Waits for attractions at Disneyland parks are notoriously long during the holiday season. But the line with the longest wait this year isn't for a thrill ride, it's for a cookie.
Park visitors looking to get their hands on a gingerbread cookie, described by fans as buttery, perfectly spiced and not too sweet, in the shape of Disney's iconic rodent character, face waits of up to 11 hours.
For years, the famous holiday treat has been hard to come by and sells out quickly at the park. Every holiday season, it seems to get even more difficult.
This year is no exception, as visitors reported hours-long waits when placing mobile orders at places in the park like Jolly Holiday Bakery, which is one of the few places that sells cookies.
“Best cookie in Disneyland. By far!” Mandi Nacey, a travel agent with 407 and Beyond Vacation Co., a company specializing in vacations to Disney and Universal Studios, commented on an Instagram post about the wait times.
In response to high demand, Disney appears to have occasionally suspended Mickey gingerbread from some mobile ordering options in recent weeks, guests report on social media, forcing people to wait in physical lines to get the treats.
Sales are limited to five per person, a policy that “has been in place for several years to help as many of our guests as possible enjoy this offer,” a Disneyland spokesperson said in an email.
“[T]The full gingerbread cookie is one of our most popular gingerbread offerings,” the spokesperson said.
Guests should carefully read a guide posted on the Disney Parks Blog for more information about the company's gingerbread treats, according to the spokesperson, who added that mobile ordering is subject to daily availability and guests may not be able to place an order if the cookies are out of stock.
Cookies should be available for mobile ordering at Jolly Holiday Bakery, according to the blog.
The famous cookies are also available at the Market House in Disneyland Park. In California Adventure, they are sold at Fiddler, Fifer & Practical Cafe. And a cart in the lobby of the Grand Californian hotel is the only place outside the park where the cookie is available.
Inside the park, each cookie sells for $7.99. At the hotel cart, the cookies cost a whopping $10.50.
“Jolly Holiday sold out every time I tried it at noon,” Linda Wei said in a comment on a Facebook page called “Disneyland Tips & Tricks.”
But Wei noted that Starbucks in California Adventure also sells cookies.
“Yesterday I was able to get 5… no problem,” Wei wrote.
