Disney has introduced returning & new stay leisure, character meet & greets, nighttime spectaculars, dance events and extra for Christmas 2024 at Disneyland, California Journey, Downtown Disney, and the resort accommodations. This information covers every part it is advisable know, plus gives commentary about why that is unexpectedly nice information!
When it comes to fundamentals, Vacation Time at Disneyland Resort returns from November 15, 2024, by way of January 6, 2025, that includes all kinds of festive, family-friendly leisure, decorations, parades, journey overlays, and a lot extra. Along with returning classics, this 12 months’s lineup presents some all-new choices.
That is your information to the merry, must-see leisure throughout each theme parks, Downtown Disney District and the Motels of the Disneyland Resort. When you’re on the lookout for an all-encompassing overview and tricks to profit from the vacation season, see our Final Information to Christmas 2024 at Disneyland Resort.
As an extra planning useful resource, it’s extremely beneficial to obtain and seek the advice of the Disneyland app or the Hours & Occasions Calendar on Disneyland.com for the complete checklist of leisure choices and newest efficiency schedules. Showtimes do differ by date–for instance, there shall be extra (and totally different) showings of sure leisure on weekends or throughout peak weeks than there’ll on some random weekday in early December.
Anyway, right here’s a rundown of the brand new & returning Christmas leisure at Disneyland Resort, adopted by our commentary…
Disney California Journey Christmas Leisure
NEW! “Mirabel’s Items of the Season”
Mirabel from Walt Disney Animation Studios’ “Encanto” and her associates rejoice within the spirit of the vacations, bringing everybody collectively throughout their very personal Fiesta de Navidad celebration.
Children of all ages and households will get pleasure from singing alongside to the beloved songs from the movie on this heartfelt musical presentation. Scheduled Mondays by way of Fridays outdoors the doorway to Paradise Gardens Park.
NEW! “A Musical Christmas with Mariachi Alegría de Disneyland & Miguel!”
This nighttime present gathers associates and households to hearken to heartfelt tales and timeless songs in a fascinating celebration of the vacations. Mariachi Alegría de Disneyland, accompanied by sleek dancers, delivers intimate, bilingual performances of beloved Christmas songs.
The celebration closes with a particular look by Miguel from Pixar Animation Studios’ “Coco” for a good looking rendition of “Silent Evening.” Scheduled Monday by way of Friday evenings on Buena Vista Avenue.
DCA Pageant of Holidays: New & Returning Stay Music
Disney California Journey Pageant of the Holidays celebrates Christmas, Navidad, Hanukkah, Diwali, Kwanzaa, and Three Kings Day. This 12 months’s pageant options an expanded rotation of stay bands and cultural efficiency teams – bringing quite a lot of high-energy seasonal enjoyable every day for all ages to get pleasure from.
The stay leisure throughout Disney California Journey shows an intensive vary of genres, together with mariachi, jazz, klezmer, Latin pop, fusion, reggae, polka and extra. A number of new stay bands and cultural efficiency teams will carry out on the pageant, reminiscent of Pleasure, Rangoli Rhythms, Malaya Filipino American Dance Arts, Keali’I O Nālani & Daniel Ho, and extra. You may also get pleasure from a season of celebrations with many returning favorites, together with Blue13 Dance Firm and The Mistletoes.
The leisure rotation varies all through the season, so it’s extremely beneficial to test Disneyland.com for a full checklist of performers and day by day showtimes. Scheduled a number of occasions day by day at numerous phases throughout Disney California Journey.
“Mickey’s Joyful Holidays” and Vacation Toy Drummers
Households and youngsters will need to dance alongside to vacation rhythms as iconic Disney characters march alongside the Disney California Journey park parade path to the beat of the Vacation Toy Drummers throughout “Mickey’s Joyful Holidays.”
As well as, the playfully percussive precision of the Vacation Toy Drummers will delightfully drum up seasonal cheer for all to listen to in entrance of the obelisk in Paradise Gardens Park. The Vacation Toy Drummers carry out a number of occasions day by day at DCA throughout Pageant of the Holidays.
Disney ¡Viva Navidad! Avenue Occasion
Hosted by The Three Caballeros, the Disney ¡Viva Navidad! Avenue Occasion options vigorous Mexican folklórico dancers and mariachis, uplifting Brazilian samba dancers and percussionists, and extra. Plus, Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse make an look of their colourful fiesta apparel. Scheduled on Saturdays and Sundays from November 16 by way of January 5, 2025.
“World of Colour – Season of Gentle” (NEW Tag!)
With splendid views round Paradise Bay, you possibly can delight in vacation marvel throughout “World of Colour – Season of Light“ at Disney California Journey. This gorgeous nighttime spectacular options scenes from movies reminiscent of Pixar Animation Studios’ “Inside Out” and Walt Disney Animation Studios’ “Frozen,” set to vigorous vacation music.
For a restricted time starting November 15, an all-new water quick highlighting Walt Disney Animation Studios’ new movie “Moana 2” shall be offered earlier than the present. “Moana 2” is in theaters starting November 27, 2024.
Becoming a member of the complimentary digital queue to expertise “World of Colour – Season of Gentle” is very beneficial. This nighttime spectacular is carried out a couple of times nightly, relying upon crowds.
Disneyland Christmas Leisure
NEW! “Vacation Enjoyable with Santa and Buddies!” at Fantasyland Theatre
All through the day, Santa Claus and choose Disney characters will make appearances and pose for vacation photographs at “Vacation Enjoyable with Santa and Buddies!” on the Fantasyland Theatre. Households may get pleasure from craft making, sing-alongs of vacation classics and atmospheric music. Scheduled day by day at Disneyland.
“Disney Vacation Dance Occasion” at Tomorrowland Terrace
Children and kids-at-heart can dance the evening away at Tomorrowland Terrace in Disneyland. Nightly enjoyable at this location will characteristic vacation tunes and appearances by favourite Disney characters on a stage dressed up for the season. Scheduled nightly at Disneyland park from November 16 by way of January 6, 2025.
“A Christmas Fantasy Parade”
“A Christmas Fantasy Parade” returns for one more merry musical celebration, crammed with jolly elves, dancing gingerbread cookies and prancing reindeer. Disney characters reminiscent of Anna and Elsa from Walt Disney Animation Studios’ “Frozen,” Disney Princesses, Buzz Lightyear from Pixar Animation Studios’ “Toy Story” and extra additionally take part, with Santa Claus showing within the grand finale.
Viewing areas will be discovered round “it’s a small world” Vacation, close to Matterhorn Bobsleds and Foremost Avenue, U.S.A., whereas reserved viewing for the parade is included with the Vacation Time on the Disneyland Resort Guided Tour. “A Christmas Fantasy Parade” is carried out day by day at Disneyland throughout the vacation season.
“Consider…In Vacation Magic”
The “Consider…In Vacation Magic” fireworks spectacular lights up the evening sky above Disneyland on a nightly foundation as Sleeping Magnificence’s Winter Citadel shimmers with greater than 80,000 twinkling lights, glowing “icicles” and glistening snow-capped turrets.
You may also expertise a magical “snowfall” alongside elements of Foremost Avenue, U.S.A., close to “it’s a small world” Vacation and alongside the Rivers of America throughout Wintertime Enchantment at Sleeping Magnificence’s Winter Citadel a number of occasions every evening.
Meet Santa Claus All through Disneyland Resort
Get pleasure from merry moments, snap festive photographs and share vacation needs with Santa Claus, who can even cease by Redwood Creek Problem Path in Disney California Journey by way of December 24. From December 25, 2024, by way of January 6, 2025, it’s possible you’ll encounter Santa Goofy at this location.
Santa can even swing by Disney’s Grand Californian Resort & Spa, Disneyland Resort and Pixar Place Resort from November 28 by way of December 24 to greet youngsters of all ages, so be certain that to say whats up earlier than he heads again to the North Pole.
Christmas Character Appearances
Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse and their associates will showcase gorgeous new appears to be like in City Sq. at Disneyland, paying homage to writing heat letters to family members throughout the holidays.
All through each parks, it’s possible you’ll spot characters making particular appearances for the vacations, together with Mirabel and associates from Disney Animation’s “Encanto” on choose days on the Paradise Gardens gazebo in Disney California Journey park.
On the Motels of the Disneyland Resort, you can even encounter characters throughout specifically themed eating choices at Goofy’s Kitchen Celebrates Christmas and Storytellers Cafe.
Vacation Lighting Moments
Nightly at Disney California Journey, you’ll have the chance to witness a powerful 50-foot tree illuminate in dazzling splendor throughout the Buena Vista Avenue Christmas Tree Lighting.
As nightfall begins to fall every evening at Disneyland, you possibly can collect in entrance of “it’s a small world” Vacation to observe hundreds of twinkling lights come to life. Then, throughout choose occasions all through the evening, a joyous gentle projection present animates the façade of the attraction with a kaleidoscope of vacation colours and pictures.
Stay Music and Nightly Snow at Downtown Disney District
The vacation festivities prolong to the Downtown Disney District with vacation décor, buying and leisure. The Downtown Disney LIVE! stage and garden will current seasonal stay music every evening, with featured acts masking genres reminiscent of rock, jazz and traditional caroling.
“Snow” can even fall close to the Downtown Disney District LIVE! stage and garden throughout particular moments nightly from November 29 by way of January 6, 2025.
Leisure on the Motels of the Disneyland Resort
Along with ornate and themed vacation décor, all three Motels of the Disneyland Resort will host vacation carolers on choose days. Performances are throughout choose occasions and at choose areas from November 21 by way of December 31, 2024.
On Tuesday, Friday and Saturday evenings beginning November 22, the elegant ambiance of the Nice Corridor foyer at Disney’s Grand Californian Resort & Spa shall be enhanced with stay vacation jazz.
Our Commentary
That is incredible information. It’s nice to see Disneyland Resort including a number of items of leisure, and increasing others. The brand new Encanto and Coco-inspired leisure on Buena Vista Avenue sounds wonderful, like an amazing mixture of characters and tradition. If this sounds much like Viva Navidad, effectively, it most likely is!
As we beforehand reported, one disappointing change for 2024 is that Disney ¡Viva Navidad! will solely happen on 16 dates from November 16, 2024 by way of January 5, 2025. It is going to be carried out each Saturday and Sunday, and no different dates–not even vacation lengthy weekends or peak season dates between Christmas and New 12 months’s Eve. Simply Saturdays and Sundays–that’s it.
There was a variety of anger and disappointment again when this was revealed, particularly provided that Disneyland had already dramatically scaled again leisure over the summer season. On the time, we feared this was a preview of what was to come back with the beginning of the brand new fiscal 12 months on the horizon and a slowdown in attendance.
If I have been Disneyland, I most likely would’ve introduced all of this directly. It’s now clear what the precise plan was, to reallocate sources from Viva Navidad to new leisure in a extra centralized location. From my perspective, this makes full sense. Viva Navidad is tucked away in Paradise Gardens Park, and also you’re not alone in case you puzzled “what/the place is that?”
Shifting leisure as much as Buena Vista Avenue on weekdays simply is sensible from a visitor utilization perspective. Doing one thing new and recent can also be very welcome, particularly with Disneyland Resort’s local-centric visitor demographics. Having Viva Navidad for a pair days of the week not appears to be like like a funds minimize–as an alternative, it appears like a pleasant gesture to its diehard fanbase (us included!).
In relation to Disney choices, even ostensibly constructive ones, I’m always questioning: what’s the catch? With this information, I can not consider one. I’d think about some Viva Navidad followers who’re blocked out on weekends will nonetheless upset, however on steadiness for the visitor expertise as an entire, this looks as if a internet constructive. The brand new acts on BVS shall be extremely fashionable–I’d hazard a guess that they’ll be loved by double the quantity of people that considered Viva Navidad.
Finally, that’s the place I stand on all of this. I’m absolutely on board with Disneyland “always reevaluating its leisure choices” (or no matter line they offer) when this is the tip outcome. Extra new leisure, refreshes to fan-favorites, and so forth. I mentioned as a lot once they retired that bizarre Dr. Unusual present in Avengers Campus that was virtually not possible to see. Right here’s hoping that it is a signal of what’s to come back, as a result of these leisure additions for Christmas 2024 ought to be the blueprint for 2025 at Disneyland. (I simply hope I’m not lacking one thing apparent, as this nonetheless feels a bit too good to be true after the final 18 months!)
Planning a Southern California trip? For park admission offers, learn Suggestions for Saving Cash on Disneyland Tickets. Study on-site and off-site accommodations in our Anaheim Resort Evaluations & Rankings. For the place to eat, take a look at our Disneyland Restaurant Evaluations. For distinctive concepts of issues that’ll enhance your journey, take a look at What to Pack for Disney. For complete recommendation, seek the advice of our Disneyland Trip Planning Information. Lastly, for guides past Disney, take a look at our Southern California Itineraries for day journeys to Los Angeles, Laguna Seashore, and lots of different SoCal cities!
Your Ideas
What do you consider the leisure lineup for Christmas 2024 at Disneyland and Disney California Journey? Excited by the entire new additions, or upset they’re coming on the expense of weekday showings of Viva Navidad? Do you agree or disagree with our evaluation? Any questions? Listening to your suggestions—even while you disagree with us—is each attention-grabbing to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas beneath within the feedback!
