Credit: DisneyThe holiday season has begun! The spirit of the season is in the air! Regardless of what the year 2020 has brought us, here at ITM, we are still feeling as festive as ever.
With the Disneyland Resort still being closed after 8 months due to the ongoing pandemic, the Disney holiday season won’t be exactly the same — but, we have hope! With the Downtown Disney District being open and Buena Vista Street preparing for its grand reopening next week, there is plenty of opportunities to ring in the holidays.
Here’s what we expect based so far, as well as some things we hope will come to the Disneyland Resort this season. Keep in mind that as Disney shares more announcements of holiday offerings at Downtown Disney, we will update our website.
Festivities at Downtown Disney
There is plenty of holiday offerings we can expect for the Downtown Disney District! The district is always merry and bright with their decorations. Also, their dining areas offer some pretty festive eats as well.
In the past, Black Tap has offered 2 different holiday CrazyShakes that are just perfect for the season!
Just in time for Thanksgiving, Black Tap offered a limited-edition Thanksgiving Turkey Burger AND a Pumpkin Pie CrazyShake!
Last year, Black Tap got into the holiday spirit with their Holiday CrazyShake that was covered in chocolate sauce and crushed peppermint candies and topped with a slice of Peppermint Chocolate Chunk Cheesecake — yum!
If Christmas spirits are more your style, last year many dining locations around the district offered specialty glowing cocktails to light up the night.
With holiday décor last year, DTD made sure everything was merry and bright with neon-colored Christmas trees and lights throughout the area! We can only hope for something similar or brighter for this season. Disney has not officially announced that trees or decorations like this will be coming to Downtown Disney this year, but we are holding out hope.
Buena Vista Street Reopening
We are really hopeful for anything holiday-related when Buena Vista Street reopens on November 19th. Although nothing has been confirmed of what we can expect for seasonal offerings, we have an idea of what the resort could offer for the most wonderful time of the year!
We are really hoping for any kind of seasonal eats or drinks to make their debut at the Buena Vista Street Reopening!
Seasonal Eats
Last season we got introduced to plenty of yummy eats and treats, like the Churro Shake from Schmoozies!
What is also missing from this year is all the amazing tastes from ¡Viva Navidad! This yearly celebration offers Guests tastes and traditions from Latin cultures around the world. We can only hope that they will bring these menu items to some of the outdoor vending carts that will be available. Disney did say that there will be “must-bite” items coming, though they did not say exactly what.
Jolly Decorations
When it comes to décor, I know we’re not alone in hoping for a big Christmas tree on Buena Vista Street! That would just be so magical to see this holiday season!
Character Experiences
One last thing that I hope we can all expect, is the possibility of a Character Experience. Seeing our favorite characters in their holiday garb adds to the magic of the season! We hope that if the Disneyland Resort offers this this year, it is done in a safe manner with social distancing measures in place.
Maybe we can hope to see Mickey and Minnie Mouse on the balcony of Carthay Circle? Or possibly any of the Fab 5 on the trolley and ready for plenty of photo opportunities! We know that would be amazing to see. Disney has not given any indication that characters will make appearances this holiday season, but we sure are hoping for something like that.
It is good to keep in mind that no holiday offerings for Buena Vista Street have been made official by the Disneyland Resort, but they did leave a statement saying:
We’re excited to share that Buena Vista Street opens Nov. 19, extending the Downtown Disney District at the Disneyland Resort with more Disney shopping and dining experiences. Discover new and returning favorite menu items plus holiday gifts and apparel, and stay tuned for more holiday happenings!
So, make sure you stay tuned for more updates and join our ITM newsletter for updates on all things Disneyland Resort Holidays!
Click here to book a trip to visit Downtown Disney and Buena Vista Street this season.