December 2-12, 2007 (Grand Californian Hotel) - First Trip to Disneyland for an Early Christmas & Dose of Disney Magic **Updated 10/30** COMPLETE About This Page:

[Big Sister]

Originally Posted by DyanKJ130

Fabulous update!! Your photos are incredible! Pizza Oom Mow Mow sounds yummy! We had hoped to go there in February, but it was closed. (I believe due to all the construction for the new Toy Story ride) The castle looks gorgeous! Your descriptions of everything are wonderful. I can sense your excitement andI feel like I am right there with you. I believe that photo of Walt & Mickey is one that was compiled for GCOE. Guests were invited to send photos in and they were placed into mosaics all over Disneyland. The only one I've seen in person is the Walt & Mickey one, but the photographs of the others are quite stunning! Can't wait to hear more

Thank you! I'm thoroughly glad you enjoyed reading my post! It was super enjoyable to write, the memories fantastic to experience all over again, and I had it finished before I knew it. I'm simply champing at the bit to get back to the park, but I've got a lot of saving to do before that happens!

I'm sorry to hear Pizza Oom Mow Mow was closed when you went there, as it's a really nice place for a quiet bite (though I must stress that depends on the time of day you go.) It's amazing to me to hear that the place had changed already, 2 months after Nest and I had left!

I'd be interested to see the other mosaics of photographs guests sent in. It would be great if these mosaics were available as posters, so one could study the smaller pictures at leisure, instead of blocking the way for other guests .

[Big Sister]

Originally Posted by chezp

I can see them now - thanks for doing that. That tree is just amazing!

No worries - my pleasure . Yes, I absolutely love the Frontierland Christmas tree too. So much so, that I'm thinking of giving our Christmas tree a makeover this year, and buying fresh lights to match the Frontierland one, with baubles to match so the lights shine off them and give the tree an even sparklier look. Or maybe I could be adventurous and do that for the trees in our yard (minus the baubles) ... hmmmmm, all the possibilities!

[DyanKJ130]

Great videos!! The castle lights made my eyes fill up and IASW was fun!! I like how you have the videos come up to fill the screen!!

I found a website that has the mosaics from the 50th celebration: Double Take Images. Clicking NEXT below each picture will advance you through the gallery. I hadn't seen all of them; I certainly wish I could have been there to witness them!

Can't wait to hear more

[Earkid]

Thanks so much for persevering with the video. I'm enjoying your detailed report and pictures!

[Big Sister]

Originally Posted by DyanKJ130

Great videos!! The castle lights made my eyes fill up and IASW was fun!! I like how you have the videos come up to fill the screen!!

I found a website that has the mosaics from the 50th celebration: Double Take Images. Clicking NEXT below each picture will advance you through the gallery. I hadn't seen all of them; I certainly wish I could have been there to witness them!

Can't wait to hear more

Glad you liked the videos - . At first, I wasn't able to watch the castle video without . Now that I've watched it soooooooo many times during video checks, I'm able to keep the tears at bay .

Thank you for the link to the Disney mosaics website - the artwork featured is absolutely amazing! I was overwhelmed by the community spirit involved, and could just imagine people's excitement as they travelled to the relevant Disney park to see if they could locate their tiny photo in the giant mosaics.

[Big Sister]

Originally Posted by Earkid

Thanks so much for persevering with the video. I'm enjoying your detailed report and pictures!

No worries - I found trying to get the videos to work, frustrating at times, but because I was so excited about the content, I was determined to keep going until they worked so that I could share them with like-minded people .

Glad you have been enjoying my report and my brother's pictures - thank you! There's still plenty more entries to come! ... and then I had better think about going on another holiday so I've got something to write about .

[Meggera]

I am so glad I found your TR. It makes me want to go during Christmas. Tell me about the Fantasmic dessert boxes and seats. How did you get those?

Your brother really does take wonderful pictures. Kudos!

[Two4Disney]

Wonderful pics, great report! We're planning on a stay at the Grand Californian this Christmas and we can't wait! Thanks for sharing!

[PrincessSharon]

I had a bit of catching up to do, but it was delightful. I must say your photos (or I guess yours and Nest's photos) are absolutely wonderful. You really managed to do quite a lot at Disney the past two days! The videos are wonderful as well and I thank you for working through the difficulties to get them posted. It was certainly worth all the trouble you went through!

[Big Sister]

Originally Posted by Meggera

I am so glad I found your TR. It makes me want to go during Christmas. Tell me about the Fantasmic dessert boxes and seats. How did you get those?

Your brother really does take wonderful pictures. Kudos!

Dear Meggera,

Thank you for your interesting question - huge apologies I haven't answered till now - I've been rushed off my feet with family and work, and all my hobbies have had to take a back seat

I first found out about special seating for Fantasmic! in Bob Sehlinger's The Unofficial Guide to Disneyland 2007. I didn't fancy having to stake out prime viewing spots hours in advance (and knew my brother wouldn't either), so I had my heart set on getting us reservations to view Fantasmic! from the balcony of the Disney Gallery, as outlined in the guide. Nest and I were particularly excited about the dessert buffet included in this deal. Unfortunately, when I rang up 30 days in advance, determined to get those reservations, the operator informed me that they didn't do that anymore, and that was that! Because it's stupid-o'clock here in Australia when the reservation lines open in America at 8am, my brain wasn't functioning anywhere near full enough capacity to enquire about any other options, so I hung up all disappointed.

A couple of days later, my very first PassPorter (1st edition) arrived, and I poured over it for hours with enthusiasm. It was here that I found out about Fantasmic! Premium Seating (which was not mentioned in the 2007 Sehlinger guide.) Full of renewed hope, I rang up at US 8am on the dot later that night/morning, hoping I could still get Nest and myself reservations on our chosen date. I got a much more helpful operator this time round, and I was successful in my bid for reservations. (I first enquired about the Disney Gallery balcony seating, despite what the previous operator had told me, and the lady this time round said that the Disney Gallery was currently closed for maintenance, but that she could offer me the Premium Seating mentioned in PassPorter.)

Now for a very important tip! On the night Nest and I had our Fantasmic! reservations, there were two show times - an early one and a late one (obviously - LOL!) Our screening was the later show. We felt a bit silly checking in super early for it, so came back to do it closer to the time, which turned out to be a mistake, as only the back row in our seating section was left available to choose from. So if those much sought-after front row seats are super important, check in ASAP! It's first come, first served, so don't be shy in seeking out your allocated Fantasmic! Cast Member to check you in when they pop up. Having said that, Nest and I could still see everything from the back row, and would take the back row over having to stake out our own spots hours in advance, any day. There were times when we had to move our heads about a bit to see around the people in front of us for the lower parts of the show though.

With the Premium Seating, there are some super big floodlight poles dotted along the bank where the sections of seats are set up, but they weren't a problem for the section we were in. I'm not aware of being able to choose which section you're seated in, but I assume the Disney event organisers would ensure the poles wouldn't block any one section's view.

What else can I tell you about the seats ... if you're not sure which section is yours, go up to any Cast Member wearing a Fantasmic! jacket like Nest and I had to, and they'll happily point you in the right direction. The seats are located on the cement path/areas in-between the grass bank and the safety railings of the Rivers of America.

In the morning of the night you're going to see Fantasmic!, go and collect your tickets from Guest Services in either park (we collected ours from DCA), so you don't get caught up in any possible lengthy lines later on in the day, and start to panic about how much time you have left before show check-in time.

Now for details on everybody's favourite meal of the day - dessert! When you rock up to your seating section, you're greeted by your very own host, who shows you to your seat, hands you a dessert box and napkin, and describes the free drinks on offer for the duration of the wait up until the beginning of the show (free drinks aren't available from once the show starts.) The dessert boxes are made from thin, yet durable, cardboard, and are a bit smaller than a tissue box (not the thin squat tissue boxes - the other ones.) It's decorated in bright colours depicting scenes from Fantasmic!, and contain high quality goodies as described in my TR. They're surprisingly filling, and I suggest you make a start on them while waiting for the show to begin, as once it starts, all thoughts on what to eat next go right out of your head! The dessert box is yours to take home after the show.

I haven't researched special seating for Fantasmic! since before my trip last year, so I don't know what the current options are. For the very latest information, I suggest you call Disney's reservation line on 714-781-4400. If you have a particular date in mind, ring up 30 days in advance from that date, at exactly 8am Anaheim time, for that is when the phone lines open, and reservation spaces can fill up fast. Have your credit card with you to secure your booking, and a pen and paper handy to jot down your reservation number, and any other useful information you're given such as times and check-in place.

As for visiting Disneyland during the Christmas season, I would highly recommend it without a moment’s hesitation. Sure, it's crowded at times, but the decorations, Christmas-themed events, and atmosphere highly charged with happiness and holiday spirit (and magic!), definitely makes it worthwhile.

Even the Disney hotels get fully into the spirit of things. There's plenty of Christmas spirit and decorations waiting for you there, so you don't have to feel as if you're leaving it all behind in the parks at the end of each evening. (The Grand Californian Hotel is perhaps the best of all three Disney hotels in this instance.) Your actual room wont have any Christmas decorations in it (though the glowing pixie dust in the Disneyland Hotel rooms would count in my books, even though I've never seen it for myself), but if your budget allows, you can organise with Disney's Shopping Service to have a decorated tree and fully stuffed stockings delivered to your room, which you can take home with you at the end of your stay (a packaging box will be supplied, and Bell Services will take care of the rest once you've packed it, filled in the payment form, and given them a call.) (A friend organised this as a surprise for my brother and I last year. The surprise was a brilliant start to our holiday!)

I truly hope you're able to experience the Christmas season at Disneyland soon, and I really appreciate that you've enjoyed reading my trip report up to this stage. Apologies once again for the length of time it has taken me to respond to your question - I hope my answer was still of some help.

Alison

PS - My brother thanks you for the compliment on his photos

[Big Sister]

Originally Posted by Two4Disney

Wonderful pics, great report! We're planning on a stay at the Grand Californian this Christmas and we can't wait! Thanks for sharing!

- I'm delighted to hear you've been enjoying my report and my brother's photos

I'm so excited to hear that you'll be staying at the Grand Californian this Christmas! I hope you have as great a time as my brother and I did! I'll keep my eye out for your trip report next year.

[Meggera]

Wow Alison! What a great answer to my question! Thanks for the wonderful details. I will surely keep it all in mind when our trip comes around. Sadly, it isn't until 2010. But, I will definitely be planning it all the while.

[Big Sister]

Originally Posted by PrincessSharon

I had a bit of catching up to do, but it was delightful. I must say your photos (or I guess yours and Nest's photos) are absolutely wonderful. You really managed to do quite a lot at Disney the past two days! The videos are wonderful as well and I thank you for working through the difficulties to get them posted. It was certainly worth all the trouble you went through!

Princess Sharon!

Even though it was a hard decision, I'm glad we ended up cancelling two of our outside Disney excursions, as we got so much done during those extra days that I doubt we could've crammed into the original two remaining park days we had left.

I must admit that the videos were a bit of a pain to get working properly, but with a lot of determination and help from my brother and Dyan, we were successful in the end . I thought these two events were so special and spectacular, that I wanted everyone to have a chance to see them, especially if they weren't able to get to the park themselves.

I'm half-way through my next entry . Hopefully it wont take much longer, but knowing me ...

[Big Sister]

Originally Posted by Meggera

Wow Alison! What a great answer to my question! Thanks for the wonderful details. I will surely keep it all in mind when our trip comes around. Sadly, it isn't until 2010. But, I will definitely be planning it all the while.

No worries - my pleasure!

I know how you feel with your trip being a long way off in the distance. I never let time stop me from planning either - it's so much fun! I've been planning a return trip to WDW since 2006 (but somehow a trip to California squeezed itself in there, and another one's in the pipelines before WDW becomes visible on the horizon.) All this is dependent on my ability to save though , and I imagine a loooooooooooooooooot of time is going to be involved . The dream of it keeps me going though, as well as the thought that I **will** make it back one of these days (brother/s in tow)

[DyanKJ130]

Just catching up!! Sounds like a wonderful experience, Alison! Looking forward to more