Looking for a seasonal tradition? Holidays at Disneyland bring a festive atmosphere

As a lifelong Californian, I don’t think snow or sleigh bells are key elements to the holiday spirit. For me, it’s about gathering with family and friends, decorating and celebrating, and, especially with my kids, the festive atmosphere of Disneyland during the holidays. This year, my 13 year old daughter and I delved into the magic of the Holidays at Disneyland Resort.

Whether you’re gearing up or want to keep the holiday spirit alive, Holidays at Disneyland Resort now runs through January 7, 2026. Since this is also Disneyland’s 70th (with celebrations to match), the holidays at the park just got a little more magical this year. As my daughter and I wandered through the parks, we found delightful surprises around every corner, with decorations and special events adding to the holiday cheer at Disneyland Park, Disney California Adventure Park, Downtown Disney District and all three hotels.

Setting foot anywhere at Disneyland Resort is all it takes to prepare for a magical vacation experience. Walking into both parks, my daughter and I were greeted by giant, fully decorated Christmas trees. At Disneyland Park, the tree led to garlands and lights stretching down Main Street, instantly transporting us to a holiday wonderland. At Disney California Adventure Park, the tree leads to the Holiday Market which allows us to enjoy food during the holidays. Being from California, snow isn’t usually on our holiday bingo cards, but we experienced Orange County’s only snow storm at Downtown Disney while enjoying holiday entertainment.

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The more time we spend at Disneyland Resort, the more we realize that the magic of the holidays doesn’t stop with the decorations, throughout the park there are more opportunities to celebrate the season, make sure not to miss them:

Festive characters meet and greet and Santa

If you’ve ever wondered how your favorite Disney characters spend the holidays, it’s probably funnier than you imagined. Think holiday sweaters, Santa hats, and elf costumes. Both parks have plenty of opportunities to meet characters dressed in their favorite holiday gear.

At Disneyland Park, “Holiday Fun with Santa and Friends” plays in the Fantasyland Theatre. This immersive holiday experience includes carolers singing classic holiday songs, crafts, character meet-and-greets, and the opportunity to meet and take photos with Santa. For us, the Fantasyland Theater has always offered one of our favorite places to rest and refuel during a visit to the park. But this time it feels special. We grabbed our favorite baked potatoes at the Troubadour Tavern and ate them while being entertained by singers in Victorian costumes, then greeted Chip and Dale in front of their tree.

At Disney California Adventure Park, we didn’t want to miss Mirabel’s Gift 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 the rat on his back), but we didn’t talk about it. We also see the Three Caballeros, as well as Mickey and Minnie in their party best. Although we missed Santa here, we heard he made an appearance for a souvenir photo on the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail.

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Guests at the three Disneyland Hotels also have the opportunity to meet Santa, but in a different way. Santa’s visit to each hotel wears a heartfelt reflection of each of the season’s top hotels, including artist Santa at the Pixar Place Hotel, Santa in a red suit that perfectly matches the medieval setting at the Disneyland Hotel, and Santa’s fine coat and bejeweled sash at Disney’s Grand California Hotel and Spa.

Taste and Enjoy the Tickets

Rides aren’t the only way to find adventure in the park. The Sip and Savor Pass is a six-coupon digital ticket that allows guests to easily sample Festival Marketplaces at 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 over two days because there was so much we had to try. This year’s Six Festival Markets includes some new additions to the menu as well as some favorites from previous years. The festive fun isn’t limited to just six markets, as seasonal additions are also available at restaurants and kiosks throughout the park.

We really enjoyed how The Sip and Savor Pass allowed us to sample items from different stands and if we planned it well, skip the ordering line. While ordering what turned out to be our family favorite, The Holiday Duet featuring Al Pastor Mac & Cheese and Savory Kugel Mac & Cheese, we decided we also wanted strawberry and basil churros from a different location, so we ordered both and were able to pick up our churros later without having to wait in line.

Park Entertainment

The Disneyland Resort’s Holidays and 70th Anniversary are on full display throughout the day during parades and shows throughout the park. At Disneyland, the usual parade gets a festive holiday feel into a “Christmas Fantasy Parade” complete with reindeer, toy soldiers, dancing gingerbread men and Santa Claus, and some special 70th celebrations.

Disney California Adventure Park hosts a variety of holiday celebrations including ¡Viva Navidad! Street Party, with a 12-foot mojinganga Santa Claus doll, folklórico dancers, mariachi and stunning Brazilian samba dancers. During the Fiesta de Navidad Mirabel, guests were treated to a musical performance of their favorite songs from Encanto.

If you miss the parades and parties, there are plenty of other opportunities to enjoy live entertainment with live performances by carolers at Downtown Disney and Disneyland Park, and a worldwide celebration featuring R&B, soul, polka, traditional Latin, Hawaiian at Disney California Adventure Park. Make sure not to miss Musical Christmas with Mariachi Alegría de Disneyland & Miguel! A bilingual celebration of favorite holiday songs with a special performance by Miguel from Pixar Animation Studio’s “Coco.”

Vehicle

The streets aren’t the only thing that decorates the holidays. We ventured into The Haunted Mansion for the annual Nightmare Before Christmas revamp, where we were transported into the world of Jack Skellington. Since we went down the elevator, the whole house has changed. And no trip to Disneyland would be complete without trying the Small World ride, which is transformed into an almost dream-like worldwide winter celebration tour, complete with an It’s a Small World-Jingle Bell mash-up. Unfortunately, rain prevented us from experiencing “Haul” days at Disney California Adventure Park Radiator Springs Racers, but we were still able to enjoy the decorated streets and see Luigi’s Joy to the Whirl’s decorated backyard.

merchandise

For my family and maybe yours too, no trip to Disneyland is complete without exploring the shops. This year, there are a range of items guaranteed to please everyone. My family loves candy cane themed items. Even though my 13 year old daughter insisted she was too old to wear mouse ears, she couldn’t resist wearing a pair of candy cane ears for most of our visit. And I still enjoy my Mickey Mouse candy cane drink decorations as a festive way to celebrate even at home.

Holidays at Disneyland Resort now run through January 7, 2026. On January 6, to close out the season, the Three Wise Men will visit Paradise Gardens.

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