Hi Stephanie,
Welcome to planDisney! I'm happy to hear you're planning a December trip to the Happiest Place on Earth. The holiday décor across the Disneyland Resort is definitely a must-see. Let’s talk about what you can expect during this special time!
Halloween Time at the Disneyland Resort ends on October 31. After that, the parks begin their winter transformation. The change in décor typically happens gradually.
The Holidays Begin at Disneyland officially run from November 14, 2025, to January 7, 2026. During this same time, California Adventure will also be celebrating the
Festival of Holidays.
During this festive season, there will be a pause on the 70th anniversary entertainment, and the resort will be fully decorated for the holidays. As of now, we don’t know whether any special holiday décor will continue to incorporate elements of the
70th anniversary celebration.
If your heart is set on experiencing the 70th anniversary décor and entertainment, you have two options:
Push up your trip: Consider rescheduling for late July or early August (before the Halloween décor goes up). Disneyland is currently offering
special ticket and
hotel deals to celebrate the anniversary.
Push back your trip: The 70th anniversary celebration will resume after the holiday season and continue through summer 2026. You could plan a longer trip starting on January 7 so you can enjoy the holiday décor and then be there for the flip back to the 70th anniversary theming.
If you decide to come during the holidays, a must-do for any Christmastime trip is catching A
Christmas Fantasy Parade. While many guests love to watch from Main Street, I’m a big fan of the viewing spots near “it’s a small world.” You can catch the
lighting of it’s a small world, grab a great seat for the parade, and as a bonus, often hop on
“it’s a small world” Holiday right after with minimal wait time.
I hope this helps with your planning, Stephanie! If you have any more questions or need additional tips, don’t hesitate to reach out to me or any of my fellow planDisney panelists. We’re always here to sprinkle a little extra pixie dust on your vacation.
Happy Planning!
– Melinda