Hi there, Rebecca! Welcome to planDisney! I can see that you are planning a holiday trip to the Happiest Place on Earth. There is no better time to visit. You'll love seeing Mickey and Minnie in their holiday best and feasting on all the seasonal sweet treats ... not to mention getting a glimpse of Santa himself in A Christmas Fantasy Parade!
Making
dining reservations throughout the
Disneyland Resort is less of an exact science and more of a cruise through "it's a small world". In some instances, it's a bit more fluid, and you might need to stay up on your pixie dust to be ready to book when those reservations open up. What I can tell you is that typically, dining reservations open up as early as 60 days in advance around 6:00 a.m. PST. That being said, this is not always the case. There are times when a restaurant may open reservations a few days into this window, and I've seen them open up at all times of the day. For us Disney planners, it can be hard to get on board and go with the flow when you are trying to get your Disneyland ducks in a row! My best advice is to continue to check back daily. I did see some Christmas day reservations open up recently, particularly for
Storytellers Cafe at D
isney's Grand Californian Hotel & Spa. When I'm in your shoes, I usually have my laptop open to the reservation page and do a couple of refreshes throughout the day. If you find that reservations are booked, definitely keep checking. Guests are always changing their plans. I make a note of the cancellation policy, usually 24 hours, and continue to refresh that day as that's when you will likely see the most movement as people are finalizing their plans. I'm wishing upon a star that you can grab those reservations, Rebecca!
Since you will be enjoying the holly jolly on the big day itself, I recommend taking a look a the
Entertainment Schedule once it's released about six weeks out from your trip. You'll be able to start scheduling out your days and filling in some must-see entertainment and nighttime spectaculars from
World of Color - Seasons of Light to
"Believe ... In the Holiday Magic"! One of my favorite things to catch is the
"it's a small world"Holiday Lightning. You won't have to arrive too early to get a great view, and there's usually plenty of room for little ones to wiggle around. Just as dusk starts to fall, you'll be treated to that magnificent façade lighting up the night with festive twinkle lights! While you're there, why not hop aboard the merriest cruise on earth and take a trip through
"it's a small world" Holiday to sing along to some favorite holiday tunes? It will be sure to get you in the holiday spirit!
I hope this was helpful, Rebecca! If you have any more questions, you know where to find us here at
planDisney! Be sure to take a moment to soak in the magic ... hopefully with hot cocoa and a Mickey-shaped treat in hand!
Be merry!
Tara