Big Trees: The Grove -vs- Disneyland

[Pisces]

A tale of two trees----here's the Grove's 110 ft Christmas tree:




And, Disneyland's Tree which is much smaller and thinner:





My Observations, not having seen Disneyland's in person----I have actually gone to see the Grove's though, but at night----

The Grove's Tree is huge! It takes a couple of minutes just to walk around the whole thing---well, maybe just one minute, but it's much much thicker at the base.

The Grove's is much more monochromatic. They've only got red, gold, and a little bit of silver ornaments. Disneyland has blue ornaments on their tree.

The Grove's also has lights that blink on and off intermittently. I don't know if Disneyland's lights to that.

One thing I like is Disneyland's ornaments are more varied, with instruments, toy soldiers, etc...

But the Grove is a high-fashion shopping center, so perhaps the monochrome, plain-style ornaments fit-in better with that type of venue?

[mrfantasmic]

Re: Big Trees: The Grove -vs- Disneyland

You fail to take into account scale, sir.
A 115 foot tree is taller than the castle.

[Ride Warrior]

Re: Big Trees: The Grove -vs- Disneyland

I don't remember there being blinking lights on last year's Christmas tree at Disneyland. What I like about the varied ornamentation is that it makes the Main Street tree look like it was decorated by family and friends in the true spirit of Christmas - rather than the uninspiring product of a professional designer.

[SusieP.]

Re: Big Trees: The Grove -vs- Disneyland

I agree, RW. It looks like The Grove's tree people cheated and hung garlands of ornaments, instead of the mis-matched look of Disneyland's. Theirs is too perfect looking to my eye.

[Pisces]

Re: Big Trees: The Grove -vs- Disneyland

Yes yes yes, Main Street's appears to have more warmth. But the Grove's is glamorous.

I just saw a picture of Fashion Island's, which is also 110 ft---I think. Fashion Island has just about the same color scheme as The Grove, using only red, gold, and a hint of silver ornaments.

I guess once you get over 70 ft.....only a certain color scheme will work ???

[Pisces]

Re: Big Trees: The Grove -vs- Disneyland

I agree, RW. It looks like The Grove's tree people cheated and hung garlands of ornaments, instead of the mis-matched look of Disneyland's. Theirs is too perfect looking to my eye.

Well, it wasn't perfect in the beginning:





Yikes!

Unlike Disneyland's which was hidden while being decorated, the Grove wasn't afraid to let-it-all-hang-out, and show the different stages of preparation.

And yes, I can vouch for the fact that virtually all the lower half of The Grove's tree.....is fake branches.

Disneylands added-on branches might be real.

[Ride Warrior]

Re: Big Trees: The Grove -vs- Disneyland

Well, it wasn't perfect in the beginning:





Yikes!

Unlike Disneyland's which was hidden while being decorated, the Grove wasn't afraid to let-it-all-hang-out, and show the different stages of preparation.

And yes, I can vouch for the fact that virtually all the lower half of The Grove's tree.....is fake branches.

Disneylands added-on branches might be real.

I'll have to check the lower branches of the Disneyland tree next time that i am there. It would be so cool if they do turn out to be real.

[Luke Manning]

Re: Big Trees: The Grove -vs- Disneyland

How long have they been putting up the current tree at Disneyland?

[Ride Warrior]

Re: Big Trees: The Grove -vs- Disneyland

I agree, RW. It looks like The Grove's tree people cheated and hung garlands of ornaments, instead of the mis-matched look of Disneyland's. Theirs is too perfect looking to my eye.

Perfectionism is unnecesary - and can be quite cold. The French have a saying that true perfection can never be achieved in the abcense of a little imperfection.

Ok. I forgot exactly how they phrased it, so I created my own saying in line with the spirit of theirs.

[DisneyIPresume]

Re: Big Trees: The Grove -vs- Disneyland

Yes yes yes, Main Street's appears to have more warmth. But the Grove's is glamorous.

I just saw a picture of Fashion Island's, which is also 110 ft---I think. Fashion Island has just about the same color scheme as The Grove, using only red, gold, and a hint of silver ornaments.

I guess once you get over 70 ft.....only a certain color scheme will work ???

I was just going to mention Fashion Island as having a 100 foot plus tree.

Yikes!

Unlike Disneyland's which was hidden while being decorated, the Grove wasn't afraid to let-it-all-hang-out, and show the different stages of preparation.

And yes, I can vouch for the fact that virtually all the lower half of The Grove's tree.....is fake branches.

Disneylands added-on branches might be real.

Prep for the Fashion Island tree as well was prepped in stages out in the open. I don't know if there are any fake branches on it or not. Probably there are.

Interesting that Disneyland tried to decorate the tree backstage but left the castle exposed for everyone to see what was going on.

[SusieP.]

Re: Big Trees: The Grove -vs- Disneyland

Perfectionism is unnecesary - and can be quite cold. The French have a saying that true perfection can never be achieved in the abcense of a little imperfection.

Ok. I forgot exactly how the phrased it, so I created my own saying in line with the spirit of theirs.

:lol:
Perfection is overrated anyway.

[Ride Warrior]

Re: Big Trees: The Grove -vs- Disneyland

How long have they been putting up the current tree at Disneyland?

I don't know that this year's tree is the same one as last year. Don't know how far back that their has been a tree in place at the beginning of main Street either. Since it is located in line with Walt's apartment, i have a feeling thatthere has been a tree there ever since the 50s or 60s when Walt was alive.

Walt not only enjoyed making people happy, he delighted in watching his Disneyland guests in the act of merrinent.

[Ride Warrior]

Re: Big Trees: The Grove -vs- Disneyland

:lol:
Perfection is overrated anyway.

Right on!

[Thisguy74]

Re: Big Trees: The Grove -vs- Disneyland

[quote=Pisces;2354633]
The Grove's also has lights that blink on and off intermittently. I don't know if Disneyland's lights to that.
quote]

The problem with blinking lights and pictures is that if a group of lights in one section of the tree is off when you flash your picture, the tree looks odd. For pictures (tourists and micechatters especially) it is somewhat better to have lights always on so that a few years down the road, you will remember the tree being lit rather than partially lit.

There previously were white (fake) christmas trees in the moat in front of the castle and I took some pictures. In a couple of my pictures it appears that the second 1/3 of the tree was not lit. It makes the picture look bad.

[mrfantasmic]

Re: Big Trees: The Grove -vs- Disneyland

How long have they been putting up the current tree at Disneyland?

Since this year... it's a real tree people.

[Wendygirl]

Re: Big Trees: The Grove -vs- Disneyland

This Reply is from Lost Boy as I am at my sister's place for the weekend and I don't have my login here so I am using hers.

The 60 foot tree has been a Christmas icon at Disneyland for more than 30 years. I can't remember exactly how long, but I have a photo of one of my friends, who is now in his late 30's standing in front of the Disneyland 60 foot tree when he was 7 years old. So it's been around for longer than just this year. Of course it is a new tree every year.

[techskip]

Re: Big Trees: The Grove -vs- Disneyland

Strange, I actually didn't like the tree the last few years (haven't seen this one yet) mainly because of the random choice of colors. I LOVE the one at the Grand Californian because it had a centralized theme... but the random colored lights and ornaments in the MS Version always seemed off to me. I'm not saying perfection, but a little color management and theme would make it look a lot better. Again this is years past, haven't seen this one but from the description I gather it hasn't changed.

[penguinsoda]

Re: Big Trees: The Grove -vs- Disneyland

Remember... size isen't everything....














(Oh, and monochromatic would be one color, from the prefix mono meaning one. The tree at The Grove has at least 3 different colors per your description. Yes, I am that anal, its the instructor in me.)

[Aladdin]

Re: Big Trees: The Grove -vs- Disneyland

Strange, I actually didn't like the tree the last few years (haven't seen this one yet) mainly because of the random choice of colors. I LOVE the one at the Grand Californian because it had a centralized theme... but the random colored lights and ornaments in the MS Version always seemed off to me. I'm not saying perfection, but a little color management and theme would make it look a lot better. Again this is years past, haven't seen this one but from the description I gather it hasn't changed.

I agree. I do like that DL has a real tree each year. It's so much
better than the fake tree at the Magic Kingdom at WDW. I suppose
they use old fashioned toys, and such to keep in theme with the
era of Main Street. But they could really do a much more beautiful
job in decorating the tree. Bows and Ribbons really and lacking on
the tree, and make it look so much more beautiful, and more finished
in it's look. D fabric on trees also enhances it, and can still
keep an old fashioned look. Even using artificial poinsettias, and
other plants look great on trees. And why no garland on the tree,
that always adds a lot of color! and there are so many colors and
types of garland.

Then you can do so many different things with various colors of lights
on the tree. DL really is stuck on the mixed up multi colored lights,
with a couple random lights slowly twinkling on and off. That look
gets old. The lights on the tree could really have a show of it's own,
Of course, for the 50th, the tree had gold ornaments, with white,
amber and yellow light. But they could do different color combinations,
for example I have Blue Aqua and white lights on one of my trees with
primarily snowflake ornaments. Blue, Purple and Green lights look neat
on a tree, too, and peacock colors are in again this year. Or you
could could use richer colors on a tree like burgandy (which looks so
much nicer than the harsher looking traditional red.)

You can just go look at one of your local Stores to get some ideas.
Paddock pools here in Phoenix has some great ideas with some of their
various themed trees. Gold Black and Red Oriental type ornaments,
A Candy themed tree with Red and White swirls of peppermint candy
and candy canes. Or go the Gingerbread ornament route. The themes
are endless, But DL just seems stuck in a rutt. There biggest idea of
a change is All white lights one year, then back to multicolored the
next. But somehow the ornaments always look the same. they
really should change things up a little, regarding the types of ornaments
on the DL Main Street Tree.

[AaronInCal]

Re: Big Trees: The Grove -vs- Disneyland

Yes, the branches at the bottom of Disneyland's tree are real. If you look inside, you can see where they bored holes into the trunk and inserted more branches and pounded shims in to hold the branches in place. This makes Disneyland's tree look much fuller and have the near-perfect shape. All the green fire retardent and possibly paint makes the branches appear fake, but once you touch them, you can tell right away it is real.