Quick Take
Holidays at the Disneyland Resort runs Nov. 13, 2026, through Jan. 6, 2027, per Disney. Disneyland Park's holiday lineup includes A Christmas Fantasy Parade, the "Believe…in Holiday Magic" fireworks and Haunted Mansion Holiday, which was already running before Holidays starts, while Disney California Adventure gets Disney Festival of Holidays and "World of Color – Season of Light." Christmas Day dining? Per MousePlanet, reservations open Nov. 12 around 6 a.m. Pacific, and Disney has not confirmed the exact time. Check the Disneyland app before you go, because Disney says offerings can change.
Holidays is the stretch of the year when both parks and the hotels change at the same time, and the details are spread across several Disney pages. This guide pulls the confirmed pieces together, with the date I read each source. Anything that comes from outside Disney is labeled with who reported it.
When is Holidays at the Disneyland Resort?
Holidays at the Disneyland Resort runs Nov. 13, 2026, through Jan. 6, 2027, per Disney's holidays page (read November 9, 2026) and Disney's Aug. 26, 2026 press release (read November 9, 2026). It covers Disneyland Park, Disney California Adventure, the Disneyland Resort hotels and Downtown Disney District.
Per the press release, Mickey, Minnie and their friends debut new holiday outfits at Disneyland Park. Santa Claus appears Nov. 13 through Dec. 24 at Mickey's Toontown Trolley Barn in Disneyland Park and at Redwood Creek Challenge Trail in Disney California Adventure.
The same release says Sleeping Beauty Castle becomes Sleeping Beauty's Winter Castle for the season. Each evening, more than 80,000 twinkling lights sparkle while a gentle "snow" falls along parts of Main Street, U.S.A.
What is the Disneyland Park holiday lineup?
The Disneyland Park holiday lineup is A Christmas Fantasy Parade, the "Believe…In Holiday Magic" fireworks and Haunted Mansion Holiday, per Disney's holidays page (read November 9, 2026). Disney's press release (read November 9, 2026) describes the parade as Disney characters with toy soldiers, dancing reindeer and gingerbread cookies, and the fireworks as including magical "snowfall."
Haunted Mansion Holiday is the seasonal version of the ride. Disney's holidays page describes a merry, macabre makeover of the estate.
Disney's attraction page lists it as scheduled to return Aug. 21, 2026, the start of Halloween Time, and the ride was operating as of Nov. 9, 2026. Disney publishes no start or end date for the holiday run.
Disney's "it's a small world" Holiday attraction page and Disney's Holiday Lighting page both list a start of Nov. 13, 2026, and neither lists an end date (both read November 9, 2026). Per MousePlanet's November 9 Resort Update (read November 9, 2026), the ride's holiday overlay "is scheduled to open later than November 13." Disney has not reconciled the two, so check the Disneyland app for the ride's status before you plan around it.
Check the Disneyland app for showtimes and schedules too. Disney says entertainment can be modified, limited or unavailable.
What is different at Disney California Adventure?
Disney California Adventure adds Disney Festival of Holidays, "World of Color – Season of Light," and Cars Land holiday versions of two rides: Mater's Jingle Jamboree and Luigi's Joy to the Whirl, per Disney's press release (read November 9, 2026). Disney Festival of Holidays runs Nov. 13, 2026, through Jan. 6, 2027, per Disney's Festival of Holidays page (read November 9, 2026).
Disney's holidays page (read November 9, 2026) describes Mater's Jingle Jamboree as the holiday version of Mater's Junkyard Jamboree. It describes Luigi's Joy to the Whirl as the seasonal transformation of Luigi's Rollickin' Roadsters.
Per the release, "World of Color – Season of Light" features moments from films like "Beauty and the Beast" and "Inside Out," set to holiday classics and fan-favorite songs. Disney's holidays page also lists a Buena Vista Street Holiday Tree Lighting.
Disney Festival of Holidays includes the following, per Disney's press release (read November 9, 2026):
- Six Festive Food Marketplaces, with a Sip and Savor Pass that includes six digital coupons.
- Holiday Toy Drummers and the "Mickey's Happy Holidays" cavalcade.
- "Mirabel's Gifts of the Season" at Paradise Gardens Park on select days.
- "A Musical Christmas with Mariachi Alegría de Disneyland & Miguel!" on Buena Vista Street.
- Disney ¡Viva Navidad!, Nov. 13, 2026, through Jan. 6, 2027, with its Street Party on Saturdays and Sundays, Nov. 14, 2026, through Jan. 3, 2027 (per Disney's ¡Viva Navidad! pages, read November 9, 2026).
When do Christmas Day dining reservations open?
Per MousePlanet, reservations open Nov. 12 around 6 a.m. Pacific; Disney has not confirmed the exact time. MousePlanet's November 9 Resort Update (read November 9, 2026) says Christmas Day character dining at Storytellers Cafe and Goofy's Kitchen opens that day.
An Undercover Tourist post from November 2025 (read November 9, 2026) says Disneyland dining reservations generally open at about 6 a.m. but that it can vary, and that some holiday meals open later than the usual 60-day mark. Treat 6 a.m. as a ballpark, not a promise.
Disney's press release names three holiday character meals: Goofy's Kitchen Celebrates the Holidays! at the Disneyland Hotel, plus Daisy's Holiday Pajama Party and Mickey's Christmas Carol Feast at Storytellers Cafe in Disney's Grand Californian Hotel & Spa. Check the restaurant page on Disneyland.com or the Disneyland app for what is bookable on your date.
What should you check before you go?
Check the Disneyland app for showtimes, park hours, dining availability and attraction status before you go, because Disney says offerings can change or be unavailable without notice. Disney's holidays page (read November 9, 2026) also says you need a valid theme park ticket or Magic Key pass and a park reservation to enter a park.
To pick a date, use our Disneyland Crowd Calendar. If this is your first Disneyland trip, start with the First-Timer's Guide to Disneyland. Magic Key holders should read our Disneyland Magic Key Guide and check Disney's Magic Key calendar for blockout dates.
Mateo's Take: My pick is to treat Disney California Adventure as your evening park this season. "World of Color – Season of Light" and a Cars Land with Mater's Jingle Jamboree and Luigi's Joy to the Whirl are the pieces Disney highlights there. At Disneyland Park, I'd start your list with the parade and Haunted Mansion Holiday. Everything else is a bonus.
Skip it: Don't build your first morning around "it's a small world" Holiday until the Disneyland app shows it running. Disney's pages list Nov. 13, 2026, but per MousePlanet the overlay is scheduled to open later than Nov. 13, and Disney has not reconciled the two. Treat it as a bonus, not the anchor of your plan.
FAQ
Do I need a park ticket and reservation for Holidays at the Disneyland Resort?
To enter Disneyland Park or Disney California Adventure, Disney's holidays page (read November 9, 2026) says you need a valid theme park ticket or Magic Key pass and a park reservation. Park reservations are limited and not guaranteed, per Disney's press release (read November 9, 2026).
Does Haunted Mansion Holiday run during Holidays?
Yes, Disney's holidays page (read November 9, 2026) lists Haunted Mansion Holiday in the Holidays lineup at Disneyland Park. Disney's attraction page lists it as scheduled to return Aug. 21, 2026, the start of Halloween Time, and the ride was operating as of Nov. 9, 2026. Disney publishes no start or end date for the holiday run, so check the Disneyland app.
Where can I meet Santa during the holidays?
Per Disney's press release (read November 9, 2026), Santa Claus appears Nov. 13 through Dec. 24 at Mickey's Toontown Trolley Barn in Disneyland Park and at Redwood Creek Challenge Trail in Disney California Adventure. The release also says Santa appears at select times at the Disneyland Hotel, Pixar Place Hotel and Disney's Grand Californian Hotel & Spa.
Where do I find showtimes and hours?
Use the Disneyland app. Disney says offerings can be modified, limited in availability or unavailable and are subject to change or cancellation without notice, so check the app on the day you visit.
Related Guides
- Disneyland Crowd Calendar
- First-Timer's Guide to Disneyland
- Disneyland Magic Key Guide
- Lightning Lane Complete Guide
- Disney California Adventure Complete Guide
Planning the trip around this season? Compare ticket prices through Undercover Tourist before you buy.
Affiliate disclosure: Some links in this article are affiliate links. Theme Park Network may earn a commission when you book through these links at no additional cost to you.
Last Updated: November 2026. Sources read November 9, 2026: Disney's Holidays at the Disneyland Resort page and Aug. 26, 2026 press release, MousePlanet's Disneyland Resort Update for November 9, 2026, and an Undercover Tourist dining post from November 2025. Offerings, dates and showtimes are subject to change, so verify in the Disneyland app.
Mateo "The Map" Morales
Lead Disney Parks Specialist
Born and raised in Anaheim — Disneyland's backyard. Mateo has been riding Space Mountain since before he could tie his shoes, and he still treats the first 90 minutes of rope drop as the whole game.
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Anaheim, CA
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Lightning Lane Strategist
