Page 1 of 5
Christmas at the parks
Posted: Nov Sun 14, 2004 12:08 am
by js3901
Anyone know how long they keep up the decorations and the Holiday-themed attractions at the parks? I'm planning a trip down there sometime in January 2006, and would like to be able to see some of things like the Haunted Mansion Holiday and the Osborne Family lights.
Thanks in advance for any information...
Posted: Nov Sun 14, 2004 5:24 am
by pgreger
Walt Disney World 'till 01/02/05
Disneyland 'till 01/09/05
Posted: Nov Mon 15, 2004 12:16 am
by COOOOLkid
thanks for that info!
Posted: Nov Mon 15, 2004 1:03 am
by js3901
hmm... I'll probably be there too late for the good stuff. What about before then? When do they open the Christmas themed attractions usually?
Posted: Nov Mon 15, 2004 1:18 am
by js3901
actually, nevermind. I found it. And I think going sometime between Thanksgiving and Christmas would be the best option for seeing this stuff...
Posted: Nov Mon 15, 2004 8:39 pm
by G2-4T
If you hit WDW between Thanksgiving and Christmas [esp betwen the usual school breaks] the crowds are low and the decorations are great!
Posted: Nov Tue 16, 2004 12:42 am
by js3901
yeah, I wanna hit the off-peak times as I also want to stay on Disney property somewhere. I want to spend as little as possible so I can buy all the cheesy souvenirs.
And I think I found that late November to mid December is off-peak pricing, so I'm probably going to schedule the trip for then...

Posted: Nov Tue 16, 2004 3:05 pm
by bartman454
In my time working at WDW I would have to say the best time to get to the parks is right after Thanksgiving up until the Friday before the week of Christmas, any time after that and you are taking one heck of a risk. Basically theirs a line at TTA and thats when its time to get out of dodge.
Jack
Posted: Nov Tue 16, 2004 6:40 pm
by subsonic
I love the way the parks look at Christmas time

Posted: Nov Tue 16, 2004 7:20 pm
by Lion Sleeps Tonight
i havent been to Disneyland on Christmas day- that would be awesome even though the lines would be crazy long. but i have been there for New Year's Eve, and experiencing the count-down is pretty fun. whats not fun is being trampled on by people trying to get to the castle.

Posted: Nov Tue 16, 2004 9:29 pm
by G2-4T
subsonic wrote:I love the way the parks look at Christmas time
They really do out do themselves on the amount of work they put into the holiday season! I love it down there during the holidays, all the parks are festival and the resort hotels are too. Walking down Main Street with the decorations up is great. And Epcot is wonderful at night with the Fountain of Nations switched to put on shows with the Christmas music and the interactive archway of lights. And the Osbourne Lights are amazing, wonder how they'll look on NY Street this year instead of the old backlot... This will be the first time in many years I'll not be there over Thanksgiving and will miss the holidays down there.
Oh yeah, for anyone going to the parks next week look in the parking lots near the back, the trees show up pre-decorated on tractor-trailors and often wait in the lots for a few days before assembly in the parks right before Thanksgiving [or right after when they transform the parks overnight one by one to winter wonderland...]. Always a funny sight to see!
Posted: Nov Tue 16, 2004 11:13 pm
by zenmondo
G2-4T wrote:subsonic wrote:I love the way the parks look at Christmas time
They really do out do themselves on the amount of work they put into the holiday season! I love it down there during the holidays, all the parks are festival and the resort hotels are too. Walking down Main Street with the decorations up is great. And Epcot is wonderful at night with the Fountain of Nations switched to put on shows with the Christmas music and the interactive archway of lights. And the Osbourne Lights are amazing, wonder how they'll look on NY Street this year instead of the old backlot... This will be the first time in many years I'll not be there over Thanksgiving and will miss the holidays down there.
Oh yeah, for anyone going to the parks next week look in the parking lots near the back, the trees show up pre-decorated on tractor-trailors and often wait in the lots for a few days before assembly in the parks right before Thanksgiving [or right after when they transform the parks overnight one by one to winter wonderland...]. Always a funny sight to see!
I went to Disneyland the day after thanksgiving, 1987. It was the first day decorated for Christmas, and I thought it was great. Two days before I was in the hospital, got out got on a bus on Thanksgiving, ate turkey dinner at Knott's Berry Farm, and in the morning, was at Disneyland.
Walked to the gate 40 minutes before opening and was the third person in the park, ran down main street right to Star Tours....
Posted: Nov Wed 17, 2004 12:06 am
by rellwood
I went to Disneyland recently and saw, for the first time, the Christmas Haunted Mansion. I was very impressed with how much work was put into the transformation!
Brief cheerful story: just before I went in, I was looking at it and trying to decide if I really wanted to wait in the unbelievable line, when someone approached me and asked me if I would like her fast-pass for it, and that I could just go on immediately! It's kind of a nothing-little-anicdote, but it made me feel good and made me extra-happy for a while!
Richard
Posted: Nov Wed 17, 2004 1:31 am
by COOOOLkid
this is a bit off topic, but that christmas tree at Mediterranean Harbor in TDS looks gorgeous!!!!
Posted: Nov Mon 22, 2004 7:05 pm
by rick-g-tn
THere is no better time then between Thanksgiving and the week Christmas. No one is there and all of the decorations are up.