Skip to content

Visiting Disneyland Park During the Holidays

The word Disney is synonymous with entertainment even more so during the holidays.  Our favorite time to visit the Disney parks is during the holiday season when they are decked out in festive splendor. My daughter’s birthday is in early December so we’ve spent many weekends here over the years. Many things have remained the same but there are also always a few surprises.

Disneyland Sleeping Beauty Castle

These are some of our favorite holiday attractions and spots to visit and some tips to make your trip even merrier. See how they transformed the happiest place on earth to the merriest one during Christmas at the Disneyland Resort.

Disneyland Holiday Wreaths

Favorite Photo Spots

There are many areas around the park filled with wonderful holiday backdrops and perfect for those precious family photos or selfies. These four areas have always been our favorite photo spots.

It’s hard to miss the train depot all decorated and Mickey’s smiling face in flowers at the entrance. This used to be a free for all area to take photo spots. But, the prime spot now has a line so Disney official photographers can take your picture. But, they will also gladly take photos of you using your smartphones or camera.

Disneyland sign

The 60-ft Christmas Tree at the town square and the start of Main Street has been a staple here for many years. The huge and colorful ornaments and the presents underneath make it a popular photo spot.

Disneyland Christmas Tree

I have always loved standing on Main Street and seeing the garlands and Mickey wreaths strewn across the street with balls of poinsettias hanging on lampposts.  It is amazing to see how much attention to detail is put in decorating the park.

Disneyland Main Street Holiday

Plenty of red poinsettias surrounded the Walt Disney and Mickey statue.

Walt Disney Partners statue

Despite seeing Sleeping Beauty Castle many times over the years, its transformation as a winter castle during the holidays has always left me in awe. Its towers and turrets are covered with snow and icicles hanging from it.  It makes a perfect backdrop for many of the celebrations around the park.

Disneyland Sleeping Beauty Castle Holiday

The Holiday Rides

Disneyland also completely changes a couple of the rides for the holidays.  One of my favorite rides at Disneyland has always been It’s A Small World.  For those unfamiliar, it is a boat ride through the many lands with the dolls in their native costumes singing along. It’s travel inspiration – Disney style.

Disneyland Small World holiday

Its facade is adorned with some merriment including the main face with a Santa hat. The ride is completely transformed with a holiday theme and decorated with 300,000 lights.

Disneyland Its A Small World Christmas at night

The It’s A Small World song is still playing through the duration of the ride but it is mixed with Jingle Bells sung in different languages. Happy Holidays/Merry Christmas signs in different languages were also displayed in the various lands.  Feliz Navidad from Mexico

Disneyland Small World Mexico Holiday
Buon Natale from Italia.

Disneyland Small World Holiday Italy
Then, there was winter wonderland which included a giant snowman and numerous dolls representing many of the countries singing their hearts out. It’s always fun trying to look for the Disney characters incorporated throughout the ride.

Disneyland Small World Snowman
The other ride that is transformed during the holidays is the Haunted Mansion where it is taken over by characters from the movie, the Nightmare Before Christmas. The mansion is adorned with Halloween and Christmas decor. I’ve never been a fan of the Nightmare franchise and we’ve never seen the movies so I didn’t get a lot of the references.

Disneyland Haunted Mansion Holiday
Toon Town was decorated with whimsical garlands and trees. This is a common place for many families especially those traveling with babies and toddlers.
Disneyland Holiday Toontown

The Parade

The highlight for many visitors though is the Christmas Fantasy Parade which occurs twice a day. It starts from Small World and travels to Main Street USA and reverses in direction and gets everyone into the holiday spirit.  Many people stake out seats along the route an hour or so before the parade starts to get front row access to the floats.  It gives everyone a chance to see many of the characters.

Disneyland Christmas Fantasy Parade
Mickey and Minnie are always in their finest holiday outfits.

Disneyland Holiday Parade Mickey Minnie
Some of the classic characters and floats return every year that always bring smiles like dancing holiday gingerbread cookies.

Disneyland Holiday Parade Gingerbread
The characters dressed in their holiday attire were enough to get so many toddlers excited especially the Princesses. I loved hearing screams of joy and recognition as each float passed them by. I remember those sweet days when my kids were younger. As teens, they still enjoy watching the parade.

Disneyland Holiday Parade Princess
Of course, the grand marshal of the parade is Santa Claus preceded by the dancing, upright reindeer.

Disneyland Holiday Parade Reindeer

I love watching all the kids’ faces light up as Santa waved to the crowd and shouting out holiday greetings in many languages.

Disney Holiday Parade Santa Claus
As dusk settled, the lights transformed Disneyland into an even more magical place.  I actually love seeing the decorations and attractions more when they’re lit up at night. Sleeping Beauty Castle is adorned with about 800,000 lights.

Disnelyland Sleeping Beauty Castle night
All the Disneyland merriment and decorations are enough to make even the Grinch or Scrooge smile a bit. Disneyland is a wondrous place for all kids and the young at heart.  But, the holiday atmosphere, sights and scents make for quite an amazing experience and a special time to visit.

Disneyland Main Street Night

Holiday Entertainment

  • Meet Santa Claus.  Kids can meet Santa at Pooh’s thotful spot in Critter Country.
  • Believe… In Holiday Magic” Fireworks Spectacular. This is a can’t miss holiday entertainment over Sleeping Beauty’s castle that has fireworks, holiday songs and ends with falling snow on Main Street and several locations marked with snowflakes around the park.  It is truly magical!
  • Candlelight Ceremony and Processional.  This event occurs usually on the first weekend of December. It starts with a candlelight procession and a celebrity narrator, several choirs of about 600 singers and the Disneyland orchestra tell the first Christmas story with holiday music. The stage is set up behind the train station on the town square.

We’ve watched it a couple of times and it is such an extraordinary experience. The combination of various choir groups singing holiday music is so inspiring and moving especially the Hallelujah song. Chris Pratt from Guardians of the Galaxy was the celebrity narrator during our last visit.

The time leading up to the procession can get very chaotic as they close Main Street and reroute traffic. The seats are reserved and the general public stands behind with not that much room. So, you almost have to stake out your spot and stand for over an hour. The processional and songs last for almost an hour. We recommend standing near the guest services building or by fire station to get a closer glimpse of the celebrity narrator.

Disneyland Candlelight processional

Tips for Visiting Disneyland Park during the Holidays

  • Time Your Visit. Some Disneyland visits can’t really be avoided until the kids are out of school. Just know that visits between Christmas and New Year can get pretty crowded including Christmas Day and also New Year’s day. Visit with a lot of patience and use the tips below.

If you can, go during the first two weeks in December and weekdays will always be better. In the rare rain occurrence here in Southern California, those are also the best times to go. Check out the crowd predictor calendar in isitpacked to see the crowd size. They do turn people away if both parks hit a certain threshold.

  • Go early. It’s important to go as early as you can into the parks preferably even before the park opens which is usually around 8 AM. This will help ensure you can ride and see more attractions as wait times increase throughout the day. There have been occasions where we walked to the entrance of rides with no lines within the first hour of the park opening.

Guests staying at the Disneyland Resort hotels have the opportunity to enter some attractions, dining areas and stores in the parks one full hour before the parks open on specific days and known as the Extra Magic Hour.

For Disneyland Park, it is currently on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. If you have the Park Hopper ticket, you may want to consider going early to the other park which doesn’t have the Extra Magic Hour.

Disneyland Small World Holiday

  • Use FASTPASS or MAXPASS . The free FASTPASS Program is Disney’s version of a ride reservation system. These allow holders to skip the regular line at specific rides in the park. FASTPASS is available on 10 rides and a reserved viewing spot for the Fantasmic! show. Be aware that tickets can run out on popular rides like Space Mountain.

Simply go to the specific attractions and see the posted FASTPASS return time. If the time works, simply insert your admission ticket into the kiosk and you will receive a FASTPASS ticket with the return time printed allowing for an hour timeframe.

These FASTPASSES can be managed on the Disneyland app including cancellations. These tickets also show when you are allowed to get your next FASTPASS.

For an extra $10 more per visitor, per day, you can buy the MaxPass. This allows visitors to reserve a FASTPASS from their mobile devices using the Disneyland app. It also allows visitors unlimited Disney PhotoPass photo downloads during the day. These include memorable photos you can pose for and taken by the Disney PhotoPass photographers.

Disneyland CHristmas tree light

  • Ride the train, cars, omnibus, carriages along Main Street to save walking with the little ones or for the experience.
  • Download the Disneyland Resort app. This is such a valuable app for anyone who has a smartphone. Visitors can buy park tickets avoiding the first major line, check wait times for rides, check FASTPASS return times, make dining reservations at several restaurants, order and pre-pay for food and beverages at select places saving a lot of time, find attractions, shops and restaurants quickly with GPS-enabled maps and find the Disney characters around the park. Download it every time you visit!
  • Have a planned but also flexible itinerary. Most visitors only have one day here and you really do need some sort of a plan or priority list. Determine your family’s list of “can’t miss attractions and shows” especially if it’s your first visit.

See the entertainment schedule right when you get in and plan accordingly. Take advantage of the FASTPASS system to maximize your day.

Disneyland Holiday Parade Gingerbread

  • Bring plenty of snacks. Disneyland charges a premium for almost everything once you’re inside the park and this includes food. Snacks have helped us in between meals and while waiting in lines and before shows. Pack enough to last through the day.
  • Take Advantage of Single Rider. If your kids are a little older and you don’t mind being separated while riding attractions, this is a great opportunity to minimize wait times. There is a separate line that’s usually a lot shorter than the general entry and sometimes even the FASTPASS line used to fill empty seats.

My kids love doing this option. Matterhorn, Splash Mountain, Indiana Jones and Space Mountain currently offer the Single Rider service.

Disneyland Splash Mountain

  • Wear Layers. While Southern California has a mild weather, it can get quite chilly at night. Stay warm while waiting for the nighttime shows and pack those light jackets. Lockers are easily accessible and available for rentals for storage.
  • Eat Holiday Treats. Disneyland always has some delicious food and goodies around the park to sample. But, the holidays bring some unique seasonal items you also have to seek out and eat. Tasty treats like caramel apples, crispy treats/rice krispies, cake pops, peppermint bark or fudge, adorably decorated cookies are available at restaurants, cafes and especially the Jolly Holiday Bakery Cafe.

Read and download the foodie guide before your visit at the Disneyparks blog like this one for 2018. Don’t forget the holiday-flavored churros (sour apple, gingerbread, sugarplum, peppermint). Look for the churro carts around the park. We also love the candy cane Mickey-shaped beignets at the Mint Julep Bar.

Disneyland Candy Cane beignets

*Have you visited the Disney parks or other theme parks during the holidays?  

PIN IT FOR LATER!

TIPS FOR VISITING DISNEYLAND HOLIDAYS

36 thoughts on “Visiting Disneyland Park During the Holidays”

  1. We were at Hong Kong Disneyland last year the week before Christmas, and I don’t remember them doing as much as the one in California. We were at the one in Florida a few years ago the first week of January. It was nice that the decorations were still up but most of the crowds had gone home (and the hotel was cheaper). I really like the photos of It’s a Small World. I’ve been on it so many times that I think seeing it at Christmas would add some nice variation to the experience.

  2. eileen at FamiliesGo!

    we were there just before Thanksgiving and I really loved the themed Christmas
    trees that pop up everywhere. The one at Animal Kingdom had jungle animals, the one at wilderness lodge had teepees, etc. Very fun. It’s a Small World wasn’t decorated yet — too badd — my daughter would have loved it. we stayed one night for Mickey’s Christmas party. A splurge but so worth it. the parade had more characters than I can name — we saw princes with the princesses and
    got to meet minnie and mickey in the holiday clothes (with almost no wait). we also got to reide a lot of rides that were too busy during the day. AND they made it snow! it’s hard to make disney more dazzling and magical than it already is, but somehow they manage!

    1. Disneyland doesn’t have the Mickey Christmas Party but sounds fun. What a wonderful vacation for your daughter to spend it with all the beloved characters. Yes, they can make it snow. I’d love to visit the Florida resorts during the holidays.

  3. I’m sure my daughter would happily have traded parents and swapped with those that actually did fun things and take them to Disney over Christmas. Alas it was not to be but I can well imagine the thrill kids especially must get when they visit a place decked out like this. You have done a great job f presenting Disney in all its glory.

    1. Thanks Leigh! It is such a joy to see the kids’ faces at Disneyland (including mine). I’m sure your daughter has some great memories with all the wonderful trips and adventures you took them to.

  4. Love the photos – you have made me wish that I was at Disneyland right now! We had our first Christmas experience two years ago when we drove from San Diego to Disneyland for New Year’s Day. I loved seeing all the decorations and the Holiday Parade but It’s a Small World was my absolute favourite thing about the day. Last year we went to Orlando for a few days over New Year’s and were able to do holiday Disney again. It was still wonderful but it wasn’t quite as magical as Disneyland. I was disappointed that It’s a Small World wasn’t transformed there as that was what I had been most looking forward to and the parade that we saw wasn’t holiday themed. I’m looking forward to seeing how the Disney Magic is done up for the holidays – and I can’t believe that we will be having some Disney Christmas for the third year in a row! :)

    1. Thanks Lisa! I’ve always wondered how the two resorts compare so thanks for the insight. You can never have too much Disney. I’m sure the Magic will be all decked out splendidly.

  5. Debbie Beardsley @ European Travelista

    Love Disneyland at the holidays! I grew up right around the corner from Disneyland so this brings back many fond memories. I was actually in the Christmas Parade during High School :) Great pictures. Thanks for the memories!

  6. Great synopsis, and most importantly, incredible photos! You manage to capture so many aspects that I just never can get right. I have to admit though that our bucket lists includes seeing the Haunted Mansion with the Nightmare Before Christmas overlay.

    1. Thanks Danielle! One of the comments above says that Hongkong wasn’t as decorated. Someone also wrote on my FB page saying that Tokyo was amazing. I’m sure they won’t disappoint. I hope you get to visit with your boys soon.

  7. Gloomy weather never bothers me at Disneyland – it makes it less crowded and cooler than in hot weather when it can be unbearable there. I love the Disneyland Christmas decorations. Like you said, so much attention to detail, it’s just fabulous.

  8. I’ve never done Disneyland at Christmas – I’ve only been twice as Walt Disney World is closer to me but I’d love to go. It looks even more magical.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.