Santa Claus and Reindeer at Big Thunder Ranch Disneyland

Yes, the holidays are here and Big Thunder Ranch at Disneyland is a mandatory stop during the holidays.  If your kids haven't seen real reindeer up close and personal, be sure to make a stop in to Big Thunder Ranch (behind Big Thunder Railroad).  You'll also be able to stop in to get pictures with the Disneyland Santa Claus (our favorite in Southern California and the only Santa Claus we visit in our household!).  It's all free and if you time it right you won't have a long wait. 

You can bring your own camera or have a photo taken on the PhotoPass system.

Small World Holiday

I love Disneyland during the holidays.. Who am I kidding? I love Diseneyland pretty much any day of the year but especially during the holidays. I think my absolute favorite thing about Disneyland during the holidays is the tranformation of Small World to Small World Holiday. I absolutely love it and waited last year almost an hour to ride it.

If you are planning on heading to the parks during the next couple of weeks and you want to visit Small World Holiday,  I would either go very early or head towards the end of the day(about 45 minutes after fireworks). I personally love heading there at the end of the day, when it is alive with color, lights and a show every time the clock strikes 15,30,45 or the top of the hour.

Not only is Small World Holiday an incredible ride, it is one of the best spots to catch the firework show and watch the snow fall. Small World Holiday is definitely worth the wait!

Happy Thanksgiving from Walt's Magic Kingdom

Turkey Time at Disneyland

What happens to the Presidentially pardoned turkeys?  Well, if you've walked through Big Thunder Ranch in Disneyland's Frontierland around Thanksgiving time in the past few years you know they now go to the Merriest Place on Earth - Disneyland!

I spoke with a Disneyland cast member at the ranch yesterday and she confirmed that the turkey is set to arrive today with their entourage (which could be considered the highest trained security team a turkey could ever dream to have).  It's been reported that the plane it arrives on is temporarily named "Turkey One".

Pop on over and say hi to "Courage" the official White House Turkey "pardoned" by President Obama earlier today!

-Katie

Disneyland holiday celebrations are in full swing and so are the crowds.

How busy is Thanksgiving weekend at Disneyland, you ask?  Thanksgiving weekend is typically a busy time of the year to visit.  Blackout dates apply to all of the passes below Premium for Thursday-Thanksgiving, Friday and Saturday (11/26 - 11/28).  Monday through Wednesday of this week have see huge turnouts as the APers try to get in the holiday magic during this time of the year.  Especially a day like today, the day before Thanksgiving.  On the other hand, this means quite manageable crowds the next three days as all the local annual passholders are blocked.  Just one more reason to go for the Premium upgrade.

Monday Quote from Mr. Disney

We are not trying to entertain the critics. I'll take my chances with the public. - Walt Disney

 

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad

One of our family favorite rides at Disneyland is Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.  You have to be over 40 inches tall to ride Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and the castmembers will check any children close to that height several times (use the Baby Switch passes if you have young children). We love this ride because it is a lot of fun and doesn’t have big drops. You mostly experience a lot of g-forces as you go down several sudden small drops then around the curves. You have one lap bar per row, so I always wrap my arm around Kyle (who is a little smaller) because during some of the sudden drops younger kids bounce up an inch or two. By wrapping my arm around him it solves the problem completely. Do remove any hats- I have seen quite a few almost blown away.  Good to note that one adult can sit with two children in one row.

Our biggest tip about this ride is to be sure to make use of the Fastpasses. You rarely have to wait more than an hour after picking up your Fastpass and in that time you can go ride another ride. Fastpasses are distributed throughout the day unlike Space Mountain. When you are about to enter the queue line to use your Fastpass- get another set of fastpasses. You can do this as soon as you are 1 minute in to your return time window. You’ll be able to get two rides in a very short time no matter how long the queue line is.

Have you ever heard of the “Goat Trick” on this ride? I’m not sure where it really started and I don’t think I actually ever heard of it anywhere before I figured it out, but the first time I heard a reference to “The Goat Trick”, there was no question I knew what it was! Now be very careful not to over think this one, it really is quite simple, just follow a few simple steps the next time you are on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and you’ll soon be sure to be in on the trick!

As you begin to climb hill number two (this is the long climb with the snakes and turtles on the left), position yourself comfortably in the left corner of the seat so you are at an angle looking out the right side of the train. Be sure to stare at the Billy Goat on the raised area on the right and look at it absolutely as long as you can, literally until you can’t see it anymore. You’ll end up really dizzy and disoriented by the end of the turn and it’s just lots of fun.

We highly recommend sitting in row 15 (or close to it), because the ride is more fun that way. Sitting too close to the front of the train, makes for a much less thrilling ride in our opinion. As you crest the hills you are left slowly going over them while the back of the train finishes the climb. You can ask a castmember to seat you at the back of the train, you may have to wait for the next train, but it only adds a couple minutes at the most. Well worth the wait if you ask my kids.


Have you tried the Goat Trick? Post a comment about it!

-Katie