Disneyland During the Holidays (she: Kim)

Hey Everyone, it’s Kimberly from Packed with Fun, the official blog for Get Away Today. It feels like just yesterday I was giving tips on how to keep cool at Disneyland this summer and today the Disneyland Resort is kicking off their official holiday season! Crazy! If you have been wondering about a trip to Disneyland during the holidays, there are a few things to know.

First of all, the official Holidays at the Disneyland Resort begin TODAY and continue through January 6, 2015. More on what to expect at Disneyland during the holidays to come below… with pictures of course.

Secondly, there are a couple of ways to do it. You can travel before the holidays to kick off the season with your family, or can travel over the actual holidays and forget about all of the normal holiday prep, cooking, etc. No matter when you plan on traveling during the holidays, consider making it your family’s main Christmas present. We have lots of fun ideas on how to give the gift of a vacation on GetAwayToday.com.

Third, the closer you travel to the actual holidays, the busier the parks will be. However, it’s important to note that when crowds increase, Disney extends their park hours and adds extra entertainment so it makes up for it. If you plan to visit the Disneyland Resort on Thanksgiving Day, be sure to read our article Thanksgiving at the Disneyland Resort: 10 Reasons to Celebrate. There are a ton of Thanksgiving dinner options and extra fun things to do. If you’re visiting on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day, be sure to get to the parks early. They have been known to reach capacity during the day and it would be such a disappointment to be turned away.

And most importantly, there’s still time to plan an unforgettable vacation.

If there was just one word I could use to tell you what to expect at Disneyland during the holidays, it would be magic. Here’s a sneak peek at what awaits:

• Incredible decor. Sleeping Beauty’s Winter Castle is probably my favorite holiday icon with snow capped turrets during the day and thousands of twinkling lights at night. Giant Christmas trees welcome you to Downtown Disney, Main Street U.S.A. and Buena Vista Street. Cars Land, New Orleans Square, a bug’s land and “it’s a small world holiday” are a few of my favorite places throughout the resort when it comes to festive decorations.

Image credit: DisFanReview

• World of Color – Winter Dreams. World of Color is my favorite show year round at the Disneyland Resort and they are regularly making small tweaks and additions to keep it fresh. Last year was the first time they’d ever done an all holiday version of the show and it was hosted by Olaf. So, as you can imagine, it was pretty popular. World of Color – Winter Dreams is returning this year with Olaf hosting all of your favorite Christmas songs set to Disney stories and incredible fountains, lights and effects.

Image credit: DisFanReview

• A Christmas Fantasy Parade. No one puts on a parade like Disney and this annual tradition is a classic. The best of the Christmas season and Disney collide in the most magical parade to ever make its way down Main Street U.S.A. (OK, that’s totally an opinion, but it really is so much fun.)

Image credit: DisFanReview

• Seasonal sweets. You can always be sure that Disneyland has some of the tastiest treats, but I especially love their holiday versions. How festive are these caramel apples?

Image credit: DisFanReview

• Holiday overlays on rides. The two main attractions with holiday overlays are Haunted Mansion Holiday which features Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas, and “it’s a small world” holiday, which combines the classic song with Jingle Bells. Now you can get two songs stuck in your head and you’ll be so full of holiday cheer that it won’t bother you at all! The Jungle Cruise also will become the Jingle Cruise for the second year in a row and keep your eyes peeled for other smaller holiday overlays at various attractions throughout both parks.

Image credit: DisFanReview

• “Believe… in Holiday Magic” fireworks spectacular. When Disney says spectacular, they mean spectacular. The only snow I’m a fan of is the warm snow that falls on Main Street U.S.A. as the grand finale of the holiday fireworks at Disneyland. It is the perfect way to end a day at the Disneyland Resort and it only takes place during this special time of year, which is why I saved it for my last item on my list of what to expect at Disneyland during the holidays.

There are so many other surprises in store when you visit Disneyland during the holidays. If you’re thinking you’d like to plan a trip this year, there’s still time. Keep in mind the earlier you book, the better chance you’ll have of getting your first hotel choice and the best deals. Our staff just got back from eight days in Southern California touring our hotel partners and experiencing our attractions. They are full of exciting tips and tricks and would love to share them with you. You can talk to an agent by calling 855-GET-AWAY, or you can always shop our Disneyland packages at www.getawaytoday.com.

No matter which way you book, save an extra $10 on any 2-night or longer Southern California vacation when you use promocode: OSSS10.

Or, better yet, check out our holiday coupon in the OSSS Holiday Coupon guide and you’ll get up to $100 in holiday extras with your Disneyland vacation package! Since this is my last post of the year on “Or So She Says,” I hope you and your family have a wonderful holiday season! See you next year!