A TRUE JOLLY HOLIDAY: CHRISTMAS MAGIC AT DISNEYLAND
What a wonderful world it is, right? At Disneyland, of course!! Disneyland is a pixie-dusted fairytale that is truly magical throughout all times of the year. But there’s something extra special when the “snow” starts to fall, the lights start to twinkle, and the gingerbread friends come out to play. CHRISTMAS TIME. The most magical time of the year!
Christmas time at Disneyland can be so sweet and beautiful, but it can also be a tad overwhelming. You never want to head into Disneyland with the highest of expectations, and then come out acting like The Grinch. So, it’s my goal to give you a fairly in-depth guide to all the Christmas festivities and delights that you can find at Disneyland! The Christmas celebration continues from November 8, 2019 through January 6, 2020. There is fabulous yuletide cheer in both the Disneyland park and the Disney California Adventure park. And one of the best parts? To participate in the Christmas festivities, it’s no extra cost!! It’s all included in your park ticket.
So… enough with the mumble jumble! Let’s get down to all the goodness! And just a disclaimer… I am sharing about A LOT of the Christmas time happiness at Disneyland, but this is not everything there is at Disneyland for the Christmas season. What I have included is what I find most magical, and what I think all of you will love the nearest and dearest.
SWEET TREATS
Nothing is more important than fulfilling that Disneyland sweet tooth craving! And during the holidays… the magical treats selection is in abundance! From specialized holiday churros to Mickey shaped Christmas cookies… Disneyland has got you covered!
Where can you find all these holiday treats?! I will be going over all the treats (both sweet and savory) on here, but if you’d like an official Disney list of all the treats, descriptions, and locations… click here!
But before I go into all the sweet delicacies, let’s talk about some whimsical foodie accessories! Disneyland is notorious for designing the CUTEST treat trinkets, especially in terms of popcorn buckets and straw toppers. There is a Mickey peppermint straw topper (I also saw the gingerbread Mickey straw topper at certain locations from last year), and a handful of different popcorn buckets. There is a Pluto, Christmas tree, and alien popcorn bucket. My favorite will always be the Pluto popcorn bucket because Pluto is my all-time favorite! Sometimes the popcorn buckets can be in ridiculously high demand… so, be prepared to be on the search for certain popcorn buckets, or wait in long lines for your sought after popcorn bucket! The popcorn buckets and peppermint straws are always found at the various popcorn carts/vending carts.
Now, on to all things yummy, tasty, delicious, and just absolutely fantastic. Just remember… this is a marathon, not a sprint. Hehehe! Disneyland offers so many fabulous treats, and you’ll need to pace yourself to try them all! Let’s first start with all the sweet offerings…
Pink, blue, and candy apple cotton candy at various outdoor vending carts.
Peppermint caramel corn at various outdoor vending carts.
Peppermint holiday sundae at Gibson Girl Ice Cream Parlor.
Snowman shortbread cookie at Jolly Holiday Bakery Cafe and Market House.
Santa hat macaron at Jolly Holiday Bakery Cafe.
Eggnog latte cheesecake at Jolly Holiday Bakery Cafe.
Holiday cupcake at Jolly Holiday Bakery Cafe.
Holiday brownie at Jolly Holiday Bakery Cafe.
Mickey gingerbread man at Jolly Holiday Bakery Cafe, Red Rose Taverne, and Market House.
Holiday strawberry linzer cookie at Market House.
Raspberry mascarpone yule log at Plaza Inn.
Christmas cake at Plaza Inn.
Christmas bundt cake at Plaza Inn.
Caramel pecan brownie parfait at Galactic Grill.
Nova coffee slush at Galactic Grill.
Green alien holiday macaron at Alien Pizza Planet.
Alpha broccolius parfait at Alien Pizza Planet.
Pan dulce ice cream sandwich at Rancho del Zocalo.
Champurrado with churro bites at Rancho del Zocalo.
Frozen abuelita hot chocolate at Rancho del Zocalo.
Holiday ice cream sandwich at Golden Horseshoe.
Snickerdoodle cold brew at Hungry Bear Restaurant.
Gingerbread creme brûlée at Blue Bayou Restaurant.
Hot chocolate beignets at Cafe Orleans.
The wedding cake at French Market.
Blue velvet cake at French Market.
Candy cane beignets at Mint Julep Bar.
Cranberry julep at Mint Julep Bar.
Wait! I think there’s something important that we’re forgetting… CHURROS. Let’s make a blunt transition to churros, because they are literally everyone’s favorite! There are so many mouth-watering churro options, that I wanted to share them with you all in a separate section!
Caramel and coconut churro at the Town Square Churro Cart.
Santa’s cookies and milk churro at the Casey Jr. Churro Cart.
Toffee flavored churro at the Tomorrowland Churro Cart.
Turtle churro at the Frontierland Churro Cart.
Sugar plum candy churro at the New Orleans Churro Cart.
If you’re looking to just try one? By popular vote… you should most definitely be trying the Santa’s cookies and milk churro! I also tried this one, and it’s quite tasty! This churro is pictured below!
Now, on to all the savory items to balance out that sweet! And PLEASE… if any of these food choices are at sit down restaurants, you will 99% need to make reservations in advance. You can make reservations 60 days in advance for any Disneyland restaurant. Because REALLY… you are not going to want to miss trying all of this!
Fried bologna sandwich at Carnation Cafe.
Pork chop TV dinner at Carnation Cafe.
French dip sandwich at Refreshment Corner.
Thanks-Mas sandwich at Jolly Holiday Bakery Cafe.
Butternut Squash Soup at Jolly Holiday Bakery Cafe.
Beast’s forbidden pastrami burger at Red Rose Taverne.
Steakhouse burger at Galactic Grill.
Bruschetta poultrium pizza at Alien Pizza Planet.
Chicken mole at Rancho del Zocalo.
Caldo de pollo at Rancho del Zocalo.
Holiday pozole at Harbour Gallery.
Smothered beef at French Market.
Blue lump crab fritters at Royal Street Veranda.
Burnt ends grilled cheese sandwich at River Belle Terrace.
Yellow curry rice plate at Bengal Barbecue.
Another food option that is part of Disneyland’s holiday season is the amazing Festival of Holidays! Festival of Holidays takes place over at Disney’s California Adventure park. There are 8 different food “kiosk stations” where you can indulge in different delectable possibilities. Looking to really satisfy your palette? Try the sip and savor pass! Click here to read more about this pass, and to see all the different food stations that will be present at the Festival of Holidays!
MAGICAL MERCHANDISE
Nothing is more magical than buying a few early Christmas presents for yourself! There is so much cute and merry Christmas merchandise throughout both of the Disney parks. If you walk into any store… you will instantly be surrounded by peppermint ears, Santa Mickeys, and a plethora of other specialized Christmas goodies! Looking for something in particular? Ask a cast member to see what store may carry your special item. My favorite stores? The stores that line Main Street!
CHARACTER MEET AND GREETS
Whoohoo!! My favorite part to any Disneyland trip!! But it gets even better around the Christmas season… character meet and greets! The classic Disney characters (Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, Donald, Goofy, Chip and Dale) will all make their appearance at the entrance of the Disneyland park. They are so adorable in their Christmas attire! There is typically always a character out and about, but if you’re looking for a specific character, just ask a nearby character attendant. These classic characters are also out at Disney’s California Adventure, but in different holiday attire. They are all close by to Carthay Circle Restaurant.
Looking for another, and different type of character encounter? Head back to New Orleans Square to visit with Jack and Sally from The Nightmare Before Christmas! They have a stellar character meet and greet spot that will truly make for a magical experience!
WHIMSICAL DECORATIONS
One of my absolute favorite aspects of visiting ANY of the Disney parks during the Christmas season is all the merry and bright decorations adorning the entire park! It’s truly a Christmas dream come true! Wreaths are hung on lamp posts and windows, garland is draped along store fronts, poinsettias are scattered all around, and Christmas trees stand high and mighty. I honestly could just walk around and immerse myself in all that is Disney Christmas magic.
RIDE LAYOVERS
One of the most spectacular transformations of the holiday season at Disneyland are the different ride layovers! These ride layovers are no joke! The cast members of Disneyland gather all the magic in the world and put it into these ride layovers! The major rides that have a whole new look are Haunted Mansion and “it’s a small world”.
Jack Skellington makes a special stop at Haunted Mansion during this time of the year… and let’s just say, he comes in full force! If you’ve ridden Haunted Mansion in it’s “normal” attire, you won’t even think it’s the same ride now! Since everyone loves when Jack, Sally, and Zero make a visit… I would highly advise grabbing a fast pass for this ride!
While “it’s a small world” isn’t on my list normally… it’s a must during the Christmas season! Especially at night!!! At night, this ride comes to life in all the glory! The entire outside is dazzling with Christmas lights, and even displays a beautifully fun projection show! Once you go inside on the actual ride, it’s a whole different world! It’s a pixie dusted paradise throughout the whole ride! And NEW this year, they have accompanying smells during the ride!! These new scents are the cherry on top of an already perfect ride layover. Just like with the Haunted Mansion, you best be getting a fast pass for this ride!
SHOWS AND PARADES
Ready, set, go!! It’s time for all the enchanted shows and parades! There are various shows and parades at both the Disneyland park and Disney’s California Adventure park. Each park offers a unique and different perspective on the holiday season… so, both parks should be explored and visited for these festivities!
At Disneyland, the main center of attention is Sleeping Beauty’s castle! The castle is turned into a winter wonderland and gives you all the heart eyes. And guess what? It gets even better at night!! The whole castle lights up with icicle lights and it literally makes you feel like you’re in an actual dream land.
But that’s not all the castle offers! Later in the evening, around 9:30, the fireworks spectacular begins! All firework shows at the Disney parks are unbelievable, but this show is extra stellar! While the fireworks are blasting off into the dark sky, there is a projection show also happening along the Main Street buildings. And the best part?! At the end of the fireworks show, “snow” started to fall along Main Street! It was so magical!
The other main festivity taking place at Disneyland is the parade (A Christmas Fantasy Parade)!! The parade takes places at 3:30 in the afternoon and 6:00 in the evening. There are a few days per week, where it can take place at a different time… so, make sure to always double check the parade times the day you are visiting. If you are a true parade fanatic and want to sit down to enjoy the parade, I would be looking to grab a seat about 2 hours in advance. And my personal recommendation? I think the evening parade is more fun and festive!! At that parade, it’s dark out, so all the lights in the parade really jump out and shine bright!
Moving over to Disney’s California Adventure! There’s plenty of joy and Christmas happiness in this park too! The main show, and one of my all time favorite shows ever… World of Color!! World of Color is seriously a show like none other I have ever seen before! Film projections on water?! How cool is that?! And for this specific holiday spectacular, you will see a whole lot of green and red, along with your classic Christmas films and music. It’s a show that cannot be missed! World of Color can take place at different times throughout the week… so, check the show times before planning your Disney day! Also, if you want a good viewing point, fast passes can be made!
While this part of Disney’s California Adventure isn’t exactly a show or parade, it’s one of the most beautiful parts of this park… CARS LAND. Please carve out some time to check out Cars Land! Especially at sunset or nighttime. Cars Land comes alive during this time with all the lights and colors, and you will not be disappointed! Don’t forget about riding Mater’s Jingle Jamboree and Luigi’s Joy to the Whirl while in this land! These adorable rides have a little holiday twist to them that will just make you smile.
Are you feeling all merry and bright after reading about all the Disneyland Christmas goodness?! I sure hope so! As I stated before, I fully understand how daunting a trip to Disney can seem… especially around the holidays, where it could be more crowded and new experiences are offered… leaving you feeling helpless! That’s why I wanted to create this step-by-step guide showcasing all that Disneyland has to offer around this time, because it genuinely is a magical Christmas wonderland that should be experienced! So, with that being said… what are you waiting for?! You have some magic to experience!
A little note I always have to share… I am a travel consultant that specializes in Disney destinations!! I would absolutely love to help plan your trip to Disneyland, or any other Disney destination! It’s a true passion of mine to assist in planning the most magical vacations for all of my clients. I love seeing the joy of people getting so excited about going to Disney!! So, if you’re looking for a little extra pixie dust… shoot me a message, and we can chit chat about your future Disney adventures!
BONUS: A DISNEY STYLE LOOKBOOK
I included this little bonus feature section because so many of you love visiting the Disney parks dressed to impress! So, here are the pieces I utilized for my gleeful time galavanting around the parks.
You can’t go anywhere without the perfect pair of ears! One of my favorite go-to small shops for all things ears is the adorable Pixie Made Ears. Leah, who is the owner of this shop and designer of all the ears, is so sweet and kind. To be honest, this is one of the main reasons why I love supporting her! Knowing who creates your products and what kind of person they are… it truly makes you feel much more confident about your purchase! Along with this, all of her ears are fabulous in quality and cuteness! The headband aspect of the ears is so comfortable, and is the perfect combination of being snug on your head, but not too tight! And can we talk about the magically amazing fabric prints she has for all her ears?! You will absolutely find a pair of ears you love from her shop! To stay up to date on all her latest designs and creations, follow her on Instagram!
Next up… the perfect shirt to wear for the jolly holiday! And I would be supporting none other than the fabulous Grey Stuff & Co. Run by the sweetest of families, Kristin, James and Sunny, Grey Stuff & Co. is a literal dream come true for all those forward fashion Disney lovers! From the kindness of this family, to some of the most unique Disney inspired shirts I’ve ever seen… Grey Stuff & Co. should definitely be finding a spot in your suitcase for your next Disney trip! I truly think I have worn a shirt from this shop on every one of my Disney trips! That’s how much I love them! Looking to follow along on all their new product releases and magical Disney adventures? Check them out on Instagram!
On to one of my favorite Disney park accessories… straw buddies!! Now, I know what you’re thinking… what on earth is a straw buddy?! Only one of the best inventions ever!! I still remember the day when I stumbled across a photo of these straw buddies on Instagram… my mind was blown away!! I thought this was honestly the coolest idea ever! And I have Alexandra from Shimmering Splendid Ear Co to thank for that! Alexandra designs and 3D prints all of these cute straw adornments to make your time in the Disney parks a little more magical. She first started out her shop with just a handful of straw buddy designs, but has grown so much, and now offers a plethora of designs to choose from! I love following her on Instagram to see what new designs she’s coming up with next!
And last, but certainly not least, my favorite holiday inspired coffee cozies! Have you ever caught yourself saying, “I wish I didn’t have to use napkins to catch all this condensation from my cup”… or… “I wish I had a cuter way to hold my coffee”… hehehe! Your thoughts have been heard and Shell from Second Star Co. is the answer to all your wishes! Her tagline? Nothing better than, “Handmade happiness with a touch of magic and pixie dust.” I think I can get on board with that! Everything Shell offers in her shop is beyond cute, but I always fall in love with her coffee cozies. They’re the perfect addition to any Disney drink! Check out all her magic on Instagram too!
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