Welcome back to another ‘Sunday Recap Report!’ It was a very busy day at the Disneyland Resort! Not only was it the first weekend of the holidays, but also Veterans Day weekend! And thank you to all those who have served our country! We definitely thank you for your honor, bravery, and service!
I got to Disneyland at around 10:45am, and I could already feel the holiday magic! The entrance area, Town Square, and Main Street were already hustling with lots of activity. Jeff met up with me shortly after I got in, and I then saw Goofy! It’s been a tradition for me to take a photo with Goofy on my first visit of the holiday season!
After meeting Goofy, we headed into Emporium. I was looking for the new holiday Wishables, and found the toy soldier one, but didn’t find the blind bags of the other holiday Wishables. I bought two toy soldiers, and a Brer Rabbit one too since I had not bought it before. And while browsing the store after making my purchase, I spotted the new Lady and the Tramp plush, and a classic Lady and the Tramp shirt.
It was now time to walk up Main Street, and head to Tomorrowland to check out the newly revealed planters and walkways after the rocks were removed. It definitely opens up the area, and it has that ‘it’s always looked like this’ type of feel. I like how the area looks, and can’t wait to see how it all looks once all the walls are down.
We were soon near the Castle, and it was time to check out how beautifully decorated it is! The Castle has a completely different feel during the holidays. During the day, it shines brighter than ever before, and at night, it comes alive with the snow, wreaths, and icicles all lit up!
After checking out the Castle decor, it was time for a snack. So we went to Coke Corner. I got my holiday mug and a Mickey pretzel with cheese. Getting the holiday mug is another tradition of mine, and has been since 2002! I have all of them since then, except for one because I didn’t like the design.
Soon after, it was time to meet up with Mr. DAPs and Caitie at Disney California Adventure. So we headed there, and after we got there, the new ‘Mickey’s Happy Holidays’ show and cavalcade was making its way towards Buena Vista Street. It looks like a high energy show, and the music is very catchy too! You will definitely see lots of your favorite characters, including Clarabelle Cow, Joy, Sadness, a Country Bear or two, and many more!
We then headed to Cars Land, and met up with some of Mr. DAPs family! It was fun to explore with two little ones on their first visit! It definitely is something that can’t be explained! It’s just magical and exciting!
There’s just so much to see in Cars Land for the holidays that more will be shared throughout the next few weeks! After a short visit to DCA, we returned to Disneyland for more holiday fun! One of the first things we did was follow the fire truck from the Castle Forecourt to Town Square. It might sound a bit odd, but when a little kid is riding the fire truck with his mom and aunt, you just have to follow along! And yes, the fire truck was slightly faster than the rest of us following behind!
We then saw Goofy, and since Caitie has never met Goofy before, she did, and they both had lots of laughs together! These moment with characters are always very special! Soon after, we headed to Galaxy’s Edge just because! While there, I noticed light towers. Those were there for the Disney Parks Christmas TV Special filming.
We then made our way to Fantasyland for a journey to Never Land. But that didn’t work out quite so well as it had technical difficulties while we were in line. Never fear though, as we weren’t too far ahead in line, so we headed to Casey Jr. Circus Train because little kids love trains! We were all in the monkey cage, and that was quite fun!
After some Fantasyland fun, it was time for some of the group to take a ride on Jungle Cruise while the rest of us went for a walk with a sleeping kid. We walked through New Orleans Square, Critter Country, and Galaxy’s Edge to check out the fun holiday decorations. And there are no holiday decorations in Galaxy’s Edge because they don’t know what Christmas is, and that’s okay!
After a stroll, we met the rest of the group and watched the Dickens Band. They are definitely a highlight of holiday entertainment at Disneyland. They play a good mix of fun holiday songs, as well as the traditional Christmas songs. Be sure to look out for them throughout Town Square and Main Street. We then went to the Tiki Room. While we waited for the show, I mobile ordered a Dole Whip Float! It was really yummy, and something I felt was much needed!
As the sun had set, the Castle had come to life with all of its lights and magic! There’s a definitely a special Magic at Christmas time each year! Plus seeing the Castle lit up during the holidays makes for great photos too! And of course, the Christmas Tree in Town Square was lit up and shining bright too! Fun fact: the area where the Christmas Tree is placed is known as ‘Christmas Tree Point’ year round!
Mr. DAPs, Caitie, and the rest of the group left around 5:30pm. I stayed, and waited for Jenny who was on her way in. Traffic and craziness delayed her arrival, but it was all good. As soon as she arrived, we headed to dinner at Rancho Del Zocalo in Frontierland. We both got tostada salads. I got chicken, while Jenny got beef, and she also got cinnamon crisps. We sat there and chatted while eating. Then we went on an adventure to Pooh Corner in Critter Country to check out the holiday krispies.
We soon headed towards New Orleans Square to look at the holiday decor at night. It’s such a beautiful area of the Park, and probably my favorite after Main Street.
We soon found ourselves at Gibson Girl Ice Cream Parlor for some dessert. I got a double scoop of peppermint and vanilla ice cream in a cup, while Jenny got a waffle cone with peppermint ice cream! The ice cream was yummy, and the perfect treat! Plus it made for fun photos!
After getting ice cream, we headed towards ‘it’s a small world’ to wait for fireworks. While walking there and waiting, I took photos of the attraction’s exterior as well as some of the decor. The lights look extra bright this year, and they have that extra twinkle too! The ‘it’s a small world’ promenade is a great place to watch the fireworks and also enjoy projections on the facade. It also snows in the area, but if you are closer towards the attraction, you might miss the snow.
After fireworks, Jenny and I did something that I never thought would happen – we both went on ‘it’s a small world’ holiday! Jenny usually doesn’t ride any version of ‘it’s a small world,’ but she did this time, and I’m proud of her! We enjoyed our ride, which made it fun! Some scents were added to the attraction this season. They include cherry blossoms in the Asia section, cinnamon in the Latin America area, and coconut in the tropical section. Hopefully you will be able to notice all the scents in the attraction.
Following a ride on ‘the merriest cruise that ever sailed,’ we made a stop at the Castle. It was beautifully lit up, and made for great photos! One of my favorite photos is the Castle’s reflection on the left side of the forecourt. It’s so breathtaking and easily one of the best nighttime photos during the holidays.
Soon after, we made our way out of Disneyland! There is so much to see during the holidays that I couldn’t possibly show it all here in one post! But don’t worry because there will be more holiday fun coming throughout the next few weeks, and I cannot wait to share our adventures! See you next week!
