I love going to the Disneyland Resort any time of year, but the winter holidays are easily one of my favorite times to visit. The resort is decked out in plenty of festive decorations that would make Clark Griswold jealous, Mickey Mouse and his pals don their holiday best, and of course, there are plenty of delicious treats and eats to try. The holidays at Disneyland bring the park to life in ways that can’t be replicated any other time of year, thanks in part to “snow” falling on Main Street, U.S.A. (a feat that only Disney can make happen in balmy California), 80,000 twinkling lights adorning Sleeping Beauty Castle, and hand-pulled candy canes being made right in the parks. And all of that is just at Disneyland Park.
There’s even more holiday magic at Disney California Adventure, the Downtown Disney District, and the three Disneyland Resort hotels. Think tree lightings, incredible gingerbread displays, themed character dining, and more. If you’re spending part of the holidays at Disneyland, you’ll want to keep reading for our six tips to make your trip even more magical. And trust me, I’ve seen and done it all at Disneyland, and you can’t go wrong during the holidays.
Frequently asked questions about the holidays at Disneyland
When does the holidays at Disneyland take place?
This year, the holidays at Disneyland start on November 15, 2024, and run through January 6, 2025. Along with all of the festive fun, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will be opening on November 15 too. It will likely be very crowded at Disneyland Park on the first few days of the holiday celebrations.
Does Disneyland have holiday parties like Walt Disney World?
No, Disneyland does not have a separately ticketed party like Walt Disney World’s Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. That means for the price of admission, you can see all of the holiday offerings the parks have.
MAKE MEMORIES: 25 best family vacation spots in the U.S. for all ages
I think this is great for families on a budget who are considering Disneyland this holiday season. While Walt Disney World does have holiday activities and such at all four of its theme parks, its two biggest events, Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party and Disney Jollywood Nights are separately ticketed. At Disneyland, all of the holiday fun is included in your day ticket to the parks.
Does Disneyland celebrate holidays besides Christmas?
Yes, and I love that Disneyland does this because not everyone who walks through the gates celebrates Christmas. Throughout the holidays at Disneyland, you’ll find special celebrations for Three Kings Day, Hanukkah, Kwanza, Navidad, and more.
Are rides decorated for Christmas at Disneyland?
Just like Halloween at the Disneyland Resort, attractions receive festive overlays during the holidays. You’ll find rides at Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure with cute decorations and new yuletide storylines. But more on those later.
BEST TRIP EVER: 50 best family vacation ideas for all ages
Do the Disneyland hotels decorate for Christmas?
If you’re staying at a Disneyland Resort hotel, you’ll want to stop to see the beautiful decorations. My favorite resort is Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel and Spa, where a massive Christmas tree and gingerbread house are displayed. Of course, the Disneyland Hotel and the Pixar Place Hotel get in on the holiday fun too.
Six tips for getting the most out of the holidays at Disneyland
If you have kids, you’ll want to prioritize seeing Santa
Santa has a busy schedule this time of year. Luckily for us, that includes getting to the Disneyland Resort to see all of the good boys and girls. From November 15 through December 24, 2024, the jolly old elf will meet kids and kids at heart around the parks and hotels. At Disneyland Park, you can find him at the Fantasyland Theater. At Disney California Adventure he’s waiting for you at the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail. You can also catch Santa at all three Disneyland Resort hotels.
KID-FRIENDLY: 19 best family resorts and hotels in the U.S.
To find appearance times you’ll need to check at each specific venue. I’d also warn you that lines for Santa tend to be very long, so it’s best to go here first thing in the morning if you really want to tell him what you want for Christmas this year.
Additionally, Mickey Mouse and his pals have new winter wear at Disneyland Park. If you’re a character hunter looking to get photos with the gang, you’ll want to look at the Disneyland app to know where you can catch everyone in their festive best.
Don’t skip Disney Festival of Holidays at Disney California Adventure
While Disneyland Park may get all of the holiday glory since it feels like a traditional Christmas card come to life, over at Disney California Adventure, the party is revving up at Disney Festival of Holidays. The holiday festival runs the length of the holidays at Disneyland and features incredible food and drink, entertainment, merchandise, and more. During the festival, make a point to see the Holiday Toy Drummers and the lineup of cultural performance groups.
DISNEY GUIDE: Everything you need to know about Disney Genie and Genie+
I also love the Disney ¡Viva Navidad! Celebrations. During this special time on select days, you can catch live musicians and dancers, plus a few Disney characters make their way to the streets during the Disney ¡Viva Navidad! Street Party.
Two new shows are also debuting this year at Disney California Adventure. The first is “A Musical Christmas with Mariachi Alegería de Disneyland & Miguel.” The new bilingual nighttime show celebrates the holidays with a special appearance by Miguel from Pixar Animation Studios’ Coco. The second is “Mirabel’s Gifts of the Season,” where families can sing songs from Encanto while celebrating the festive season. Timing for each performance can be found on the Disneyland app.
My absolute favorite part of the Festival of Holidays is the food marketplaces. This year there are seven food booths spread around Disney California Adventure. In addition to the marketplaces, some of the restaurants at the park are going to have holiday menus that are specific to the Festival of Holidays. A few dishes I can’t wait to try include the Turkey Galantine Croissant Muffin Slider with herb mayo and cranberry marmalade from the A Twist on Tradition marketplace, the Sticky Toffee Pudding Macaron from the Favorite Things marketplace, and the Popcorn Tin Churro from the churro cart near Goofy’s Sky School.
Plan to ride attractions with overlays later in the evening during the holidays at Disneyland
There’s no bad time to experience your favorite attractions at Disneyland or Disney California Adventure. But during the holidays you’ll want to wait until the sun sets to hop on some that have overlays.
At Disneyland Park you’ll find two attractions with holiday overlays, “it’s a small world” Holiday and Haunted Mansion Holiday. I highly recommend waiting until the lighting ceremony of “it’s a small world” Holiday takes place to hop into the line for the attraction. Not only is the facade of the attraction lit with 50,000 lights, which are dazzling to see in person, but once you’re inside, you’ll hear the chorus of children singing the iconic tune of the ride, plus traditional holiday songs.
FIND A DEAL: 12 best hotel booking sites for cheap prices
Since Haunted Mansion Holiday is an indoor attraction, you don’t need to wait until it’s dark out to ride. You’ll want to remember to get a spot in the virtual queue since that’s the only way to ride. You can join the virtual queue at 7:00 a.m. if you have a park reservation for Disneyland Park, or at noon if you’ve scanned your ticket into Disneyland Park or Disney California Adventure with a park hopper ticket.
Over at Disney California Adventure, Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree turns into Mater’s Jingle Jamboree, complete with lighted decorations and cute holiday songs. Also in Cars Land, Luigi’s Rollickin’ Roadsters is transformed into Luigi’s Joy to the Whirl, which is super cute for kids.
The parade at Disneyland Park is a perfect mid-day break for families
I love A Christmas Fantasy Parade at Disneyland Park. The parade features a host of Disney characters, Santa Claus, and a marching band of toy soldiers making their way down Main Street, U.S.A. Parade times are at 2:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. I like to watch the 2:30 p.m. parade, not only because it’s still bright outside so you can see all of the details of the floats and characters, but it’s also a great mid-day break to stop and rest.
BUDGET-FRIENDLY: 13 cheap family vacations that are super fun
No matter which parade time you choose, get your spot early, especially if you’re watching from Main Street, U.S.A. I like to find my spot about an hour before the parade starts. If I’m traveling to Disneyland with my family, we often take turns getting up to walk around, grab snacks and drinks, or see characters during the waiting period.
Fireworks and nighttime entertainment are enchanting during the holidays at Disneyland
Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure have holiday-themed nighttime entertainment for you to enjoy. At Disneyland Park, you can catch “Believe…In Holiday Magic” Fireworks Spectacular. The show can be seen from Sleeping Beauty Castle, “it’s a small world” Holiday, Main Street, U.S.A., and the Rivers of America. While I don’t want to spoil everything, you may just experience snow in Southern California during the show. For a less crowded show, head to the Rivers of America. If you want the iconic spot, right in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle is where you’ll want to be.
TEEN-FRIENDLY TRIPS: 10 best vacation ideas for families with teenagers
At Disney California Adventure, World of Color – Season of Light takes place in Paradise Bay. During the show, projections, dancing fountains, and a rousing score all come together for an incredible holiday show unlike anything else at a Disney park. I love World of Color – ONE, so it’s no surprise that World of Color – Season of Light is my top pick for a nighttime show at the Disneyland Resort during the holidays.
Pick one seasonal character dining experience to enjoy during the holidays at Disneyland
I love character dining experiences and during the holidays at Disneyland, some of the best character meals at the resort get a festive theme. You’ll definitely want to pick one of these to experience while at Disneyland this holiday season.
Over at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, Mickey’s Holiday Pajama Party Breakfast and Brunch takes place daily from November 19, 2024, through January 1, 2025, at Storytellers Cafe. The breakfast and brunch buffet-style meal will feature Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Chip ’n’ Dale, plus Pluto in their holiday pajamas welcoming you into a cozy atmosphere. Highlights of the menu include banana foster French toast and pork carnitas chilaquiles.
EASY VACATIONS: 11 guided tour companies that offer trips around the world
At the Disneyland Hotel, Goofy’s Kitchen Celebrates the Winter Holidays is a merry dining experience from November 19, 2024, through January 2, 2025. During your meal, you’ll get to see Chef Goofy plus some of his friends all day long. Some breakfast and brunch dishes not to miss include maple-glazed pork belly benedict with butternut hollandaise and duck confit chilaquiles. At dinner indulge in crab claws, short rib ravioli, and prime rib.
If I only had time for one character meal, I would pick Goofy’s Kitchen Celebrates the Winter Holidays. I love how kitschy the entire space is, and the character meet-and-greets are some of the best I’ve ever experienced at a character dining experience at Disneyland or Walt Disney World.
