Hello everyone,
I'm slightly overwhelmed with the number of pages in this thread ... Yikes!
The countdown is on for our upcoming trip, Dec 20-24.
I was just checking out the Dineyland website, and noticed that Disneyland Park has their hours posted for the dates we are going, but California Adventure does not. Is this normal, for CA to release them later? We are staying at the Pardise Pier, so plan to use the Early Entrance each morning, but I was starting to wonder, since CA didn't have their hours up.
During the busy holiday time, do both parks usually open early for hotel guests, or just one park per day?
Thanks to anyone who can help me out!
Alison
Hi,
Alison!
Welcome! There's no need to be overwhelmed. You don't have to read the whole thread. (There are a lot of pages because it's a popular thread, and I post a lot of information, rumors and news about the holiday season here that I don't post anywhere else on the forum. Also, we just wrapped up a 3-1/2 month-long photo-filled Theme Week Countdown, and that made the thread very long because we had a lot of participation. But that's over now!)
The posts on page 1 of the thread are broken up into different categories (important dates, food, merchandise, hotels, Downtown Disney, etc.), so if you want to read and learn a bit about the holiday happenings in those specific areas you can do so.
Otherwise, just jump right in and join us, which you did!
The hours and general calendar of events on the Disneyland Resort website are often kooky. Honestly, they do things very differently than WDW does things in terms of when they announce information, dates, schedules and do forth.
It's too early right now for the DLR website to have the full schedule and hours for your dates, I think. They usually
begin to update at about the 6-week point (so, 6 weeks out from your first day in the parks there should be hours, etc.), but even after the 6-week point the schedule is often not filled in or complete -- in fact, it's quite common for the entire schedule and hours to not be complete. Sometimes there is info that is not filled in until just a week or two before something is set to begin -- seriously!
If it helps any, this is what the hours were last year in December --
HERE.
You're going during the peak time -- just a few days before Christmas -- so the hours will be as extended as they can possibly be in both parks (and you can see what those hours were like last year).
When you stay onsite (I love the PPH!), you get an EMH/Extra Magic Hour into one park every day of your stay (even on your arrival and departure days!) -- and it is the park that is determined by Disney. In other words, you can't choose which park to go into early. You will have early access to Disneyland on certain days, and California Adventure on others. There will be signs up at the PPH desks to tell you which park you can enter early that morning.
In the past (can't recall if it was last year or 2012), I remember there was a situation in which Disney allowed early entry to both parks every day, but it was just a special deal for a limited time, and it lasted very briefly (probably based on how crowded it was). The norm is for just one park per day to be open for your EMH.
A friend of mine was there yesterday and posted a picture on FB of the Santa Sleigh and Reindeer.
Also wanted to add that I am actually looking forward to seeing the Jingle Cruise this year. I was disappointment with it last year I kept saying there was more holiday decorations in the que area then on the ride. Although that may have to do with the hour wait we had.
Jenasweetemotion --
That's great to hear! When I saw that photo on Disneyland Today -- especially after seeing
Misskitty3's photo in which there was no Santa at the end of the street -- I began to wonder if they were using a photo from last year for their Facebook post.
I'm so relieved to hear that your friend saw the Santa display in person and that we now know it is there. It was a nice little touch last year, and Hollywood Land needs the holiday cheer.
I do think that Jingle Cruise was set up last year so that the queue/boathouse would be more festive and holiday-ized than the ride itself. I am guessing that was just Disney testing the waters, so to speak. They probably didn't know if doing too much too soon on that ride would rub people the wrong way, so they started out with very minor holiday additions, then added in a few more as the season wore on -- and finally realized they needed to kick it all up a notch, putting fruitcakes in the hippos' mouths, having an "ugly sweater party" and the whole nine yards!
I think that if Disney had done too much at once with Jingle Cruise, some naysayers would have complained and said "This is too cheesy," and "You've ruined a classic ride." But by doing a very minimal overlay and leaving everyone wanting more decorations and more holiday details added in, it left some wiggle room to be able to expand the holiday overlay a bit.
I don't think Jingle Cruise will ever be at the level of HMH or IASWH in terms of overlays, but it appears to be greatly improved from last year!
It looks so much more festive than last year. I wonder what they've added to the upstairs?
Safe travels.
Jenny --
I like the concept of the animals getting into all of the decorations and messing it up, with garland and ornaments scattered about, fruitcakes floating around, etc. I like the one scene (shown in the gallery photos) with the cubs playing with the reindeer head!
It's an overlay -- but it's an overlay done with humor, which I appreciate!
I never even got upstairs last year to see what was there -- I have only seen photos of the upstairs portion of the queue -- so if I can get up there just to see whatever is there I will be content! Not that I welcome a long line, but if that is the only way to get up there then I have no choice but to wait in line!
It is amazing how quickly this thread grows, gone less than 24 hours and it jumps FOUR pages, wow!
Anyway, this is probably my last check-in, we leave tomorrow! We are going to be in the parks ALL DAY Sunday-Thursday. Can't believe it is already here
egritz --
It wasn't that long ago that you decided to make the trek back to DLR for the holidays, and now the trip is here!
I hope that it's a great trip! Report back to us when you get home!
It would make sense to add something new in DCA, since DL will largely be focused on 60th anniversary events.
