25 Wonderful Things to Experience at Disneyland This Holiday Season

If you’re looking for a way to kick-start those holiday vibes, then you should run, not walk, to the Disneyland resorts. The happiest place on Earth goes big for the winter holiday season — from delectable desserts (OMG the Eggnog Macarons) to adorable Minnie ears (that we want to wear every day) to epic acts of entertainment (the parade is adorbs). And it’s not just Christmas (and Navidad's Latin spin on it) that they’re celebrating at Disneyland; they also embrace Diwali, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa. We’ve got 25 things you can’t miss this holiday time (for reals, don’t miss it)!

Get a selfie with Minnie and Mickey. The dynamic duo is dolled up in their winter wear and will be in both parks for photo ops. How cute are they?! (Photo via Sunny Chanel)

Grab a pair of the holiday Minnie ears. These are a must. Especially since there are such adorable options to choose from. You can get ugly sweater ears, sparkly red ears, or these classic sparkly black ears with a perky plaid bow. Seriously, they’re all so cute you can’t go wrong with any of them. (Photo via Sunny Chanel)

Snag this seasons’ popcorn bucket. There were huge lines for the Oogie Boogie Halloween Time popcorn bucket, and there will probably be throngs lining up in equal amounts for this Pluto one. But it’s worth the wait since you get cuteness and popcorn. (Photo via Sunny Chanel)

Watch the Christmas Fantasy Parade on Main Street. Prancing reindeer, dancing gingerbread men, princesses, talking toys, Minnie, Mickey, Santa, and many, many more take to the streets of Disneyland to celebrate the season in the adorable A Christmas Fantasy parade. (Photo via Sunny Chanel)

Experience the lights at It's a Small World. The iconic ride is stunning any time of year, but it’s particularly gorgeous during the holidays. For the season they hang 50,000 (yes 50,000!) lights on the façade — with 350,000 more mini-lights hung from nearby trees, hedges, and topiaries. (Photo via Sunny Chanel)

Eat all the holiday desserts. Besides churros, beignets, donuts, and macarons, Disney also makes holiday magic with cookies. This season you can feast on one of these festive Minnie Mouse cookies, although it’s hard to sink your teeth into something this perfect. (Photo via Sunny Chanel)

Take a walking tour.If you’re looking to find out way more about how the Disneyland Parks do the holidays, sign up for the one of their Holiday Time at the Disneyland Resort walking tours. The 2.5-hour tour — which covers both parks — ends with reserved seating for the A Christmas Fantasy parade with a treat, hot cocoa, and a specially themed pin. Plus, look at the guide’s outfit! Who wouldn’t want to follow her around? (Photo via Sunny Chanel)

Snack on the seasonal treats from The Jolly Holidays Bakery Café. The Jolly Holidays Bakery Café at the end of Main Street always has crazy-good treats, but they get even better during the holidays. A seasonal Santa hat macaron and a chocolate mint whoopie pie... yes, please. Definitely stop in for some oh-so-jolly treats. (Photo via Sunny Chanel)

Watch the holiday goodies being made. It’s so cool to watch Disney’s candied apples, cake pops, or Mickey Mouse Rice Krispie treats being created right in front of your eyes. If you’re really lucky, you’ll be able to see the artisans creating the legendary Candy Canes at the Candy Palace on Main Street or at Trolley Treats in California Adventure (you have to get there early for that — they actually issue wristbands to obtain them). (Photo via Sunny Chanel)

Indulge in a candy cane beignet. A holiday beignet? Yummmm. The line at the Mint Julep Bar in New Orleans may be long, but trust us; it moves fast — and it’s totally worth it (especially with the seasonal addition of the delicious Mickey-inspired Candy Cane Beignets). (Photo via Sunny Chanel)

Visit the Haunted Mansion. Jack Skellington once again takes over the Haunted Mansion. Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas will be in residence at the mansion until early January with chills, thrills, and an amazing “ginger-dread house” in the ballroom scene. Warning: The smell of gingerbread will get you cravin’ cookies immediately. (Photo via Sunny Chanel)

Get the Disney MaxPass. ...unless you enjoy spending most of your time in line. But if you’d rather be getting churros or hanging with Mickey, then you gotta spend the extra $10. This way, you can set up your fastpasses for hot tickets like Haunted Mansion Holiday from your phone (while scarfing down the aforementioned churros). Plus, you get Unlimited Disney PhotoPass Downloads for the day. (Photo via Sunny Chanel)

Celebrate multiple holidays at Disney California Adventure. Disney California Adventure is going all out with their Festival of Holidays. And no, it’s not just about the Christmas; Disney also pays homage to Diwali, Navidad, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa with food, drinks, music, entertainment, and crafts. Plus there are sweet treats, so you know we’re all about it. (Photo via Sunny Chanel)

Catch Santa’s Holiday Visit at the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail. While the main draw is a meet-and-greet with the big man himself, there’s plenty of other fun in the winter wonderland. There are games and activities for kids and bourbon-spiked cider for the adults, so it’s win-win. (Photo via Sunny Chanel)

Hang with the Three Caballeros at Disney Viva Navidad. Donald, José, and Panchito host a colorful street party in honor of the season with mariachi and samba musicians, folklórico dancers, and 12-foot-tall mojiganga puppets of Santa and Mrs. Claus. Oh, and Minnie and Mickey make an appearance, ‘natch. (Photo via Sunny Chanel)

Take a break and get crafty. The Festival of the Holidays has tables set up for holiday crafts in honor of Diwali, Navidad, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and Christmas. While the projects are geared more for the kid set, they’re actually fun for any age. And it gives you a chance to sit down and relax for a bit. (Photo via Sunny Chanel)

Get your feast at the Festive Foods Marketplace. We should note, we had to use Disneyland’s photo for the Beef Corn Tamale a la Plancha with Spicy Rojo Sauce ‘cause we gobbled ours down so quickly we didn’t get a chance to take one ourselves. Yeah, it was that good. And spicy. If you want something that won’t burn your taste buds, there are plenty of small plate offerings from 12 different marketplaces scattered throughout the festival, ranging from traditional to exotic (and all delicious). (Photo via Disneyland Resorts)

Munch on an eggnog macaron. Disneyland already cornered the market on scrumptious spins on the mighty churro, but now they’re consistently coming out with macaron magic. This holiday season they’ve debuted the Eggnog Macaron, available at the Winter Sliderland booth at the Festival of the Holidays. (Photo via Sunny Chanel)

Snack on cake pops and chocolate bark while you walk the park. Available at various spots around the Disneyland resorts are these winter-themed pops and traditional (yet always great) chocolate bark. (Photo via Sunny Chanel)

Get a yule log. Well, hello there, Yule Log Holiday Donut, you look ahhhhmazing. It’s actually a misstatement to call this a mere donut; this is, in fact, a flakey croissant pastry filled with pecan praline cream and covered with chocolate glaze and chocolate decorations. (Photo via Sunny Chanel)

Snag a limited-edition Starbucks Disneyland mug. This adorable mug is the newest offering in Starbucks’ Disney series and is available at the parks. There’s also a small espresso cup that doubles as a tree ornament — we love a double duty dish. (Photo via Sunny Chanel)

Visit Cars Land. The residents of Cars Land totally get into the holiday spirit. Many of the beloved characters have their own Christmas trees set up using a variety of auto-related items like hubcaps, tires, and orange safety cones. (Photo via Sunny Chanel)

Listen to live musical performances at the World of Color Stage. Throughout the day and night, musicians take to the World of Color Stage. It’s an eclectic array of acts, with highlights including the Klezmer-inspired Mostly Kosher, the Bollywood dancing of the Blue13 Dance Company, and the soulful swing of Phat Cat Swinger (they do an awesome cover of “Pure Imagination” from Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory). (Photo via Sunny Chanel)

Marvel at the gingerbread house at the Grand Californian Hotel. Now here are some serious gingerbread house goals. At Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel, there’s an epic craftsman-inspired gingerbread masterpiece. Assembling it took 600 pounds of gingerbread, 600 pounds of powered sugar, 12 gallons of egg whites, 3.5 gallons of lemon juice, 150 pounds of fondant, and one pound of glitter (AKA pixie dust). (Photo via Sunny Chanel)

Enjoy the Season of Light at World of Color. Before you say goodnight to Disneyland, make sure to check out the new heartwarming nighttime water spectacular. Disney characters both new and old make appearances during the holiday-themed show. It’s a perfect way to end your magical day. And if you happen to be at Disneyland at the end of the night, don't miss the Believe... in Holiday Magic Fireworks Spectacular. (Photo via Scott Brinegar/Disneyland)