There are so many special holiday offerings in Orange County for locals and visitors alike. One of the ways to soak up the spirit of the season, along with a dusting of Disney Magic, is by visiting the Downtown Disney District in Anaheim, California, which is one of my family’s holiday traditions.

No entry ticket to Disneyland or Disney California Adventure is required to enjoy Downtown Disney’s dining, shopping and live entertainment experiences.
Along with top notch eateries like Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen and Catal, there are newer dining locations to experience, like Black Tap Craft Burgers & Shakes. At Black Tap, you’re in for a whole new scensory experience with over the top shakes and award winning burgers.

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Let’s also not forget the shopping! According to Disney, their World of Disney store is “the ultimate Disney shopping experience.” I completely agree, as it contains the largest selection of Disney goods anywhere on the West Coast.

Adjacent to Downtown Disney are the Disneyland Resort’s three hotels. Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel and Spa, Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel and the classic, Disneyland Hotel. The hotels are always fun to visit, even if you’re not a guest, as each have their own unique way to decorate for the Christmas holiday.
Did you know that Santa Claus visits each hotel? So be sure to stop by to see if Santa has made a stop so you can provide him with your wish list.

Downtown Disney brings phenomenal entertainment to its stages. This year my family and I had the best time listening to the live group WestBeat Sing’s “Holiday Harmony.” They are an amazing a cappella group who perform throughout California. I was very excited to hear that they were performing at the Disneyland Resort. They’ll be performing through the Christmas season. Be sure to follow @westbeatsings on Instagram to find out set times and locations, not only at the Disneyland Resort, but throughout SoCal.

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Parking costs are quite reasonable at Downtown Disney, as long as you spend at least $20.00 at any store or vendor. Just be sure to show the vendor your parking ticket, which they will validate, and that’ll provide you with 3 hours of free parking. If you dine at a sit down eatery, you’ll receive 5 hours of free parking, when your ticket is validated.

There’s so much fun to be had at the Disneyland Resort, without having to enter the parks. The total cost of our 3 hour adventure for our family of four was less than a one day park hopper ticket for one person. The time we spent together was full of fun and Disney Magic.

We had the most wonderful time at Downtown Disney and look forward to returning soon, how about you?

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