Disneyland Resort’s ‘Merriest Place on Earth’ Returns for the Holiday Season

by Laurie Baratti
Last updated: 7:00 AM ET, Mon November 18, 2024

The most wonderful time of the year is on its way, and nothing can quite rival the annual Holidays at the Disneyland Resort celebration, which this year sees the resort transformed into the “Merriest Place on Earth” from November 15, 2024, through January 6, 2025. When that special brand of Disney magic is infused with the spirit of the festive season, it’s a truly spellbinding occasion, and the result is a sense of genuine warmth, joy and wonder for all ages that is truly priceless.

From the glistening peaks of Sleeping Beauty’s Winter Castle and the vast assortment of shining holiday décor that graces almost every surface to encounters with characters decked out in rich seasonal garments, alluring attraction overlays, and absolutely astonishing nighttime spectacular shows, an air of enchantment blankets both theme parks, the Downtown Disney district and the Disneyland Resort Hotels. And, we haven’t even mentioned the smorgasbord of limited-time merchandise, and seasonal food and beverages that Disney fans will be clamoring to try during this celebratory time.

Sleeping Beauty's Winter Castle at Disneyland Resort, Anaheim, California.

Disneyland Park

At Disneyland, guests are welcomed by the sight of a 60-foot-tall Christmas tree as they step into the park, bedecked with 1,800 Victorian-inspired ornaments and 100 oversized faux candles. The streets are festooned with garlands and Mickey-shaped wreaths adorned with shining baubles as merry melodies fill the air, enlivening guests’ footsteps as they saunter down turn-of-the-century nostalgic Main Street, U.S.A. Visitors will notice cleverly incorporated festive décor elements throughout the park’s exteriors and even interiors, perhaps most noticeably in New Orleans Square, where jubilation is always the order of the day. Twinkling holiday lights abound, and nowhere more so than at “it’s a small world” Holiday, the seasonal overlay applied to this long-standing 1966 attraction.

During the day, guests can gather to watch the nostalgia-evoking “A Christmas Fantasy Parade” as it makes its way down the parade route from “it’s a small world” Holiday to the end of Main Street, U.S.A. Floats feature the familiar faces of Mickey and Friends, and other beloved characters straight out of Disney and Pixar animated films, all actively celebrating the winter holidays in their seasonal finery and waving to their young fans as they pass. The moving performance also features staple Christmas characters, like snowmen, reindeer, toy soldiers and gingerbread men, all of whom merrily dance and twirl their way down the street to lively musical accompaniment. The grand finale comes when Santa Claus himself appears atop his gleaming sleigh to wish the crowd a merry Christmas.

"A Christmas Fantasy" parade at Disneyland Resort, Anaheim, California.

If you’re looking to meet jolly old St. Nick in person, never fear. New this year, Santa Claus and select characters are staging meet-and-greets over at the Fantasyland Theatre just outside the entrance to Toontown. Called “Holiday Fun with Santa and Friends!”, this interactive offering also invites visitors to participate in the merriment by making seasonal crafts and singing along to holiday songs against a backdrop of atmospheric music that’s sure to stir up sentimental feelings in guests of all ages. Santa will be in residence at this special location until December 24, happily receiving hugs and listen attentively to the holiday wishes of his adoring fans. Santa will also be stopping over at Redwood Creek Challenge Trail in Disney California Adventure Park, and at each of the Disneyland Resort hotels (from November 28). And Santa isn’t the only one making a daily appearance—Mickey, Minnie and the gang will be putting in face time at Disneyland Park, dressed in their brand-new seasonal attire that evokes images of writing heartfelt holiday letters.

Guests will delight in a couple of seasonal overlays of popular attractions that can be experienced but once a year. At “Haunted Mansion Holiday”, visitors will find that Jack Skellington and his cohorts from “Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas” have taken over the already eerie Haunted Mansion premises to make Christmas happen Halloween-style. Fans can also meet Jack and Sally over in New Orleans Square, between the Port Royal Curios and Curiosities shop and the Pirates of the Caribbean exit. At “it’s a small world” Holiday, the multicultural singing dolls and their respective tableaux representing countries from all around the globe have been reimagined into scenes celebrating the holiday season. And, thanks to 50,000 glowing lights on its facade, the attraction’s exterior becomes a luminous landmark that’s always stunning to behold.

Haunted Mansion, holidays, overlay transformation, Jack Skellington, The Nightmare Before Christmas

As evening falls, Sleeping Beauty’s Castle is majestically illuminated with over 25,000 twinkling LED lights, complete with “icicles” and shimmering snow-capped turrets, creating a captivating centerpiece and mesmerizing backdrop for the “Believe… in Holiday Magic” nighttime spectacular. This captivating show is comprised of fantastic fireworks, vivid projection mapping and a rousing score filled with holiday favorites and moving original music. At the conclusion of the presentation, “snow” falls softly over guests in select areas on Main Street, U.S.A., near “it’s a small world” Holiday and along the Rivers of America, invariably astonishing and delighting audiences.

"Believe... in Holiday Magic" nighttime spectacular at Disneyland, Anaheim, California.

Disney California Adventure Park

Over at Disney California Adventure, guests can savor the many and varied delights of the Disney Festival of Holidays. Upon park entry, Buena Vista Street greets visitors with a rich symphony of holiday decor as they enter, centered around a towering 50-foot Christmas tree embellished with vintage-style elements, in keeping with the area’s 1920s theme. Here, you’ll also find select characters donning their impeccable yuletide outfits.

While holiday decorations abound throughout the park, there are a couple of places where the transformation is particularly evident. One of those spots is Cars Land, where a whimsical “Snowcar” stands outside the entrance to Radiator Springs, which is absolutely covered in a spectacle of automotive-inspired lights and thematic “haul-iday” decorations. Two Cars Land attractions have received holiday overlays: Mater’s Jingle Jamboree sees adorable tractors spinning through Mater’s festively trimmed junkyard, while Luigi’s Joy to the Whirl leads has Luigi himself leading guests on a merry dance of roadsters as he croons out festive tunes.

Cars Land decked out for the holidays at Disney California Adventure park, Anaheim, California.

Bedecked with its own holiday brilliance, the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail plays host to Santa Claus himself through December 24 so that children can meet St. Nick in person and whisper their Christmas wishes to him while having their photo snapped. At Paradise Gardens Park, Disney ¡Viva Navidad! honors the Latin American celebration of Christmas with music, crafts and more offered daily.

There’s also an all-new street show on weekdays, called “Mirabel’s Gifts of the Season”, starring beloved characters from Walt Disney Animation Studios’ “Encanto”. Featuring songs from the film, this music-and-dance performance follows Mirabel and her family as they prepare for their own Fiesta de Navidad, acknowledging their own inborn gifts and personalities.

Rendering of "Mirabel's Gifts of the Season" at Disneyland Resort, Anaheim, California.

Extended live entertainment offerings also abound this year, with a wide range of bands and cultural groups either returning as crowd favorites or making their debut this year, providing joyful music and dance performances across a range of genres, including including mariachi, jazz, klezmer, Latin pop, fusion, reggae, polka and more. Guests can spot these lively performances at Paradise Gardens Park, Hollywood Backlot Stage, Hollywood Lounge Stage and Sonoma Terrace.

Another fresh street performance, occurring on weeknights only, “A Musical Christmas with Mariachi Alegría de Disneyland & Miguel!” is a rousing crowd-pleaser that was inspired by the “Las Posadas” holiday tradition, which sees the park’s new in-house mariachi band making a procession down Buena Vista Street before stopping at the center of Carthay Circle. There, the large group, complete with folklórico dancers, performs enchanting renditions of classic Christmas carols, deftly weaving between English and Spanish versions.

“A Musical Christmas with Mariachi Alegri´a de Disneyland & Miguel!” show at Disney California Adventure, Anaheim, California.

At night, the special “World of Color – Season of Light” illuminates the 3.5 acres of Paradise Bay, as water-screen projections and more than 1,200 fountain jets tell a seasonal narrative that features over 120 characters from 30 Disney and Pixar animated films, punctuated by absolutely astounding pyrotechnic elements.

Another key component of the Disney Festival of Holidays is the opportunity to sample some special seasonal food and beverage offerings, available from seven Festive Food Marketplaces and select dining locations scattered throughout Disney California Adventure. This year sees the debut of 16 new menu items crafted by the resort’s talented culinary team, many of which were informed by multicultural dishes and drinks. The scannable Sip and Savor Pass, available for purchase in four-coupon or eight-coupon versions, can be redeemed at any of these locations, allowing guests to sample several such items easily.

“World of Color – Season of Light” at Disneyland Resort, Anaheim, California.

Special Ticket Offer

Right now, for a limited time only, a special ticket offer on 3-Day, 1-Park per day tickets is available to Disney+ subscribers. Valid on three separate visits from November 18 – December 27, subscribers can purchase two days and get the third one free, making it the most economical opportunity for visiting the parks during the most magical time of the year. Terms and restrictions apply, one of which states that tickets are valid for 13 days after the first use of December 27, whichever comes first. And remember, you also need to make park reservations for the days you intend to visit if you want to be admitted.

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