Southern California is known for sunshine and beaches, even in December. But you can experience a winter wonderland when “the happiest place on Earth” transforms into “the merriest place on Earth” for the holidays.
Holidays at the Disneyland Resort is a special time, with magic around every corner. In Disneyland Park, there’s a 60-foot Christmas tree in Town Square complete with 70,000 lights and 2,000 custom ornaments. Stroll down Main Street, U.S.A. with the smell of candy canes and gingerbread hanging in the air and decorations adorning the buildings. And starting on Nov. 10 through Jan. 7i, the Christmas Fantasy Parade, featuring Santa flanked by your favorite Disney characters, will make its way down Main Street (the Christmas Fantasy Parade may not happen daily; check the entertainment schedule or the Disneyland app for dates and showtimes).
Classic attractions take on a whole different feeling. Sleeping Beauty’s Winter Castle sparkles with snow-capped towers, countless lights and a giant wreath. It’s a Small World Holiday dazzles with a spectacular light show and a holiday version of the classic song. And the Haunted Mansion gets a holiday makeover, courtesy of Jack Skellington and friends, for the Haunted Mansion Holiday. Fan favorites like Believe...in Holiday Magic and the aforementioned A Christmas Fantasy Parade make this time of year extra special.
Over in Disney California Adventure Park, a 50-foot tree sits on Buena Vista Street, and the spirit of the season is in full swing with the Festival of Holidays, featuring delicious foods and entertainment from many diverse cultures. Celebrate at Disney ¡Viva Navidad! as Disney characters host a festive street party featuring Mexican folklórico dancers and mariachis, giant mojiganga puppets, and Brazilian samba dancers and percussionists. And of course, Santa and his elves have turned up at the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail for some seasonal fun and games.
Everyone’s four-wheeled friends over in Cars Land get in the spirit too, with a hubcap-adorned tree and with snow-covered billboards other auto-themed decorations along Route 66. Two Cars Land attractions are transformed and the results are merry indeed: Get behind the wheel for a whirlwind tour of Luigi’s backyard at his Joy to the Whirl attraction, and go on a tractor ride through an unusually cheery junkyard on Mater’s Jingle Jamboree.
There are holiday treats throughout the resort as well, from holiday-themed beignets and gingerbread men to decorated candy apples and the always-popular candy canes. Only a limited number of candy canes are made, so be sure to line up at park opening at the Candy Palace in Disneyland and Trolley Treats in California Adventure for a chance at this tasty treat. You can find out more by calling the Disneyland Candy Hotline at 714-781-0112.
Insider tips: While the parks’ Christmas trees are first lit for the year in early-to-mid-November, both Disneyland and California Adventure have tree-lighting ceremonies every day during the holidays at 5 p.m. Any time of year, download the free Disneyland Mobile app to know where to head next for the shortest lines, buy your tickets, browse maps, and even order food or locate Disney characters. Through the app, Disney Genie services are accessible as well, which can connect you with tailored recommendations and create daily itineraries.
The new system for skipping lines at the Anaheim parks—which replaces the former Fastpass and Genie+ systems—is something you buy as an add-on to your admission ticket, or something you purchase once you’re inside the parks using the Disneyland Resort App.
The two passes work a little differently. The Lightning Lane Multi Pass (which starts at $30 per person, varying by date) lets you also use the app to reserve one turn in the no-wait Lightning Lanes at more than 20 participating rides, including Haunted Mansion, Incredicoaster, and Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run. Using the app, you can reserve your Lightning Lanes as well as check wait times for other rides, order meals, and purchase souvenirs.
The Lightning Lane Single Pass, meanwhile, is only for use on a few rides—typically Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance and Radiator Springs Racers. Prices for these à la carte passes (which you can purchase in addition to a multi pass) range from $7–$25 per person, and you can only buy one per ride per day.
Another fun, high-tech offering is the MagicBand+, a next-generation wearable band that enables visitors to experience the park in another way, via vibrations, gesture recognition, and changing LED lights (learn more about the MagicBand+ here).
