Disney has introduced returning & new dwell 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 the whole lot it’s good to know, plus provides commentary about why that is unexpectedly nice information!
By way of fundamentals, Vacation Time at Disneyland Resort returns from November 15, 2024, by January 6, 2025, that includes all kinds of festive, family-friendly leisure, decorations, parades, trip 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 Lodges of the Disneyland Resort. For those who’re in search of an all-encompassing overview and tricks to take advantage of the vacation season, see our Final Information to Christmas 2024 at Disneyland Resort.
As a further 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 total record of leisure choices and newest efficiency schedules. Showtimes do range by date–for instance, there will probably be extra (and completely 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 mates rejoice within the spirit of the vacations, bringing everybody collectively throughout their very personal Fiesta de Navidad celebration.
Youngsters of all ages and households will take pleasure in singing alongside to the beloved songs from the movie on this heartfelt musical presentation. Scheduled Mondays by Fridays exterior the doorway to Paradise Gardens Park.
NEW! “A Musical Christmas with Mariachi Alegría de Disneyland & Miguel!”
This nighttime present gathers mates 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 Night time.” Scheduled Monday by Friday evenings on Buena Vista Road.
DCA Pageant of Holidays: New & Returning Reside Music
Disney California Journey Pageant of the Holidays celebrates Christmas, Navidad, Hanukkah, Diwali, Kwanzaa, and Three Kings Day. This 12 months’s competition options an expanded rotation of dwell bands and cultural efficiency teams – bringing quite a lot of high-energy seasonal enjoyable every day for all ages to take pleasure in.
The dwell leisure throughout Disney California Journey shows an in depth vary of genres, together with mariachi, jazz, klezmer, Latin pop, fusion, reggae, polka and extra. A number of new dwell bands and cultural efficiency teams will carry out on the competition, corresponding to Pleasure, Rangoli Rhythms, Malaya Filipino American Dance Arts, Keali’I O Nālani & Daniel Ho, and extra. You too can take pleasure in 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 record of performers and day by day showtimes. Scheduled a number of occasions day by day at numerous phases throughout Disney California Journey.
“Mickey’s Completely satisfied Holidays” and Vacation Toy Drummers
Households and children will wish 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 Completely satisfied 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! Road Occasion
Hosted by The Three Caballeros, the Disney ¡Viva Navidad! Road Occasion options energetic 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 January 5, 2025.
“World of Shade – Season of Mild” (NEW Tag!)
With splendid views round Paradise Bay, you’ll be able to indulge in vacation marvel throughout “World of Shade – Season of Light“ at Disney California Journey. This gorgeous nighttime spectacular options scenes from movies corresponding to Pixar Animation Studios’ “Inside Out” and Walt Disney Animation Studios’ “Frozen,” set to energetic vacation music.
For a restricted time starting November 15, an all-new water brief highlighting Walt Disney Animation Studios’ new movie “Moana 2” will probably be introduced 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 Shade – Season of Mild” is extremely beneficial. This nighttime spectacular is carried out a couple of times nightly, relying upon crowds.
Disneyland Christmas Leisure
NEW! “Vacation Enjoyable with Santa and Mates!” at Fantasyland Theatre
All through the day, Santa Claus and choose Disney characters will make appearances and pose for vacation images at “Vacation Enjoyable with Santa and Mates!” on the Fantasyland Theatre. Households may take pleasure in craft making, sing-alongs of vacation classics and atmospheric music. Scheduled day by day at Disneyland.
“Disney Vacation Dance Occasion” at Tomorrowland Terrace
Youngsters and kids-at-heart can dance the night time 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 January 6, 2025.
“A Christmas Fantasy Parade”
“A Christmas Fantasy Parade” returns for one more merry musical celebration, full of jolly elves, dancing gingerbread cookies and prancing reindeer. Disney characters corresponding to 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 may be discovered round “it’s a small world” Vacation, close to Matterhorn Bobsleds and Foremost Road, 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 through the vacation season.
“Consider…In Vacation Magic”
The “Consider…In Vacation Magic” fireworks spectacular lights up the night time 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 too can expertise a magical “snowfall” alongside components of Foremost Road, 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 night time.
Meet Santa Claus All through Disneyland Resort
Get pleasure from merry moments, snap festive images and share vacation needs with Santa Claus, who can even cease by Redwood Creek Problem Path in Disney California Journey by December 24. From December 25, 2024, by January 6, 2025, chances are 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 December 24 to greet kids of all ages, so be certain to say hi there earlier than he heads again to the North Pole.
Christmas Character Appearances
Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse and their mates will showcase gorgeous new seems in City Sq. at Disneyland, harking back to writing heat letters to family members through the holidays.
All through each parks, chances are you’ll spot characters making particular appearances for the vacations, together with Mirabel and mates from Disney Animation’s “Encanto” on choose days on the Paradise Gardens gazebo in Disney California Journey park.
On the Lodges of the Disneyland Resort, you too can 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 through the Buena Vista Road Christmas Tree Lighting.
As nightfall begins to fall every night time at Disneyland, you’ll be able to collect in entrance of “it’s a small world” Vacation to look at hundreds of twinkling lights come to life. Then, throughout choose occasions all through the night time, a joyous gentle projection present animates the façade of the attraction with a kaleidoscope of vacation colours and pictures.
Reside Music and Nightly Snow at Downtown Disney District
The vacation festivities prolong to the Downtown Disney District with vacation décor, purchasing and leisure. The Downtown Disney LIVE! stage and garden will current seasonal dwell music every night time, with featured acts overlaying genres corresponding to rock, jazz and basic caroling.
“Snow” can even fall close to the Downtown Disney District LIVE! stage and garden throughout particular moments nightly from November 29 by January 6, 2025.
Leisure on the Lodges of the Disneyland Resort
Along with ornate and themed vacation décor, all three Lodges of the Disneyland Resort will host vacation carolers on choose days. Performances are throughout choose occasions and at choose places from November 21 by 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 will probably be enhanced with dwell vacation jazz.
Our Commentary
That is unbelievable 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 Road sounds wonderful, like an ideal mixture of characters and tradition. If this sounds much like Viva Navidad, properly, 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 January 5, 2025. Will probably be carried out each Saturday and Sunday, and no different dates–not even vacation lengthy weekends or peak season dates between Christmas and New Yr’s Eve. Simply Saturdays and Sundays–that’s it.
There was numerous anger and disappointment again when this was revealed, particularly on condition 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 return 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 without delay. It’s now clear what the precise plan was, to reallocate assets 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 the event you questioned “what/the place is that?”
Transferring leisure as much as Buena Vista Road on weekdays simply is smart 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 now not seems like a finances minimize–as an alternative, it seems like a pleasant gesture to its diehard fanbase (us included!).
With regards to Disney choices, even ostensibly optimistic ones, I’m continually 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 dissatisfied, however on stability for the visitor expertise as an entire, this looks as if a web optimistic. The brand new acts on BVS will probably be extremely standard–I’d hazard a guess that they’ll be loved by double the quantity of people that considered Viva Navidad.
In the end, that’s the place I stand on all of this. I’m totally on board with Disneyland “continually 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 stated as a lot after they retired that bizarre Dr. Unusual present in Avengers Campus that was virtually unattainable to see. Right here’s hoping that this can be a signal of what’s to return, 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 just a little 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 Critiques & Rankings. For the place to eat, try our Disneyland Restaurant Critiques. For distinctive concepts of issues that’ll enhance your journey, try What to Pack for Disney. For complete recommendation, seek the advice of our Disneyland Trip Planning Information. Lastly, for guides past Disney, try our Southern California Itineraries for day journeys to Los Angeles, Laguna Seashore, and plenty of different SoCal cities!
Your Ideas
What do you consider the leisure lineup for Christmas 2024 at Disneyland and Disney California Journey? Excited by all the new additions, or dissatisfied 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 if you disagree with us—is each attention-grabbing to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas beneath within the feedback!