
Whether you’re bringing a date to Disneyland, going with family and friends or indulging in a solo outing, one of the best, most magical times of the year to visit the happiest place on Earth is the winter holiday season. Not only do you have the everyday Disneyland charm, but the whole experience becomes enhanced with even more enchantment. For an expedition that will inspire you to totally embrace the season with your entire being, this is the place to be! If you want to nosh on cute holiday treats or put on a funky Santa hat and greet the big man himself, here are 10 ways to make your holiday visit the best one yet.
1. Feast your eyes on the castle. Srsly, Sleeping Beauty’s castle is always stunning, but during the holidays they totally kick it up a notch. Aurora’s crib is decked out for the season with faux snow, bows and baubles, and it’s covered in a plethora of lights that shimmer at night. So Instagram-worthy.
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2. Go global at the Festival of Holidays. Experience the world’s holiday traditions — from Diwali & Hanukkah to Kwanzaa — all without leaving Anaheim (which is not only convenient but cost-effective). Over a dozen marketplace kiosks set up in California Adventure serve up an international array of goodies, like brisket potato croquettes and sweet spiced noodle kugel from Nosh & Nibbles and pork bao and winter mint milk tea from Good Fortune’s Feast. If you’re thirsty, you can indulge in a wine or beer flight. But it ain’t all about the yumminess going into your belly: Bollywood dancers, an all-female mariachi band and a klezmer ensemble are among the performers who will be on hand to entertain you.
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3. Feliz Navidad it up in California Adventure.Disney ¡Viva Navidad! returns as a key part of the epic Festival of Holidays with a street party, crafts for kids, special character appearances (such as the Three Caballeros) and delish menu items like sopes de barbacoa, torta al pastor and house-made pozole. The festivities will end with the grand finale (January 5-8, 2017) of a Three Kings Day (Dia de Los Reyes) celebration.
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4. Bask in the glory of a cavalcade of winter fun. Twice a day, A Christmas Fantasy Parade brings Minnie, Mickey, Elsa, Anna and (of course) Santa Claus to Main Street during the holiday season. It will totally get you into the whole spirit of the season.
5. Stick around for “World of Color — Season of Light.” This water spectacular is a must for anyone who’s longing for an unforgettable example of Disney magic. At 9pm (daily), World of Color — Season of Light takes over the lagoon in California Adventure with powerful streams of water (shooting as high as 200 feet), pyrotechnics and, of course, beloved Disney characters past and present (all with a nod to the holidays).
6. Take a whiff of the gingerbread house at the Grand Californian. In the lobby of the Grand Californian Hotel, you’ll see (and enjoy the nostalgic aroma of) the most epic gingerbread house in the land. This inspired arts-and-crafts masterpiece, standing seven feet tall by 12 feet wide, was created from 600 pounds of gingerbread, along with 600 pounds of powdered sugar. Grab a drink and a cookie from the nearby kiosk while you sit and admire it for a spell.
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7. Cold chill with the big man. Mickey and Minnie aren’t the only celebs hanging out at the happiest place on Earth: Santa is there too, natch. Jolly old St. Nick holds court at the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail in California Adventure, with meet and greets available as well as fun and games.
8. Pay a visit to Cars Land. Those Cars, they know how to decorate. The crafty Pixar stars have done up Radiator Springs with automobile-inspired decorations. Think hubcap-decorated Christmas trees, garlands made of car parts and an adorable “snowcar.”
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9. Hop on the holiday rides. The Jingle Cruise, the Haunted Mansion Holiday and It’s a Small World Holiday are all total MUSTS. Each of these classic attractions gets a temporary makeover for the season. This also happens to be the 20th anniversary of It’s a Small World Holiday, so along with the festive touches, they’ve included hidden 20s throughout the ride to search for.
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10. Indulge in delicious Disney delicacies. Some of the most enticing elements of the holiday season are the glorious gastronomic delights to be gobbled up. From savory to sweet, Disneyland has a treat for every type of taste bud. A few must-try culinary experiences include the tamales at Rancho del Zocalo Restaurante in Frontierland, the seasonal beignets in New Orleans Square, and brand-new offerings like the reuben potato smash and adobo pork bao at the Festival of Holidays. And don’t forget all those scrumptious desserts!
What’s your #1 holiday activity at Disneyland? Let us know @BritandCo!
(Featured photo via Disneyland)
Welcome to Selfmade Finance School, our new money series with Block Advisors to help small business owners with their tax, bookkeeping, and payroll needs year-round. This week, we explore the tax implications of bringing family members into your business.
The question for today is this: Does hiring your family members make sense for your business? Let me be clear. This is not a piece about whether hiring your family members makes sense for your relationships with those family members. As someone who is part of a family business, I could fill up a lot more than 600 words on my opinions about that. For today's purposes, we focus on whether it makes sense from an overall "good business and tax implication" perspective. As it turns out, there is a decent amount of tax nuance when it comes to employing your family. Let's break it down based on relationship to the employee:
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Spouses Who Are In Business Together
Personally, if I had to be in business with my husband, it would not go well. However, many couples build viable, strong businesses together and I say, good for them! Depending on how you have your business entity structured, it will make a big difference on the tax treatment of you and your spouse working as partners. Because a business jointly owned and operated by a married couple is generally treated as a partnership for Federal tax purposes, the spouses must comply with filing and record keeping requirements imposed on partnerships and their partners. The election to file two Schedule C (Form 1040) forms, (one for each spouse) permits certain married co-owners to avoid filing partnership returns, provided that each spouse separately reports a share of all the businesses' items of income, gain, loss, deduction, and credit. Under the election, both spouses will be subject to self-employment tax and on net earnings from self-employment and receive credit for Social Security earnings.
One Spouse Employs Another
If you have a dynamic where your spouse is an employee of your business, then your spouse's wages are subject to income tax withholding, Social Security and Medicare taxes. If you are self-employed (not a corporation or a partnership), your spouse's pay does not have to be included in your federal unemployment tax account (FUTA) contributions and payments. However, if your business is a corporation or a partnership you must include that spouse's pay in your unemployment tax contribution calculation.
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You Employ Your Child
First, let's be clear. I work in my family business, but I am an adult, so I am treated just like a normal employee. However, if you, for example, run a family restaurant and want to hire your children under 18 to work for you, there are some tax benefits. But first, you should check with your state for rules on how many hours minors can work (in non-agricultural jobs) and reference the Fair Labor Standards Act for information on limitations on the kinds of work children can perform.
"This is an often overlooked or under-utilized strategy. Paying your children for true services they provide in your business can be a powerful tax-saving tool," says Cathi Reed, Block Advisors Regional Director. "If you are a sole-proprietorship or single member LLC, and the child is less than 18 years of age, the business is not required to withhold FICA or payroll taxes. The child can use his or her standard deduction against income you pay."
You Hire Your Parent
Oh dear. If you are brave enough to do this, know that you will need to pay Social Security and Medicare taxes on your parent's wages and make the appropriate withholdings, but you don't have to pay unemployment taxes. Now all you have to do is convince your parent that you are the boss. Have fun with that!
Is Hiring Family Members Worth It For The Tax Benefits?
"There are some positive tax advantages to hiring family members. It's important to treat a family member like any other employee. Hiring your children can result in substantial savings for businesses. Make sure your child has real, age-appropriate work to do and a reasonable pay rate, comparable to other employees. Consult with a Block Advisors small business certified tax pro to ensure that you are complying with all requirements," advises Reed. "Block Advisors, a team within H&R Block, is dedicated to meeting the tax, bookkeeping and payroll needs of small business owners year-round. To start working with the tax experts at Block Advisors, visit blockadvisors.com."
In my opinion, you should not hire a family member solely because of the tax benefits. You should always hire based on whether that person is right for the job and keep in mind how this hire could materially impact your relationship with that person and others in your family. Finally, as I mentioned, make sure you have a tax professional on your team when making these determinations. As you can see, things can get a little tricky!
*All details were sourced from IRS.gov and blockadvisors.com
The opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and may not necessarily reflect those held by Kestra Investment Services, LLC or Kestra Advisory Services, LLC. This is for general information only and is not intended to provide specific investment advice or recommendations for any individual. It is suggested that you consult your financial professional, attorney, or tax advisor with regards to your individual situation. Comments concerning the past performance are not intended to be forward looking and should not be viewed as an indication of future results. Securities offered through Kestra Investment Services, LLC (Kestra IS), member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advisory services offered through Kestra Advisory Services, LLC (Kestra AS), an affiliate of Kestra IS. O'Keeffe Financial Partners and any other entity listed herein is not affiliated with Kestra IS or Kestra AS Investor Disclosures: https://bit.ly/KF-Disclosures