Just when I thought I couldn’t love Disneyland anymore, I had my first holiday visit and was completely enthralled. Not only did I experience the Christmas Fantasy Parade, Believe… In Holiday Magic Fireworks, and Festival of Holidays for the very first time, I made memories with my son I will never forget.
My family had such a memorable visit, we all agreed Disneyland during the holidays needed to become an annual tradition. As I returned home to the rush of decorating and shopping for Christmas, it had me thinking; next year our family’s gift to each other should be a vacation to Disneyland. One that we intentionally saved for and, most importantly, had to look forward to all year.
One great way to save for a Disneyland holiday vacation is to stock up on Disney gift cards from retailers like Target and Sam’s Club during their holiday sales. These Disney gift cards can be used to gradually pay off your Disney vacation or save for meals, souvenirs, etc. during your trip. If you have a Disney Visa Card, your Disneyland vacation package has 0% APR for 6 months, plus you earn Disney Rewards Dollars which can be used like cash at Disneyland.
If you’re looking for a truly incredible gift, you can book a Disneyland vacation for travel through December 19, 2025, and save up to 20% at the Disneyland Resort Hotels. Booking early offers the best availability and will save on travel costs.
My family plans to book our next Disneyland vacation when we’re together for Thanksgiving. But in the meantime, here are some of the things that make the holidays at Disneyland SO special and what I’ll be dreaming of until the holiday season!
The Christmas Fantasy Parade is Every Day, Twice a Day
The Christmas Fantasy Parade is pure magic, complete with marching toy soldiers, dancing snowmen, and, of course, Santa Claus. Christmas Fantasy is offered at 2:30 pm and 5:30 pm each day at Disneyland Park and is included in your theme park admission.
I LOVE the Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade at the Magic Kingdom, however, I only get to see it if I purchase a ticket to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. Disneyland’s Christmas parade offers all the same magic (maybe even a little more) every single day for ALL guests.
Holiday Decorations EVERYWHERE
I cannot put into words how much the holiday decorations permeate throughout the entire resort. Every land and area of the park has its very own detailed garland, wreaths, and lights.
A great example of this is Cars Land at Disney California Adventure, where the decorations perfectly match the theming, including a unique soundtrack and two attraction overlays Mater’s Jingle Jamboree and Luigi’s Joy to the Whirl.
‘it’s a small world’ Holiday
‘it’s a small world’ has a lot of significance at Disneyland with its ties to Walt and the 1964 World’s Fair. Even better, the attraction gets completely decorated and has a new soundtrack for the length of the holiday season. The details of the decorations include larger-than-life nutcrackers, Christmas trees, and even special costumes for the Disney characters like Pinocchio and Cinderella. The outside of ‘it’s a small world’ is also adorned with lights and offers a nightly lighting ceremony at 4:30 pm and a projection show every 30 minutes after.
Haunted Mansion Holiday
Haunted Mansion Holiday is a completely different experience and is so much more than an attraction overlay. The best part is, it’s available for both the Halloween and holiday season at Disneyland. Which just makes sense given how much work goes into every detail of Haunted Mansion Holiday.
Haunted Mansion Holiday does require guests to enter a virtual queue to be able to ride – there is no standby or Lightning Lane offered. Guests can enter the queue from the Disneyland app at 7 am or again at 1 pm if you are inside Disneyland park. I would highly recommend making the virtual queue a priority each day of your vacation – you will see and appreciate new details every time you experience Haunted Mansion Holiday.
The holiday celebration at the Disneyland Resort will be in full swing until January 7, 2026. There’s still availability if you’re looking for a festive vacation and an incredibly memorable Christmas gift. If you’re a Disney fan and haven’t visited Disneyland, especially during the holidays, you absolutely owe it to yourself to enjoy Disney in its best form!
