Christmas at Disneyland: Every little thing you want to know to plan your go to

Disneyland is sometimes called the Happiest Place on Earth, however between November and January, it takes on a brand new moniker — the Merriest Place on Earth. From a magical nightly snowfall to Santa meet-and-greets and a pageant that celebrates winter vacation traditions from across the globe, there are issues you may solely expertise while you go to Disneyland through the vacation season.

Whether or not you might be visiting early within the season to get into the Christmas spirit, otherwise you wish to spend Thanksgiving or Christmas at a theme park this 12 months (hey, a minimum of you will not should do the dishes), right here is all the pieces you want to know to plan a vacation journey to Disneyland.

When does Christmas begin at Disneyland?

This 12 months, the vacation festivities at Disneyland kicked off Nov. 15 and can run by Jan. 6, 2025. Whether or not you might be visiting for Thanksgiving, Christmas or to ring within the new 12 months, Disneyland will probably be totally festooned to your go to.

Even earlier than Nov. 15, you would see decor begin to go up across the parks, together with the 80,000 twinkling lights and snowcapped turrets that adorn Sleeping Magnificence Fortress and Disneyland’s iconic 60-foot Christmas tree. Nonetheless, you needed to look forward to the primary official day of Disneyland’s vacation season to fulfill Santa, see Mickey and associates of their vacation finery, see the holiday-themed parades and fireworks, and revel in all of the trimmings and trappings the resort has to supply.

All that vacation cheer attracts guests from all over the world, so it is probably the parks will probably be crowded and wait instances lengthy throughout your go to. To be sure you have time to see all of it, give your self a minimum of two — however ideally three or 4 — days to see all of it. Visiting for 2 days provides you at some point at every park, however including a 3rd means you’ve gotten a full day to catch something you missed or to see your favourite characters one final time earlier than heading residence. The festivities do not cease on the park’s gates. When you add a fourth day, you may have time to discover Disneyland’s lodges and the Downtown Disney space.

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To additional alleviate crowds, attempt to go to midweek versus over the weekend. When you can go to earlier than Thanksgiving week or between late November and mid-December, you may keep away from the crowds that descend when colleges are out for vacation breaks.

Is there an additional cost for the vacations at Disneyland?

This is likely one of the main variations between Disneyland’s strategy to the vacations and Disney World’s. Exterior of buying your Disneyland park ticket, there isn’t a extra cost to benefit from the park’s seasonal choices and leisure.

A lot of Disney World’s vacation leisure is reserved for friends who buy an additional ticket for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Occasion at Magic Kingdom or Disney Jollywood Nights at Hollywood Studios. At Disneyland, the every day parade, fireworks and stay leisure are included in the price of your ticket.

The place to fulfill Santa and favourite Disney characters

Santa is a busy man this time of 12 months, however he is not too busy to cease by Disneyland and listen to your kid’s Christmas needs. There are a number of spots to fulfill Santa at Disneyland, each inside and out of doors the parks.

At Disneyland, youngsters can get a photograph with Santa on the all-new “Vacation Enjoyable with Santa & Mates!” space at Fantasyland Theatre. This space is greater than only a easy meet-and-greet: Youngsters may make crafts, adorn cookies, write a letter to Santa, hearken to stay vacation music and extra. This space is open every day from 10 a.m. to five p.m.

At Disney California Journey, Santa hangs out on the Redwood Creek Problem Path. This out of doors play space is remodeled for the vacation season, so along with assembly Santa, it is an ideal spot for teenagers to burn off some vitality. This space is open every day from 9 a.m. to 7:45 p.m.

After Santa returns to the North Pole on Dec. 24 for his international gift-giving trek, you may meet Santa Goofy at these areas.

Santa additionally makes appearances in any respect three of Disneyland’s on-site lodges, together with a roaming troop of carolers singing Christmas classics. There aren’t any set instances for these appearances, however your finest guess for seeing Santa is within the evenings between 4 and seven p.m.

Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Chip ‘n Dale and the remainder of the gang can even be assembly friends of their festive outfits through the Christmas season. You will discover time and site particulars for character meet-and-greets within the Disneyland app.

The place to see snow at Disneyland

Disneyland’s winter forecast is heat and sunny in comparison with many vacation locations, however that does not cease the snow from coming. There are a number of alternatives to expertise a Southern California snowfall at Disneyland through the vacation season.

Every night time through the “Consider…In Vacation Magic” nighttime spectacular at Disneyland Park, you may see a magical snowfall alongside the Rivers of America, close to “It is a small world” and alongside Fundamental Avenue, U.S.A. You can too see snow floating up into the sky throughout “World of Colour — Season of Mild” at Disney California Journey.

Close to the Downtown Disney Stay! stage in Downtown Disney, there may be an intermittent nightly snowfall between 6 and 10 p.m. from Nov. 29, 2024, till Jan. 26, 2025.

Parades and nighttime spectaculars

Disney launched a number of new leisure choices for this 12 months’s vacation celebration, but it surely additionally introduced again a couple of well-known classics which have change into a part of friends’ vacation traditions.

In the course of the day at Disneyland Park, friends can see the “A Christmas Fantasy” parade twice every day at 2:30 and 5:30 p.m. (climate allowing). You’ll be able to view the parade alongside Fundamental Avenue, U.S.A., however plan to reach about half-hour early if you wish to get a great spot. The parade route additionally runs close to “It is a small world” and the Matterhorn Bobsleds if you need a distinct (and normally much less crowded) vantage level.

Every night, Sleeping Magnificence Fortress is remodeled with twinkling lights, vacation projections, fireworks and a magical snowfall through the “Consider…In Vacation Magic” nighttime spectacular.

Disney California Journey has its personal nighttime present, a vacation model of “World of Colour” known as “World of Colour — Season of Mild.” Nightly performances happen at 9 and 10:15 p.m. The perfect viewing spots are roped off to manage crowds, however you may solely enter these areas if you happen to reserve a digital queue spot or buy a World of Colour eating package deal or dessert occasion ticket.

Disney Competition of Holidays

Disney Competition of Holidays transforms California Journey with meals, leisure, decor and crafts impressed by wintertime holidays and traditions from all around the world. Along with every day performances by stay bands, dancers and storytellers on 4 phases all through the park, Disney launched two new exhibits this 12 months that includes characters from beloved movies.

“Mirabel’s Presents of the Season” is a road efficiency that happens a number of instances every day on the entrance to Paradise Gardens Park. Lots of the predominant characters from “Encanto” make appearances throughout this medley of songs from the hit animated movie. Between songs, the present tells a heartwarming vacation story. If you need a great view of this present (particularly if in case you have babies), arrive 15 to half-hour earlier than the posted showtime so they will not be blocked by different friends. (You will discover every day showtimes within the Disneyland app.)

After the solar units, you may see the park’s different new present, “A Musical Christmas with Mariachi Alegria de Disneyland & Miguel!” close to the entrance of the park. This present options Christmas carols carried out by a mariachi band in each English and Spanish. There’s additionally a particular look by Miguel from “Coco.”

Each of those exhibits are held Monday by Friday as a result of the weekends are reserved for Disney ¡Viva Navidad!

Throughout Disney ¡Viva Navidad!, you may discover crafts, specialty meals objects, stay music, meet-and-greets with characters like The Three Caballeros, Mickey, Minnie and Mirabel from “Encanto.” There’s additionally a road occasion that includes The Three Caballeros, together with singers, musicians and dancers on choose days.

When you work up an urge for food dancing to all the festive, enjoyable exhibits, you may wish to hit the Competition of Holidays meals cubicles. These are unfold out across the park with savory small plates, candy treats and refreshing drinks.

After sampling a couple of of this 12 months’s dishes, my favorites included the Turkey Galantine Croissant Muffin Slider from the Festive Meals Market, the Savory Kugel and Chorizo Queso Fundido macaroni and cheese dishes from the Vacation Duets sales space, and the Vacation Mash Bowl from Merry Mash Ups. As you may need guessed from the names, a number of of this 12 months’s dishes mix collectively numerous conventional vacation meals.

Talking of mashups, my favourite deal with of the occasion was the Sticky Toffee Pudding Macaron from the Favourite Issues sales space. By some means a chooclate macaron full of a filling made with conventional sticky toffee pudding substances simply works.

If you wish to strive a number of dishes (and I extremely suggest you do), you should buy a four-item ($32) or an eight-item ($63) Sip and Savor Cross. You do not have to make use of up your entire go in a single go to (although you in all probability will), and it may assist you lower your expenses if you happen to select higher-priced menu objects.

Experience overlays

Every fall, Disneyland’s iconic Haunted Mansion turns into Haunted Mansion Vacation when it’s taken over by characters and music from “The Nightmare Earlier than Christmas.” The journey overlay stays up till January, however that does not do a lot to alleviate the lengthy strains for this widespread attraction. Due to this, Disneyland makes use of a digital queue for friends who wish to see Jack Skellington, Oogie Boogie and the journey’s famed gingerbread home. You’ll be able to request to affix the queue at 7 a.m. and 12 p.m.

“It is a small world” will get much more charming through the vacation season, with the addition of fifty,000 colourful lights to the journey’s facade and festive decor and music all through the journey.

Over at Disney California Journey, two Automobiles Land rides have seasonal overlays: Mater’s Jingle Jamboree and Luigi’s Pleasure to the Whirl. In actual fact, all of Automobiles Land will get a vacation makeover. Look carefully on the decorations, and you will see they incorporate automotive elements and different objects you would possibly discover across the auto restore store.

Disneyland Christmas add-on experiences

Most of what’s talked about on this information (excluding the vacation treats, which you must buy) is included in the price of your ticket. Nonetheless, there are a few vacation add-ons that incur an additional price however could make your go to much more merry.

The Vacation Time on the Disneyland Resort Tour ($120) is a two-hour strolling tour by each parks that imparts a little bit of Disney vacation historical past, in addition to a couple of particular surprises. Throughout your tour, you may additionally get reserved viewing for the “A Christmas Fantasy” parade, vacation snacks and walk-on entry to “It is a small world” Vacation. And, as a result of it is not Christmas with out presents, you may get somewhat current to commemorate your tour.

Disney additionally has two holiday-themed character eating choices, one on the Disneyland Resort and one on the Grand Californian Resort. At Goofy’s Kitchen within the Disneyland Resort, you may meet Goofy, Minnie, Pluto and Chip ‘n Dale of their vacation outfits throughout a buffet breakfast ($65 for adults, $36 for teenagers ages 3-9) or dinner ($75 for adults, $39 for teenagers ages 3-9).

At Storytellers Cafe at Disney’s Grand Californian Resort, you may be a part of Mickey and his friends of their cute vacation jammies on the all-new Mickey’s Vacation Pajama Occasion Breakfast and Brunch. The buffet prices $65 for adults and $36 for teenagers ages 3-9 for breakfast and brunch.

Character meals are extremely popular, and reservations are strongly beneficial.

Backside line

In the course of the holidays at Disneyland, you may sip and savor festive meals, stroll by the snow, and meet your favourite characters of their vacation finest. And that is on prime of the year-round enjoyable Disneyland has to supply.

With so many extra experiences included in your ticket value, the vacations actually do make the Happiest Place on Earth even happier.

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