Happy Holidays from Disneyland! Part 3: Characters, Shopping, and Food!

Now that we've seen Disneyland and California Adventure at its holiday best in Part 1 and Part 2, what about all the fun characters, food and goodies, and shopping to be done? Let's dive right in!

Characters

Although full-blown parades as we used to know them aren't back yet, you'll be happy to know that you can still catch mini parades and appearances of some of Disney's most popular characters! 

Downtown Disney Update: Star Wars Trading Post, WandaVision Photo Op, and More

Raya and the Last Dragon mural at Downtown Disney

I made it back to Downtown Disney during COVID-19 for another update. Just how is Disney faring with its year-long shut down? Pretty well, if they've begun charging $10 for parking.

TIP: During high-peak attendance (namely weekends) you could end up waiting over 2 hours to enter the area even after parking. Schedule some much-needed time off and hit it on a weekday morning so you get there just before they open. Even so, you'll find yourself waiting in line soon after to enter most stores.

Inside Look: Downtown Disneyland Under Quarantine

COVID precautions in full-swing at Downtown Disney

While Disneyland California remains closed for the seventh month in a row (the kiss of death for all us Disney fans), the one godsend is that Downtown Disney is open. I headed there this October for an update on merchandise, COVID practices, and more.

COVID-19 Compliance Measures

Disneyland is following all safety measures related to COVID-19, which you will have to follow in order to enter the premises (a small price to pay for a few hours of happiness). This includes temperature screening, mask wearing, hand-washing, and physical distancing.