{"id":1992,"date":"2017-12-02T06:34:25","date_gmt":"2017-12-02T06:34:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/expedia.blog.au.local\/only-at-disneyland\/"},"modified":"2022-08-08T23:24:43","modified_gmt":"2022-08-08T23:24:43","slug":"only-at-disneyland","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.expedia.com.au\/stories\/only-at-disneyland\/","title":{"rendered":"Only at Disneyland"},"content":{"rendered":"

The clock has just struck 8am. The crowds surge forwards, the turnstiles spinning as fast as they can. Opening hour at Disneyland Resort just outside of Los Angeles is almost a competitive sport \u2013 except it would be the calmest competitive sport in history. There\u2019s no pushing and shoving, just people peering past Mickey Mouse ears, Darth Vader hats and Winnie the Pooh headbands, waiting to get through. But once they\u2019re in, they\u2019re off. Tweens head straight for Tomorrowland and the dark tunnels of Space Mountain, families make a beeline for Sleeping Beauty’s\u00a0Castle and the classic rides inside Fantasyland, diehard fans go direct to the Haunted Mansion in New Orleans Square.<\/p>\n

Map in hand, I have my head down walking up Main Street USA, trying to work out which camp I fall into, when I abruptly come to another crowd of people. A quick look at the map confirms that no, there\u2019s no ride, or show, and I can\u2019t see a secret Mickey, but there must be a hundred people orderly lining the sidewalk, looping back on themselves to stand right outside one of the old worde shoppes that line Main Street USA, as Walt Disney named his strip of Middle America nostalgia. Here you\u2019ll find souvenir stores, Starbucks and sweet shops. It\u2019s outside a sweet shop that the line has formed. Candy Palace, whose glass windows I\u2019d pressed my nose up against the night before, mouth watering as crew members carefully drizzled treacle on candied apples and painted noses on Mickey Mouse-shaped popcakes.<\/p>\n

So what are they all waiting for? That\u2019s the question I ask the crewmember\u00a0standing outside. She\u2019s got a handful of wristbands. Maybe I\u2019ve found Disney\u2019s secret night club! That kicks off at 8am? Hmm I don\u2019t think so.<\/p>\n

\u201cCandy canes,\u201d comes the chirpy response. \u201cI\u2019m sorry, come again?\u201d I say. \u201cOur special handmade candy canes, they\u2019re a Christmas candy!\u201d. I got that. But why on earth are they lining up for candy canes when the store doesn\u2019t open for an hour and prime rides are operating without lines?!<\/p>\n

This is my first experience of that \u201cOnly at Disney\u201d moment. It turns out every year hundreds of people do in fact line up to buy hand-crafted candy canes. The signature sweet dates back to 1968, made only at Christmas time, and sold at select stores on certain days. I\u2019ve hit day one, which explains the near hysteria of some of the crowd.<\/p>\n

Made from scratch, the candy canes take several days to make, and only around 100 are released each day. Hence the wristbands. No wristband, no candy cane. And we\u2019re not talking a bit sized treat you can stuff in an envelope for the school teacher. This 18 inch jumbo cane is almost a full size walking cane! Ok I\u2019m exaggerating, but the sugar rush is hitting me, and I haven\u2019t even made it through the handle of my cane. Just kidding, I missed out on a wristband and didn\u2019t get a candy cane. But I console\u00a0myself by stocking up on peanut brittle, pralines and all manner of other sweets that didn\u2019t need a line to purchase.<\/p>\n

Other treats I discover are \u201cDisneyland\u201d must dos:<\/h2>\n

\"Dole<\/p>\n