The holiday season at Disney’s theme parks and resorts is filled with delights for food fans!

The Disney shops tempt us with seasonal merchandise and treats. When the Candy Palace begins to churn out homemade candy canes, it’s time to linger even longer — to watch and to indulge!

On this fourth Disney Food Blog Christmas, we strive to capture the spirit of the holiday:

Disneyland Dining Planning for the Holidays

Celebrate Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Year’s Day with dinner at the Disneyland Resort.

Thanksgiving Day, 2012
Catal Restaurant
Catal Restaurant offers a 3-course prix fix Thanksgiving menu for $38 per person. Children ages 10 and under $16.95. Children’s menu available. Tax and gratuity not included. Serving: 12:00 noon to 9:00 p.m. Choose from 5 delectable first course dishes, including pumpkin ravioli with applewood smoked bacon. For the main course, there are 4 mouthwatering options, like slow roasted cider brined turkey with cranberry ginger relish. Dessert is a choice of decadent pecan pie or smooth chocolate mousse cake.

Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen
Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen offers an a la carte Thanksgiving menu. Select from 3 starter options, such as Boudin stuffed quail. Entrees include the restaurant’s famous Turduken: boneless chicken stuffed inside a boneless duck, stuffed inside a boneless turkey, served with garlic mashed potatoes, braised turnip greens and giblet gravy. Satisfy your sweet tooth with pumpkin pie for dessert.

Christmas Day, Tuesday, December 25, 2012
Catal Restaurant
Catal Restaurant offers a 3-course prix fix Christmas Day menu for $55 per person. Children’s menu available. Tax and gratuity not included. The 6 first course options include roasted chestnut soup or house made duck sausage with apples and lentils. Select from 6 main courses, such as slow roasted Angus Prime rib, braised lamb shank or market cod wrapped in Serrano ham. The 3 dessert choices are pear-gingerbread tart, chocolate-caramel mousse cake, and eggnog brioche bread pudding.

Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen
Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen offers an a la carte Christmas Day menu. Start your meal with the choice of 3 appetizers, such as sweet potato Andouille bisque. The 3 entrees are Turduken, Abita Brown Sugar Glazed Pork Tenderloin and Pink Peppercorn Crusted Sea Bass. Dessert is Apple Cobbler a la Mode.

New Year’s Eve, Monday, December 31, 2012
Catal Restaurant
Catal Restaurant offers a magnificent multi-course prix fix New Year’s Eve menu for $75 per person. Children’s menu available. Tax and gratuity not included. The meal begins with a lobster roll sample. Select from 5 first course offerings, like crispy braised pork tail or scallop Carpaccio. The 6 main course options include lamb sirloin, hand-rolled pasta and bacon wrapped monkfish. Dessert will be determined by Patina Pastry.

Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen
Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen welcomes you to ring in the new year with Chef Darrin Finkel’s Special Three Course Dinner Package for $99 per person. Tax and gratuity not included. Package includes: Party favors and hats, Unlimited sodas, VIP seating, and Champagne toast at midnight. Serving: 9:30 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. Choose between 2 dining areas: Flambeaux Room: This replica of a New Orleans Jazz Club features Kenny Sara and the Sounds of New Orleans. Balcony: Sit above Downtown Disney District and enjoy a view of the evening’s fireworks show.

Learn about menu specials for Thanksgiving, Christmas and more, by calling Disney Dining at (714) 781-DINE or (714) 781-3463.

Jingle Jangle Jamboree

This year, check out the Jingle Jangle Jamboree at Disneyland’s Big Thunder Ranch. Featuring specialty eats, cookie decorating, and more, this is a great spot to stop and celebrate the season!

We can highly recommend the Monte Cristo Bites!

Holiday Treats at Disneyland

Disneyland Candy Canes: Here’s all the 2012 candy cane details — and a play-by-play of how they make them: Disneyland Candy Canes

Gingerbread House Building Workshops at Disneyland’s Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen: Chef Darrin Finkel at Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen will lead guests in gingerbread house building. Kids of all ages are invited to attend this gingerbread house building event on December 15th from Noon to 2pm; December 22 from 11am to 1pm; and December 23 from Noon to 2pm.

Cost: $48 plus tax per gingerbread house kit (includes gingerbread house, candy, chef’s hat, unlimited sodas, two seats, and a visit from Santa. Additional seats are $12 plus tax. Tickets availableat: http://rbjazzkitchen.eventbrite.com/.

Gingerbread Creations at Disney California Adventure:
Disney Chefs’ have created gingerbread masterpieces at Disney California Adventure. At Carthay Circle Restaurant and Lounge, there is a Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Gingerbread Cottage created by Pastry Chef Jorge Sotelo. It’s on display until January 6, 2013, in the lower lobby by the Disney Family Museum Snow White Cell Collection.

In Cars Land, Flo’s V-8 Café has a gingerbread Mater created by Executive Pastry Chef Jean Marc Viallet and his team of chefs at the Disneyland Resort Central Bakery.

A specially designed gingerbread house reminiscent of Walt Disney’s first home when he arrived in Hollywood in 1923 is on display at Fiddler, Fifer and Practical Café.

2011 Disneyland Goodies
Keep an eye out for the return of some (or all!) of these seasonal specialties!

Disneyland Seasonal Drinks: Stop in at Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar at the Disneyland Hotel for seasonal beverages and some fun holiday decor! The Mele Kaliki Tiki looks delicious!

Disneyland Yule Log: The Disneyland bakeries created a Chocolate Chestnut Yule Log in 2011! It was sold at at Plaza Inn, in California Adventure at Boardwalk Pizza & Pasta, and at the Paradise Pier Hotel’s PCH Grill.

Earl of Sandwich: Has a fun Earl of Sandwich Holiday menu to try this year in the newly opened restaurant at Downtown Disney!

ESPN Zone: Served a pumpkin spice cake dessert last year!

Haagen-Dazs: Celebrated the holidays with peppermint and gingerbread lattes as well as peppermint bark.

La Brea Bakery: This Downtown Disney Anaheim location had peppermint cheesecakes in addition to gingerbread and peppermint-flavored lattes featuring Starbucks coffee.

Additional Resources

2012 Holiday Dining Experiences at Disneyland
Click Here For a full list of Disneyland Restaurants, Dining Reviews, and Official Menus