[Chat] In this case I hope Al is wrong about Christmas!

[BasilofBakerStreet]

With Al's latest update something that I have been hoping that would never come to Disneyland looks like it will make its way. I figured the way Candlelight was going this year TDA had plans to make the parade, fireworks, and snow an exclusive event. This has become a tradition for many families and coming to Disneyland for their holiday vacation only to find out there is no parade or fireworks is not going to go well. We are already paying high prices and are now getting less.

I was upset about Halloween Screams being taken away but it was only that event. The Halloween parties still had more exclusives that weren't offered to normal guests in years past. Hearing more reports of overcrowding and negative reviews of the Halloween party that I have now decided to skip it. Why take away something that I have paid for in the past and now try and sell me more to see those events? Greed? Not to mention this is the time that most tourists come and try to get them out of the park to let the separate ticket guests in is going to create a crowd control nightmare.

I really hope that Candlelight doesn't go over so well and TDA rethinks their plans. If there is a separate ticket event starting next year then I'll save money by not renewing next October. I have always factored the Christmas events into the price of renewing.

[DarthAP]

Re: In this case I hope Al is wrong about Christmas!

SMH! Well, all I can say is that I had wonderful Holiday seasons at the Resort and that these changes Al mentioned makes my upcoming move from CA exciting. I'll be visiting the Resort one last time taking in what's left of the Happiest Place On Earth. Those visiting next year have my deepest sympathy. And the price increases are way too much to bear. I hope to turn my attentions to WDW upon arriving on the East Coast. So long, Disneyland. Nice knowing you since 1981!

[mratigan]

Re: In this case I hope Al is wrong about Christmas!

sadly TDA has turned into a money eating factory
but WDI wants really themed rides
enjoy the Christmas fun this year then

[dictionary]

Re: In this case I hope Al is wrong about Christmas!

Well this will be disappointing..I am getting to go for the Holidays (this will be my second Holiday Trip in 15 yrs) and I guess I better not fall in love with it or expect to pay $ for any of my future visits which I agree... having a special tickets doesn't deter the crowds so we are just paying more for Holiday features..so sad.

[Steamboat Mickey]

Re: In this case I hope Al is wrong about Christmas!

Yeah, I read that news and was sad as well. I guess I can still enjoy the parade and fireworks this holiday season and then I dunno.

My pass expires in June of next year and Disneyland is certainly not doing anything to entice me to stay a passholder for next year.

[BasilofBakerStreet]

Re: In this case I hope Al is wrong about Christmas!

Unlike Halloween I cannot recall any other theme park in SoCal that does a separate ticket for the Holiday season. I'm starting to think TDA wants to get rid of APers.

[sir clinksalot]

Re: In this case I hope Al is wrong about Christmas!

I think this is one where the writing has been on the wall and it's absolutely going to happen.

People complained and complained when they did this to the Halloween parties and that people wouldn't go. And all of those are sold out essentially giving Disney double admission for the day.

[Acpisme]

Re: In this case I hope Al is wrong about Christmas!

I am disturbed with the possible up charge for tickets at Christmas and most of the resort Christmas offerings only for the private parties for an additional cost. Judging by several posts now, the Halloween parties are overcrowded and people are left feeling let down. Imagine what the Christmas parties will be like?

Now I always try to enjoy myself whenever we visit the parks no matter what. But really, it is getting harder and harder to see past the outstretched hands patting me down for my wallet when I do. Kind of reminds me of when the fast pass system was implemented and the standard lines were renamed to Stand By. In most of the world Stand By is a step below, a second class arena if you will. At least with the Fast Passes, everyone has a shot at making First Class.

[madmonkeygirl]

Re: In this case I hope Al is wrong about Christmas!

If this is true then I hate saying this will be the last year we spend the holidays at Disneyland. We now have family elsewhere and I've never had an old fashioned for free white Christmas and all the traditions. Plus I think since my husband and my first date was on NYE in 1996 this will be the last year we do NYE at Disneyland as well. Since all Disney wants is more and more of our money. I think it's time we find other things to do and not give Disney any.

If what I've been reading about the Hallowen parties and how so many are unhappy due to crowds etc. it's definitely NOT worth it by any means. I used to love Disney but now I just have a sour taste in my mouth. If you don't have kids spend that money elsewhere for Halloween. There are so many better scary events worth every penny.

I refuse to set foot into the park for a separate costly event that is over crowded and not fun. I think next year I will take up sledding, skiing and all the other things that are less expensive once again.

[jrh1985]

Re: In this case I hope Al is wrong about Christmas!

I'm in the middle here,

While I'm not happy that it looks like DL will be cutting Believe and A Christmas Fantasy for the public until Christmas Week, I'm reminded that MK has been doing this since 1983 and been a hit ever since. It also lets the guests see the regular entertainment as well like Soundsational and Remember. Would it be nice if the parties were worked in to regular park hours? YES!!

The only problem I see with this is Sounsational. I'm wondering if DL will need a new Parade next Christmas as I don't think Sounsational can fit under the garlands on Main Street.

[TTN]

Re: In this case I hope Al is wrong about Christmas!

This is just cheap and greedy. What makes this more ridiculous than anything else is, with possibly the exception of the Main street snow effect, they'll already have the infrastructure in place for projections on IASW, the snow effects, Believe in Holiday magic, and the Christmas parade. Not only that is during a non-holiday party day they would have a Firework show (magical or RDCT, both of which are significantly longer and although I am no fireworks expert seem to use more shells than the extremely short, about 10 minutes, Holiday fireworks show), Soundsational (which has just as many performers and floats if not more than the Christmas parade), and I very much doubt running projections on IASW could cost that much in electricity, so that they are spending just as much if not more money on entertainment durning the non-holiday party days as they would if they just left the holiday offerings as is. With the infrastructure already in place because of the holiday parties there is no argument either that they would save money by not changing over to these other entertainment offerings on non-party day either. So they are literally changing the holiday offers at their own expense so that they may isolate them into parties and make more money. For lack of anything better to say, it's just greedy and rude.

[Poisonedapples]

Re: In this case I hope Al is wrong about Christmas!

With Al's latest update something that I have been hoping that would never come to Disneyland looks like it will make its way. I figured the way Candlelight was going this year TDA had plans to make the parade, fireworks, and snow an exclusive event. This has become a tradition for many families and coming to Disneyland for their holiday vacation only to find out there is no parade or fireworks is not going to go well. We are already paying high prices and are now getting less.

I was upset about Halloween Screams being taken away but it was only that event. The Halloween parties still had more exclusives that weren't offered to normal guests in years past. Hearing more reports of overcrowding and negative reviews of the Halloween party that I have now decided to skip it. Why take away something that I have paid for in the past and now try and sell me more to see those events? Greed? Not to mention this is the time that most tourists come and try to get them out of the park to let the separate ticket guests in is going to create a crowd control nightmare.

I really hope that Candlelight doesn't go over so well and TDA rethinks their plans. If there is a separate ticket event starting next year then I'll save money by not renewing next October. I have always factored the Christmas events into the price of renewing.

coo. i think that the candlelight should be a seperate ticket event, cut down on the messy amount of people, it's soo dang packed around main st for the candlelight that i cant EVEN get to the emporium!! its lots of people in a small space, if they did it as a ticket event and spaced the days out that would eliminate the mass of people wanting to see it all on one day..maybe i feel this way cause i am not a fan of xmas, but who knows.. so ticket event or not i wont be going cause i can't stand the candlelight :whistling

[MsMandy]

Re: In this case I hope Al is wrong about Christmas!

This news has made me beyond sad. I'm thankful that my family will come visit us for the final true Disneyland holiday experience this year.

Once my passes expire next summer, we won't be renewing. With RFID chips and lack of Christmas details, it's just not the Disneyland I remembered in anyway shape or form.

[DannyLand]

Re: In this case I hope Al is wrong about Christmas!

the cool thing is that the special ticketed events cost a lot less than a normal ticket.
like if you are go to Disneyland for the first time.
it's better to pay $54-$69 (Halloween Party) cus it's cheaper than to pay $87 (1 normal tix)

---------- Post added 10-16-2012 at 12:49 PM ----------

if you don't like the concept then the public shall boycott?

[BasilofBakerStreet]

Re: In this case I hope Al is wrong about Christmas!

the cool thing is that the special ticketed events cost a lot less than a normal ticket.
like if you are go to Disneyland for the first time.
it's better to pay $54-$69 (Halloween Party) cus it's cheaper than to pay $87 (1 normal tix)

---------- Post added 10-16-2012 at 12:49 PM ----------

if you don't like the concept then the public shall boycott?

It may come down to not getting a pass and just paying for the party. $650 vs $69, hmm which one will my wallet like more. I wonder how the surveys came back this year for the Halloween party. Next year may give me a chance to check on Knott's and Universal's Holiday offerings. Plus I'm a big fan of Charlie Brown Christmas!

[JerrodDRagon]

Re: In this case I hope Al is wrong about Christmas!

I think this is one where the writing has been on the wall and it's absolutely going to happen.

People complained and complained when they did this to the Halloween parties and that people wouldn't go. And all of those are sold out essentially giving Disney double admission for the day.

Well....I don't go to them...I really cant.....I'm cool with other Halloween Events...like Universal and Knotts, and even Six Flags because they put REAL effort into making them events

They have mazes and shows that are new EVERY year, not just some Firework show you can view on Youtube....

It's really unfair how some people choose to spend there money and it effects me in the end

[Mr Wiggins]

Re: In this case I hope Al is wrong about Christmas!

I think this is one where the writing has been on the wall and it's absolutely going to happen.

People complained and complained when they did this to the Halloween parties and that people wouldn't go. And all of those are sold out essentially giving Disney double admission for the day.

Exactly right. As long as customers continue to vote YES!! with their wallets when Disney upcharges, Disney will continue upcharging holidays, shows, "special" days, perks, tiers, service levels, having your name stitched on your mouse ears, extra squirts of fudge on your ice cream, and anything else they can think of.

Oh, and while they're raking in money by overselling so many tickets to upcharged events that Disneyland looks like a mosh pit of sardines, they're making extra profits by deliberately understaffing the events.

This is just cheap and greedy.

Yep. And absolutely nothing is going to stop Disney from doing more of the same. Unless, that is, significant numbers of customers vote NO in the only way Disney understands: with their wallets.

Meanwhile, every customer who spends money on upcharges is telling Disney "Yes! Give us more of the same!"

[sir clinksalot]

Re: In this case I hope Al is wrong about Christmas!

Well....I don't go to them...I really cant.....I'm cool with other Halloween Events...like Universal and Knotts, and even Six Flags because they put REAL effort into making them events

They have mazes and shows that are new EVERY year, not just some Firework show you can view on Youtube....

It's really unfair how some people choose to spend there money and it effects me in the end

No question. We've done MNSSHP in FL twice because we were on Vacation. I can't imagine paying extra for fireworks as a Disneyland semi-local when there are so many other (better) choices for Halloween events here.

[clara]

Re: In this case I hope Al is wrong about Christmas!

Meanwhile, every customer who spends money on upcharges is telling Disney "Yes! Give us more of the same!"

And for every person who says "I will not be renewing this year" (myself included) there is a family of 4 renewing their passes with monthly payments.

It doesn't matter what Disney does, the parks will still remain full and people will still put down their green and/or credit cards to pay for it.

It's such a wierd phenomenon to me.

[sir clinksalot]

Re: In this case I hope Al is wrong about Christmas!

And for every person who says "I will not be renewing this year" (myself included) there is a family of 4 renewing their passes with monthly payments.

It doesn't matter what Disney does, the parks will still remain full and people will still put down their green and/or credit cards to pay for it.

It's such a wierd phenomenon to me.

Agreed. If people don't like it, it's time to put your $$ where your mouth is. It actually DOES work.

Prime example, Knott's Berry Farm. I was a loyal visitor to Knott's for a LOT of years. Had Annual Passes for a lot of years, probably close to a decade. After Silver Bullet I was very disillusioned with the park, with the direction they were going. Then you come to 2011, a new park manager comes in, rededicates himself and the park in a positive direction. Re-furbs much of Ghost Town, etc. Now I'm proud to have my Knott's pass again, and we are getting Knott's passes again next year while letting our Disney ones lapse.

Will we go to Knott's as much as we used to go to Disney, nope. But we've only been to Disney 4 times this year anyway and probably won't be back until January at this point. Even at 4-5 visits per year, a Knott's pass is more than worth it.

One could also apply the same rationale to Six Flags over the years 2006-2009. Same thing applies. I've had a Six Flags season pass since the mid-80's except for those 3 years, until they started making positive improvements.