What’s New, Returning & Changing for Christmas 2026 at Disneyland & Disney California Adventure

Disney has announced returning entertainment, new character meet & greets, and more for Christmas 2026 at Disneyland and California Adventure. This guide covers everything you need to know, including what’s changing for the upcoming holiday season.

Let’s start with the first bit of good-ish news, which is dates. Disney previously extended the holiday season, which was originally slated to start on November 18, 2026. Last month, Disneyland announced they’d be unwrapping some holiday cheer a little “earlier” this year.

The Holidays at the Disneyland Resort will now begin November 13, 2026 and conclude on January 6, 2027. This is only good-ish news because the November 13, 2026 start date is in-line with recent precedent, late by long-term historical standards, and disappointing given that Halloween gets longer each year. Here’s hoping that next year, Christmas starts on November 5, 2027. I’d even settle for the following Tuesday!

This offers a rundown of the new offerings and returning entertainment across both theme parks, Downtown Disney District and the Hotels of the Disneyland Resort. If you’re looking for an all-encompassing overview and tips to make the most of the holiday season, see our Ultimate Guide to Christmas 2026 at Disneyland Resort.

Everything that’s normally offered year-in and year-out for Christmas at Disneyland is returning. This includes (but is not limited to) iconic Christmas trees in each park, Sleeping Beauty’s Winter Castle, “it’s a small world” holiday, Haunted Mansion Holiday (which is already running for Halloween!), Luigi’s Joy to the Whirl, Mater’s Jingle Jamboree, and the rest of Christmas in Cars Land.

As an additional planning resource, it’s highly recommended to download and consult the Disneyland app or the Hours & Events Calendar on Disneyland.com for the full list of entertainment offerings and latest performance schedules. Showtimes do vary by date–for example, there will be more (and different) showings of certain entertainment on weekends or during peak weeks than there will on some random weekday in early December.

Anyway, here’s a rundown of what’s happening at Disneyland Resort for Christmas 2026…

New Christmas Character Costumes

In Town Square on Main Street, U.S.A., keep your eyes peeled for Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, and some of their friends donning their new holiday attire that captures the spirit of holiday travel and a wintery alpine gathering created just for Christmas 2026. Beyond the mice, these characters usually include Goofy, Donald, Daisy, Pluto, and Clarabelle.

These costumes change every year and are a huge hit with fans, and make for fun merchandising tie-ins. Meeting the characters for Christmas can be a tad tricky. All of these meet & greets are in Town Square, but the locations aren’t clearly marked, the characters rotate, and most do not have PhotoPass. If you want to meet them, your best bet is being in Town Square between 9:45 am and 2 pm, which is when most of them appear.

Failing that, some of them are back out in the evenings. Those appearances are more sporadic, and characters are not out during the fireworks or parade. Another option is seeing them at the very beginning of the day, shortly after Disneyland opens and they appear at the Train Station; they also do the same thing at the end of the night. This is not a meet & greet, but you can get selfies and see them much more easily.

NEW Santa’s Toontown Trolley Barn

Another addition for Christmas 2026 is the debut of Santa’s new location at Mickey’s Toontown Trolley Barn, near Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin.

On the way to see jolly St. Nick, little ones and their families can stop by “Bluey’s Best Day Ever!” in Disneyland to wiggle and dance as Bluey and her sister, Bingo, continue to make appearances at the Fantasyland Theatre. The second part of this is why the first part is changing. To the surprise of no one with small children, Bluey is immensely popular.

Accordingly, “Bluey’s Best Day Ever!” is replacing “Holiday Fun with Santa and Friends!” at the Fantasyland Theatre. Selfishly, this is disappointing. “Holiday Fun with Santa and Friends!” was always way less busy than “Bluey’s Best Day Ever,” and a great way to escape the crowds. But that also pretty easily explains why it’s happening. Disneyland obviously needs to keep Bluey around, even if I’d personally prefer the calmer seasonal offerings. Thankfully, our toddler loves both!

As for Santa’s location at the Toontown Trolley Barn, permits were filed earlier this year for conversion of the 1,500 square foot space from storage into a meet & greet. With the trolleys decommissioned long ago, this move makes sense. Hopefully Roger Rabbit appears here after the holidays!

World of Color – Season of Light Returns!

With splendid views around Paradise Bay, you can bask in holiday wonder during World of Color – Season of Light at Disney California Adventure. This stunning nighttime spectacular features scenes from films such as Pixar Animation Studios’ “Inside Out” and Walt Disney Animation Studios’ “Frozen,” set to lively holiday music.

World of Color – Season of Light was not presented last year due to Disneyland’s 70th Anniversary, and the Happiness version of the show continuing. Season of Light has been fairly on and off over the years, despite being the #1 or #2 version of the nighttime spectacular. (Seriously!) We cannot wait to see it again.

When it was last presented in 2024, there was a pre-show tag highlighting “Moana 2.” The year before that, there was a “Wish” tag. With “Hexed” and “Avengers: Doomsday” both coming out this Christmas, it stands to reason that Season of Light will get another tag. But personally, my hope is for one featuring “Mickey’s Home Alone.” That looks fun, needs more marketing, and would be a better fit! (Another wildcard: Hallmark’s Christmas movie set at Walt Disney World.)

“A Christmas Fantasy Parade”

“A Christmas Fantasy Parade” returns for another merry musical celebration, filled with jolly elves, dancing gingerbread cookies and prancing reindeer. Disney characters such as Anna and Elsa from Walt Disney Animation Studios’ “Frozen,” Disney Princesses, Buzz Lightyear from Pixar Animation Studios’ “Toy Story” and more also join in, with Santa Claus appearing in the grand finale.

Viewing areas can be found around “it’s a small world” Holiday, near Matterhorn Bobsleds and Main Street, U.S.A., while reserved viewing for the parade is included with the Holiday Time at the Disneyland Resort Guided Tour. “A Christmas Fantasy Parade” is performed daily at Disneyland during the holiday season.

“Believe…In Holiday Magic” Fireworks

The “Believe…In Holiday Magic” fireworks spectacular lights up the night sky above Disneyland on a nightly basis as Sleeping Beauty’s Winter Castle shimmers with more than 80,000 twinkling lights, sparkling “icicles” and glistening snow-capped turrets.

You can also experience a magical “snowfall” along parts of Main Street, U.S.A., near “it’s a small world” Holiday and along the Rivers of America during Wintertime Enchantment at Sleeping Beauty’s Winter Castle several times each night.

“Mickey’s Happy Holidays” and Holiday Toy Drummers 

Families and kids will want to dance along to holiday rhythms as iconic Disney characters march to the beat of the Holiday Toy Drummers during the “Mickey’s Happy Holidays” cavalcade, as it travels from Paradise Gardens Park to Hollywood Land at select times each day.

In addition, head on down to Paradise Garden Bandstand where upbeat live performances are scheduled daily during the holiday season, featuring a rotating program of live bands and cultural performance groups.

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

On select days on Buena Vista Street, this show gathers friends and families to listen to heartfelt stories and timeless songs in an enchanting celebration of the holidays. Mariachi Alegría de Disneyland, accompanied by graceful dancers, delivers intimate, bilingual performances of beloved Christmas songs.

The celebration closes with a special appearance by Miguel from Pixar Animation Studios’ “Coco” for a beautiful rendition of “Silent Night.” (Last year, both of these shows occurred Monday through Friday evenings. No word yet on the 2026 schedule, but there’s a decent chance it’s the same.)

“Mirabel’s Gifts of the Season”

On select days, Mirabel from “Encanto” and her friends rejoice in the spirit of the holidays, bringing everyone together during their very own Fiesta de Navidad celebration. Enjoy live performances of songs from the film during this seasonal show at Paradise Gardens Park.

DCA Festival of Holidays

Disney California Adventure Festival of the Holidays celebrates Christmas, Navidad, Hanukkah, Diwali, Kwanzaa, and Three Kings Day. This year’s festival features an expanded rotation of live bands and cultural performance groups – bringing a variety of high-energy seasonal fun each day for all ages to enjoy.

The live entertainment across Disney California Adventure displays an extensive range of genres, including mariachi, jazz, klezmer, Latin pop, fusion, reggae, polka and more. Several new live bands and cultural performance groups will perform at the festival, with the exact schedule and lineup to be announced.

Six festive Food Marketplaces will be sprinkled in different areas of DCA, where new and returning bites and beverages await, such as the fan-favorite braised pork belly adobo. You can purchase a Sip and Savor Pass to taste your way through the festivities at participating locations. These passes include six digital coupons that can be redeemed for select food and nonalcoholic beverages around DCA.

More Christmas Treats

A few festive favorites return to the menu for the holidays this year, including the Mickey Elf Shake available at Schmoozies! at California Adventure, and the Milk and Cookies Tree-shaped Macaron available at Jolly Holiday Bakery Cafe in Disneyland.

For an elevated holiday experience at Disneyland or California Adventure, you may want to explore seasonal dining experiences including “A Christmas Fantasy Parade” dining package at Plaza Inn or the “World of Color – Season of Light” Dessert Party.

Full details will be shared closer to Christmas, but for now we just want to tease that we’re really looking forward to the slate of holiday foods at Disneyland. After several seasons of disappointing special menus and festival food, the lineup for Halloween 2026 is fantastic. Almost shockingly so. I’m hoping to have a working ‘best of’ list put together soon, but suffice to say, I was impressed. Lots of fun treats!

Disney ¡Viva Navidad! Street Party

Head to Paradise Gardens Park at Disney California Adventure for the return of Disney ¡Viva Navidad!, a heartwarming celebration inspired by Latin American holiday traditions — with a spirited Disney twist! Delight in live music, crafts, festive décor, flavorful dishes and appearances by Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse and The Three Caballeros.

On select days, the “Disney ¡Viva Navidad! Street Party” lights up the area with folklórico dancers, mariachis, samba performers and more, led by The Three Caballeros in a vibrant display of rhythm and color. (For reference, the Viva Navidad Street Party was scheduled Saturdays and Sundays last year.)

Live Music and Nightly Snow at Downtown Disney District

The holiday festivities extend to the Downtown Disney District with holiday décor, shopping, entertainment, and a nightly “snowfall.” The Downtown Disney LIVE! stage and lawn will present seasonal live music each night, with featured acts covering genres such as rock, jazz and classic caroling.

Chip and Dale’s Ornament Trail returns from November 11, 2026 through January 6, 2027, inviting you to search for special ornaments hanging from trees throughout the Downtown Disney District. Purchase an activity map from a participating retail location, embark on your search, and exchange the map at a redemption location to receive a keepsake.

Discover festive flavors throughout the district, with seasonal menu items, sweet treats, and beverages available at participating locations.

Christmas at Hotels of Disneyland Resort

The Hotels of the Disneyland Resort will be brimming with holiday cheer and decked out with seasonal decor. You can look forward to specialty dining, carolers and an encounter with Santa!

There are also several Christmas character dining experiences to choose from this holiday season, from November 16, 2026 through January 3, 2027, including the following:

• Goofy’s Kitchen Celebrates the Holidays! at Disneyland Hotel
• Daisy’s Holiday Pajama Party at Storytellers Cafe at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa
• Mickey’s Christmas Carol Feast at Storytellers Cafe at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa

In addition, discover holiday-themed treats and menu items across the Hotels at the Disneyland Resort, including at the Great Hall cart at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, Broken Spell Lounge in the Disneyland Hotel, and Great Maple Modern American Eatery in Pixar Place Hotel.

Planning a Southern California vacation? For park admission deals, read Tips for Saving Money on Disneyland Tickets. Learn about on-site and off-site hotels in our Anaheim Hotel Reviews & Rankings. 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. For comprehensive advice, consult our Disneyland Vacation Planning Guide. Finally, for guides beyond Disney, check out our Southern California Itineraries for day trips to Los Angeles, Laguna Beach, and many other SoCal cities!

Your Thoughts

What do you think of the entertainment lineup for Christmas 2026 at Disneyland and Disney California Adventure? Excited by the new additions or returning fan-favorites? Thoughts on Santa in Toontown or Bluey’s Best Day Ever continuing? Where does Season of Light rank for you among World of Colors? Do you agree or disagree with our assessment? Any questions? 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!