How Early is too Early?
Lilly Alright, I have another question I’d like to put out there.
These pictures were taken on November 2nd. Now, I love Christmas as much as the next person, but I tend to be one of “those” people that like Christmas to start after Thanksgiving and end after New Years. That being said, I realize there are many who just can’t wait that long and would like Christmas to start earlier and last longer, but November 2nd? Am I off my rocker to say that this is really pushing it? The BGM was seriously playing Christmas music.
Now the top two rebuttals I usually get when I start saying this stuff are “But Lilly, not everyone can come during Christmas and this gives more people the ability to experience Christmas.” My opinion on this is... well, too bad. If you want to see the park at Christmas, come during Christmas. I personally don’t want to see Christmas in November, so it’s a little annoying to have it take over my trip when it isn’t even Christmas time.
Number two is, “But they spend so much money on their Christmas stuff and it takes so much effort to put it all up, they really need to get the most use out of it as they can.” I’m not buying this one either. After all, they use the same stuff year after year and I actually think it makes it all more special when it’s only up for one month instead of three months. The one exception is The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights at Walt Disney World, because that really does take a lot of time to put up, so I’m okay that they start in September, but I still wish they wouldn’t light them until late November. They will be lit from November 8 to January 3 this year.
All I’m saying is, Christmas is a special and fun time and I would really like it to remain special and fun. When it starts so early, I feel like it’s being shoved down my throat instead of being special and fun.
Thoughts?
Related posts:
I Love it When They Get Things Right
Disney Characters... Maybe We Should Rethink a Few Things
After All It’s a Step in the Right Direction
Walking the Politically Correct Line
Area Music, Holidays, Walt Disney World
Reader Comments (21)
I TOTALLY agree!!!!!
Lilly, you and me share a lot of the same opinions when it comes to the park...I like it!
Anyway I couldn't agree more. Personally Halloween is my favorite season and it gets tossed aside so fast in the parks, I mean sure it's one of the 7 wonders of the world that they have the transformation down to a science and can magically take us from fall/autumn to twinkling glitter and snow in a matter of hours, but I need a visual, and not to mention holiday pauser.
You're already in a themed setting, with tons of guilding on that lily already then they go a head and add tons more. Visually its an overload to me. It's like one of those cupcakes that has too much generic icing, but hey the cake is really moist and good under that pile of sugary death. It's called editing people....sometimes I think a blind drag queen is the head of the holiday decor department. Just the right amount of cheap chinese imported bulbs and wired ribbon.
But hey this isn't about the aesthetics, this about timing and once again I conquer, Christmas should start the day after thanksgiving and end New Year's day! It will never be that way, at least we have nostalgia!
I think they're taking too many cues from retail. In retail, all holidays come 45 days early. Halloween is in September, back to school is in July, and you can't buy a winter coat in February. Even if it's snowing. So Disney figures if Target is selling Christmas trees November 1st, then they need to get with the program too. I don't agree, I think someone in the Parks should be taking a stand against this, but I can see where the inspiration comes from.
I abhor putting up the Osborne Christmas lights thing at the Studios. I'm sort of "meh" on the Christmas stuff being up early because, frankly, I'M not there and only occasionally do we get up to WDW during Christmas. But just seeing those wires for the lights really chaps my hide.
I'm glad you're not running the parks! We love Christmas. Travel between Thanksgiving and New Year's is not always possible for us (my wife is a teacher).
Yeah let's just put up every holiday decoration for every holiday all year round so we don't leave anyone out. And while we are at it let's make up holidays to capitalize on those.
Seriously though. There are at least two rather large year-round Christmas stores at WDW at all times. Plus other stores who have holiday sections year-round. For those who need Christmas far before (or after) Christmas, they can get their fill there.
I agree that there should be a break between holidays.
Well maybe I'm one of "those" people,hehe I actually enjoy Christmas decor in November. That being said, early November is a tad too early. I think late November would be more favorable. As others have said, travelling right at Christmas is not always possible and it's nice to enjoy the holiday decorations even if it's not the week of Christmas.
Well said Lilly. I completely agree with you. I think Christmas decs should be up no earlier than the week before Thanksgiving and down no later than Little Christmas, January 6th (also known as the date you get presents from cheap relatives). I couldn't make it to Epcot for the booze fest this year, but I wouldn't ask them to re-schedule. Having decorations up too early takes away from the magic, especially in Florida were it's already warmer than most people are used to around the holidays.
I still remember 25 years ago at the malls when Halloween stuff went up Oct. 1st and Christmas stuff happened over Thanksgiving night. Of course, I also remember the wack job on the block who kept his lights up all year long and his house was always unintentionally decorated for Halloween.
In many ways, I have to agree with you. Walking down New Orleans Square, trying to celebrate Halloween, and all we could see were Christmas wreaths, is a bit too much.
I wish they would wait at least until after Halloween. While Thanksgiving and Christmas have a tendency to melt together a bit (Santa at the end of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade), Halloween and Christmas do not! Unless your Jack Skellington of course ;)
I agree as well. I love Christmas to death but starting too early waters it down. By the time you get to mid December you'll be sick it it. I went to the mall and there are already decorations up! What ever happened to Thanksgving?
Yes, way too early for Christmas! In fact, I have the same issue with Halloween. We've been going to Disney World at the end of August for a few years, and each time they already have orange decorations and pumpkins all over the place. I know they are trying to cash in on Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party, but in exchange for that they are ruining the experience of millions of guests b/c Halloween and August/First Half September do not mix. It sort of feels like the Christmas tree that's left up until Valentine's Day.
Disney is about visual coherence and when their decorations are out of sync with the seasons it really throws the whole experience off. It's kind of a disrespect to the guests and what they are paying for. The company may cash in up front on the Halloween Party admissions but I think they are trading their long-term goodwill equity for it.
I agree, but I feel that Disney is just going along with what the rest of the marketplace is doing. After all, at malls and Wal-Marts across America the Christmas stuff appears the day after Halloween. It's annoying, but that's the way things are now.
What really gets me is how long Disney leaves the Christmas stuff up after the holidays are over. I understand that un-decorating the parks is a big job and it can't be done overnight, but it's really annoying to hear the Christmas music loops playing into mid-January.
I think there was a similar argument when Disney started releasing films on VHS.
To rebut both of your rebuttals:
On the notion that not everyone can make it to Disney at the holidays - first, you're being a little harsh. It's not like you own the place. And your very same argument applies to you tenfold, in that if you don't like to see Christmas decorations in November - then go in October! Second, Disney is already very busy during almost the entire time that they are celebrating the holidays. They simply could not accommodate all those people in the smaller time frame you propose. So it's not just a matter of people not being able to go during that one month, it's also a matter of capacity.
On cost, it hardly matters whether they reuse the same stuff year after year or not, since it is likely that even if they were to discard all materials and buy new every year, the vast majority of the cost would still be labor.
As a general comment, I'll note that for at least the last several years I've seen Christmas decorations springing up at Walmart, Target and the mall at least a few weeks before they start showing up at WDW.
"I agree, but I feel that Disney is just going along with what the rest of the marketplace is doing. After all, at malls and Wal-Marts across America the Christmas stuff appears the day after Halloween. It's annoying, but that's the way things are now"
I agree with this statement. And its not just the United States that starts the Christmas decor early. Over in the Dominican Republic, in October they already started playing Christmas music.
I was appalled to see that Disneyland put the snow on their castle while everything else was still decorated for Halloween and, even worse, while people were paying for the privelage of coming to Mickey's Halloween Party. Does the guest experience even enter into the equation anymore?
It's hard to disagree with your comments. I"ve been over to Disney (I live 5 mins. away and ALWAYS have my pass handy) so I too have seen the pre-Christmas decorations. Much too early. The music at the Mall was all Christmas-y stuff. Not everyone does Christmas by the way. I didn't hear any Hannukah music, did you? I know these decorations are costly and it takes time to put them up. Why can't we just put them AFTER Thanks giving and leave them up until Jan. 30?
I thought that it was a time/ money saver because they could take down Halloween decorations and simultaneously put up Christmas decorations and that it would cause less disruption to the parks.
Yeah, I've never been to Disneyland, only Disney World, but I read that they do the whole Haunted Mansion Holiday thing in like September! That means on Halloween, you don't get to see the real attraction! Like, I've seen the Holiday version on line and I love it! But Not doing the real thing on the scariest night of the year? OUTRAGEOUS!
I partially agree. November 20th would be a good date for me for it to start. Granted, this stuff isn't to be "appalled" over.
As a Disney Store CM (Goodbye #386, we still miss you), we NEVER decorated the stores until the day after Thanksgiving. While I know the park is much MUCH bigger than a store, it seems like you would have a lot of voluntEARS who would love to help decorate the park, even overnight. And how much more magical for the guests to go to bed in normal Disney and wake up in Holiday Disney!