Holiday Time at the Disneyland Resort

We just got back from an amazing ONE DAY trip to the Disneyland Resort — what a whirlwind of fun! And to add to the fun, we got to experience all the Holiday decorations, because they are already up! Let me take you on a journey through the Parks for what you’ll experience if you get the chance to visit. It is all about Holiday at Disneyland!

We started the day at Disney’s California Adventure and were greeted by Christmas Carols and beautiful holly and ribbons adorning the entrance.  Rope drop took place beneath a huge entranceway marked “Festival of Holidays”. All along the walkway are food booths (that were not open at that time but would be later in the day) serving unique holiday eats and treats from around the world.  

When you walk into Cars Land, the same festive spirit continues forth, even to Luigi’s Rolicing Roadsters!  The music is changed to Luigi himself singing Holiday classics.

While we were jogging from Cars Land over to Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout, we caught a glance of Mickey Mouse standing in front of Carthay Circle wearing all his best Holiday wear, straight from the 1930s.  Oh what fun it was to see the park decked out!

Later in the day, we returned to Disney’s California Adventure and chose the scenic route to Pixar Pier, by passing Soarin’ Around the World and Grizzly River Run.  Along this pathway, the trees were glittering in lights and wreaths. Why so festive in this particular part of the park? Why because this is where kids of all ages can meet Santa!  

Disney’s California Adventure is also celebrating its own party — The Festival of Holidays.  This not only highlights Christmas, but other December/January Holidays from around the world.  Guests can enjoy musical performances, small plate dishes, and decorations celebrating these holidays.  I wish we had more time to take it all in! You could easily spend a couple days just exploring this festival and all it has to ofter.

Disneyland Park also knows how to do the Holidays right.  Main Street begins with a towering decorated Christmas Tree right as you enter the Park.  Shops and streets are lined with bows and greenery — nothing is spared. Even though it was only November 12th when we went, it already felt like Christmas Eve the festive spirit was so strong.

A couple of the attractions even go all out for the Season.  The Haunted Mansion gets a total overhaul for the Halloween season and remains in the same trappings through the rest of the year — because it is decorated in Nightmare Before Christmas!  Two for one! I had never experienced this changed attraction before, and LOVED the exciting additions. Sometimes people use the term “Holiday Overlay” when speaking of this change, but that really doesn’t do it justice. Literally every inch of the ride was themed to Nightmare Before Christmas, including several unique animatronics and projections.  The music is different and ties in perfectly to the scenes. I really cannot recommend this attraction enough. Even if you have little ones that traditionally fear The Haunted Mansion, this change is more lighthearted and silly than the original and can even treat the scaredy cats. My favorite part was the “ballroom” scene, where a large gingerbread house is being constructed.  But to top it off, the scent of gingerbread is blown towards the ride vehicles and smells amazing!! Loved every minute.

Another attraction with a total overhaul is “It’s a Small World.”  Each room is filled with Holiday decorations, especially to match the culture represented.  The original song plays in a new recording, interwoven with familiar Holiday tunes. I loved how in the “Pacific” section, they were singing “Jingle Shells, Jingle Shells, Jingle all the way…”.  So simple yet so thoughtful. My children were mesmerized! Like The Haunted Mansion, smells were brought in to enhance the ride — my favorite was the Peppermint! Delicious!

And of course, we cannot forget, the beautiful Castle at the end of Main Street, frosted in snow and lights.  A perfect backdrop for a family picture. Or, ya know, a selfie. Whichever…

New and festive treats are being served at The Disneyland Resort for the Holidays.  We didn’t get the chance to sample any, but if you’d like to learn more about what they are offering, check out this blog post: http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2018/11/05/three-dfb-exclusive-disneyland-resort-holiday-snack-checklists-print-yours-today/

There are also lots of entertainment offerings during the Holidays, but since we only had one day, we weren’t able to take it all in.  For more information on the entertainment, visit this blog post: https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2018/11/the-holidays-begin-today-at-the-disneyland-resort/

The Holidays truly are a magical time to be at The Disneyland Resort.  I hadn’t even thought about Christmas yet, and now I can’t stop listening to Christmas music, and am ready to put up my tree!  

Have you visited The Disneyland Resort during the Holiday season?  Do you have plans to go this year? Let me know in the comments what you love, or what you are looking forward to!  

For more info, check out this YouTube video of Kingdom Chat!

You know what is good any time of year?  Beignets.  These fluffy pillows of dough are to die for!