Hello, Virginia! Thanks for stopping by planDisney!
I'm thrilled to hear that you'll be attending the new
Disney Merriest Nites event this year! With all the different holiday celebrations around the park to experience, you are sure to have a wonderful time! You are correct that the official start of the
The Holidays at the Disneyland Resort is on December 12, 2021. However, fret not because the park will be decorated from top to bottom by the time of the first Disney Merriest Nites on November 11. The parks start to transition from Halloween Time to The Holidays immediately after the parks close on October 31 and the team is quite speedy. I've visited before in very early November and was surprised to already see snow and lights on Sleeping Beauty Castle and the giant Christmas tree in Town Square. So while there may be a few finishing touches to be done on November 12, the vast majority of the decorations will be up by November 11.
With your Disney Merriest Nites ticket, you can enter Disneyland Park starting at 5:00 p.m. and the party officially kicks off at 8:00 p.m. You do not need to make a theme park reservation to attend with your special event ticket. Also, don't forget that unlimited Disney PhotoPass downloads are included with your ticket so be sure to stop by all the special photo opportunities around the park.
I hope this helps! Have a very merry time at the Happiest Place on Earth!
-Linda