grousing about Fantasmic! changes and other cost-cutting moves, and so I think the pump was primed for people to walk into Disney and just see less. Whether or not there was actually less to be seen.

For those folks who go every year, they have a "feeling" they feel when they walk into Christmas at the MK. If they're not feeling it this year, they're not necessarily going to think it's because of other things going on in the world. They expect to walk into WDW and instantly have all their cares dissolve in a magical place that always holds the same feeling they got during whichever vacation they had that was the best of their lives. And if it doesn't, then Disney gets the blame. It could look like there are fewer decorations simply because there are more people. If the parks are more crowded, there's less empty space for the decorations to pop from. If your one favorite location is missing or has less, you may assume that EVERY location is missing or has less. It's hard to know what's in peoples' memories and what their expectations are.

 

[Toad_Passenger]

I don't think this is anymore Disney's fault, then the fault of the general populace this time of year. My DW and I have been noticing a general decrease in the "Christmassy-ness" of the Holiday Season overall the past few years.

I really think there was a "Golden Age" of Christmas, and it has since passed us by. In the movie Christmas Vacation, Clark Griswold watches some old reel-to-reel films about Christmas as a boy. My parents have those same type of videos, and it amazes me to think what Christmas was like back then. The stores had a different air about them, every community was decked out in Holiday glory, there were parades everywhere, and everything seemed to slow down for the entire Holiday Season.

When I was growing up things started becoming even more commercialized. We still had parades, and I remember there was a general "feeling" that you got around the Holidays, and I loved it. I tried my hardest to keep a slow pace, savoring each day around Christmas. But, looking back, it seemed a lot different from those videos of my parents and grandparents, because everything seemed to get more and more rushed.

Now that I'm a father, myself, I get really depressed thinking about how much more that "Holiday" feeling has disappeared. Starting in November people are fighting, arguing, and getting their stress levels up over needing to get this, or needing to get that. There are far fewer parades and community events. Carolers are all but non-existent, and all people seem to want to do is complain. There is far less "community" and maybe that's part of the problem, everyone has isolated themselves within their own little worlds.

I would love to bring back the Golden Age of Christmas, again, but I think society has long moved past it. The best I can do is try to make it wonderful for my own family, by trying my best to slow down the whole Holiday RUSH!

I know this was a long rant (and seemingly OT), but I think things seeming less "Christmassy" at Disney are just a further reflection of how the whole Holiday season is not what it once was. And, that saddens me, no matter what it is you are celebrating during this time of year.

 

[Rip]

Yep, that's pretty much how it 'used' to be. I've been going every year for 6 years now. I didn't take photos of non-Christmasy things...didn't think there would be any call for that...dopey me.
All I know is that there used to be beds of poinsettias everywhere you looked...at all the resorts. They were incredibly absent this year. Epcot was barren, with the exception of WS..each country was nicely done up but that was it. The beautiful icicle type things that were in back of the fountain are gone, as well as the wonderful LoW.
Even the huge Christmas tree at the entrance to WS had a huge area, towards the top, that was completely out. But it was fixed by the next night.
I'm not going to try to justify my feelings. I guess it's all relative. I just didn't feel all that 'Christmasy' this time around. And I know others with me felt the same way...and we've been there at the same time, every year for 6+ years.
Yes, I went to the Osborne Lights...several times. And they were wonderful. But, they were squished into a much smaller area this year. It seems that each year, they are more and more compact, which puts more and more people in one area. But, they are, as usual, beautiful and very festive.

You noticed that too. I may be mistaken, but I think they had problems with it at least twice while we were there.

 

[DisneyChristmas]

Not to argue, but that's the whole source of my disappointment with WDW's holiday cutbacks.

WDW was, for me, the remainly place where I could get that Golden Age of Christmas feeling.

 

[DisneyChristmas]

Let's make that the "remaining place" but you get the idea.

Maybe Santa will give me keyboarding lessons for Christmas.

 

[mariepapa]

I don't think this is anymore Disney's fault, then the fault of the general populace this time of year. My DW and I have been noticing a general decrease in the "Christmassy-ness" of the Holiday Season overall the past few years.

I really think there was a "Golden Age" of Christmas, and it has since passed us by. In the movie Christmas Vacation, Clark Griswold watches some old reel-to-reel films about Christmas as a boy. My parents have those same type of videos, and it amazes me to think what Christmas was like back then. The stores had a different air about them, every community was decked out in Holiday glory, there were parades everywhere, and everything seemed to slow down for the entire Holiday Season.

When I was growing up things started becoming even more commercialized. We still had parades, and I remember there was a general "feeling" that you got around the Holidays, and I loved it. I tried my hardest to keep a slow pace, savoring each day around Christmas. But, looking back, it seemed a lot different from those videos of my parents and grandparents, because everything seemed to get more and more rushed.

Now that I'm a father, myself, I get really depressed thinking about how much more that "Holiday" feeling has disappeared. Starting in November people are fighting, arguing, and getting their stress levels up over needing to get this, or needing to get that. There are far fewer parades and community events. Carolers are all but non-existent, and all people seem to want to do is complain. There is far less "community" and maybe that's part of the problem, everyone has isolated themselves within their own little worlds.

I would love to bring back the Golden Age of Christmas, again, but I think society has long moved past it. The best I can do is try to make it wonderful for my own family, by trying my best to slow down the whole Holiday RUSH!

I know this was a long rant (and seemingly OT), but I think things seeming less "Christmassy" at Disney are just a further reflection of how the whole Holiday season is not what it once was. And, that saddens me, no matter what it is you are celebrating during this time of year.

Maybe it is because this country has become such a massive melting pot that there are numerous people out there who don't celebrate Christmas? I know in the public schools where we live we don't have any hints of Christmas. Sorry about being so OT...

 

[MonorailDriver]

Ive been there 3 Thanksgiving's in a row, none of them felt less or more Christmassy then any other. The music was on, the trees were up, except for MK because of the parade taping, character were in their winter/Christmas gear, it felt the same as it always does. I think people are just looking for things to pick at. Some people just aren't happy unless they have something to complain about.

 

[Toad_Passenger]

Maybe it is because this country has become such a massive melting pot that there are numerous people out there who don't celebrate Christmas? I know in the public schools where we live we don't have any hints of Christmas. Sorry about being so OT...

Trying not to stray too OT, here. I agree about the melting pot thing, but I would think with all the different things being celebrated, now, we could have great Holiday festivities as communities. And, Disney, I would think, would be at the forefront of something like that.

I've seen plenty of houses that decorate for Hanukkah and look great, along with some beautiful Kwanzaa decorations. I'm thinking there is a way to still make the Holiday season wonderful for EVERYONE, no matter what they're celebrating.

But, for some reason, it seems that the season is less about Holidays and more about rushing around and lamenting about it later.

 

[Rip]

Ive been there 3 Thanksgiving's in a row, none of them felt less or more Christmassy then any other. The music was on, the trees were up, except for MK because of the parade taping, character were in their winter/Christmas gear, it felt the same as it always does. I think people are just looking for things to pick at. Some people just aren't happy unless they have something to complain about.

And then there are some that can't help but notice the obvious.

 

[dreambound]

Still no pictures to give a visual. Anyone?

Meg

 

[Pecobill]

Still no pictures to give a visual. Anyone?

Meg

Honestly I doubt many people took pictures like that.Most people go to enjoy the parks not take random pictures of everything if there is nothing there.

 

[famsen]

Still no pictures to give a visual. Anyone?

Meg

Well here's the problem of getting the comparison pictures you are so desperately wanting; it was also obvious that they cut back on the Halloween decor this year. For example; they usually have a giant blow up stitch sitting atop a building at the entrance to future world when the MNSSHPs begin . It was not up this year. I don't have a picture to prove it because since it was not up, there was no reason for me to take a picture of that building. I have one from the previous years though, but no way to "PROVE" it wasn't there this year.

 

[dreambound]

Honestly I doubt many people took pictures like that.Most people go to enjoy the parks not take random pictures of everything if there is nothing there.

Are you kidding me? DISers are total photo nuts! They take pictures of their FOOD for goodness sakes. I'm not asking for pictures of nothing, I'm asking for pictures of the parks and resorts. No one took pics of anything?

Meg

 

[dreambound]

Well here's the problem of getting the comparison pictures you are so desperately wanting; it was also obvious that they cut back on the Halloween decor this year. For example; they usually have a giant blow up stitch sitting atop a building at the entrance to future world when the MNSSHPs begin . It was not up this year. I don't have a picture to prove it because since it was not up, there was no reason for me to take a picture of that building. I have one from the previous years though, but no way to "PROVE" it wasn't there this year.

Okay, that is actually helpful, because even though it isn't a picture, it is a VERY specific piece of info. (And probably the most specific I've read here since the holiday season started.) But up until now, it has been mostly, "Less decorations in the parks." I guess I figured, for example, if there are fewer decorations in Epcot at the entrance, a place where people very frequently take pics with Spaceship Earth in the background, and there were Christmas topiaries last year but not this year, they might have pics of these things.

There are DISers out there who take tons of pictures. I just figured someone would be able to say, 'Okay, here is a pic looking towards WS from the fountain in FW. See how the bridge is lined with tons of poinsettias in the first one but in the second one there is nothing?" That's kind of what I"m asking.


If there are none, there are none, but there are certainly people who take insane amounts of pictures on these boards.

Meg

 

[dreambound]

you are so desperately wanting;

And I'm not desperately wanting anything. Just super duper curious and strangely lacking in productive tasks at the moment.

Meg

 

[StephSalyer]

I also think part of the problem is that the decorations WDW have had in previous years were very "over the top" compared to what you could purchase and put up in your own house or yard. Now, pretty much everything is readily available at your neighborhood discount store so things seem "less special" at WDW than they used to. For instance, it used to be the only place you would see a huge tree with larger than life life popcorn presents the size of small cars under the tree, and gingerbread ornaments the size of small children was at the Magic Kingdom. Now, it seems every mall in America has one.

Kind of like the world of animatronics.......it used to be the only place you would ever see anything like that was at Disney World. Now you can take your kids to Chuckie Cheese and have a similar experience.

Lets face it, in a world of competing markets we are becoming more "saturated" and less "wowed". It really isn't Disney's fault that competitors strive to pattern themselves after them.

I was at WDW this past week-end and thought everything was beautiful. I personally thought it was very "Christmassy".

Steph

 

[goofy4tink]

Regardless of what people say, I think the "lack of decor" is partially due to the world in general. It's a lean Christmas, no doubt about it. And Disney has widely publicized its layoffs and cutbacks. People are still grousing about Fantasmic! changes and other cost-cutting moves, and so I think the pump was primed for people to walk into Disney and just see less. Whether or not there was actually less to be seen.

For those folks who go every year, they have a "feeling" they feel when they walk into Christmas at the MK. If they're not feeling it this year, they're not necessarily going to think it's because of other things going on in the world. They expect to walk into WDW and instantly have all their cares dissolve in a magical place that always holds the same feeling they got during whichever vacation they had that was the best of their lives. And if it doesn't, then Disney gets the blame. It could look like there are fewer decorations simply because there are more people. If the parks are more crowded, there's less empty space for the decorations to pop from. If your one favorite location is missing or has less, you may assume that EVERY location is missing or has less. It's hard to know what's in peoples' memories and what their expectations are.

Ive been there 3 Thanksgiving's in a row, none of them felt less or more Christmassy then any other. The music was on, the trees were up, except for MK because of the parade taping, character were in their winter/Christmas gear, it felt the same as it always does. I think people are just looking for things to pick at. Some people just aren't happy unless they have something to complain about.

You know...I kind of resent these two comments. I am a huge Disney supporter, I tend to think of the glass being half full rather than half empty, I usually tell people that PW time isn't all that horrible for crying out loud. For someone to come here and tell me that I'm not happy unless I have something to complain about or that I just 'think' there are less Christmas decorations because there are more people in the parks is downright insulting.
I know what I saw, and what I didn't see. The people I traveled the parks with totally agreed with me. We don't go to WDW each Dec looking to have Disney take our worries away. Far from it. But we do have a certain expectation of what to expect. And this year, those expectations were far from met.
It could very well be due to CM cutbacks, or it could be due to the bad economy..someone I was with suggested that Disney felt it would be in poor taste to go with their usual decor with the economy the way it is. Don't know...don't particularly care. I merely posted what saw...or rather what I didn't see.

Are you kidding me? DISers are total photo nuts! They take pictures of their FOOD for goodness sakes. I'm not asking for pictures of nothing, I'm asking for pictures of the parks and resorts. No one took pics of anything?

Meg

After 30 or so trips to WDW, I tend to take fewer photos now. And with this being my 6th trip in early Dec, I try not to duplicate shots from previous years...that would be boring. It was basically those little touches that were missing.

 

[dreambound]

After 30 or so trips to WDW, I tend to take fewer photos now. And with this being my 6th trip in early Dec, I try not to duplicate shots from previous years...that would be boring. It was basically those little touches that were missing.

Okay, good point. After 30 trips I would probably take a lot fewer pics myself!

For me I think we'll be really happy each year as long as we take a good 2-3 year break between trips because every time we go it is the first time one of our kids will be able to really enjoy it. First trip, the oldest barely remembers. Second trip the oldest really remembers but the middle child only vaguely remembers. (He was only 3.) Next trip, the middle child will really get to ride rides for the first time. And we'll have the baby with us...so for us, the newness is in the kids' perception, not our own, if that makes any sense! Each time we go it is sort of another child's first time.



Meg