The thing that most people don't understand - at least, what most people without a Disneyland annual pass and an entire wall of Minnie ears don't understand - is that no two trips to the park are the same. Depending on the time of year, or even the day of the week, it's a totally different experience. One day, you're watching Sorcerer Mickey defeat a 30-foot-tall dragon during Fantasmic! The next, there are life-sized toy soldiers dancing in circles around you at Disneyland's Festival of the Holidays. At this time of year, the parks really double down on the magic, because there's a lot of special holiday merrymaking happening. Here's what you'll find at the festival.
More Than A Christmas Party
Yes, the festival, which happens at Disney's California Adventure Park through January 8, 2019, is partly a Christmas party. It's also a food and entertainment festival that celebrates Navidad, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Three Kings Day and Diwali. For every pop-up performance of that Nutcracker drum line (they're really called the Holiday Toy Drummers), there's another of Blue13 (pictured above), performing traditional Diwali dances. There's a holiday marketplace with local California makers, and Santa ready to take many, many photos that will end up all over the country at Christmas cards. There's even real snow by Grizzly Peak, where there's an enormous bear wearing an illuminated ugly Christmas sweater.
But, Yeah, It's Mostly About The Food
Disneyland's Festival of the Holidays is similar to other food events in the park, in that there are pop-up food kiosks serving food that isn't available anywhere else, and only for the duration of the festival. While the festival incorporates Disney-fied versions of many multicultural holiday foods, a lot of it is based on traditional American holiday foods - namely, turkey and stuffing. The macaroni and cheese pictured above is Holiday Stuffing Mac and Cheese, which was really just herbed bread crumbs on top of garlic mac. It was much better than I expected it to be from the name.
The same goes with this Nashville Hot Fried Turkey, which was really good and really spicy, and was a holiday twist on Tennessee's most famous food. To celebrate Navidad, there's Pozole Rojo Beef with Hominy Polenta. For Diwali, there's Chana Masala with Grilled Garlic Naan. For Hanukkah, there's Reuben Potato Tots with Russian Dressing and Rye Toast, and these Jalapeño Latkes with Chipotle Crema, pictured below.
Ok, It's Also About The Cocktails
Each cart also has cocktails and desserts to match the theme. This Mimosa Tasting Flight, from the Making Spirits Bright cart, includes pomegranate, pear and white cranberry mimosas. There are also wines, beers and cocktails available throughout, with a strong bent towards what's made in California.
The Rest Of The Disney Magic
Just like at Halloween, Disneyland gets a super festive makeover for Christmas. A lot of the holiday warm and fuzzies are across the plaza in Disneyland Park, like Sleeping Beauty's Castle draped with snow and Christmas ornaments, but one of the most magical places for Disney Christmas is in California Adventure: Cars Land. Cars Land Christmas includes animatronic cars from the movie who are celebrating the holiday - Mater becomes Santa Mater - and decorations made from spare tires, traffic cones and car parts. Even for someone who's never really warmed to that movie, it's very cute.