**December 2025 Check-In Thread**

[alleighboo]

It is too bad that you won't be at Disneyland for the cavalcade with Duffy and ShellieMay (it ends next week).

Is it my imagination or is ShellieMay taller than Duffy in your pictures?

I'm so sad to miss a lot of the 70th stuff but I'm glad they're going to keep some of the things going.

Shellie Mae is definitely taller than Duffy! She was average Mickey/Minnie type size. My husband is 6'4 and I'm 5'9 for reference. I have never seen a character as small as Duffy! He was so cute but I'm not sure why he was so small. He also met in a Mexican themed area near Indiana Jones and Shellie Mae met in Cape Cod (the home of Duffy and Friends). She also had the fancy timed auto pictures along with an actual PhotoPass photographer and Duffy just had a single PhotoPass photographer.

 

[FLCA026]

My tip: The holiday parade is very popular. Figure out where you want to watch the parade and use your wait time as your afternoon break.

 

[FLCA026]

Get a parade spot early, much earlier then you think for a locals park. For the 6/6:30 parade time, especially on a weekend, people are on Main Street queuing by 3. It’s very much worth seeing it on Main Street.

The candy cane tradition is a cute thing to do and the candy canes are nice if that is your thing. The peppermint ice cream from Clarebelles/Gibson Girl is delicious.

The holiday cakes from Plaza Inn are lovely and very filling. If you are there for the Candlelight Processional weekend, try to go to DCA on the nights its on. Whilst it’s well organised, it can be a pain trying to get down/up Main Street.

If you get there at rope drop, you get on a lot rides quickly/walk on during the week. Even Peter Pan’s Floght etc we most locals don’t appear until mid morning/10:30 onwards I find.

For restaurants, we love Lamplight Lounge and Wine Country Trattoria. Carthay Circle is beautiful too (sorry, I haven’t scrolled up to see your travelling party/situation so not too sure what would be suitable for you/what you may like)

At Lamplight Lounge, even when they are closing, if you are sat at the bar/outside on the covered patio, they may ask if you would like to stay to watch WOC. Obviously it’s not a perfect view by any stretch but it’s a very cool POV if you’ve seen the show before. You aren’t allowed everytime, so not sure if it depends on your server etc.

The Holiday entertainment is just unmatched at DL (IMHO) don’t miss the Holiday Toy Drummers at DCA and watch as much of the storytellers as you can, check the guide for times. They are all wonderful and interactive. Nothing better than sitting with a drink watching a band etc.

Viva Navidad is wonderful too, great to see The Three Caballeros and the music/lighting/atmosphere is just amazing.

That’s all I can think of off the top of my head but please let me know if you have anything specific in mind too, want to see photos of something etc. The holidays at DL is my favorite subject

I’ve been to Tokyo too, please try and plan a trip there Best parks in the world, DisneySea is like nothing you’ve ever seen.

I will have to read about the candy canes. so we need to reserve a spot really early for the parade?
Where is best for fireworks?

 

[LKing]

There are usually two parades - one during the day (somewhere around 2-3 pm) and another after it is dark (around 5-6:30 pm). The early parade is usually less crowded than the evening parade. It is crowded but not as crowded as PTN was in the beginning. I think it really depends on how much other entertainment there is. Fantasmic and WOC pull people away from the parade. But if the parade is the only entertainment, more people will want to watch it.

There are multiple locations for fireworks and projections
1. Main Street - can be crowded but you get to do the snow as you wait
2. Castle - need to be there 2-3 hrs in advance
3. Rivers of America - best viewed from a Fantasmic dining package seat immediately after Fantasmic
4. Small World - can watch fireworks and then Tapestry of Happiness
5. SWGE - Fire of the Rising Moon - same fireworks but music is Star Wars themed. You can watch Shadows of Memory before or after fireworks. Check the app for exact timing.

 

[FLCA026]

There are usually two parades - one during the day (somewhere around 2-3 pm) and another after it is dark (around 5-6:30 pm). The early parade is usually less crowded than the evening parade. It is crowded but not as crowded as PTN was in the beginning. I think it really depends on how much other entertainment there is. Fantasmic and WOC pull people away from the parade. But if the parade is the only entertainment, more people will want to watch it.

There are multiple locations for fireworks and projections
1. Main Street - can be crowded but you get to do the snow as you wait
2. Castle - need to be there 2-3 hrs in advance
3. Rivers of America - best viewed from a Fantasmic dining package seat immediately after Fantasmic
4. Small World - can watch fireworks and then Tapestry of Happiness
5. SWGE - Fire of the Rising Moon - same fireworks but music is Star Wars themed. You can watch Shadows of Memory before or after fireworks. Check the app for exact timing.

Thanks for the information!

 

[B3rlingirl]

I always think I'll take some time to relax and soak in the atmosphere (we always do 5 days in the park), but I never really do. Last year I did one of the tours, which was disappointing, but other than that, I have a hard time thinking well, maybe one more ride! So good luck!

So you've been at DL during December before? Was it actually cold?

I see you're from Germany and have been to DL Paris. What's your opinion of it? I've always wanted to go and still hope to someday, but I've heard it's not as good as some of the other parks.

Yep, that’s exactly my problem… one more ride… even when queues are long I try to squeeze in something… but this year we will have Jetlag the other way around and recover from marathon and no break/relaxing day in between so I have to somehow slow it down a notch…

Yes I‘ve been to DL in December twice and both time I was freezing in the evening/night… 2019 and 2024… and it’s not like I am not used to cold winter or staying out long when it’s cold…(we usually have temperatures between. 41- 23° F are our regular Winter temperatures and it’s often rainy wet…) but I guess the wet air coming from the sea must be the difference or the sunny warmth midday…
Last year I was wearing a t-shirt, a spirit jersey, a sweatshirt jacket and a thin down jacket (just a really thin one) and I was still feeling cold when I was outside…when we were waiting for fireworks we usually had a hot chocolate to warm our hands…


I like DL Paris very much… it’s different for sure and the vibe is different but the DL castle park is designed very good and I really like wandering around…so many great details and the layout is different so it’s really fun to explore… (fun fact: I really do take time there to soak the atmosphere in and enjoy mainstreet and the other areas…)
Food is mediocre… if you do some research though you can find some great food, but most is mediocre fast food… the CM are mostly very eager to try their best to bring Disney magic to the guests (which was a pleasant surprise to me because the French aren’t known for going above and beyond l) but the other guests are lacking the Disney spirit in my opinion…
Rides are usually not better than DL and most are similar… Thunder Mountain is very good and hyper space mountain is actually superior in my opinion…

I wouldn’t just do a trip to Europe to visit DL Paris… but if you do a trip to Europe and are therefore in Paris anyways I would try to squeeze in 1-2 days…but be prepared for a different DL day and feeling… I tour the park very differently then DL…