Sorry for all the questions but we are trying to plan what we will do this Christmas season, and I want to make sure all our dates and plans are in order!

So heres the plan (for the disney weekend!) and my questions:

We are planning to go the weekend of CP and stay the night that Saturday.
1) Are the parks really busy that weekend? Ive read elsewhere they are but some places say they aren't, and I think this site will be most reliable!
We wanted to take it easy on Saturday, absorb the Christmas feel & decor, spend some time in the hotel, and take the holiday tour. Ive read that with this tour you can get either fireworks PS or parade PS. We are planning on doing both that day anyways,
2) but which do you think we would need PS for most?
3) And is the timing of either affected by CP? A 2003 thread says no, but is that still current?
On Sunday we are planning to sleep in, have breakfast at the Plaza inn
then spend the rest of the day just enjoying some rides and the christmas atmosphere.
4) Anything we shouldn't miss? We know there is Santa in both parks and reindeer
Then we are planning on going to the first showing of the CP And that should be it!
We are really excited if you can't tell!
Everyone on MP has been so helpful planning our mini trips!

Oh I just thought of another question!
5) How long was the holiday tour last year?

Thanks again!

HI! You are going at a cool time! We went last year and had the tour as well. The lines were not that long, I think we waited 15 minutes at the most since we used Fastpass for most of the popular rides. The tour with the parade PS is the best! We got to sit at the start of the parade on chairs and get a cookie and hot cocoa in a sourvenir cup you get to keep. The tour was about 2 1/2 hours long since you sit for the parade. The decorations were great and don't forget to ride Haunted Mansion and It's a Small World. The best place for us to watch the fireworks were on Main Street where you get to see snow at the end, but the light effects on Small World are so cool. Also at DL, you can decorate cookies at the ranch where Santa is. Plus, also go the stores which sell candy. They make candy canes, fudge and much more! YUM! Have fun!

Has there been an official announcement on Candlelight?

Going by last year they usually don't announce anything till November.

Sad, but true. And, there was a big outcry about it.

I guess you could assume it's going to be on Saturday, December 1st. But wouldn't it be lovely if there was some sort of official confirmation of that?

Thanks for the help ochibiyo glad to hear it wasn't too crowded! And sounds like we are definitely going to be stocking up on Christmas treats!

Pisces going on every other recent year it seems to have been the first weekend of december, which is sat the 1 and sun the 2. Other Mpers seem to be thinking these dates are safe to assume. And yes it seems there was quite an "uproar" last year - I think it was more to do with the fact that acquiring tickets was made so difficult and there were many problems with the online order method. Hopefully it wont be the same this year - but if so I am prepared lol!

Anyone else have anymore input?

Especially question 3?

Sorry, just I really want to get everything booked within the next few days!

TIA!

Crowds aren't TOO bad, probably helped by the fact that they release the date so late most people don't figure it into their travel plans. A lot of the extra people in the park are sitting camped out for a seat anyways - Been There, in the rain for 5 hours! There will probably be an early parade that day, maybe 3ish, but not a late one. CP usually starts just after dusk. Fireworks will take place after the processional and if I had to pick, I'd say get the PS for that one, if they can put you on Main St under the snow. A lot of the people will stick around after CP to watch the fireworks and that leaves Main St very crowded, but IMHO Main St is the neatest place to see fireworks at Christmas because the snow on Main St with the lights is so magical. You should be able to get a good parade seat no problem near Small World because a lot of the attention will be on Main Street. Of course, that being said - all bets are off if they somehow come up with some other place to put the CP and it is not on Main St.

Thanks for the advice DizneyMommy! Glad to know the parks probably won't be packed!

I think the website that gave me the information that you can get PS for the fireworks with the holiday tour must have been mistaken as I can't see this anywhere else. It looks like last year it was offered at 10am only. Can Anyone confirm this?

Oh well maybe thats better we can do the tour, do some rides, enjoy other christmas activities, spend some time at the hotel, then camp out for the fireworks! So along Main St is the place to be, not the hub?

Thanks all I am soo excited!

Thanks for the advice DizneyMommy! Glad to know the parks probably won't be packed!

I think the website that gave me the information that you can get PS for the fireworks with the holiday tour must have been mistaken as I can't see this anywhere else. It looks like last year it was offered at 10am only. Can Anyone confirm this?

Oh well maybe thats better we can do the tour, do some rides, enjoy other christmas activities, spend some time at the hotel, then camp out for the fireworks! So along Main St is the place to be, not the hub?

Thanks all I am soo excited!The holiday tour usually gets sitting to the parade and the seating is by IASWH. We have done the holiday tour late in the day.