Disneyland Resort Announces 2026 Holiday Season Dates and Details

Haunted Mansion Holiday turns 25 this year, and Santa’s moved house.

Holidays at Disneyland Resort run November 13, 2026, through January 6, 2027, bringing back seasonal decor, entertainment, and food across Disneyland park, Disney California Adventure, the resort hotels, and Downtown Disney District.

Here’s everything announced.

Quick Summary

• The season runs November 13, 2026 – January 6, 2027
• Mickey, Minnie, and friends debut new alpine-styled holiday outfits
• Santa moves to Mickey’s Toontown Trolley Barn
• Haunted Mansion Holiday marks 25 years of the gingerbread house display
• A hotel offer with up to 20% off opens for booking September 22
• Chip and Dale’s Ornament Trail starts November 11

Disneyland Park

Main Street, U.S.A. gets its 60-foot Christmas tree back, and Sleeping Beauty’s Winter Castle is covered in 80,000 lights every night of the season.

New this year: Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, and friends debut new holiday outfits in Town Square, styled around winter travel and an alpine gathering.

Santa’s New Location

Santa has moved. He’s now meeting guests at Mickey’s Toontown Trolley Barn, near Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin.

This is a genuinely good relocation. Toontown reopened in 2023 after a major reimagining built specifically around young children — open play spaces, lower-intensity attractions, and room to move.

Santa meets generate long, slow-moving queues full of small children, which is exactly the crowd Toontown is designed to handle. Moving him out of the busier parts of the park is sensible for everyone.

On the way, “Bluey’s Best Day Ever!” continues at the Fantasyland Theatre with a dance party featuring Bluey and Bingo.

Entertainment

• “Believe…In Holiday Magic” fireworks, with snowfall effects over Main Street, U.S.A.
• “A Christmas Fantasy Parade,” featuring reindeer, toy soldiers, and a Santa Claus finale
• Haunted Mansion Holiday, marking 25 years of the gingerbread house display
• “it’s a small world” Holiday, lit with 400,000 lights outside

The Haunted Mansion Holiday Milestone

Twenty-five years of the gingerbread house is the detail worth marking.

Haunted Mansion Holiday itself debuted in 2001, layering The Nightmare Before Christmas over the Mansion. The centerpiece gingerbread house in the ballroom has been rebuilt with a new design every single year since — a genuine tradition rather than a repeated prop.

Each one is designed by Disneyland’s pastry team, and fans track the annual reveal closely. Twenty-five distinct designs is a remarkable run for something guests glimpse for a few seconds from a Doom Buggy.

Expect the anniversary to be acknowledged in the 2026 design.

Disney California Adventure

“World of Color – Season of Light” returns November 13, 2026, with scenes from Beauty and the Beast and Inside Out.

Buena Vista Street brings back Mickey Mouse and friends in winter attire, and Paradise Gardens Park features the Holiday Toy Drummers.

Redwood Creek Challenge Trail turns into Santa’s Holiday Visit, with games and activities for kids before they meet Santa.

Cars Land

Cars Land lights up at sunset each day for the “Sh-boom” moment, and two attractions get winter overlays:

• Luigi’s Joy to the Whirl
• Mater’s Jingle Jamboree

The Cars Land holiday lighting is one of the best-executed seasonal moments at either resort. The land’s neon reprograms to holiday colors in a single synchronized instant, and it happens daily rather than on select nights.

Disney Festival of Holidays

Six marketplaces with new and returning food items.

A Sip and Savor Pass is available, including six digital coupons for food and non-alcoholic drinks at participating locations.

More Shows

• “Mickey’s Happy Holidays” cavalcade
• Daily live performances at Paradise Garden Bandstand
• “A Musical Christmas with Mariachi Alegría de Disneyland & Miguel!” on select days
• “Mirabel’s Gifts of the Season,” featuring music from Encanto
• Disney ¡Viva Navidad! — a street party with The Three Caballeros, folklorico dancers, mariachis, and samba dancers on select days

Resort Hotels

Each hotel gets its own seasonal decor and entertainment, including carolers.

Santa makes stops at Disneyland Hotel, Pixar Place Hotel, and Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa.

The Grand Californian lobby features a 7-foot gingerbread display modeled after the hotel’s own architecture.

Holiday Character Dining

Running November 16, 2026 through January 3, 2027:

• Goofy’s Kitchen Celebrates the Holidays! — Disneyland Hotel
• Daisy’s Holiday Pajama Party — Storytellers Cafe, Grand Californian
• Mickey’s Christmas Carol Feast — Storytellers Cafe, Grand Californian

Reservations open later on Disneyland.com.

Tenaya Stone Spa at the Grand Californian is offering holiday treatments, including the Naughty or Nice foot treatment and the Joy of Holiday body treatment, for an added fee.

The Hotel Offer

Booking opens September 22, 2026, with up to 20% off select stays of three or more nights at:

• Disneyland Hotel
• Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa
• Pixar Place Hotel
• The Villas at Disneyland Hotel

It applies to stays from October 11 through December 18, 2026, based on availability.

This Is a Holiday Season Offer

Worth being clear about what the window actually covers, because the dates can read as though they miss the season entirely.

They don’t. Disneyland’s holiday season starts November 13, and the discount runs through December 18 — so more than five weeks of the offer fall squarely inside the celebration.

Everything is up and running in that stretch. Sleeping Beauty’s Winter Castle, the 60-foot Main Street tree, “Believe…In Holiday Magic,” A Christmas Fantasy Parade, Haunted Mansion Holiday, “it’s a small world” Holiday, World of Color – Season of Light, Cars Land’s Sh-boom lighting, and Festival of Holidays are all operating from November 13.

Disney runs Christmas at the parks for nearly two months, and this discount covers the first two-thirds of it.

What It Excludes

The offer stops before December 19, which cuts out the final stretch from December 19 through January 6 — the two-and-a-half weeks around Christmas and New Year.

That’s the most expensive and most crowded period of the entire year at Disneyland, and Disney has no need to discount it.

So the practical read is straightforward: you get the full holiday experience at a discount, provided you travel before the schools break up.

Mid-November through mid-December is the sweet spot. Full decor, full entertainment lineup, lighter crowds, and up to 20% off a three-night stay.

Downtown Disney District

Downtown Disney turns into a winter scene starting November 13, 2026, with nightly snowfall and seasonal food and drink.

The Downtown Disney LIVE! Stage runs nightly entertainment — holiday music, DJs, and bands.

Chip and Dale’s Ornament Trail

Running November 11, 2026 through January 6, 2027 — note it starts two days before the rest of the season.

Buy an activity map at a participating shop, find the ornaments hidden around Downtown Disney, then trade the map in for a keepsake ornament.

Downtown Disney is free to enter, which makes the ornament trail and nightly snowfall accessible without a park ticket — worth knowing for locals or anyone with a non-park day.

Holiday Merchandise

New collections this year:

• Mickey Mouse and Family Christmas Collection
• Holiday Pastel Collection
• Disney Vintage Holiday Collection

Sold at Disneyland, California Adventure, and Downtown Disney.

Standout items: the Mickey Train Light Up Bucket and the Holiday Stitch Christmas Tree Sipper.

The Bottom Line

Disneyland Resort’s 2026 holiday season runs November 13 through January 6, 2027, with new alpine-styled character outfits, Santa relocating to Mickey’s Toontown Trolley Barn, and Haunted Mansion Holiday marking 25 years of its annual gingerbread house.

World of Color – Season of Light returns, Cars Land gets its Sh-boom lighting and two ride overlays, and Festival of Holidays runs six marketplaces with a Sip and Savor Pass.

The hotel offer opens September 22 for stays October 11 through December 18, covering more than five weeks of the holiday season at up to 20% off — everything except the peak Christmas and New Year stretch.

20% Off site-wide, plus Free Shipping on all orders of $65+

Over 75+ Designs! Your next park shirt is just a click away

Looking To Book Your Dream Disney Vacation?

Save time & money on your vacation

Your Disney vacation should create unforgettable memories that last a lifetime.

Whether you’re a first-time Disney vacationer or looking to plan your next magical adventure, it isn’t enough just to go on a Disney vacation. We want you to talk about your vacation for years to come and create memories you’ll cherish forever. Vacation is calling! Are you ready to answer?

REQUEST QUOTE

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
  
  
 
 
 Jonathan Cotton 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. 
I’m no stranger to Disney planning, as a Disneyland magic key holder and DVC member. I’m the person people ask for trip planning advice. But I had never been on a Disney cruise, and had heard great about Nate and decided to reach out. I’m so glad I did because we could not have been happier with our experience. His tips and insights were incredibly helpful, and he was incredibly responsive any time we had a question. Who do the Disney experts turn to when they need help? Nate, that’s who.

We’ll definitely be using him again.
  
 
  
 
 
  
  
 
 
 Andria Skornik 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. 
Our experience working with Nate as our Disney vacation planner was exceptional. He was responsive and thorough. He gave us insights that made the trip go much more smoothly. We were able to really relax and focus on quality time as a family and have so much fun doing it! I will definitely reach out for any future trips.
  
 
  
 
 
  
  
 
 
 rpwoodjr 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. 
Could not have wanted or expected more from Nate, our Distrips and More agent as we planned our 2025 Disney World trip. Nate was VERY responsive to emails and texts and more than willing to do whatever he could to guide us and answer our questions.  On several occasions I emailed him over the weekend not expecting a response until Monday but each time he responded before the weekend was over.  He even participated in a Zoom session with our group of five seniors as we planned our trip. He also helped us at the 11th hour when we added a family member to our travel group less than a month before our trip.  Without a doubt, I will reach out to Nate when I'm ready to plan my next trip to Disney World!
  
 
  
 
 
  
  
 
 
 Homero Rendon 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. 
We are so thankful we used Nate to plan not only our first Disney trip, but also our second. He made the process so easy for us, especially for us since it was our first time going. There was a lot to consider and many decisions to make, such as where to stay, when to go, and what to experience. Nate really helped us narrow down what we wanted to do overall, but he didn’t stop there. He provided detailed guides to help us navigate the airport and find our transportation to the resort, as well as a guide to explore the resorts and make sure we saw the best Christmas decorations. One of the many amazing things he also did was set up our dinner reservations for us. This saved us so much stress and allowed us to get some of our top choices. From the moment we landed in Orlando to the moment we headed back home, he made sure everything went smoothly. You truly can’t go wrong with going to him for your next trip.
  
 
  
 
 
  
  
 
 
 Lee Mathes 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. 
Nate was absolutely the best planner I have ever had.  Will most definitely be using him again.   He took care of everything and kept me on track.  Was so very helpful in making all the dining reservations and everything.   Can't thank him enough.   He made our trip completely stress free!
  
 
  
 
 
  
  
 
 
 Amanda Moran 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. 
Nathan has been an amazing trip planner for me! So helpful and responsive. I am a very type A person -- so someone who is even more on top of their game than me -- is so so appreciated! Nathan has booked 3 trips for me (1 completed 2 pending) and it was perfection. Thanks again!
  
 
  
 
 
  
  
 
 
 Hyperion Adventures Podcast 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. 
Nate has helped us with our vacation planning for the last couple of years and we couldn't be happier with his service and expertise. We've used other travel agents in the past and none of them have done as phenomenal a job to make sure every detail is taken care of as he has. Switching to Nate was one of the best decisions we've ever made. He's always quick to answer questions and works tirelessly to make sure we get everything we want from our trips. Plus, he's just a genuinely great person who is wonderful to work with. Whether you're planning a trip to Walt Disney World, Disneyland, a Disney Cruise, or any other vacation, Nate is the guy you want putting it all together! Five stars across the board!
  
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Google rating score: 5.0 of 5, based on 7 reviews 
 
   
 
 

Meet the Author: Nate Bishop

I’m a die-hard Disney fan with 38 years of visits under my belt, having stepped into Disney World 120+ times. Proud to be a Disney Annual Passholder, a Vacation Club member since ’92, a Castaway Club Member, and a runDisney enthusiast. Oh, and I’ve graduated from the Disney College of Knowledge. Need Disney insights or planning tips? I’m your guy!