NEWS: Disneyland Resort Announces Details on the 2021 Holiday Season

Magic is here with Holidays at the Disneyland Resort, and this year the merry making and fun festivities will run from Nov. 12, 2021, through Jan. 9, 2022. Guests will enjoy a distinctly Disney holiday experience with beloved traditions that include the breathtaking Sleeping Beauty’s Winter Castle, “A Christmas Fantasy” Parade, and magical snow falling on Main Street, U.S.A., at Disneyland Park. At Disney California Adventure Park, guests will enjoy a heartwarming celebration that brings the holiday season to life with Disney Festival of Holidays, “Disney ¡Viva Navidad!” Street Party and the merry motor-themed holiday décor on Route 66 in Cars Land.

Throughout the parks, guests will see Santa and Disney characters turned out in their holiday best, enjoy seasonal sweet treats at food and beverage locations, and shop at favorite Disney boutiques for memorable gifts for everyone on their lists. The Disneyland Resort holiday celebration extends to Downtown Disney District and Hotels of the Disneyland Resort with traditional décor and festive entertainment adding to the merriment. Learn more about the offerings below.

At Disneyland Park

Guests entering Disneyland will be greeted by a magnificent 60-foot-tall Christmas tree on Main Street, U.S.A., decorated with nearly 1,800 ornaments. The classic tree is an iconic symbol of Holidays at Disneyland Resort, as well as an ideal location for holiday photos. At the entrance to Fantasyland, the holiday magic will shine brightly each evening when Sleeping Beauty’s Winter Castle begins to sparkle with light and music fills the air illuminating the night in an enchanted wintertime spectacle. Several times a day, guests will again see “A Christmas Fantasy” Parade and some favorite Disney characters and princesses throughout the park, dressed in their seasonal finest with a few surprises this year.

As their magical day comes to an end, guests will find the perfect finishing touches to their holiday memories with a magical “snowfall” along with colorful projections on Main Street U.S.A., and the façade of “it’s a small world” during the “Believe in Holiday Magic” fireworks spectacular. The heartwarming finale is a “kiss goodnight” moment from several beloved characters, dressed in their pajamas and waving goodbye from the balcony of the Disneyland Railroad Train Station in Town Square.

Additionally, seasonal transformations will once again resonate holiday cheer at “it’s a small world” Holiday and Haunted Mansion Holiday.

At Disney California Adventure Park

Guests at Disney California Adventure Park will create new memories during Disney Festival of Holidays as they discover the sights, sounds and tastes of a diverse season of celebrations, including Christmas/Navidad, Diwali, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and Three Kings Day. The festivities include live entertainment, shopping for themed merchandise and eight food marketplaces where guests will sip and savor culinary delights. A team of Disney chefs drew on inspiration from their own unique stories to handcraft some of the festive foods on the marketplace menus.

The celebration continues with “Disney ¡Viva Navidad!” as Disney characters host a fun street party featuring Mexican folklórico dancers and Mariachis, Brazilian samba dancers and percussionists, giant mojiganga puppets and Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse in their fiesta best.

In the Paradise Gardens area of the park, guests will enjoy festively themed food and beverages plus live music and performers starting Nov. 12, and later in the Holiday season, the debut of newly-featured Mirabel from the Walt Disney Animation Studios upcoming film “Encanto.” At Pacific Wharf, guests will find holiday-themed menus with special food and drink to be savored while listening to live musical entertainment. Here as well, younger guests will discover craft stations and cookie decorating kits to add to their holiday fun.

The four-wheeled residents of Radiator Springs will be pulling out all the stops with their holiday décor in Cars Land. The yuletide spirit will shift into high gear beginning with a snow-covered billboard at the land’s entrance and stretching all the way to the hubcap-studded tree decorating the front of the courthouse. Guests will enjoy a plethora of cleverly themed automotive ornamentation all along Route 66 where two attractions will rely on a little festive magic to transform into Luigi’s Joy to the Whirl and Mater’s Jingle Jamboree.

Guests of all ages will be delighted to see Santa Claus in his rustic home at the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail. Guests may share their holiday wishes with the jolly fellow and take souvenir pictures in this scenic location. Adding to the merriment, Mickey Mouse and pals celebrate the season with a joyful party and dance along to the magical rhythms of the Holiday Toy Drummers several times daily.

More Merry-Making

Also around the resort, traditional holiday décor and carolers bring the holiday spirit to Downtown Disney District and the Hotels of the Disneyland Resort. Over at the lobby inside Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, you’ll want to discover all the fun, new details on the giant gingerbread house this year.

Health and Safety at the Disneyland Resort

Guests are encouraged to visit Disneyland.com/experience-updates for important information to know before visiting the Disneyland Resort, including the latest updates on required face coverings.

Both valid admission and theme park reservation for same park on the same day are required for park entry. Park reservations are limited, subject to availability, and are not guaranteed for any specific date or park. Other restrictions apply. Attractions, experiences, entertainment and offerings may be modified, limited in availability, or unavailable, and are subject to change or cancellation without notice. Please check Disneyland.com for entertainment performance times, which may vary. 

Haunted Mansion Holiday is inspired by “Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas.”