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When we first planned our Thanksgiving weekend trip to Los Angeles, Disneyland wasn’t even on the agenda. But a few weeks before our flight, the idea of spending a holiday at the Happiest Place on Earth started sounding really tempting. The only dilemma: Should we go on Thanksgiving Day or brave the crowds on Black Friday?
After scanning the internet for advice, the consensus was clear—Thanksgiving tends to be less crowded than the day after. So we made a spontaneous decision, bought Park Hopper tickets, and committed to spending Thanksgiving at Disneyland… even though we were landing that morning on a red-eye.
Because we’d already booked a great hotel deal near LAX (and didn’t want to give that up), we took an Uber to Anaheim so that I wouldn't have to worry about driving back to the hotel late at night. The ride cost $79 to Disneyland, which felt worth it for the convenience. After landing, picking up our rental car, and dropping our bags at the hotel, we headed straight to Disneyland and arrived just before 9 a.m.
The entrance lines looked daunting at first, but we managed to spot a tucked-away queue that no one else seemed to notice. Five minutes later, we were inside—and the magic began.
From there, the day was a whirlwind of rides, treats, and holiday cheer. At one point, we even had our own version of Thanksgiving dinner: sharing three giant turkey legs because, honestly, you can’t go to Disneyland without getting a turkey leg! We didn’t get to do or eat everything on our list, but it didn’t matter. Disneyland is always special, but during the holidays, it becomes something extraordinary. The Christmas décor, the festive music, and the holiday parade could put even the Grinch in the holiday spirit.
Check out the photos to see what we rode, where we wandered, and what we ate. It was an unforgettable Thanksgiving, and now I totally understand the hype about visiting during the holiday season. I already can’t wait to go back next year!
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| Disneyland's 70th Celebration D Glow Cube |
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| We LOVE the popcorn at Disneyland (we even stashed some to snack on for the plane ride home) |
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| The Lightning Lane Multi Pass included unlimited downloads of Disney PhotoPass |
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| Churros are another one of our favorite snacks at Disneyland |
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| Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance - we bought Lightning Lane Single Passes to bypass the 85 minute standby line. |
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| Chicken Tenders Plate from Hungry Bear Barbecue Jamboree |
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| Classic Cheeseburger |
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| A Christmas Fantasy Parade (3 PM showtime) |
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| Sleeping Beauty Castle Walkthrough at night |
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| California Adventure |
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| Thanksgiving Dinner! |
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