Once Upon a Wintertime

Earlier this week Patrick and I went on the Holiday Time tour at Disneyland. Like the Happiest Haunts tour we took in the fall, the Holiday Time tour is also seasonal, limited to the time when the Disneyland Resort is celebrating the holidays.

For our tour I wore a pin from a trio I bought at the Walt Disney Family Museum, which featured the couple and sleigh from the 1954 Disney cartoon short “Once Upon a Wintertime”. I remember watching it, along with many other Christmasy Disney cartoons on several VHS tapes as a kid, now if only Disney would release all of those on DVD! Of the other two pins, which may make an appearance during the holiday season, one features the couple as they ice skate, the other features the bunny couple that tag along on the adventure.

Like the Happiest Haunts tour, which discussed the roots of Halloween traditions across the globe, the Holiday Time tour took us through the park as our guide discussed the various holidays celebrated throughout the winter months, and the origins of many of the season’s traditions, as well as drawing attention to the uniquely Disney decorations throughout Disneyland. Our guide offered insider details as to the history and process of decorating the giant Christmas tree found just as guests enter the park. As the tour was holiday themed, we made our way to the three attractions that have decked their halls, including The Jungle Cruise, which during the holiday season is transformed into The Jingle Cruise, as the skippers take passengers through the wilds of the jungle rivers, spotting the missing shipments of holiday decor the skippers were expecting, only to see them be scattered and used by the animals and local natives! We also visited the Haunted Mansion to see how Jack Skellington does Christmas, and then to “it’s a small world”, where decorations from around the world are seen, and carols are sung in a variety of languages. While “it’s a small world” has gotten a bad rap for being annoying with its repetitiveness, the holiday overlay is excellent (and a variety of songs are sung) and the attraction is worth a visit if you are at the resort during the holiday season.

Our tour came to a close with reserved seating for Disneyland’s holiday parade “A Christmas Fantasy” as well as cocoa in souvenir travel mugs, adorable Mickey ear wearing gingerbread men cookies, and of course a pin! While I’m not (yet, as Patrick likes to point out) a crazy pin-trader/collector, I do especially love the pins that the tours offer, as they are unique to the tour, and the seasonal tour pins change every year! I was delighted when I saw this year’s pin featured my favorite Disney pals, Chip and Dale!

If you are in the Anaheim area, or plan on visiting the Disneyland Resort during the holidays, you can learn more about the Holiday Time tour by visiting Disneyland Resort’s website.

Outfit
Sweater (part of a sweater set): Red Light, Portland, Ore.
Dress: Bombshell Vintage, Portland, Ore.
Belt: Nordstorm
Shoes: Miss L Fire
Purse: Belonged to my grandmother
Pin: Walt Disney Family Museum, San Francisco, Cali.

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