As a lifelong Californian, I don’t think snow or sleigh bells are key elements for holiday spirit. For me, it’s about gathering with family and friends, decorating and celebrating, and, especially with my kids, the festive vibes of Disneyland at the holidays. This year, my 13-year-old daughter and I delved into the magic of Holidays at the Disneyland Resort.
Whether you’re gearing up or want to keep the holiday spirit alive, Holidays at the Disneyland Resort is now running through January 7, 2026. Since it’s also Disneyland’s 70th (with the celebrations to match), holidays at the park are a little more magical this year. As my daughter and I strolled the park, we found surprise delights around each corner, with decorations and special events that dial up the holiday cheer at Disneyland Park, Disney California Adventure Park, Downtown Disney District, and all three hotels.
Setting foot anywhere in the Disneyland Resort is all it takes to set the stage for a magical holiday experience. Walking into both parks my daughter and I were greeted by a fully-decked-out giant Christmas tree. In Disneyland Park, the tree led to garlands and lights spanning Main Street, which instantly transported us to a holiday wonderland. Over in Disney California Adventure Park, the tree led to the Holiday Marketplaces that let us eat our way through the holidays. Being from California, snow is not usually on our holiday bingo card, but we experienced Orange County’s only snow storm in Downtown Disney while taking in some holiday entertainment.
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The more time we spent at the Disneyland Resort the more we realized that holiday magic doesn’t stop at the decor, throughout the parks there are many more opportunities to celebrate the season, be sure not to miss:
Festive character meet and greets and Santa
If you’ve ever wondered how your favorite Disney characters might spend the holidays, it is probably cuter than you imagined. Think holiday sweaters, Santa hats, and elf costumes. Both parks have plenty of opportunities to meet characters decked out in their favorite holiday gear.
In Disneyland Park “Holiday Fun with Santa and Friends” runs at the Fantasyland Theater. This immersive holiday experience includes carolers singing classic holiday songs, crafts, character meet and greets, and a chance to meet and have your picture taken with Santa. For us, the Fantasyland Theater has always offered one of our favorite spots to rest and refuel during a park visit. This time though, it felt extra special. We grabbed our favorite baked potato at the Troubadour Tavern and ate it while being serenaded by Victorian costumed carolers, and then said hello to Chip and Dale in front of their tree.
In Disney California Adventure Park, we didn’t want to miss Mirabel’s Gifts of the Season. Here you can meet Maribel and other members of la familia Madrigal, While we didn’t get to see Mirabel, we may have seen Bruno (with rats on his back), but we don’t talk about that. We also spotted the Three Caballeros, as well as Mickey and Minnie in their fiesta best. While we missed Santa Claus here, we heard he makes appearances for souvenir photos at the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail.
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Guests of the three Disneyland Hotels also have the chance to meet Santa, but with a twist. Santa’s visits to each of the hotels wearing the season’s finest reflection of the heart of each hotel, including artist Santa at Pixar Place Hotel, Santa in red suit that goes perfectly the the midcentury vibe at the Disneyland Hotel, and a fine coat and bejeweled belt buckle Santa at Disney’s Grand California Hotel and Spa.
Sip and Savor Pass
Rides are not the only way to find adventure at the parks. The Sip and Savor Pass is a six coupon digital pass that allows guests to easily taste their way through the Festival Marketplaces in Disney California Adventure Park. From turkey legs and brisket to tamales and Buñuelos Biónico, there’s no shortage of mouth-watering options. In fact, we had to spread our tasting out over two days because there were so many things we had to try. This year’s six Festival Marketplaces include some new additions to the menu as well as some favorites from years past. The festive cheer isn’t limited to the six marketplaces, either, since seasonal additions are also available at restaurants and stands throughout the park.
We really enjoyed how The Sip and Savor Pass allowed us to sample items from different stands and if we planned well, skip the ordering lines. While ordering what turned out to be our family’s favorite, The Holiday Duet featuring Al Pastor Mac & Cheese and Savory Kugel Mac & Cheese we decided we also we wanted the strawberry and basil churro from a different location, so we placed an order for both and were able to pick up our churro later without waiting in line.
Park Entertainment
Holidays and Disneyland Resort 70th Celebration are both on full display throughout the day during the parades and performance all throughout the park. In Disneyland, the usual parade gets a holiday glow-up to become “A Christmas Fantasy Parade” complete with reindeer, toy soldiers, dancing gingerbread cookies and Santa Claus, and a few special 70th celebrations.
Disney California Adventure Park hosts multiple holiday celebrations including ¡Viva Navidad! Street Party, with mesmerizing 12-foot-tall mojinganga puppets of Santa Claus, folklórico dancers, mariachis, and Brazilian samba dancers. During Mirabel’s Fiesta de Navidad, guests are treated to musical performances of their favorite songs from Encanto.
If you miss the parades and parties, there are still plenty of other opportunities to enjoy live entertainment with live performances by carolers in Downtown Disney and Disneyland Park, and a worldwide celebration featuring R&B, soul, polka, traditional Latin, Hawaiian in Disney California Adventure Park. Be sure not to miss A Musical Christmas with Mariachi Alegría de Disneyland & Miguel! A bilingual celebration of favorite holiday songs with a special appearance by Miguel from Pixar Animation Studio’s “Coco.”
Rides
The streets are not the only thing decked out for the holidays. We ventured into The Haunted Mansion for its annual Nightmare Before Christmas makeover, where we were taken into the world of Jack Skellington. From the moment we descended the elevator, the entire mansion was transformed. And no trip to Disneyland is complete without a turn on the Small World ride, which was transformed into almost a fever-dream worldwide tour of winter celebrations complete with a It’s a Small World-Jingle Bell mash-up. Sadly, rain prevented us from experiencing ”Haul”-idays in Disney California Adventure Park Radiator Springs Racers, but we still were able to enjoy the decked-out streets and see the decorated backyard of Luigi’s Joy to the Whirl.
Merch
For my family and maybe yours too, no trip to Disneyland is complete without a browse through the shops. This year, there’s an array of items guaranteed to delight everyone. My family was particularly delighted with the candy-cane-themed items. While my 13-year-old daughter insisted she was too old for mouse ears, she couldn’t resist wearing a pair of candy-cane ears for most of our visit. And I’m still enjoying my light-up candy cane Mickey Mouse drink ornament as a festive way to celebrate even back home.
Holidays at the Disneyland Resort is running now through January 7, 2026. On January 6, to close out the season, The Three Wise Men will visit Paradise Gardens.
