Your Guide to Disneyland Holiday Time 2026 – Food, Entertainment, Merch & More

It’s time!!! It’s barely Halloween Time at the Disneyland Resort, but Disney has released most of the info for the 2026 holiday season… and we’ve got your complete guide to this year’s holiday lineup at the Merriest Place on Earth. The 2026 yuletide season at the Disneyland Resort runs November 13, 2026 through January 6, 2027, and after a 2025 season shared with the 70th Anniversary, this one returns to a classic Disney Christmas celebration. That means a few familiar faces are back, beloved fireworks and water shows return, and Santa has packed up and moved to a new neighborhood at Disneyland. Let’s unwrap the holiday goodness!

The Headlines for 2026

Before we get into the section-by-section guide, here’s what’s changed since last Christmas:

• Santa has left Fantasyland Theatre. He’s now holding court at the Trolley Barn in Mickey’s Toontown, near Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin.
• “World of Color – Season of Light” is back at Disney California Adventure, taking back the slot the 70th Anniversary’s “World of Color Happiness!” held last season.
• Mickey and Minnie have new outfits, this time built around holiday travel and what Disney is calling a wintry alpine gathering.
• The 70th Anniversary overlay is gone, so no “Tapestry of Happiness” projections and no 70th entertainment folded into the holiday season. 

Quick Glance Holiday Character Guide

We’ve got full details on Disneyland’s holiday events below, but if you’re looking for festive photo ops, here’s a quick glance guide to where you can find your favorite characters. Disney has confirmed less about character locations this year than last, so we’ve kept our guide to what has actually been announced. Expect more names to fill in as the season gets closer.

NOTE: Character appearances are subject to change. Check the Disneyland app for availability during your visit.

Santa Sightings

This is the big one. For years, Santa’s Disneyland home base was the Fantasyland Theatre (and before that he was located in Critter Country). This year he’s moved to Mickey’s Toontown, where the Trolley Barn near Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin becomes his new meet-and-greet. The Fantasyland Theatre, for its part, is still busy with “Bluey’s Best Day Ever!”, which continues its run through the holidays… Bluey’s Best Christmas Ever?

• Mickey’s Toontown Trolley Barn – Disneyland Park: November 13 through December 24, 2026
• Redwood Creek Challenge Trail – Disney California Adventure: November 13 through December 24, 2026
• Disneyland Hotel: select times throughout the season
• Pixar Place Hotel: select times throughout the season
• Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa: select times throughout the season

Disneyland Park

Every year, guests look forward to seeing what their favorite characters will be sporting for the frosty festivities. Last year, Mickey and Minnie went traditional red and green with a nod to the 70th. This year Disney has gone in a different direction, dressing the gang for holiday travel and a wintry alpine gathering.

Town Square, Main Street, U.S.A.

• Mickey Mouse
• Minnie Mouse
• and friends, in their new holiday attire

Fantasyland Theatre

Not a holiday offering exactly, but worth knowing if you have small kids and were expecting Santa here.

• Bluey
• Bingo

“A Christmas Fantasy Parade”

Disney has not released a 2026 character list. Based on last year’s parade, characters may include:

• Buzz Lightyear and Woody
• Green Army Men and Jessie
• Anna, Elsa, and Olaf
• Max Goof
• Belle and Beast
• Snow White and The Prince
• Princess Aurora and Prince Phillip
• Cinderella and Prince Charming

Disney California Adventure Park

Paradise Gardens Park

Confirmed for select times during Disney ¡Viva Navidad!

• Mickey Mouse
• Minnie Mouse
• Goofy
• The Three Caballeros (Donald Duck, Jose Carioca, and Panchito)

“Mickey’s Happy Holidays”

Disney has not confirmed a 2026 lineup for the cavalcade. Last year it featured:

• Mickey Mouse
• Minnie Mouse
• Joy
• Mr. & Mrs. Incredible
• Frozone
• Woody
• Jessie
• Bo Peep

“Mirabel’s Gifts of the Season”

Head to Paradise Gardens Park on select days to see characters from Encanto.

• Mirabel and friends

“A Musical Christmas with Mariachi Alegría de Disneyland & Miguel!”

Stop by Buena Vista Street on select days to see Mariachi Alegría de Disneyland and a beloved Coco character.

• Miguel

Holiday Character Dining at Disneyland Resort Hotels

Three limited-time holiday character dining experiences return this season, running November 16, 2026 through January 3, 2027. Reservations will open at a later date, so keep checking back.

Daisy’s Holiday Pajama Party

Breakfast and brunch at Storytellers Cafe in Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa. Last year the characters turned up in colorful plaid.

• Daisy Duck
• Donald Duck
• Chip ‘n Dale
• Pluto

Mickey’s Christmas Carol Feast

Dinner at Storytellers Cafe, with looks pulled from the classic Christmas story.

• Mickey Mouse
• Minnie Mouse
• Scrooge McDuck
• Goofy
• Clarabelle Cow

Goofy’s Kitchen Celebrates the Holidays!

Breakfast, brunch, and dinner at the Disneyland Hotel.

• Minnie Mouse
• Goofy
• Pluto
• Chip ‘n Dale

2026 Holiday Lineup: Disneyland Park

Although holiday festivities take place across the Disneyland Resort, there’s no place like home, so let’s begin with Disneyland Park’s lineup.

Sleeping Beauty’s Winter Castle

Disneyland’s castle gets its annual Christmas overlay, dubbed “Wintertime Enchantment at Sleeping Beauty’s Winter Castle.” Icicles, wreaths, and yuletide decor turn it into a sparkling palace, and Disney puts the light count at 80,000 for the nightly transformation. It remains the single most photographed thing in Anaheim between Thanksgiving and New Year’s, and there is a reason for that.

“Believe… in Holiday Magic” Fireworks Spectacular and Snowfall

Christmas at Disneyland wouldn’t be the same without the “snowfall” that wraps up the evening. This longtime tradition still puts smiles on guests’ faces, along with the holiday fireworks show, the touching music, and the pyrotechnics. You can watch with Sleeping Beauty’s Winter Castle, “it’s a small world” Holiday, or the Rivers of America as your backdrop. All three spots get the snowfall, as do parts of Main Street, U.S.A.

“A Christmas Fantasy Parade” 

It’s back. Although many Disneyland guests are ready for something new, A Christmas Fantasy Parade returns again this year, complete with the fan-favorite prancing reindeer, toy soldiers, dancing gingerbread, and of course, the man with the bag himself. Prime viewing spots can be found near “it’s a small world” Holiday, Matterhorn Bobsleds, and along Main Street, U.S.A. If you want to guarantee a solid location, the Holiday Time at the Disneyland Resort Guided Tour includes reserved viewing. And as an added bonus, we can almost guarantee you’ll have the soundtrack in your head long after leaving the park.

Santa at Mickey’s Toontown

The move to the Trolley Barn is the biggest change of the season, and it makes a certain kind of sense. This corner of Toontown has room to queue and the Fantasyland Theatre itself is already committed to Bluey. Santa will be at the Trolley Barn near Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin from November 13 through December 24, 2026, so plan your Toontown visit accordingly. 

Holiday Time at the Disneyland Resort Guided Tour

This walking tour takes guests through Disneyland’s holiday traditions and shares heartwarming holiday stories about Walt Disney and his family, along with festive traditions from around the world. It also includes reserved viewing for A Christmas Fantasy Parade. The tour carries a separate fee on top of park admission, and both valid admission and a park reservation are required.

“it’s a small world” Holiday

In addition to the festivities on Main Street, U.S.A., “it’s a small world” is a huge draw during the holidays (and one of our personal favorites). The attraction’s exterior lights up nightly in an impressive display, and the interior gets a full holiday makeover complete with the sights and smells of Christmas and classic holiday tunes. We love seeing guests gather for the Holiday Lighting moment.

One note for anyone who visited last year: the 70th Anniversary projection show “Tapestry of Happiness” is not part of the 2026 season, so the small world facade is back to its traditional holiday lighting.

Experience our sped-up, 4-minute version of the ride here:

Haunted Mansion Holiday

Guests can get their annual Nightmare Before Christmas fix at Haunted Mansion Holiday, and say hello to Jack, Sally, Zero, Oogie Boogie, and more via the festive overlay. The gingerbread house in the ballroom changes every year, and it is worth a look on the way through.

Spoiler alert. Here’s this year’s gingerbread house that we captured on opening day…

2026 Holiday Lineup: Disney California Adventure Park

Many consider Disneyland to be the heart of the Resort, but California Adventure holds its own during the holidays, and this year it gets many of the season’s biggest offerings. Which park do you enjoy spending holiday time in the most?

“World of Color – Season of Light” Returns

This is the headline for California Adventure. After a year of “World of Color Happiness!” carrying the 70th Anniversary, the holiday version of the show is back on Paradise Bay beginning November 13, 2026. Expect moments from Walt Disney Animation Studios’ “Beauty and the Beast” and Disney and Pixar’s “Inside Out,” set to holiday classics and fan-favorite songs. If you skipped World of Color last Christmas because you had already seen Happiness three times, this is the year to go back.

Disney Festival of Holidays

Disney Festival of Holidays returns beginning November 13, 2026, with cultural music and dance performances, seasonal food and drink, and celebrations built around the many ways families mark the season. Live performances also run at the Paradise Garden Bandstand.

Six Festive Food Marketplaces

Six marketplaces pop up around the park with a mix of new and returning dishes. Disney has singled out the braised pork belly adobo as a returning fan favorite, but has not yet released marketplace names or full menus. Those usually land closer to opening, and we’ll have the complete menu guide when they do.

If you plan to graze, the Sip and Savor Pass is the value play. It comes with six digital coupons good for select food and nonalcoholic beverages at participating marketplaces and select dining locations around California Adventure. Note that the pass expires on its stated date, is nonrefundable, and does not include park admission.

“Mickey’s Happy Holidays”

The cavalcade returns, traveling from Paradise Gardens Park to Hollywood Land with some of your favorite Disney and Pixar characters aboard.

Holiday Toy Drummers

Keep an eye out for the Holiday Toy Drummers (another personal favorite) during the Festival of Holidays. They perform alongside the cavalcade, and they are worth stopping for.

“Mirabel’s Gifts of the Season”

Now in its third season, “Mirabel’s Gifts of the Season” returns on select days at Paradise Gardens Park with stories and songs from Disney Animation’s “Encanto.”

Check out one of the past performances here:

“A Musical Christmas with Mariachi Alegría de Disneyland & Miguel!”

The bilingual show returns on select days on Buena Vista Street, pairing Mariachi Alegría de Disneyland with Miguel from Pixar’s “Coco” for holiday standards in two languages. Stick around to the end for Miguel.

Disney ¡Viva Navidad!

There are many pieces to the Festival of Holidays, but the Latin American Disney ¡Viva Navidad! celebration featuring live music, specialty dishes, and character appearances is consistently the one guests talk about afterward.

Head to Paradise Gardens Park on select days for the Disney ¡Viva Navidad! Street Party, with The Three Caballeros, Mexican folklórico dancers and mariachis, and Brazilian samba dancers and drummers. Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, and the Caballeros also turn up in their festive attire around Paradise Gardens Park throughout the celebration.

It’s a Cars Land Christmas

Cars Land is one of the jolliest spots at California Adventure during the holidays, with decor that suits the land rather than fighting it. Two of the land’s three attractions get a seasonal makeover.

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

Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree becomes Mater’s Jingle Jamboree, and Luigi’s Rollickin’ Roadsters becomes Luigi’s Joy to the Whirl. New tunes and festive decor add a holiday twist, and both are gentle enough for the whole family.

2026 Holiday Lineup: Disneyland Resort Hotels

The parks aren’t the only place to celebrate. There’s plenty of festive activity at the Resort Hotels, and this year they picked up a few new offerings.

The Grand Californian Gingerbread Display

The Great Hall lobby at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa gets a 7-foot-tall gingerbread display modeled on the hotel’s own Craftsman architecture. 

Mickey’s Christmas Carol Feast

Storytellers Cafe hosts Mickey’s Christmas Carol Feast for dinner, November 16, 2026 through January 3, 2027.

Daisy’s Holiday Pajama Party

Storytellers Cafe also hosts Daisy’s Holiday Pajama Party for breakfast and brunch across the same dates, featuring Donald and Daisy Duck.

Goofy’s Kitchen Celebrates the Holidays!

The Disneyland Hotel once again hosts Goofy’s Kitchen Celebrates the Holidays. Reservations for all three character meals open at a later date, so keep checking back.

Broken Spell Lounge Goes Holiday

Holiday-themed treats and menu items return to the Disneyland Hotel’s Broken Spell Lounge this season.

Tenaya Stone Spa Holiday Treatments

Also new to the lineup this year, Tenaya Stone Spa at the Grand Californian adds seasonal treatments including the Joy of Holiday body treatment, the Underneath the Tree massage, and Naughty or Nice foot treatments. Someone in that marketing meeting was having a good day.

Save Up to 20% on a Holiday Stay

Here’s the piece with an actual deadline attached. Beginning September 22, 2026, guests can book savings of up to 20% on select stays of three or more nights at the Disneyland Hotel, Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, Pixar Place Hotel, and The Villas at Disneyland Hotel.

The details worth knowing before you get excited:

• Valid for nights from October 11 through December 18, 2026. That window ends a full week before Christmas, so the peak holiday nights are not included.
• A consecutive 3-night minimum is required, and cancelling any night of the stay can affect the discount.
• Book between September 22 and December 15, 2026, with travel completed by December 19, 2026.
• Room types include Standard, Premium, Deluxe, Duo Studio, Deluxe Studio, 1 Bedroom Villas, and Preferred and Woods/Garden/Courtyard rooms. Select Concierge rooms and Suites are excluded.
• Not valid on previously booked rooms, limit two rooms per reservation, and it can’t be combined with other discounts.

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2026 Holiday Lineup: Downtown Disney District

Downtown Disney is a worthwhile stop during Christmastime, with festive decor, seasonal food, and shopping that doesn’t require park admission.

There’s nightly “snowfall,” plus live bands and DJs performing holiday favorites at the Downtown Disney LIVE! Stage throughout the season.

Chip and Dale’s Ornament Trail

The scavenger hunt returns, running November 11, 2026 through January 6, 2027, which means it opens two days before the rest of the season. Find the hidden ornaments among Downtown Disney’s holiday trees and lights, then redeem your map for an ornament keepsake.

One change to flag: the activity map must be purchased at a participating retail locations. One map equals one keepsake, purchase limits apply, and maps are valid for redemption through January 6, 2027 or while keepsake supplies last. As before, you get the keepsake whether or not you actually found the ornaments, so the hunt is really the point rather than the prize.

2026 Holiday Lineup: Merchandise

Three holiday collections have been announced so far:

• Mickey Mouse and Family Christmas Collection, the returning anchor line
• Disney Vintage Holiday Collection, new this year
• Holiday Pastel Collection

Expect festive apparel, accessories, home decor, and the usual assortment of gift-adjacent items. Two novelties have also been confirmed, the Mickey Train Light-Up popcorn bucket and the Holiday Stitch Christmas Tree sipper. We’ll have the full merchandise guide once everything lands in the shops.

We already have a holiday merchandise guide for you to unwrap:

FIRST LOOK at Disney Holiday 2026 Merchandise!

2026 Holiday Lineup: Eats & Treats

Disney has confirmed a handful of items ahead of the full menu reveal:

• Mickey Elf Shake at Schmoozies! in California Adventure, made with cool mint and chocolate cookie
• Merry cranberry crispy chicken sandwich at Galactic Grill in Disneyland
• Milk and Cookies tree-shaped macaron at Jolly Holiday Bakery Cafe on Main Street, U.S.A.
• Braised pork belly adobo returning to the Festival of Holidays marketplaces
• Seasonal items at the Grand Californian’s Great Hall cart, Broken Spell Lounge, and Great Maple Modern American Eatery

Full marketplace menus and the rest of the resort-wide holiday food lineup are still to come. We’ll have the complete foodie guides as soon as Disney releases them.

Not Yet Confirmed for 2026

This is just the early info about holiday 2026 at the Disneyland Resort; more reveals are coming. In the meantime, here’s what appeared in the 2025 season that has not been announced for 2026. Some of it will almost certainly return. Some of it won’t. We’ll update this guide as details are confirmed.

• “Holiday Fun with Santa and Friends!” at Fantasyland Theatre. With Santa moving to Toontown and “Bluey’s Best Day Ever!” holding the theatre, this one looks unlikely to come back in its 2025 form.
• “The Story Time with Deadpool Holiday Special” near Avengers Campus, including Wolverine appearances.
• Carl, Russell, and Dug in their festive accessories at Grizzly Peak.
• Mater’s character greet in his oversized Santa hat in Cars Land. We’re fairly certain he’ll be back. 
• Three Kings Day decor and photo op, which closed out the 2025 season on January 6. Worth noting that January 6, 2027 is both Three Kings Day and the final day of this year’s season. This is likely to return. 
• Buena Vista Street character greets in retro winter attire. Disney has confirmed Paradise Gardens Park characters but not the Buena Vista Street lineup.
• The peppermint cold brew and Mickey-shaped gingerbread cookie, both perennial returns, but not yet on the announced list.
• Full character lineups – Coming soon.
• Festival of Holidays marketplace names and menus – Coming soon.

And with that, we send you off with holiday cheer and warm wishes for a good season ahead. In August… which is now considered Halloween Time. 🤦‍♂️

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Let’s Hear From You!

Santa’s out of Fantasyland Theatre and into the Toontown Trolley Barn. Season of Light is back after a year off. And Festival of Holidays returns with fewer confirmed elements. What are your Disneyland Holiday traditions and wishes? Sound off in the comments.