To continue from yesterday's post about Disneyland, this post is about the holiday tour we went on! This tour, called Holiday Time at Disneyland, is only offered for about 6 weeks between November and the end of December. Much like the Halloween tour, tickets sell out quickly, so you really have to be on the ball and make sure to purchase tickets for the day you want as soon as they go on sale.
The tour took us down Main Street to begin with, and pointed out various tidbits like the enormous Christmas tree, which is artificial, but used to be a real tree until one year, it caught on fire! We stopped at Candy Palace, where our guide told us about the delicious goodies they make for each holiday season, and then handed out chocolate covered marshmallows dipped in peppermint!! Yummm!
As is typical for every Disneyland tour, we got to go on several rides, straight to the front of the line! The first one we went on was Jingle Cruise, the holiday themed version of Jungle Cruise. I feel like it's much better than last year's version, and has lots of holiday ornaments scattered throughout the jungle, like on these elephants!
And decorating these rhinos!
Not to mention, Trader Sam, selling his wares!
I sat right up front next to the skipper, and took a picture of this etching at the front of the boat, a detail I'd never noticed before!
We also got to go on Haunted Mansion Holiday, which is a must-do for both Halloween and Christmas times!
The final ride was It's A Small World Holiday, which I absolutely love at Christmastime.
Look at these decorations!!! Look at them!
I don't remember this before, but in the area with Ariel, the song switches to Jingle "Shells"! (Get it!!!)
The culmination of the tour is seeing the Christmas Fantasy parade! They set out chairs right in front!! It's pretty amazing. As if that weren't cool enough, we also got big gingerbread man cookies, and a collectible mug of hot cocoa!! And of course, the usual special tour pin!
Sunday also happened to be Dick Van Dyke's 90th birthday! In celebration, they had a special pre-parade cavalcade with Mary Poppins and Bert riding carousel ponies, dancing penguins, and Dick Van Dyke himself riding in the back of a car, waving to the crowds!
It was a pretty special event that we didn't anticipate at all, so that was a cool surprise!
The Christmas Fantasy parade is pretty great, and features pretty much all the big Disney characters.
Got a perfect shot of Mickey and Minnie kissing!
Aww, poor Eeyore has to tow his broken sled behind him while Pooh and Tigger ride theirs!
The rolling Christmas trees are my favorite. Just enormous trees, wheeling down the street by magic.
Gotta have Anna and Elsa, of course, plus a spinning Olaf.
Dancing gingerbread men!
Goofy and Pluto ride a gingerbread doghouse!
All the princesses and princes!
Is this a perfect shot or what?
Woody, followed by Buzz! I think Jessie was walking around too.
Another Christmas tree! And who's that in the background?
It's Santa, following some synchronized reindeer!
Overall, definitely a great tour and good value for the money. I learned a bit more about Christmas and Disneyland, and got to go on 3 rides, and get front row seats at a parade!
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