Would you wait 11 hours for a gingerbread cookie? At Disneyland you just might have to
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The waits for rides at Disneyland parks are notoriously long during the holiday season. But the queue that’s boasting the longest wait this year isn’t for a thrill ride, it’s for a cookie.
Parkgoers looking to get their hands on a gingerbread cookie — described by fans as buttery-soft, perfectly spiced and not overly sweet — in the shape of Disney’s iconic rodent character, are facing waits up to 11 hours.
For years, the famed holiday treat has been difficult to secure, selling out quickly in the park. Every holiday season, it seems to get even harder.
This year is no exception, with guests reporting hours-long waits when placing mobile orders at locations in the park like Jolly Holiday Bakery, which is one of the few spots that sells the cookies.
“The best cookie at Disneyland. By far!” commented Mandi Nacey in an Instagram post about the wait times; the travel agent is with 407 and Beyond Vacation Co., which specializes in Disney and Universal Studios vacations.
It’s the merriest time of the year — and arguably when the resort is at its glistening, glowing best with seasonal food offerings, holiday ride makeovers and unique live entertainment options.
In response to the high demand, Disney appears at times to have suspended Mickey gingerbread from some mobile ordering options in recent weeks, guests report on social media, forcing people to stand in physical lines to obtain the treats. Disneyland said mobile orders only pause when daily supply of the cookie has run out.
Sales are limited to five per person, a policy that’s “been in place for a number of years to help as many of our guests enjoy this offering as possible,” a Disneyland spokesperson said in an email.
“[T]he full gingerbread cookie is one of our most popular gingerbread offerings,” the spokesperson said.
Guests should peruse a guide published on the Disney Parks Blog to learn more about the company’s gingerbread sweets, according to the spokesperson, who added that mobile orders are subject to daily availability, and guests may not be able to place an order if the cookies are sold out.
The cookies should be available for mobile order at Jolly Holiday Bakery, according to the blog.
The famed cookies are also available at Market House in Disneyland Park. In California Adventure, they are sold at Fiddler, Fifer & Practical Café. And a cart in the lobby of the Grand Californian hotel is the only place outside the park where the cookie is available.
Have a family recipe for your favorite holiday cookie? The L.A. Times is accepting recipe submissions for its 2025 Holiday Cookie Bake-Off until Monday, Oct. 13.
Inside the park, each cookie is sold for $7.99. At the hotel cart, the cookies go for a whopping $10.50.
“Jolly Holiday sold out of the gingerbread each time I tried by noon,” Linda Wei said in a comment on a Facebook page called “Disneyland Tips and Tricks.”
But Wei pointed out that Starbucks in California Adventure also sells the cookies.
“I was able to get 5 yesterday ... no problem,” Wei wrote.
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