Guide to Christmas at Disneyland Paris

Disney’s Enchanted Christmas runs from mid-November 2023 until early January 2024 at Disneyland Paris, and features holiday entertainment, decorations, and seasonal food. This guide offers tips for visiting France in these winter months to make the most of the yuletide season at Walt Disney Studios Park, the hotels, Disney Village, and Disneyland Paris.

Before we get to the rest of the details and our report on Disneyland Paris at Christmas, we recommend checking out our 2023 Disneyland Paris Vacation Planning Guide (no matter what time of year you’re visiting). Disneyland Paris at Christmas is much like Magic Kingdom or Disneyland in California, but with its own twists. One big one is the weather! Christmas at Disneyland Paris has weather you’d actually associate with winter, and a real snowfall in late November or December is not uncommon.

This post has been updated with new photos and information for Christmas at Disneyland Paris, but it’s worth noting that these photos are from our previous visits to Disneyland Paris at Christmas, and not this year. (Obviously, as the holiday season is still several months away). We’re hoping to head back to France for Christmas 2023, and will update with no photos and a report once we do. For now, here’s what we know about the holiday season at Walt Disney Studios Park and Parc Disneyland…

For starters, it doesn’t sound like much is happening this year at Walt Disney Studios Park. Already, Disneyland Paris has confirmed that Mickey’s Christmas Big Band will NOT be back. That’s unfortunate, as this fantastic live show featured a big band orchestra, fast-paced tap dance acts, and a drum solo by Mickey Mouse. It also does not appear that Goofy’s Incredible Christmas projection show will return for Christmas 2023 at WDSP.

On a positive note, L’Hiver Gourmand will return to Walt Disney Studios Park. This winter market consists of stylish chalets that serve gingerbread, crepes, hot chocolate, and other delicious treats. Four new chalets will be added this year, with three of them installed for the first time at Disneyland Paris.

Speaking of which, Disneyland Paris is the heart of the holiday season.

During the day, guests will be entranced by the majestic glittering Christmas tree that stands 24 meters high as soon as they step foot on Main Street! With Christmas music, garlands and snowflakes flying in the air… an enchanting atmosphere will envelop the area.

Before we go any further, let’s set the mood. No, I’m not going to dictate that you turn down the lights, pour a cup of eggnog, and light the fireplace. But I’m not going to tell you not to, either. 

I do think it would “enhance” your enjoyment of the rest of this post if you read and viewed it while listening to the greatest Disney theme park Christmas song known to mankind: Chante, c’est Noel.

This song is the unofficial theme song of Christmas at Disneyland Paris. It was once (apparently) played during a Christmas parade at Disneyland Paris. Then it was played at the close of the previous Christmas tree lighting ceremony.

Now, I think it’s just played back in Santa Claus Village at Cottonwood Creek Ranch. Why it’s no longer prominent is beyond me, because it rocks.

Another highlight is in Videopolis, where Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy and Goofy will celebrate the magic of Christmas carols several times a day on stage with the musical show “Let’s Sing Christmas!”

This year, Minnie will also have a special surprise in store for Mickey and Guests, as she will perform a cover version of a famous song entitled “All I want for Christmas is… Mickey”.

There’s another nighttime spectacular in addition to the Disney D-Light drone display, which was designed for the Disneyland Paris 30th Anniversary celebration.

Lighting up the sky every night, guests will enjoy the triumphant return of Disney Dreams of Christmas. This beloved nighttime spectacular, which dazzled a generation of Disneyland Paris guests, returns more beautiful than ever.

Disney Dreams of Christmas combines fireworks and dancing fountains around Sleeping Beauty Castle set to a seasonal soundtrack. The nighttime spectacular also features projections of Christmas scenes immersing guests into the wintry worlds of Disney.

The show will be even more dazzling and elevated for the Disneyland Paris 30th Anniversary celebration, with new technical enhancements. Sleeping Beauty Castle’s rooftops will be even more sparkling thanks to a brand-new LED technology that makes it possible to create synchronized effects that have never been seen before in a Disney theme park.

Earlier in the day, there is a decent amount of other Christmas entertainment. Mickey’s Dazzling Christmas Parade is the other “big” thing done for Christmas in Disneyland Paris, and it’s a recent addition.

Disneyland Paris teams secretly developed this new parade and debuted it last Christmas. Mickey’s Dazzling Christmas Parade is composed of five gigantic floats, featuring Mickey & Friends, Disney Princesses, Santa Claus & Tinker Bell, and more characters.

Each of these floats in Mickey’s Dazzling Christmas Parade represents an idyllic Christmas scene with traditional decorations and parade performers will be dressed in luminous costumes specially designed for the occasion. (Since it’s relatively new, expect to see Mickey’s Dazzling Christmas Parade in 2023, too.)

There are multiple showings of Mickey’s Dazzling Christmas Parade per day. Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Goofy will open the procession of magical, colorful floats. After them, you’ll see Winnie the Pooh and Friends, Chip & Dale, the Three Little Pigs, and many other characters. Of course, Santa will end Disney’s Christmas Parade on a high note from his sleigh!

Mickey’s Dazzling Christmas Parade will deliver two unique experiences! Its colorful and illuminated floats will celebrate the magic of winter, both during the day and at night. The unique theme of each float will immerse Disneyland Paris in the magic and wonder of Christmas.

These floats will be synchronized with Christmas music and will feature Mickey and his friends, along with princesses and Santa Claus. The performers’ shiny costumes, which have been specially designed for the occasion, will make it possible to create sparkling effects on Main Street.

The icing on the cake: characters will light up the Christmas tree in Town Square to create even more magical moments during the nightly performance of Mickey’s Dazzling Christmas Parade!

Presumably, this means there won’t be a standalone lighting ceremony for the Christmas tree on Main Street at Disneyland Paris.

Speaking of characters, there are a variety that meet in their holiday finery, including Thumper, Miss Bunny, Stitch, Duffy, and select Princesses in Town Square and locations throughout the park. While we like character meet & greets, the lines for these tend to be long, so we usually skip them.

You can enjoy a wintery wonderland in a holiday lodge that’s home to Santa Claus and Mickey Mouse. This is the perfect opportunity for guests of all ages to drop off their Christmas letter to Santa and capture the moment.

‘Tis the season to eat, drink, and be merry!

Specialty food and beverage items to indulge in will be available throughout the Walt Disney Studios Park, Disneyland Paris, Disney Village, and the hotels.

While taking in every moment of the holiday season’s offerings, it’s also the perfect opportunity to do a bit of holiday shopping.

Browse the festively decorated boutiques and stop by La Boutique du Château and Merlin l’Enchanteur, both of which are dedicated to the season.

Phantom Manor does not receive a Nightmare Before Christmas overlay like the other Haunted Mansion attractions, and Disneyland Paris no longer does it’s a small world holiday or celebration.

In other words, there are no Christmas attraction overlays at Disneyland Paris.

Disneyland Paris’ lands are decked out for Christmas. In general, these decorations are more subdued than their US counterparts, with a notable exception: the restaurants. Holy cow! Seemingly every single restaurant had uniquely decorated Christmas trees, and its fair share of on-theme decorations.

Much like the other Disney theme parks, Main Street is the most decorated of any land in Disneyland Paris. Beyond the Christmas tree and Sleeping Beauty Castle icicle lights, there are strands of garland strung from one side of the street to the other, and many shop windows feature beautiful Christmas displays.

The rest of Disneyland Paris Resort gets in the Christmas mood, but not to the same extent. Walt Disney Studios Park has been doing more and more for Christmas, but it still doesn’t compare with the holidays on Main Street, USA.

The hotels also put up Christmas decorations, with Disneyland Hotel being the highlight. Sequoia Lodge is also pretty good, and that hotel “feels” more like a Christmas-y place. The rest of the hotels and the Disney Village had Christmas decorations up, but nothing really noteworthy.

Overall, a Disneyland Paris Christmas is definitely something worth experiencing. It’s not as extravagant as what you’ll find in Disneyland or Walt Disney World, but the incredible standard substance of the park compensates for that. There are a handful great seasonal shows and the decorations are wonderful, but it would be nice for the parade to ‘grow’ at a faster rate.

Regardless, we really enjoy Disneyland Paris at Christmas, and I would say it’s the perfect time for an American to visit Disneyland Paris for the first time (as long as you don’t mind the cold weather). Nothing is missing from the park as a result of the Christmas season (like Haunted Mansion is “missing” from Disneyland), and there are a number of Christmas enhancements that are icing on the cake!

For the basics of planning a visit to Disneyland Paris, check out our Disneyland Paris Trip Planning Guide. Find the best place to stay in Disneyland Paris Hotel Reviews. Check out 101 Disneyland Paris Tips for some (101, to be exact) of our best random tips for doing DLP like a pro. See Disney Park Tickets Tips & Tricks for ways to save on tickets. For where to eat, check out our Disneyland Restaurant Reviews. For unique ideas of things that’ll improve your trip, check out What to Pack for Disney. Finally, for advice beyond Disney, check out our Ultimate Travel Guide to Paris, France.

Your Thoughts

Are you visiting France for the holiday season? Have you ever experienced Disneyland Paris at Christmas? Are you interested in visiting in November or December 2023? How do you celebrate Christmas at Disneyland Paris? Any other ways to embrace the spirit of the season? Wish the Walt Disney Studios Park did more to honor the holidays? Do you agree or disagree with our advice? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!