The Holidays Come to Disneyland (PHOTOS)

'Tis the Season! We visited Disneyland Resort on Sunday, which just so happened to be the first weekend of the park's transformation into the holidays. Of course, the Cinderella castle is completely decked out, but so is virtually everything. And as the holidays arrive, so do the crowds.

Actually, the crowds are always there. It's rare to find a slow day at Disneyland, and the Sunday before the Veteran's Day holiday wasn't one of those days. We knew it might be packed, which is why we spent the previous night in Anaheim. That allowed us to wake up early, check out, and arrive at the park soon after it opened. We booked it to Space Mountain, and managed to ride both that ride and Star Tours before the crowds made it impossible. From there, we got a few fast passes for the Haunted Mansion (made over with a "Nightmare Before Christmas" theme) and rode the Big Thunder Railroad (where you can get a view of next summer's new Star Wars land, now under construction).  

We later headed over to Disney's California Adventure, where the lines were just as long — but a holiday food festival was underway. Some highlights from a holiday at the magical place:

Mickey beignets in New Orleans Square include the candy cane flavor (right)

Sadly, the Matterhorn is currently closed as it undergoes renovation. Which is probably for the best, as the ride had become so creaky that we nearly got whiplash the last time we were there.

The Disneyland Railroad offers another vantage point to see the upcoming Star Wars land.

The Haunted Mansion has been completely revamped for the holidays as "Nightmare Before Christmas"-themed. They did a good job completely rebranding it, but I'm a purist and like the original. This one is a bit less creepy, and a little more fun.

Jack Skellington!

Sally dreams.

The Main Street Christmas tree.

Oof, crowds.

Now on to Disney California Adventure, where the Blogger Kid 2.0 was looking forward to ride his first bona-fide roller coaster. We were in line, and just minutes away from it happening...

... until a major malfunction left these riders stranded and the ride closed. 

Blogger Kid 2.0 after realizing he wouldn't be fulfilling his dream of riding the Incredicoaster.

 Back to Disneyland, where "It's a Small World" is decked out and looks quite festive for the season.

The castle also takes on a winter look.

Main Street at night,

And finally, one more return to Disney's California Adventure, where we rode the Guardians of the Galaxy ride for the first time since it had changed from the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror ride. It wound up being our favorite.

The Walt Disney Diet: Spam, A Lot of Gravy and Light on the Veggies

In November we visited the Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco; it's worth a visit, and the Blogger Kids enjoyed making an stop-motion movie and also seeing features like a huge model replica of Disneyland.

One of the random interesting items I spied was a sheet written by Walt Disney, who was asked to jot down his favorite foods. Here they are:

Chicken fry cube steak
Roast lamb — potatoes and gravy
Pan fried chicken with potatoes and gravy
Roast chicken with dressing and gravy
Spam and eggs with biscuits and honey
Oyster stew with crackers and cheese
Breaded veal cutlets with bread and gravy
Chasen’s chili and beans

Note: Only one vegetable with meals — corn, canned peas, leaf spimach, stewed tomatoes, etc.

Salads:
Carrot and raisins
Waldorf
Tomatoes and cucumber
Chef’s salad

Desserts:
Jello — all flavors, with pieces of fruit
Diet custards
Pineapple — fresh or canned
Fruit — fresh or canned

Spam! And wow, did that guy like gravy. Below, here's that Disneyland scale model:

A Holiday Trip to Disneyland

Dragging two young kids to Disneyland -- it's as difficult as you might think. But it's holiday time at Disneyland. Plus Blogger Kid had a day off from school, and friends of ours (thanks, S and A!) had extra park passes our way.

The Monday after Thanksgiving was crowded, but not nearly as packed as I imagine the holiday weekend was. Besides, the secret to bringing two small children to Disneyland is simple: Don't overdo it. They're just happy to be there. Take them on a few rides, and you're good.

In other words, Space Mountain is not an option.

But there are plenty of other rides, with fast-moving lines, to satisfy both a 5 1/2-year-old and a 1-year-old. The Dumbo ride, the Mark Twain riverboat, "It's a Small World," Autopia (for the older one), the double-decker bus around Main Street USA, and more.

(Captain EO? As it turned out, the Michael Jackson tribute isn't such a good idea for the little ones. Lesson learned.)

It was Nathan's first time at Disneyland, and Blogger Baby 2.0 had a blast. His older brother also had his most fun yet at the park. Another secret: We left before the fireworks -- and the crowds.

A few pics from our visit last week:


Entrance to the Magic Kingdom castle


The Disneyland Christmas tree


Blogger Baby 2.0's first experience with costume characters


Nathan peers up at the Disneyland Christmas tree


Nighttime down Main Street USA


The Mark Twain riverboat


Matterhorn at dusk


Evan's favorite attraction: The Monorail


Celebrating 2011 in "It's a Small World"


Canadian Mountie in "It's a Small World"


It's a Small World


The tree in daylight

Retro Friday: Disneyland Edition

Above, from 1977, an ad for Disneyland's brand new Space Mountain coaster. And below, the 1979 spot marking the opening of Big Thunder Railroad.



And from 1983, when the "New Fantasyland" opened: