One of the trademark traditions of experiencing Disneyland during the holiday season is getting your hands on one of the coveted hand-pulled Disneyland candy canes.
These hand-pulled candy canes have been a Disneyland tradition for over 50 years. In honor of these historic candy canes, let's take a trip down memory lane to see what the fuss has been about all these years.
Keep reading for more details and information on when the candy canes will be available at Disney California Adventure and Disneyland Park. Keep reading for the newly announced 2024 Disneyland Candy Cane dates!
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2024 Disneyland Candy Cane Dates
The hand pulled candy cane dates usually take place in the month of December. The hand pulled candy canes are only available on the dates listed!
The 2024 Disneyland Candy Cane dates are below:
Candy Palace at Disneyland
November 29
December 1, 3, 8, 10, 15, 17, 22, and 24
Trolley Treats at California Adventure
November 30
December 2, 4, 9, 11, 16, 18, 23, and 25
The candy canes sell for $19.99 each and are 5 oz each. Discounts are not applicable for purchasing a Candy Cane.
2024 Disneyland Candy Canes Dates: How to Get Your Own Candy Cane
If you have your heart set on buying a candy cane, you need to plan ahead. There's some line waiting and dedication that goes into getting your hands on one of these candy canes. Like most experiences at Disneyland, the cast members strive to keep the wait entertaining. When you get closer to the candy stores that make the candy canes, you can watch the Candy Makers in the windows as they work on batches of candy canes. There will also be fun photo ops with cut-out candy canes which help brighten the wait. And the wait will be worth it!
This year both wristbands and a mobile waitlist system will be in place. Guests wanting a wristband should plan on lining up early the instant the park opens. If the mobile waitlist has been activated, guests will add their name and phone number at the location and then receive a text back with a return time giving you the opportunity to return and purchase.
These Disneyland candy canes, if you haven't guessed already, are a big deal. These are the steps you should follow to get your hands on one of these delicious candy canes:
- Get to the park at least an hour prior to opening so you have a chance at being at the front of the line for the turnstiles entering the parks.
- Once the cast members let you in, head right to Candy Palace in Disneyland or Trolley Treats in California Adventure (depending on which park you are going for) and get in line. You will see people literally running. While running is technically not allowed, a little skipping won't go amiss. The takeaway here? Move fast!
- You will wait in line to add your name and number to receive a text back with a return time- this is the mobile waitlist. If you're lucky enough to be near the front, you might be able to pick up your candy cane right away. Remember: only one candy cane per person in your group. You also won't be allowed to save spots for other people in your group in this line.
- Come back on time for your candy cane! You will end up likely waiting in two lines for these candy canes when all is said and done. Now that's some Disney dedication!
Both the Candy Palace and Trolley Treats have specific alternating days that they make the candy canes.
Hand-Pulled 2024 Disneyland Candy Canes: A Time Honored Tradition
Some of the Candy Makers have been making these candy canes for over 36 years which is just another way that Disneyland has honored this classic tradition. So what does it exactly mean to hand-pull a candy cane?
These days the candy canes you find in retail stores are made by machines. Hand-pulling candy canes is the traditional way to make a candy cane from scratch. This is by no means an easy process, it takes skill and patience to make a candy cane from scratch. The Disneyland Resort Candy Cane makers work hard to make these famous candy canes entirely from scratch by mixing the pulled sugar and peppermint extract which must be kept boiling hot to keep the sugar pliable so the room temperature is kept at just under 100 degrees. Then the Candy Makers work hard by hand-pulling the candy by rolling, pulling, and twisting the sugar into the traditional candy cane shape.
To see a quick rundown of how the candy canes are made, check out Disneyland's video below explaining this historic process which highlights Disneyland's commitment to tradition:
Devoted fans of these hand-pulled candy canes swear that they taste fresh which makes them worth the time and effort to get one. Store-bought candy canes just do not compare. The candy canes themselves are pretty large at over 15 inches in size! For some families, getting a hand-pulled candy cane each year is a family tradition in itself like meeting Santa or singing Christmas carols.
I feel the dedication Disneyland has to these hand-pulled candy canes is just another way that Disneyland commits to keeping its traditions alive. Disneyland honors their history and this is just another example of how they live up to those expectations. For some guests, receiving a hand-pulled candy cane is more about just procuring a delicious candy cane- they are receiving a piece of Disney's history.
Ready to Get Yourself Disneyland Candy Canes?
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Hello, the number above doesn’t work. 714 781-0112. I’m planning to visit the resort after thanksgiving sometime. The last time I was there in the same timeframe was 2018. At that time, the candy canes were being sold in November just after Thanksgiving weekend. Are the dates above solid (ie there won’t be any candy canes for sale before December 4). Thanks