Disneyland’s handmade sweet canes have been a Christmas-time custom for many years, growing a loyal fan-following in consequence. This shopping for information covers vacation 2024 dates for scoring one among these coveted candy treats, ideas & methods for getting one earlier than they promote out, and a little bit of historical past as to what makes these hand-pulled sweet canes particular.
A practice since 1968, Disneyland’s well-known sweet canes are handcrafted through the vacation season. They’re comprised of scratch as a part of a two-hour course of that entails mixing the elements to hand-pulling, rolling, and twisting the sweet. The result’s colourful swirls of outsized sweetness which might be 18-inches lengthy!
This over 50 yr historical past of custom produces sweet canes which have a superior style and texture to those who are made by fashionable machines, which is nearly all others. To the most effective of my information, the one different sweet store in Southern California the place you should purchase meticulously hand-made sweet canes is Logan’s Candies, which additionally has a passionate fan following amongst locals.
Hand-pulling sweet canes is a misplaced artwork, and a few of the Sweet Makers at Disneyland Resort have been working towards their craft for many years. At one level, the longest-tenured Grasp Sweet Maker had been with Disneyland for over 4 many years. Sadly, Rob McHargue handed away in December 2017 after spending 43 years dedicated to the craft of constructing candy treats at Disneyland. (Rob is featured within the video beneath.)
Hand-pulling sweet canes is the standard strategy to make a sweet cane from scratch, however it’s a troublesome course of that takes expertise, information and persistence. As you may also see within the video beneath, a lot of the Disneyland Resort Sweet Makers are outdated timers–we are able to solely hope they’re passing their information all the way down to youthful Forged Members to maintain this artwork from really turning into misplaced to the sands of time.
The Disneyland Resort Sweet Cane makers start the 2-hour course of of constructing sweet canes by hand at 5 a.m. by mixing corn syrup, sugar, and water cooked to 313 levels earlier than including meals coloring. As soon as it’s sufficiently cool, the Sweet Makers then pull the sweet on a hook and add the peppermint taste, together with the stripes.
Right here’s a cool video exhibiting the entire course of for making the sweet canes at Disneyland:
A really restricted variety of these spectacular sweet canes will likely be produced by the Disneyland Resort Sweet Makers through the Christmas 2024 season. Under are dates when the sweet canes will likely be bought inside Disneyland and Disney California Journey.
Sweet Palace & Sweet Kitchen at Disneyland:
- November 29, 2024
- December 1, 2024
- December 3, 2024
- December 8, 2024
- December 10, 2024
- December 15, 2024
- December 17, 2024
- December 22, 2024
- December 24, 2024
Trolley Treats at Disney California Journey:
- November 30, 2024
- December 2, 2024
- December 4, 2024
- December 9, 2024
- December 11, 2024
- December 16, 2024
- December 18, 2024
- December 23, 2024
- December 25, 2024
For an opportunity to buy one of many sweet canes this yr, wristbands or a cell waitlist system will likely be used, as portions are very restricted. As soon as the cell waitlist is activated, you’ll be able to add your title and cellphone quantity on the location to obtain a textual content again with a time to return to the placement for the chance to buy your sweet cane, topic to availability.
To be very clear, Sweet canes are NOT out there by the Cell Order characteristic within the Disneyland app. Though Disney refers to this as a cell waitlist, the extra apt time period to keep away from confusion is digital queue.
An especially restricted variety of sweet canes will likely be out there for every launch date, whereas provides final. In-person buy required. Restrict 1 per visitor. Topic to restrictions and alter with out discover, together with however not restricted to, change of launch dates and costs. No reductions apply. No exchanges or refunds. If cell waitlist is used, information and message charges and different restrictions might apply.
Each legitimate admission and theme park reservation for similar park on the identical day are required for park entry. Park reservations are restricted, topic to availability, and usually are not assured for any particular date or park. Different restrictions apply. Sights, experiences, leisure and choices could also be modified, restricted in availability, or unavailable, and are topic to alter or cancellation with out discover.
Turning to ideas & methods for efficiently scoring Disneyland’s handmade sweet canes, arriving early is the large one. Each parks open at 8 a.m. all through November and December, with the turnstiles opening previous to then. There’s no actual time, however you’ll be able to count on that to happen roughly 45 minutes prematurely. (I haven’t cross-checked the Early Entry schedule with the 2024 sweet cane dates, however it’s irrelevant–the turnstiles and Most important Avenue/Buena Vista Avenue open on the similar time for everybody; checkpoints are past that.)
In a super world, you’ll need to be among the many first ~100 friends on the turnstiles. In our expertise, that is significantly simpler if you happen to’re staying on-site or at an off-site lodge inside strolling distance of Disneyland. Having to park and take care of the trams provides (a minimum of) two further layers of friction to the method. See our Information to Rope Drop at Disneyland for more information about arriving early, getting by bag test, and many others.
In terms of demand, our anecdotal expertise is that the most well-liked days are these nearer to the start and finish of the sweet cane ‘season.’ This shouldn’t be too stunning, as Disneyland followers like to be first. When you get nearer to Christmas, there are heavier crowds because of vacationers taking journeys. On the plus aspect, virtually all Magic Key Annual Passholders are blocked out then, so much less competitors from locals.
Though I’m not fully sure of this, it additionally seems that demand is decrease in Disney California Journey. That is one other factor that, intuitively, is sensible. Many Disneyland diehards have household traditions of getting these sweet canes for years or many years. That wouldn’t have even been doable in DCA till extra just lately, so Disneyland stays the enduring, conventional, or historic vacation spot for the handmade sweet canes.
By way of commentary, we love that Disneyland nonetheless does this. It’s a kind of “little issues” that makes Disneyland a particular place, with a deep sense of historical past and a spotlight to element. Though there’s no direct Walt Disney connection right here, the custom dates again to a bygone period when Disneyland was a extra intimate place that did plenty of stuff like this, placing thought and cautious consideration into each aspect of the visitor expertise.
However, I’ve heard loads of Disney followers scoff at these sweet canes through the years: “Why waste worthwhile trip time for a chunk of sweet?” “What sort of fool would spend $20 and all that point to purchase a sweet cane in a theme park?” The listing of cynical sentiment like that goes on and on.
These Grinches fully miss the purpose. That is in regards to the expertise, the fond recollections made within the course of, and the custom–each on Disneyland’s finish and for the households who love shopping for these sweet canes on Most important Avenue (or Buena Vista Avenue, because the case could also be). Sure, $20+ is some huge cash for a sweet cane, and there’s little justifying that on a worth for cash perspective.
That is greater than that, although. It’s the Disney theme park distinction–and Disneyland extra so than wherever else–in a nutshell. It’s the eye to element, sentimentality, and small issues that make a significant affect on the visitor expertise and go away folks with an enduring impression. If you happen to solely care about using as many rides as doable, that’s your prerogative. But it surely’s just about all the things else, apart from the large rides, that distinguishes Disney from different theme park operators.
I fear that, ultimately, this actually will develop into a ‘misplaced artwork’ at Disneyland. Both as a result of the expert Forged Members who do it should not be round, or as a result of even at $20+ every, Disneyland remains to be dropping cash on the endeavor given labor prices on the time-consuming course of. (There’s a purpose why few different locations do that–it’s inefficient!)
Sarah and I are huge on traditions, and try to consider new ones to embrace as Child Bricker will get older. I can consider few higher than getting up on the first light on some chilly morning each December, enjoying video games whereas ready in line, and getting her image with a huge sweet cane in entrance of the Christmas tree on Most important Avenue…after which watching as these sweet canes get smaller and smaller annually as she will get greater and greater. I actually hope we’ve the chance to try this each December for the subsequent decade. To every their very own, however I’ll do not forget that much better than if we went on Peter Pan’s Flight or no matter at rope drop.
Planning a Southern California trip? For park admission offers, learn Suggestions for Saving Cash on Disneyland Tickets. Find out about on-site and off-site motels in our Anaheim Lodge Opinions & Rankings. For the place to eat, take a look at our Disneyland Restaurant Opinions. For distinctive concepts of issues that’ll enhance your journey, take a look at What to Pack for Disney. For complete recommendation, seek the advice of our Disneyland Trip Planning Information. Lastly, for guides past Disney, take a look at our Southern California Itineraries for day journeys to Los Angeles, Laguna Seaside, and plenty of different SoCal cities!
Your Ideas
Is getting up on the first light for a Disneyland hand-pulled sweet cane a convention for your loved ones? Suppose these reside as much as the hype, or are they overpriced and overrated candy treats? Will you be shopping for a home made sweet cane throughout Christmas 2024 at Disneyland or Disney California Journey? Do you agree or disagree with our evaluation? Any questions? Listening to your suggestions—even once you disagree with us—is each fascinating to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas beneath within the feedback!
