Happy Holidays from Disneyland!

Hello Disney lovers, and welcome to this special holiday edition! I'll take you through the full experience of the holidays at Disneyland and California Adventure 2021. If you're interested in my full review of Halloween at Disneyland 2021, check it out!

I can't remember if I've been to Disneyland California before during the holiday season due to avoiding higher crowds/prices (I have, however, been at Disney Japan. Did you know you can find mistletoe there?). Anyway, I was thrilled to get an inside look thanks to my new key pass!

Don't let the holiday season discourage you from going: with the limited capacity in place, crowds have been manageable even when I went on Saturdays! I've heard reports of barely any people a

Christmas runs through Jan. 9, so check out those reservation dates and book while you can!

Without further ado, let's dive into the lights, festive treats, and special experiences that await!

Disneyland

As you enter the park, you'll enjoy the special snowflake design over the entrance gates, which of course lights up beautifully at night.

First things first, let's talk about the amazing decorations! As you enter Main Street, you'll find the ultimate photo-off (besides the castle of course): a 60-foot Christmas tree decorated with 1,800 ornaments! Since this photographs well from all sides, you shouldn't have to wait in line to get a perfect head-on shot.

I snapped up a few selfies easily without having to wait when guests were let in, still before official park opening.

Here's a closer look at some of the ornaments.

If you have a Park Hopper, make sure to get back in the evening to see the tree lit up! It's even more spectacular. (Stay tuned for the reveal at the end!)

Main Street of course if also beautifully decorated for the season, including these long garlands. I love how they made a Mickey-shaped wreath!

Now how about that iconic castle? Here's where it's worth it to wait in line for a photo!

Up close, you can see the "icicles" draped from the towers and the beautiful ornaments.

Can you spot the silver crowns?

There are a few more decorations set up throughout the park, but none to the extent of Main Street. New Orleans Square had some new Christmas garlands.

I noticed this angel up on the balcony.

I spied this jungle tree on top of the Jungle Cruise attraction and thought it was so funny. Try it at home with coconut snowmen, strings of bananas, fish bones, old pipes broken off your steamer, and a boat steering wheel to crown it on top.

I also loved these decorations on the lamp posts around It's a Small World (which was closed at the time for maintenance but has reopened at the time of this writing).

I discovered this pop-up band playing for a while.

Here it is! There's a special Santa hat atop the clock, and it's so beautiful lit up at night!

*Special point on special seasonal items: Last month I tried to obtain the seasonal Apple Stein mug, only to find out that it had sold out in the first month (or maybe week!). The same was true of the season jingle bell glow cube that lights up and floats in your drink. According to the Disneyland app, it's available in only gold and silver, but somehow people have found red and green ones. Anyway, they were sold out again at the end of November, even though the season had just started on Nov. 12, a mere 15 days later!

So if you want anything seasonal, go in the first few days of the season start.

I also suspect they may be having supply chain issues just as every other company as low and behold, the Apple Stein mug was in stock at Red Rose Tavern! I couldn't believe it, and I had spent more ordering on E-bay, which was non-returnable. So perhaps there could be more of these on their way, but who knows?

Nighttime Lights and Fireworks

Now for the moment you've all been waiting for: that 60-foot tree lit up! With so many individual bulbs, it's simply stunning against the night sky. It reminds me of the Jim Carey Grinch movie where Cindy Lou's mother scavenges for every bulb she can find, including the one in the refrigerator.

In fact, there were so many lights I felt like if anyone in Anaheim plugged in that extra hair dryer it would all go kaput!

Whether you're coming or going (note that the park stays open till midnight!), you'll want to take time to appreciate the beauty of Main Street.

And that castle? Breathtaking!

The fireworks show starts at 9pm, so reserve yourself a spot around 8. I'm sure the best spots get taken around 7 or maybe even earlier.

You'll notice that they blow "snow" as part of the show to make it even more magical!

Before leaving for the night, I walked around to enjoy a few more lights, including It's a Small World. Absolutely stunning in red!

I also thought the lamp post decorations were even prettier at night. This one was my favorite!

Wanna see what's going on at California Adventure and get an inside look at the new Spider-Man Web Slingers ride? And what about holiday treats and shopping? Follow me to Part 2 and beyond!