9 Reasons to Visit Disneyland During the Holidays

Disneyland is a fun place to visit, regardless of the time of the year. However, if I had to pick a favorite time of the year to visit, it would be during the holidays. From holiday-themed rides to a holiday parade, here are the 9 best reasons to visit Disneyland during the holidays!

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. If you click through and buy, The Cactus Chronicles will receive a commission. Thank you for helping support The Cactus Chronicles.

9 Best Reasons to Visit Disneyland During the Holidays

1. Disneyland Holiday Rides
2. Disneyland Holiday Decorations
3. Santa Meet-n-Greet at Disneyland
4. Holiday-Themed Food at Disneyland
5. Holiday Parade at Disneyland
6. Holiday Tour at Disneyland
7. Disney Festival of Holidays
8. Special Characters
9. Believe……In Holiday Magic Fireworks

Holidays at the Disneyland Resorts occur from November 9, 2018 through January 6, 2019 and it’s amazing. My family and I visited Disneyland last year during the holidays, and we all loved it! So much that I wish I could make it a yearly tradition. As a result, I’ve compiled 9 best reasons to visit Disneyland during the holidays, beginning with the transformation of some of the rides!

Disneyland Holiday Rides

If I had to pick my favorite reason to visit Disneyland during the holidays, it would be the transformation of some of my favorite rides (like it’s a small world) to holiday themed rides.

For example, Haunted Mansion turns into Haunted Mansion Holiday, “it’s a small world” transforms into “it’s a small world” Holiday, and even some of the rides in Cars Land turn into holiday-themed rides, like Mater’s Jingle Jamboree and Luigi’s Joy to the Whirl. While the rides are fun to experience during the day, they look even more magical at night.

Disneyland Holiday Decorations

If you love holiday decorations, then Disneyland will be a dream come true. There are trees in both Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure, decorated with beautiful ornaments. Main Street, in Disneyland Park, is especially beautiful at night. Even Cars Land gets its own trees, with cones and tires!

Santa Meet-n-Greet at Disneyland

It wouldn’t be the same without a Santa meet-n-greet at Disneyland Resort. There are photo opportunities with Santa in both Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure. Santa can be located near Pooh’s Corner in Disneyland Park while the Santa in California Adventure can be located in Redwood Creek. If you are trying to make a decision between the two locations, I recommend Redwood Creek due to the atmosphere. We also purchased a cookie kit, and my son loved frosting - and eating - the cookies!

Holiday-Themed Food at Disneyland

I admit, I’m not a Disneyland foodie. We typically try to save on food when we are at Disneyland. However, we do like to indulge when it comes to the holiday treats at Disneyland! My personal favorite is the ice cream crushed with peppermint candy. Ice cream cones with crushed peppermint candy can be purchased at the Cozy Cone Motel in Cars Land, while bowls of ice cream can be purchased at Clarabelle’s Snack Stand in Toon Town. And don’t forget Jolly Holiday Bakery Cafe for even more holiday sweets.

Holiday Parade at Disneyland

I love seeing the parades at Disneyland in general, but the holiday parade, A Christmas Fantasy Parade, is extra special. Favorite Disney characters make an appearance, like Mickey and Minnie, but so do giant gingerbread men, the Nutcracker, and dancing chefs. We had reserved seating thanks to the Holiday Time at Disneyland Guided Tour (see below), but it’s definitely a parade you won’t want to miss in any case.

Holiday Tour at Disneyland

The Holiday Time at Disneyland Guided Tour is not included in the price of general admission to Disneyland. However, if you are a Disney fan, you’ll want to put this mini VIP tour on your bucket list. We bought tickets for this holiday tour at Disneyland during our last visit and the tour included not only a guided tour by a cast member, but also goodies like a gingerbread man, a fastpass to “it’s a small world” Holiday, and reserved seating for the holiday parade mentioned above. Even my 5 year old son loved it!

I’m quickly becoming a fan of the guided tours at Disneyland, like Walk in Walt’s Footsteps Tour at Disneyland.

Disney Festival of Holidays

In California Adventure, there is a holiday celebration called Festival of Holidays including the Viva Navidad Street Party and the Festive Foods Marketplace! Little known fact - instead of having a Quinceneara for my 15th birthday, I chose to visit Disneyland instead! When I met my husband, he told me that instead of having a Bar Mitzvah, he chose to go to Disney World instead. So I think it was meant to be. And I really do love that Disneyland is a celebration of so many different cultures.

Special Characters

During our visit to Disneyland, we saw favorite characters dressed up in holiday-themed clothes. However, my son also had his picture taken with Clarabelle in Disney California Adventure. We have never seen Clarabelle in the parks before so that was a fun photo opportunity. And as I mentioned above, Santa is also present in both parks!

Believe…In Holiday Magic Fireworks

Disneyland also has special holiday fireworks called the “Believe in Holiday Magic” Fireworks. I’ll confess we didn’t have the opportunity to view the fireworks during our last visit. I wish we had, but it can be difficult when everyone is tired by the end of the day. I hope to visit Disneyland during the holidays again, and if so, we are going to try to make this happen

To read about 9 Best Ways to Visit Disneyland on a Budget, click here. For 17 things that are free at Disneyland Resort, click here. Also, be sure to check out my Disneyland Tips for First Time Visitors and 23 Best Rides for Toddlers at Disneyland!

BOOK A TRIP TO DISNEYLAND AND/OR SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA AT A DISCOUNT!

If you’re thinking of booking a trip to Disneyland or Southern California, then please consider booking through Get Away Today by clicking on this link. Not only does Get Away Today offer the best deals on hotels, including free night specials and exclusive offers like free breakfast, free parking and waived resort fees at select hotels, but Disneyland tickets are also available at a discount. Layaway plans are also available for Southern California vacation packages, with the first payment beginning as low as $125. Additionally, you can receive an extra $10 off any 2-night or longer Southern California package by using the promo code CACTUS.