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 lodges. This information covers every part you could know, plus presents commentary about why that is unexpectedly nice information!
When it comes to 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 yr’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 Accommodations of the Disneyland Resort. In the event you’re on the lookout for an all-encompassing overview and tricks to benefit from the vacation season, see our Final Information to Christmas 2024 at Disneyland Resort.
As an extra planning useful resource, it’s extremely really useful to obtain and seek the advice of the Disneyland app or the Hours & Occasions Calendar on Disneyland.com for the total listing of leisure choices and newest efficiency schedules. Showtimes do range by date–for instance, there shall 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 pals 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 take pleasure in singing alongside to the beloved songs from the movie on this heartfelt musical presentation. Scheduled Mondays by Fridays outdoors the doorway to Paradise Gardens Park.
NEW! “A Musical Christmas with Mariachi Alegría de Disneyland & Miguel!”
This nighttime present gathers pals and households to hearken to heartfelt tales and timeless songs in a fascinating celebration of the vacations. Mariachi Alegría de Disneyland, accompanied by swish 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 wonderful rendition of “Silent Night time.” Scheduled Monday by Friday evenings on Buena Vista Avenue.
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 yr’s competition 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 take pleasure in.
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 competition, corresponding to Pleasure, Rangoli Rhythms, Malaya Filipino American Dance Arts, Keali’I O Nālani & Daniel Ho, and extra. You can too 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 really useful to verify Disneyland.com for a full listing of performers and each day showtimes. Scheduled a number of instances each day at varied phases throughout Disney California Journey.
“Mickey’s Blissful Holidays” and Vacation Toy Drummers
Households and children 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 Blissful 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 instances each day at DCA throughout Pageant of the Holidays.
Disney ¡Viva Navidad! Avenue Social gathering
Hosted by The Three Caballeros, the Disney ¡Viva Navidad! Avenue Social gathering options full of life 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 Gentle” (NEW Tag!)
With splendid views round Paradise Bay, you may delight in vacation surprise 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 full of life vacation music.
For a restricted time starting November 15, an all-new water brief highlighting Walt Disney Animation Studios’ new movie “Moana 2” shall 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 Gentle” is very really useful. This nighttime spectacular is carried out a couple of times nightly, relying upon crowds.
Disneyland Christmas Leisure
NEW! “Vacation Enjoyable with Santa and Associates!” at Fantasyland Theatre
All through the day, Santa Claus and choose Disney characters will make appearances and pose for vacation pictures at “Vacation Enjoyable with Santa and Associates!” on the Fantasyland Theatre. Households may also take pleasure in craft making, sing-alongs of vacation classics and atmospheric music. Scheduled each day at Disneyland.
“Disney Vacation Dance Social gathering” 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 January 6, 2025.
“A Christmas Fantasy Parade”
“A Christmas Fantasy Parade” returns for an additional 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 Important 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 each 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 Fortress shimmers with greater than 80,000 twinkling lights, glowing “icicles” and glistening snow-capped turrets.
You can too expertise a magical “snowfall” alongside components of Important 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 Fortress a number of instances every evening.
Meet Santa Claus All through Disneyland Resort
Get pleasure from merry moments, snap festive pictures and share vacation needs with Santa Claus, who will 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 will even swing by Disney’s Grand Californian Resort & Spa, Disneyland Resort and Pixar Place Resort from November 28 by December 24 to greet youngsters of all ages, so make certain to say hi there earlier than he heads again to the North Pole.
Christmas Character Appearances
Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse and their pals will showcase gorgeous new seems in City Sq. at Disneyland, paying homage to writing heat letters to family members throughout the holidays.
All through each parks, chances are you’ll spot characters making particular appearances for the vacations, together with Mirabel and pals from Disney Animation’s “Encanto” on choose days on the Paradise Gardens gazebo in Disney California Journey park.
On the Accommodations of the Disneyland Resort, you may as well 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 an impressive 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 may collect in entrance of “it’s a small world” Vacation to observe 1000’s of twinkling lights come to life. Then, throughout choose instances all through the evening, a joyous mild 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 lengthen 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 protecting genres corresponding to rock, jazz and traditional caroling.
“Snow” will 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 Accommodations of the Disneyland Resort
Along with ornate and themed vacation décor, all three Accommodations of the Disneyland Resort will host vacation carolers on choose days. Performances are throughout choose instances and at choose places from November 21 by December 31, 2024.
On Tuesday, Friday and Saturday evenings beginning November 22, the elegant environment 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 excellent mixture of characters and tradition. If this sounds much like Viva Navidad, nicely, it in all probability 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. It will likely 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 lots 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 return with the beginning of the brand new fiscal yr on the horizon and a slowdown in attendance.
If I had been Disneyland, I in all probability 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 Avenue on weekdays simply is sensible from a visitor utilization perspective. Doing one thing new and recent can be very welcome, particularly with Disneyland Resort’s local-centric visitor demographics. Having Viva Navidad for a pair days of the week not seems like a funds minimize–as a substitute, it looks like a pleasant gesture to its diehard fanbase (us included!).
Relating to Disney choices, even ostensibly constructive ones, I’m consistently 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 like a web constructive. The brand new acts on BVS shall be extremely common–I’d hazard a guess that they’ll be loved by double the quantity of people that seen Viva Navidad.
Finally, that’s the place I stand on all of this. I’m absolutely on board with Disneyland “consistently reevaluating its leisure choices” (or no matter line they offer) when this is the tip consequence. 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 unimaginable to see. Right here’s hoping that it is 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 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 lodges in our Anaheim Resort Opinions & Rankings. For the place to eat, take a look at our Disneyland Restaurant Opinions. 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 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 once you disagree with us—is each attention-grabbing to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas beneath within the feedback!
