Our pictorial for this weekend is almost completely dedicated to the upcoming #DisneyHolidays season as the Disneyland Resort continues to transform into the seasonal delight that brings some of the biggest crowds of the year to the Happiest Place on Earth.
More holiday merchandise continues to spring up on the shelves as holiday decorations continue to appear around the parks. This week, we saw Cars Land get its transformation while the currently-closed Jungle Cruise and “it’s a small world” attractions both get their own Holiday layovers.
Frontierland is also sporting its finery for the holidays as is the recently reopened Critter Country. Pooh and Friends had their meet and greet get a holiday layover and they’ve followed suit, greeting guests in their Santa hats ahead of the arrival of Santa Claus.
We’ll also take a look at on-going work for Star Wars Land and the related work on Tom Sawyer Island and the upcoming Fantasmic! 2.0.
All of this and more in our newest pictorial. ENJOY!
Disney Holidays
The Disney Holidays season will be enchanting the Disneyland Resort from November 10 – January 8, 2017.
Read More: Disney Holidays return with brand-new holiday World of Color, “Festival of Holidays”, and more!
Festival of the Holidays
New for the 2016 season is the “Festival of Holidays” event that we mentioned earlier this year.
The new “Festival of Holidays” celebrates time-honored traditions and heartwarming experiences inspired by holiday festivals around the world.
Guests at the “Festival of Holidays” will enjoy delicious internationally inspired food and beverages at 14 themed festival marketplaces! We have a full look at the menu offerings below…
Heritage Cottage Menu
- Braised Beef Short Rib with smashed potatoes and sauerbraten sauce
- Weisswurst Sausage & Sauerkraut with stone ground mustard and pretzel crumble
- Vanilla Rice Pudding with apple compote and cinnamon streusel crunch
Making Spirits Bright
- Wines by the glass and tasting flights
- Warm Holiday Spiced Wine
- Sparkling Apple-pomegranate Juice
Nosh & Nibbles
- Brisket Potato Croquette with horseradish crème
- Sweet Spiced Noodle Kugel
- Reuben Potato Smash with Russian dressing and Rye toast
Good Fortune’s Feast Menu
- Adobo Pork Bao with shaved red onion and crispy garlic chicharron
- Smoked Duck & Vegetable Spring Roll with cabbage and sweet plum sauce
- Chilled Papaya Shrimp Salad with chili-garlic vinaigrette and crispy noodles
- Winter Mint Milk Tea
Spice Salutations Menu
- Chicken & Potato Curry with Kefir cream and grilled naan
- Carrot & Chickpea Fritters with coriander-almond sauce
- Cardamom & Saffron Sweet Cheese Tart with mulled fruit
- Mango Lassi
Brews & Bites Menu
- Local, Seasonal & International Beers and tasting flights
- Holiday Cheese Ball with crackers & pretzels
Mistletoe Morsels Menu
- Holiday Swedish Meatballs with creamy gravy and Lingonberry sauce
- Classic Crab Cake with lemon tartar sauce
- Shrimp Cocktail Martini with chili sauce and jalapeño olive
- Holiday Eggnog Cocktail with whipped cream and nutmeg dusting
- Merry Berry Sherbet Punch
Southern Home Holidays Menu
- Grilled Spicy Chicken Sausage with red beans and rice
- Southern Mac & Cheese with jalapeño cornbread crumble
- Sweet Potato Pie with candied pecans
- Cranberry Sweet Tea topped with berry foam
Winter Sliderland Menu
- Roasted Turkey Slider with cranberry sauce and gravy
- Kalua Pork Slider with pineapple jam and cider slaw
- Praline & Bourbon Whoopie Pie
- Sparkling Apple-cranberry Juice
Fiesta en Familia Menu
- Green Chile Pozole with Vegetables
- Red Chile Pozole with Pork
- Fresh Fish Ceviche with chili-lime tortilla chips
- Guava Agua Fresca
Treats for Santa Menu
- Mickey Snowman Cookie Decorating Kit
- Harvest Puff Pastry
- Assorted Cookies
- Classic Panettone
- Candied Chestnut Panettone
- Peppermint Bark
- Pumpkin Seed Brittle
- Walnut Fudge
- Warm Bourbon Cider
- White Hot Chocolate with house-made peppermint marshmallows
- Holiday Fruit Punch
Yuletide Yummies Menu
- Mini Turkey Pot Pie with cranberry drizzle
- Pesto Puff Pastry Twist
- Gingerbread Bundt Cake with orange-vanilla sauce
- Eggnog Cheesecake with spiced whipped cream
- Mocha Yule Log with candied chestnuts
- Raspberry Linzer Tart
- Sticky Toffee Pudding with Brandied Cream
- Frozen Chocolate Milk with whipped cream and sprinkles
- Pumpkin Spice Hot Chocolate with house-made cinnamon marshmallows
- Inspired wine and beer selections
Mosaic Delights Menu
- Roasted Lamb with masala spice Basmati rice and poached raisins
- Mini Falafel donuts with pickled vegetables and Tahini drizzle
- Baklava with walnuts, pistachios and honey
- Iced Moroccan Mint Tea
Abuelita’s Kitchen Menu
- Chicken Cilantro Tamale with roasted Tomatillo salsa verde
- Beef and Cheese Tamale with red chili sauce
- Chorizo Bean Sopes with Cotija cheese and fresh crèma
- Spiced Peanut Brittle
- Pomegranate Margarita
A new stage has popped up for the festival.
Princess Elena, from the Disney Channel series “Elena of Avalor,” will make her Disneyland Resort debut as part of the “Festival of Holidays.”
Festivities from VIVA NAVIDAD! are also returning.
Holidays at DCA
Buena Vista Street is ready for its holiday merriment although we’re still crushed that the Buena Vista Street Community Bell Ringers are not returning this year. 🙁
Neat and pretty!
Shop interiors are also appropriately festooned.
Redwood Creek is also getting some holiday cheer.
A Cars Land Christmas speeding on in.
Season’s Speedings!
The all-new nighttime spectacular “World of Color – Season of Light” celebrates the warm and heartfelt spirit of the holidays with powerful water fountains telling the story.
“World of Color – Season of Light” will take guests through a sparkling winter fantasy, combining classic holiday songs with memorable moments from treasured Disney animated films to create an experience filled with magic.
Holidays at Disneyland
Main Street, USA is starting to feel quite merry this week.
No greak pumpkins here but soon to feature a Christmas Tree. Probably by tomorrow is our guess.
There’s a special magic…
At Christmastime this year…
Hearts are gay and merry… and full of yuletide cheer!
Shop interiors are also feeling suitably seasonal.
My favorite Main Street decoration… the HALF TREE!
It’s only the bottom half of the tree. In search of a top.
Holiday Time at the Disneyland Resrot Tours starting soon.
Netting of Christmas lights in Central Plaza.
Planters sporting little trees.
The Jungle Cruise is closed for its holiday layover for transformation into JINGLE CRUISE.
Looks like some holiday shipments have already been airdropped onto the jungle.
Jungle Cruise skippers will once again this year gather jettisoned holiday gifts and decorations to brighten the rugged landscapes surrounding their riverboats.
Merry Critters and a Happy Pooh Year to you!
OMG IT’S SANTAAA!
Oh bother. Not yet.
The rest of Critter Country is also sporting holiday fare.
Frontierland is decidedly rustic and rugged.
And daddy… they took my boot!
Loved the sunlight coming in on these decorations at Rancho Del Zocalo.
Decorations at Princess Fantasy Faire are really rather lovely, I wish they’d go all out with decorations here.
Quite lovely.
Joy to the small world.
Opening soon…
Mickey’s ToonTown continues to move along with its Christmasification.
I miss the old tree. 🙁
I love the building specific decorations in Toon Town.
Refurbishments continue as decorations go up.
Holiday card photos a plenty to be taken here.
Holidays Around the Resort
No more Pump-cake display at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa.
Looks like the Gingerbread GCH is coming back again this year.
Window displays at World of Disney have also received their holiday decorations.
Around the Parks
Meanwhile the parks continue to work on non-holiday refurbishments and projects.
The ToonTown Five and Dime is getting some attention.
The ToonTown fire truck has also returned.
The Power House is sporting its lovely new colors.
Mickey’s Soundsational Parade stomps on until A Christmas Fantasy takes over.
Flurry of acitivty.
What’s up, dock?
TLC to the rafts continues.
Not much visibly different at the Sailing Ship Columbia… soon to be Black Pearl?
Splash Mountain (along with all of Critter Country) is back!
That sunlight, though. Feels so magical.
Star Wars Land continues on.
Still no visible progress on these facades in New Orleans Square.
It was so crowded they decided to do their set up at the Frontierland / New Orleans Square Train Station.
Never noticed this tiki before at Tropical Imports.
I’ll take two!
Poor kiosk has seen better days.
Hyperspace Mountain is back now that Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy has gone to spookier galaxies.
Are you excited to have it back?
Miss the classic Space Mountain?
Looks like the final park-facing facade of the Tower of Terror will soon be covered as it makes way for Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT.
Now you see it.
Now you don’t!
Sprinkles Cupcakes coming soon.
Not much visible progress on the upcoming Pandora and Curl Surf shops.
More Holiday Merch
We’ve taken a look a Holiday Merch at the Resort (here and here) for a few weeks now but there’s more to see!
Tsum Tsum Advent Calendar.
Happy Hanukkah!
Seasonal wears.
Leia nutcrackers and such.
More Merch
This maze is not for you.
Did you notice all the hidden characters and words in the line art? Click to view larger!
Vinyl Tsums. Oh my.
Sunrise over the Disneyland Resort.
Oooh.
Ahh!
Thanksgiving, RSVP now!
If you’ll be spending Thanksgiving at the Disneyland Resort this year you have TONS of opportunities to stuff yourself with turkey and all the fixings. From classic slow-roasted turkey and mashed potatoes to fancier crispy shredded skirt steak with maple clabbered cream and pumpkin raviolis, there’s bound to be something to satisfy any craving.
Make your reservations at disneyland.com/dining or by calling 714-781-DINE.
Read more: THANKSGIVING bounties at select locations across the Disneyland Resort, RSVP early!
