Disneyland A Christmas Fantasy Parade

Disneyland A Christmas Fantasy Parade

For me no holiday is complete without seeing Disneyland’s A Christmas Fantasy Parade. It is a joyful, playful look at the holidays and what makes them special.

Each year there are slight changes. The order of the segments changes slightly. Sometimes outfits change. For a year or so Duffy was on the first float with the music box ballerina. Duffy is now with Mrs. Claus.

A Christmas Fantasy Parade and Believe Fireworks are open for all guests at Disneyland. They are not Pay to Play “Party” special events as the Christmas parade and fireworks are at Walt Disney World. I personally am hoping that they do not change this. There have been rumors over the last few years that Disney was thinking of making these special events.

So without further ado here is my video of this years A Christmas Fantasy Parade:

http://youtu.be/j2xs6zrGgkA

My Christmas book, “An Angel Remembers 25 Voices of Christmas” is available!!

This is a collection of 26 short Christmas stories that together bring the amazing events of Christ’s birth alive. It is my hope that this will help encourage families to spend 10-15 minutes a day together during the busy holiday season remembering the true reason for the season.

You can find it for ALL eReader formats and PDF at:

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/94784

For your Nook the link is:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/an-angel-remembers-25-voices-of-christmas-carolyn-hoagland/1106912931?ean=2940032802624

It is also available at the iTunes book store and many other ebook seller sites.

The only big site not carrying my book is Amazon.

You can download a Kindle version from Smashwords.com

Christmas at Disneyland Resort

Christmas at Disneyland Resort

Help Save Christmas at Disneyland

Christmas at Disneyland Resort is a truly magical time. Yes it is early to start talking about it but I feel I must. Let me start by telling you what is great about Christmas at Disneyland and then I’ll tell you my concern.

There is the Christmas Parade by day or night, Fireworks at night, Snow falling throughout the park after the Fireworks and special Castle Lighting, Haunted Mansion Holiday, Small World Holiday and all the decorations around the park truly are special. The Candlelight Processional is amazing as are all new things at Disney California Adventure. The DCA decorations really came up to full Disney standard. Disneyland has a way of bringing the holidays alive.

Daily the rumors build that Disneyland is planning on doing the Pay-to-Play Christmas like the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World. You might think, “Wow! A chance to have holiday time at Disneyland with smaller crowds!” or “Nice! Now I will not have to worry about getting a good view of the Parade or Fireworks!”

If they do this you will have to pay to see the Christmas Fireworks, Christmas Parade and Christmas Snow. Only those that pay to play will be able to see the park lit up at night. Let me tell you why this will not work well. Disneyland Resort is NOT Walt Disney World! Here are the differences between the two resort properties.

                                                DLR                                                     WDW

Size:                                       0.8 Mile                                              47 Square Miles

Number of parks:                  2                                                          4

Number of water parks:        0                                                          2

Indoor Amusement Parks:     0                                                          1

Bowling:                                   0                                                          1

Golf Courses:                         0                                                          2 (full and mini)

Hotels/Resorts:                    3                                                          Over 20

Entertainment at hotels:      Minimal/Nothing large                       Most have a special thing

Shopping Districts:               1/DTD                                                 2 DTD & the Boardwalk

            Now you may ask why this makes a difference, here we go.  When a park, such as the Magic Kingdom is closed for a special event at Walt Disney World there are 3 other parks to go to. There are also the hotels/resorts, Downtown Disney, Boardwalk and Golf to entertain guests on property.

            When Disneyland or Disney California Adventure closes for a special event things become dicey. Disneyland closes and people head over to California Adventure for the evening. Once World of Color starts most if not all of Paradise Pier and the surrounding area closes for the night. When Paradise Pier closes for WoC the following rides CLOSE, Screamr’, Mickey’s Fun Wheel, Silly Symphony Swings, Golden Zephyr and maybe Jellyfish Jump and Toy Story Mania. That leaves Cars Land for the big ticket ride with Radiator Springs Racers open. If you are too late to get a ticket for viewing of WoC you can either hopefully catch it from the backside where you cannot see the video on the water clearly or you can go to Alice’s Mad T Party. I will be honest my husband and I can’t do the T Party because it is a loud dance party with flashing lights.

            So what are your options if Disneyland is closed and you don’t have tickets or don’t want to see WoC? You can hang out in Downtown Disney but that can be done in a short time. You can go back to your hotel but there is little to no entertainment there. During Christmas they may have Christmas Carolers out for short periods of time in the Lobby of the Grand Californian. They also have a live piano player from time to time in the lobby of the Grand. The hotel restaurants have Character Breakfasts so you that takes that out unless you just want to eat diner. Your only other choice is to leave the resort and go see a movie or find something else to do off property.

            If you don’t like this idea of a pay-to-play at Disneyland what can you do to let Disney know? Number one is drop them an email. Here is the link to where you can write them:

https://disneyland.disney.go.com/help/email/

            If someone knows how to set up a petition let me know! I would love to be a part! I’d sign and pass the information on!

Christmas on Main Street USA, Disneyland

Christmas on Main Street USA, Disneyland

Main Street is one of my favorite places to spend time at Christmas. The decorations are so breathtakingly beautiful! It is also one of the most romantic spots to just stroll with your sweetie in my opinion.

There is a unified theme down Main Street with all the garland matching. It is like all the shopkeepers got together to make Main Street the most festive place in town.

The window in Walt’s Main Street Apartment has a beautiful tree sitting in it.

Going across the street are gorgeous lengths of garland with whimsical Mickey shaped wreaths in the middle.

All the Main Street Transportation is decorated with a festive feel.

At this time there is a beautiful set up for Candlelight. It is usually only up for the first weekend in December. This year it is up for 20 days!

At the end of Main Street is Sleeping Beauties Castle. ‘Snow’ sits on the roof of the Castle. Fanciful garland is hung around the parapets and above the entrance at the end of the bridge is a beautiful wreath. No matter what angle you look at it is amazing.

At night the lights on the castle are an amazing sight and popular with the photographers.

Disneyland Candlelight Processional

Disneyland Candlelight Processional

On Saturday, December 8^th my husband, two good friends and I were blessed to see the 7:30 pm showing of Candlelight from the 3^rd row! This was our first time ever seeing this show and we will make sure to see it every year from now on. Edward James Olmos was the narrator for the show we were at.

For those that do know what Candlelight is let me give you a quick and very short history. Walt Disney wanted to do something special for his supporters, backers, business partners, friends and family for Christmas. In 1958 he started doing a special show for them the first weekend in December. It was 2 nights only. Non invited guests (regular park guests) could stand around outside the seating area. This event has hundreds of singers and included the reading of the Biblical account of the birth of Jesus Christ. At the end of the show the choir has a processional down Main Street singing Christmas Carols.

Even after Walt’s death in 1966 the tradition continued at Disneyland with only VIP’s being allowed to have seats for the event. Regular guests could camp out all day in front of City Hall or the Main Street Opera House to catch a glimpse of the show and then watch the processional. This year Disneyland decided to expand the show for a total of 20 nights! The first weekend was still for invited guests/VIPs but the other 19 nights the seating was given to Club 33 Members and Annual Passholders (tickets given by lottery to the Passholders).

While Disneyland kept to the one weekend, 2 days from 1958 until this year Walt Disney World is different. WDW started with the same one weekend schedule for many of the 29 years it has been done there as DL but then moved it to a 30 plus day schedule with 3 shows per day years ago. WDW has a choir of over 100 and a orchestra of 50. I've never seen WDW’s Candlelight but hope to someday.

This show is one of the most moving events I've ever seen. It is meaningful and magical at the same time. It is joyful and reminds all who attend or catch even a small glimpse why we celebrate the season.

Here is video of Candlelight at Disneyland. Edward James Olmos was the narrator the night we saw the show.

Christmas is Coming!!!

Christmas is Coming!!

As Christmas time is just around the corner excitement builds at Disney Parks. Last month All the Halloween decorations were up. Orange and brown colored the parks with a festive fall feel. Toward the end of the month things like snow started topping Sleeping Beauties Castle at Disneyland and some Christmas decorations started to show up in New Orleans Square.

After the park closed October 31^st many of the Halloween decorations on Main Street at Disneyland were removed, including the large Mickey shaped Jack-O-Lantern. Christmas decorations went up overnight to make preparations for the filming of the Christmas Parade to be shown on Christmas day. Now the parks are all red and green!

Over the last few weeks more and more decorations have gone up. Today is the official start of the Holiday Season at the Parks. The Holiday Fireworks and other festive special events will now begin in earnest! This will continue until the first weekend in January!

This is my favorite time of year at the Disneyland Resort and it is even more exciting now than ever because Disney is finally going to decorate Disney California Adventure for the Holidays! DCA has only gotten scant decorating before this! Yes, DCA had a Christmas tree but from year to year it wondered around the park and was never a central item. They did things like Santa’s Beach Party but it was never a big hit as the rest of the park being undecorated left it feeling out of place.

Having many friends on Facebook that are into the parks as I am I’ve seen pictures of DCA’s new decorations. Even Cars Land is getting into the Holiday feel! There is garland above Rout 66! It is made of lights and air filters! A tire is the center point of each garland string! Special Christmas music is playing in the area!

Buena Vista Street has its own Christmas Tree! It has Red Car Trolley ornaments and Walt’s Carolwood Barn sits below it! Unlike years past there is a nightly tree lighting ceremony as there is in Disneyland. The Buena Vista Street Business’s went all out to decorate their shops and Elias & Company has Santa in their store much like any 1920’s department store would.

I’ve not seen any of this in person yet but from the pictures I’ve seen I’m going to want to spend a lot of time in the parks this Holiday season!

Christmas Changes at Disneyland

Christmas Changes at Disneyland

 Rumors are going around that Santa will leave his reindeer at the North Pole along with Mrs. Claus. For the past few years Santa and Mrs. Claus along with all of the reindeer could been found at Santa’s Reindeer Romp in the Big Thunder Ranch area. Mrs. Claus and the reindeer will be missed. For years Reindeer have been flown in from the North Pole for guests to enjoy. It is also rumored that Santa will no longer be in the cabin at the Big Thunder Ranch area. Instead he will be in the Fantasy Festival area.

I find it sad that Mrs. Claus and the reindeer will not be there. I also am sad that he will not be in the cabin as I feel it gives a wonderful backdrop for pictures. It was always beautifully decorated and looked like it really could be Santa’s home.

The biggest news is the addition of more days of Candlelight! From the beginning at DLR there have only been 2 nights of Candlelight. It has always been the first weekend of December. This year there will be 20 nights of Candlelight and you can purchase a dining package with VIP seating for this wonderful and moving show.

For all the years I’ve gone to DLR during the holidays I’ve never seen Candlelight. Most years I’ve not been able to get to the park on the dates it has been there. If I was lucky enough to be there I have been busy with family/friends that were not interested in taking the time required to get a spot to see the show. This year I’m going to Candlelight!