Hey there Shannyn,
Welcome to planDisney and thank you for your question! You are speaking my language here - the Christmas season is my favorite time to visit the Disneyland Resort and my family and I have had a tradition of visiting in mid-November right after the decorations go up. In my book, there's no better way to kick off the
Holiday season than a trip to the Happiest Place on Earth.
This year, the
Halloween season runs through October 31 and the Holiday season officially kicks off on November 15. If you visit prior to November 15, you'll likely see hints of the Holiday season to come, but it will not be in full swing quite yet.
While the full Holiday season might not have kicked off yet, there is a nice trade-off that I've experienced when visiting in early November in that the parks have tended to be less crowded, which is really nice!
If your main goal is to bask in the lights and music of the Holiday season and your travel dates are flexible then my suggestion would be to push your visit back another couple of weeks. If your travel dates are not flexible - Hakuna Matata! You're still going to see hints of the Holiday season plus you'll still be in the Happiest Place on Earth and will have an absolutely amazing time.
Keep an eye on the
Disney Parks Blog as you get closer to your trip to learn more about the latest news happening around the resort as well! This is a really great resource especially to discover fun extras that might be happening during your visit.
Thanks again for your question, Shannyn, and have a great trip!
Have a Magical Day,
Greg