The Disneyland Book of Secrets 2014: One Local's Unauthorized, Rapturous and Indispensable Guide to the Happiest Places on Earth (220 page)

Thanksgiving
:  From November through New Year’s Day,
Disneyland Resort
wears its holiday best, with sparkling lights, harvest decorations, and a wealth of holiday-themed events.  Until 2010,
Disneyland
welcomed presidentially pardoned turkeys in November and–after a parade down
Main Street
–housed these “happiest turkeys on earth” at
Big Thunder Ranch
where they could live out their charmed lives.  Beginning in 2010, however, pardoned turkeys were sent to George Washington’s Mount Vernon farm, rather than
Disneyland
.  The evening before Thanksgiving and on Thanksgiving Day the park is usually lightly attended, as many families gather off property at their homesteads.  Guests at the
Disneyland Resort
at this time often enjoy light crowds and short lines.  Be prepared, however, for the crowds to come flocking back the day after Thanksgiving!  Guests dining at the
Disneyland Resort
on Thanksgiving Day can choose among a variety of themed feasts, including an exquisite meal at the
Grand Californian Hotel
’s award-winning
Napa Rose
(starting at around $80 per plate); traditional Thanksgiving meals with
Disney
characters at
Goofy’s Kitchen
at the
Disneyland Hotel
,
Storyteller’s Café
at the
Grand Californian Hotel
or the
PCH Grill
at the
Paradise Pier Hotel
, for about $40 (adults) and $17 (kids) per plate; or the fun and elaborate
Disney Family Thanksgiving Feast
of beef, ham, turkey, potatoes, salad, and a
smorgasbord
of desserts, held in the
Disneyland Hotel
’s
Grand Ballroom
at around $60 per plate for adults and $17 per plate for kids.  For any of these dining options, call (714) 781-DINE up to sixty days in advance for
Priority Seating
or visit
[email protected]
.

Christmas
:  Twinkling lights and decorations adorn the
Disneyland Resort
, from the Christmas trees in the lobbies of each resort hotel, to
Main Street
’s 60-foot tall tree in
Town Square
, to the towering tree at
Carthay Circle Plaza
in
Buena Vista Street
. 
Disneyland
’s twice-daily parade becomes the
Christmas Fantasy Parade
, with holiday-themed floats, rollerskating snow flakes, and dancing gingerbread cookies,
Disney
characters dressed in their holiday finest,
Pooh
and
Tigger
riding wooden sleds, and, of course, the grand finale:  cheerful old
Santa Claus
.  Guests can visit
Santa
and
Mrs. Claus
at
Big Thunder Ranch
where they’ll greet you, pose for pictures, and let you visit Dasher, Dancer, and all the reindeer gang at the
Reindeer Roundup
–although the reindeer were MIA in 2012. 
Sleeping Beauty Castle
is blanketed with snow and dripping with twinkling icicles crafted from thousands of fiber-optic lights.  In
New Orleans Square
, the
Haunted Mansion Holiday
, with its unique mash-up of Halloween and Christmas,
Disney
and
Tim Burton
, will entertain Guests through New Year’s Day.  In
Fantasyland
,
“it’s a small world”
is transformed: the smiling clock face is capped with a giant red
Santa
’s hat; jewel-toned holiday lights play over the attraction’s vast façade at night; inside, the music is a blend of
“It’s a Small World,”
“Jingle Bells,” and “Deck the Halls” and the
Small World
dolls and landscapes have been re-imagined with a holiday theme; in 2012, gingerbread and peppermint scents were added to the cruise to enliven the holiday mood.  After the nightly fireworks conclude, hidden dispensers on
Main Street
, in
New Orleans Square
, and near
“it’s a small world”
release clouds of gently drifting simulated snowflakes to the endless delight of all Guests, but especially those So Cal residents or Guests from warmer climates who’ve never actually seen snow! Plan to attend
Disneyland
’s annual
Candlelight Ceremony and Processional
in December.  Held since 1958, it’s an awe-inspiring event that Guests rave about.  Choir singers from So Cal and beyond (even some
Disney
Cast Members) make their way down
Main Street
holding candles and take their places on tiered platforms at the elaborately decorated
Main Street Train Station
.  An orchestra plays Christmas favorites; a celebrity Guest reads from scripture, relating the story of the birth of Jesus; horn players in
Disney
regalia play on the train station’s roof; lights flash and glow; the choir sings majestically.  It’s a moving experience.  Due to its popularity, the ceremony was expanded to
20 nights
in 2012, with celebrity narrators that included Lou Diamond Phillips,
Marcia Gay Harden
,
Dennis Haysbert
,
Patricia Heaton
,
Kurt Russell
,
Molly Ringwald
, and
Dick Van Dyke.
Many of these celebs have
Disney
ties:
Harden
appeared in
Disney
’s
Flubber
(1997);
Haysbert
voices
General Hologram
in 2012’s
Wreck-It Ralph
;
Heaton
stars in
ABC
’s sitcom
The Middle
;
Russell
is a
Disney Legend
who starred in many live-action
Disney
films as a young adult;
Ringwald
co-stars in
The Secret Life of the American Teenager
on
ABC Family
; and
Dick Van Dyke
co-starred in Oscar-winning
Mary Poppins
.  During the holiday seasons, follow your nose into the restaurants and snack shops for special yuletide beverages and treats, like the holiday tamales at
Rancho del Zocalo
and handcrafted candy apples and candy canes at the
Candy Palace
on
Main Street
or
Trolley Treats
on
Buena Vista Street
. Keep your ears open for melodious traditional carols as only the
Charles Dickens Carolers
, in their elaborate Victorian costumes, can sing them.  In 2012,
Disney California Adventure
joined the holiday festivities in earnest when
Buena Vista
Street
introduced a towering Christmas tree to rival (or complement) the one in
Disneyland
’s
Town Square
, as well as a troupe of roving bell ringers (the
Buena Vista Street Community Bell Ringers
), and a chance for children to meet
Santa
himself at
Elias & Company
.  And in 2013,
DCA
’s
Paradise Pier
unveiled
World of Color—Winter Dreams
, a winter-and-holiday-themed show that includes elements from
Frozen
.  Chorale performances accompany
Winter Dreams
, and Guests were given an opportunity in early autumn 2013 to submit greeting card images for this show,
and
to submit their voices.  In 2011,
Disneyland Park
began celebrating
Three Kings Day
(aka the Feast of the Epiphany or Twelfth Night), part of its effort to embrace holidays of diverse cultures.  During the final days of “the twelve days of Christmas” visit
Big Thunder Ranch Jamboree
to celebrate
Three Kings Day
with folklorico dancing and mariachi bands, Mexican hot chocolate, and tamales.  Remember that
Disneyland
Resort
can be
tremendously
crowded at Christmastime, and hotels at the resort and off-property are often more expensive during this season.  So save up, book early, ask about specials and discounts, and if you plan to dine at a popular resort restaurant, call (714) 781-DINE to arrange
Priority Seating
or visit
[email protected]
.
 
Did You Know?
  Every Christmas Day,
ABC
broadcasts the
Disney Parks’ Christmas Parade
special, featuring floats, cheerleaders, marching bands,
Disney
characters (everyone from
Mickey
to
Alice
to
Darth Vader
), and concerts by A-list stars like
Brad Paisley
, as well as new
Disney
talent, at both
Disneyland
and
Walt Disney World
.  While adults will recognize much of the program as a sparkly advertisement for
Disney
’s parks and cruise line, they and their kids will still enjoy watching the joyful pageantry and
Disney
characters.  Thinking of visiting
Disneyland
on Christmas Day to watch this parade?  Sorry–think again.  The parade is filmed days–usually weeks–in advance, and is filmed in segments that include concerts in front of the castle, hosts interviewing
Disney
luminaries, and the parade itself.  The parade can be run more than once to capture the best possible footage for the final, televised version.  So, are the crowds of Guests lining the route real?  Absolutely!  And if you happen to be a Guest in the park in early December, when they’re filming parade scenes, concerts, etc. for the TV show,
you
might end up being a face in the Christmas show crowd!

New Year’s Eve
:  In years past, being at
Disneyland
for New Year’s Eve meant paying a separate admission price for a special ticket.  In recent years, Guests who arrive on New Year’s Eve day are allowed to stay until 1 am in
DCA
and 2 am in
Disneyland Park
in the wall-to-wall festive crowd. 
Note Bene
:  Because New Year’s Eve is so popular at the park, if you leave during the day or evening, you might not be allowed back in, even with your ticket and hand-stamp. 
Disneyland
and
DCA Parks
have maximum capacities dictated by fire and safety regulations (
Disneyland Park
’s capacity is estimated to be around 85,000 Guests).  Once those numbers are reached, no more Guests can be admitted. When the parks are getting close to capacity, it can’t hurt to flash your
Annual Pass
or
Disneyland Resort
hotel key card at the turnstile, if you have one (or both)–but there are no guarantees those will get you in.  If you thrive on the energy of massive crowds, you’ll want to be on
Main Street
in
Disneyland Park
, or over in
DCA Park
(somewhat less crowded) to welcome the New Year!  Complimentary party hats and noisemakers are available to Guests; queue up at
Big Thunder Ranch
to pick them up, but
don’t
blow those New Year’s Eve horns until you are well away from the ranch if the reindeer are in residence; loud sounds upset the visiting reindeer.  DJs and bands fill the air with music in
Disneyland Park
on
Main Street
, at the
Castle
, in front of
“it’s a small world”
and at
Tomorrowland Terrace
, while lights flash and myriad spotlights dance across the sky.  You’ll hear mambo, big band, pop, rock, electronica–something for every taste.  Expect a media presence, as
Dick Clark’s Rockin’ New Year’s Eve
(broadcast on
ABC
) sometimes cuts over to the
Disneyland
festivities.  Along with Times Square in New York City,
Disneyland
is one of
the
places to be on New Year’s Eve
!
Disney
characters boogie along with Guests, and sometimes surprise bands take the stage, as One Republic did on December 31, 2011.  In
DCA
, the New Year’s Eve hot spots include
Hollywood Land
and
Paradise Pier
, where a count down to the New Year concludes with fireworks, dancing fountains, and a special performance of
World of Color
.  Budget too tight for the park admission price? 
Downtown Disney
has an amazing range of bands and street performers, along with holiday lights and New Year’s fun, all available to the public.  If you’re
not
a fan of crowds, you and your group might want to celebrate more quietly at a resort restaurant; call ahead to ensure
Priority Seating
: (714) 781-DINE or email
[email protected]
.
  Resort hotel rates are sky-high from Christmas Eve through New Year’s Day, and the hotels fill up quickly, so book well in advance and ask about any discounts (for
Annual Passholders
, members of the military, AAA members, e.g.), or stay off-property at less expensive hotels.  Warning:  Thinking of leaping into a taxi after midnight and heading home (or to your off-property hotel)?  Think again!  While there are hundreds of taxis in
Anaheim
, there are tens of thousands of departing Guests!  In the wee hours of New Year’s Day, throngs of Guests can wait for hours for an available taxi.  Guests wave money and offer to pay drivers any amount, but there simply aren’t enough taxis to go around.  Bottom line:  If you visit the parks on New Year’s Eve, you’d be wise to bring your car, or stay at a hotel within walking distance of the parks
.
 
Wherever you stay, if you can manage to be in one of the parks at midnight to ring in the New Year, it’ll be a night to remember!