Candy Canes at Disneyland 2025

Updated December 9, 2025

Please read before visiting in 2025!

Candy Canes are serious business during the holiday celebration at Disneyland. People impatiently wait for information to arrive each season – typically in early November – sharing details on when and where to go to find these coveted canes.

Guests then line up in the early morning hours on the opening day of candy cane season to battle the crowds to get in line at the candy shop….only to receive a wrist band noting when to get in line again.

So, what’s all the fuss about?

Let’s take a look.

Basic Scoop

Candy Canes can be found at The Candy Palace on Main Street at Disneyland and Trolley Treats on Buena Vista Street at California Adventure beginning late November during the Holidays at Disneyland celebration.

Check out this quick reel showing how it works.

You will only find the canes at these parks, on the dates listed within this post. Typically, Disneyland candy canes draw a bigger crowd. And, some people think that a candy cane from Disneyland tastes different from one at DCA.

The following posts will be updated, too, as we move closer to the holidays:

• Disneyland Holiday Season Guide
• Disneyland’s 70th Celebration Guide
• Holiday 2025 merchandise

2025 Candy Cane Pricing and Dates

Candy Canes are $23.99 each in 2025.

Here are the dates for 2025:

Candy Palace at Disneyland 

• November 28 – sold out at park opening
• November 30
• December 2
• December 7
• December 9
• December 14
• December 16
• December 22
• December 24

Trolley Treats in California Adventure

• November 29 – had canes in the afternoon!
• December 1
• December 3
• December 8
• December 10
• December 15
• December 17
• December 23
• December 25

Candy Palace is located on Main Street in Disneyland, about half way down on your left if you’re walking toward the castle.

Trolley Treats is located on Buena Vista Street in DCA, all the way down on your right, just before Carthay Circle.

How to Make Sure You Get One

***For 2025, a Mobile wait list will NOT be used. And it’s very difficult to get one this year. I was at the park opening day and didn’t feel they’re selling nearly as many as they have in recent years. No idea why!

The park only makes a limited amount each day and the canes weigh in at about 5 ounces, so these are popular items and people know to look for them. If you’re interested, get in line at the appropriate candy shop as soon as the park allows you to. Wrist bands are typically not given out during extra magic hour or magic morning, so everyone gets a fair chance. (Most dates avoid Early Entry all together.)

*Line up at LEAST an hour prior to park opening to have a shot at getting one of the wrist bands. Go DIRECTLY to the candy shop to get in line. People will literally be running. You are technically not allowed to run in the park, so be there early enough to not have to break the rules. Walk fast. (These details are especially important for the first few days of candy cane sales. As the season moves on, the stress to get one isn’t as high.)

*Don’t get out of line if it looks like you might be too late. Often, they’ll make more than advertising. Even if a cast member tells you that “from this far back, you’ll likely not receive a band”, stay in line. This happened to us and we received bands.

*Don’t expect to get in line and then be allowed to have friends join you in your spot. They’re watching this closely now. If you walk up to the line, you have to go to the end.

*Once you have your wristband, plan your day around the return time written on the band. You’ll need to be back at the same candy shop to purchase your candy cane once your time arrives. Arrive at or close to your stated time and definitely not past 4pm. Typically, at that time, any candy canes not claimed with wrist bands are sold to guests waiting in a standby line.

Note: Be careful once you receive your cane and put it in your locker if you have one. They’re very fragile and will not be replaced if broken. The canes are nicely wrapped to help you keep them intact.

Note: There are some days that won’t require all of this preparation. The first day of candy canes at DCA in 2025 included candy canes left for sale in the afternoon with no wait! But if you’re serious about getting one, I recommend arriving early. The hype comes and goes with this tradition – literally by the day.

2025 Candy Cane Experience

New for 2025: Candy Canes were sold out at 8:00am on opening day!

And here’s likely why: Disneyland Resort Hotel guests are allowed through security and into the esplanade at 6:45am from the Grand Californian Hotel (almost always) and Disneyland Hotel (sometimes) entrances. This gives them a big advantage over everyone else on Harbor Blvd and at the Downtown Disney entrance, as they don’t open until 7:00am.

On opening day 2025, many guests failed in getting a candy cane. That 6:45am head start allows you to get to the gate first and then to the candy shop first. The quantities seemed much lower too, to be finished handing out wrist bands as the park officially opened.

If you’re not staying on site, you could try to get into the Grand or the Disneyland Hotel’s parking (and then security line) with a dining reservation, but these entrances often require you to show your hotel key to use their security line, so those efforts might be wasted.

So if you’re off site, do your absolute best to get to the gate as close to 7:00am as possible. I would be in line as early as 6:00am, depending on the day. That’s your best approach.

Guests who know what they’re doing and have done this before will be successful, with or without the on site advantage. But if you’re new to Disneyland or this tradition, know this is tricky. I’m not trying to discourage you from trying. Just want to manage expectations!

Note: If you’re staying at a Disneyland Resort Hotel and are trying for a candy cane at Trolley Treats on a DCA day, use the entrance from the Grand Californian Hotel. This could give you as much as a 10 minute advantage. Cats members will walk you through the park to the point close to Soarin’ and then you should be able to get in line by around 7:20am, before the rest of the park is allowed in.

If You are Driving In

The best approach on tough mornings like this one is to arrive at the parking structure at 6:15am to get in line.

Cars will gather outside the garage in anticipation of that 7:00am opening. Get in, park, and to security asap so you can be first on the tram to the gate.

Once you’re off the tram, walk quickly to the gate hosting sales. Good luck!

Note: I leave Oceanside around 5:00am for a morning like this where an early arrival is essential, which puts me in Anaheim by 6:00am. This allows me a stop at the McDonald’s on Harbor Blvd, too, for a bite to eat or a restroom break, as both of those options are still out of reach for a bit once you enter the garage. The address is 1500 S Harbor Blvd.

Candy Cane Size

Disneyland candy canes are at least 12″ long. A standard cane is just under 6″.

The 5.5″ canes made by Brach’s sell for $2.19 for 12 qty.

The 7.5″ by Spangler sell for $1.29 for one at Winco.

The 12.5″ by Disneyland sells for $23.99. (These are much thicker)

Here’s a quick reel showing the size.

Here’s a visual reference:

An Ideal Candy Cane Morning

Arrive early, grab a wristband, and enjoy a leisurely breakfast nearby while you wait for your return time. (You’d be surprised how often you can do a walk up at my favorite character meal inside Plaza Inn nearby.)

Check out the candy makers in the window at the shops and the operation as a whole. A lot goes into these treasured days in the park.

Photos from Opening Day Candy Cane Making

See what this process looks like:

The line is sets up along this candy cane tape.

Here was the line behind me shortly after I grabbed my spot. Now, this was opening day, so subsequent visits won’t be as intense. (Fingers crossed.)

Here is what your wrist band will look like if you’re lucky enough to get one. Each person in line may get 1. One wrist band equals one candy cane.

By the time I got to the front of the line, it was about 7:53am. And, the star on my wrist band notes that I can go immediately to get my candy cane. Not far behind me, other guests started to get wrist bands with 9:00am, 10:00am, etc…….return times.

You’ll see the candy makers hard at work while you wait.

Finally, your prize. It’s quite big!

Don’t miss your chance to act the fool if these photo signs are out.

Overall, it’s a really fun experience. Most people are in a good mood with the holidays arriving. Hope you enjoy it!

Fun Facts

Each candy cane takes about 2 hours to create and candy cane making often starts as early as 5:00am. Most companies now produce candy canes by machine. Disneyland insists on making theirs the traditional way – by hand – which falls in line with the park’s commitment to its rich traditions.

The room in which the candy canes are created has to be kept at just under 100 degrees or the candy won’t form correctly.

Candy Cane makers on staff have been making candy canes for as long as 36 years.

Candy Canes have a shelf life of around 1 year.

Watch this short video showing how the Disneyland candy canes are made.

You can see more on the Disneyland candy canes and other treats in this Food Network special featuring Guy Fieri.

That should do it! Good luck in your attempt at acquiring one of these Disneyland masterpieces.

I’m often asked what the fuss is all about with the candy canes. Are they worth it? Why do people line up for them?

The candy canes are delicious. And, Disneyland’s commitment to continuing to produce them by hand makes me love them even more. In my opinion, you’re not just buying another candy cane. You’re buying a piece of history and tradition only Disneyland could create so well.

***Check out my full holiday post for every thing you want to know about Holidays at Disneyland.

Logan‘s Candies in Ontario, California

If the Disneyland candy cane run stresses you out and you want a comparable cane without the drama, consider a little road trip to Logan’s.

It’s located about 45 minutes from Disneyland and offers candy cane demos with the opportunity to bend your own cane for around $6!

Here’s all about this treasure.

Additional Resources

Planning a trip? Start here. This post has everything you need to know.

Looking for discounted tickets or hotels? Check out my travel partner – the best in the business – Get Away Today.

If you need help, email me at casey@disneylanddaily.com. I’m happy to help you navigate all of this stuff. It’s a lot!

Take a look at how Get Away Today can help with your vacation