Disneyland Christmas 2026: Complete Guide to the Holidays at Disneyland Resort

The holidays are returning to Disneyland Resort, and there will be plenty of new and returning experiences to make the season merry and bright!

The 2026 holiday season at Disneyland Resort runs from November 13, 2026, through January 6, 2027, bringing festive entertainment, attraction overlays, seasonal food, character appearances, nighttime spectaculars and plenty of holiday decorations to the resort.

This year’s festivities will span Disneyland Park, Disney California Adventure and the Downtown Disney District, giving guests plenty to experience throughout their holiday vacation.

There are also some new additions for 2026, including new holiday outfits for Mickey and friends and a new location to meet Santa Claus at Disneyland Park.

Here’s what you can expect during Christmas at Disneyland Resort in 2026.

What’s New for Christmas at Disneyland in 2026?

There are a few new reasons to celebrate this holiday season.

Head to Town Square on Main Street, U.S.A., where Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse and some of their friends will debut new holiday attire.

The new looks capture the spirit of holiday travel and a wintry alpine gathering, so you’ll want to keep an eye out for the characters during your visit.

Santa Claus is also moving to a new location at Disneyland Park.

Guests can visit Santa at the Mickey’s Toontown Trolley Barn, located near Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin. Make sure you’re on the nice list before stopping by!

A Christmas Fantasy Parade Returns to Disneyland

It wouldn’t be Christmas at Disneyland without “A Christmas Fantasy Parade.”

The holiday parade returns to Disneyland Park with a procession filled with dancing gingerbread cookies, elves, prancing reindeer and plenty of familiar Disney faces.

Look for characters including Anna and Elsa from Frozen, Disney Princesses, Buzz Lightyear from Toy Story and more.

And, of course, Santa Claus makes his way down the parade route for the grand finale.

“A Christmas Fantasy Parade” returns for another year. The parade is filled with elves, dancing gingerbread cookies and prancing reindeer. Disney characters such as Anna and Elsa from “Frozen,” Disney Princesses, Buzz Lightyear from “Toy Story” and more also join in, with Santa Claus appearing in the grand finale.

Believe…In Holiday Magic Fireworks

The holidays also bring the return of “Believe…In Holiday Magic”, Disneyland’s seasonal fireworks spectacular.

The show illuminates the night sky above Disneyland Park while Sleeping Beauty’s Winter Castle sparkles below with more than 80,000 twinkling lights, shimmering icicles and snow-covered turrets.

And you don’t necessarily need cold weather to experience a little snow in Southern California!

Guests can experience magical “snowfall” in select areas, including portions of:

• Main Street, U.S.A.
• “it’s a small world” Holiday
• Rivers of America

Guests can also catch Wintertime Enchantment at Sleeping Beauty’s Winter Castle each night.

Holiday Attraction Overlays Return

Several Disneyland Resort attractions transform for the holiday season.

Haunted Mansion Holiday continues from the Halloween season, bringing the worlds of Haunted Mansion and Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas together.

Over in Fantasyland, “it’s a small world” Holiday transforms the classic attraction with seasonal decorations and holiday music.

Disney California Adventure also gets into the spirit with holiday versions of two Cars Land attractions:

Luigi’s Joy to the Whirl brings seasonal music to Luigi’s Rollickin’ Roadsters.

Mater’s Jingle Jamboree gives Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree a holiday makeover.

Disney ¡Viva Navidad! Street Party

The Disney ¡Viva Navidad! Street Party returns to Disney California Adventure with a colorful celebration hosted by The Three Caballeros.

The street party features Mexican folklórico dancers and mariachis, Brazilian samba dancers and percussionists, along with plenty of energetic music.

Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse also join the festivities dressed in their special fiesta attire.

Mirabel’s Gifts of the Season

On select days, head to Paradise Gardens Park for Mirabel’s Gifts of the Season.

Mirabel and her friends come together for a whimsical street performance celebrating family and the holidays.

Guests can sing along to songs from Encanto, including “Surface Pressure” and “We Don’t Talk About Bruno.”

A Musical Christmas with Mariachi Alegría de Disneyland & Miguel!

Miguel from Coco will also help celebrate the holidays at Disney California Adventure on select days.

During “A Musical Christmas with Mariachi Alegría de Disneyland & Miguel!”, Miguel joins Mariachi Alegría de Disneyland at Carthay Circle.

The evening street performance combines heartfelt storytelling with bilingual renditions of holiday songs.

World of Color – Season of Light

One of Disney California Adventure’s biggest holiday nighttime spectaculars returns on November 13, 2026.

“World of Color – Season of Light” brings holiday music and Disney stories together through fountains, lights, projections and special effects.

The show features moments inspired by Disney films such as Beauty and the Beast along with Pixar favorites like Inside Out, all centered around the spirit of the holiday season.

Disney Festival of Holidays Returns for 2026

Come hungry because Disney Festival of Holidays is also returning to Disney California Adventure.

The seasonal celebration brings holiday traditions together through food, beverages and entertainment.

For 2026, guests can explore six Festival Marketplace locations featuring a combination of new dishes and returning seasonal favorites.

Holiday Lighting Moments Throughout Disneyland Resort

You’ll want to stick around after dark because several locations come alive with thousands of holiday lights.

At Disney California Adventure, guests can watch the Christmas tree illuminate during the Buena Vista Street Tree Lighting.

Over at Disneyland Park, head to “it’s a small world” Holiday around dusk to see thousands of twinkling lights illuminate the attraction’s elaborate holiday façade.

At select times throughout the evening, a holiday projection show also transforms the “it’s a small world” façade with seasonal colors and imagery.

Where Can You Meet Santa at Disneyland Resort?

There will be more than one opportunity to tell Santa what you want for Christmas.

At Disneyland Park, Santa’s new 2026 location is the Mickey’s Toontown Trolley Barn near Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin.

Over at Disney California Adventure, guests can visit Santa at Redwood Creek Challenge Trail through December 24.

It’s a great opportunity to grab a family Christmas photo during your Disneyland holiday vacation.

Holiday Character Dining at Disneyland Resort

You can even celebrate the holidays with Disney characters while enjoying a meal.

At Goofy’s Kitchen, guests can enjoy special holiday meals with favorite Disney characters dressed in their holiday finest.

Meanwhile, Storytellers Cafe will feature characters wearing costumes inspired by Mickey’s Christmas Carol.

These seasonal meals can be a fun way to combine character meet-and-greets with breakfast, brunch or another meal during a busy park day.

Christmas at Downtown Disney District

The holiday celebration isn’t limited to the theme parks.

The Downtown Disney District will also join the festivities, making it another place to enjoy the atmosphere of the season during a Disneyland Resort vacation.

Guests can expect seasonal touches throughout the district as Disneyland Resort celebrates the holidays from November into early January.

Connect With Us

Follow A Disney World After All for all the latest Disney news and tips.

I want to know your thoughts. What are you looking forward to the most at Disneyland Resort for the Holidays? You can share with me in the comments or on social! Find me on Facebook, X, YouTube, Instagram, Threads,  BlueSky, and TikTok.

Book your Next Vacation!

Want to book a Disneyland vacation? Jocelyn Martins at The Magic For Less Travel specializes in the art of personalized vacation planning. She provides a guest-driven, concierge level planning service. Best of all, Jocelyn’s service is provided free of charge. Click here to get your free, no-obligation quote today! (Yes, that’s an affiliate link. I would greatly appreciate that if you would like to book a vacation you consider clicking and helping me!)