TRAVEL cargoshippingtimes 11/20/2025 0 Comments

The best things to do at Disneyland during this magical holiday season

There’s a reason so many people put up with the year-round price hikes and roadblocks at Disneyland every November through early January. It’s the funnest time of year – and arguably when the resort shines brightest, with seasonal dining offerings, holiday ride creations and unique live entertainment options.

Disneyland, of course, is home to the long-running Christmas Fantasy Parade, but I would argue that it’s not the best parade this time of year. And this year, even Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, though not part of Disneyland’s holiday programming, is finding new ways to get festive.

Here’s a sampling of my favorite things to do in the park during the holiday season, which runs through January 7. If you’re excited to see it but looking to save a little on tickets, Disneyland has announced a new California ticket offer that goes on sale December 3 and goes into effect January 1. This deal is valid for a three-day park-hopper ticket, which can be used from a launch ticket. $249 per person, which comes to $83 per day.

If you go, don’t be shy, and say hello, because this is the time of year when I visit often.

Don’t miss Disneyland’s best street party

Mariachi Plan at the Viva Navidad Festival at Disney California Adventure.

There is one show at the Disneyland Resort that every year, without fail, brings me to tears—tears of joy, but also tears of wonder that there is something so vibrant, diverse, and dance-focused at a Disney park. The show is the California adventure ¡Viva Navidad!

A proud celebration of Latin art and music from start to finish, ¡Viva Nuevadad! Disney’s mid-1940s bona fide film “The Three Caballeros” uses the characters as a jumping-off point to introduce folkloric dancers, mariachis and 12-foot-tall mojiganga puppets (large-scale, paper-mache sculptures that fly up or down rapidly. Adventure). The show, which came from the minds of Susana Tebert and her team at Disney Live Entertainment, feels a bit like a Mexican street parade and works because it reaches out to guests from all walks of life. Although starting with Paul McCartney’s “Wonderful Christmas Time,” it ends with the ever-lovely “Fillies New Year” from Jose Feliciano.

Running since 2013, Viva Navidad! There is an explosion. This is a treasure. The only problem is that the show primarily runs only on weekends.

Embrace a cultural tradition with stories, candles and meditation

A mariachi band performs with an actor at Miguel's ("cocoa") clothing.

Introduced last year, the California adventure “A Musical Christmas with Mariachi Alegría de Disneyland & Miguel” stars the Disney/Pixar film “Coco” but, like Viva Nuevadad!, is rooted in cultural traditions. Especially Las Posadas. Considered a festive procession that travels through the community, Las Posadas are traditionally held in Mexico between December 16 and 24. In its purest form, Las Posadas depicts the biblical story of Joseph and Mary and their search for shelter at the birth of Jesus.

Disney’s performance, which usually takes place on weekdays, deviates from religious efforts. But some key touchstones—the combination of music and stories, the candlelit children’s center—are there. It kicks off with a rendition of “El Burrito de Ballon” to the California Adventure Center and throughout the show it will touch on staples like “Jingle Bells” and “Santa Claus is Coming to Town,” albeit in two languages.

The show’s narrator and singer enthralls the guests with stories of how different Latin countries present the stories of Santa Claus, or say, the joy of opening a tamil. Instead of a street performance, the climax is a candlelit rendition of “Silent Night” with audience participation. What a moment ago becomes a bit more reflective of festive theme park fare, while also somewhat nodding to the more spiritual foundations of the holiday.

Take part in an exciting holiday in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge

A 'Star Wars' Wookiee in a red suit holding an orb.

Okay, so this is a bit of a curve ball. It should be noted that what happens in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is not part of Disneyland’s traditional holiday program, because a day in the life is not really a holiday, unless, perhaps, your religion is “Star Wars”. It’s also clearly good fun. A Day in the Life has its roots in the fun but campy and culturally questionable “Star Wars Holiday Special” as an episode set on the Wookiee home planet of Kashyyyk.

When Galaxy’s Edge opened in 2019, fans wondered if Earth would get in on the action during the holiday season. Initially, fans started showing up on November 17, the day the TV special aired, for impromptu celebrations of their own. Credit Disneyland for embracing guest-driven activity, so much so that the park began creating Life Day jewelry and shirts as well as limited-time dining specials.

This year, a red-clad Chewbacca holding a glowing orb — the official symbol of Day of the Dead — will roam the galaxy’s edge to meet audiences for the first time. Disney hasn’t said exactly how long this festive version of Chewbacca will be available on Earth, but here’s hoping that Life Day can be celebrated at least until the end of Disneyland’s traditional holidays.

Finally, I enjoyed my morning in honor of the legendary holiday, as I partook in Oga’s cantina of anise-spiked sangria (Joh Blastoah Sangria Gokula, $19.50) with a large, sweet slice of cinnamon toast, a delicious, delicious, and delicious combination. Lychee Pearls (Mala Flower Toast, $13). The latter meant that I inevitably had dessert for breakfast, and while it was too sweet to finish—definitely share—I couldn’t help but smile at the fact that Disneyland has embraced one of the sillier aspects of space fantasy that Earth is devoted to.

You’ll Love Gingerbread (And Other Delicious Flavors)

Two kinds of mac and cheese on one plate.

I stopped in the lobby of the Grand Californian on my way out of the park for a Mickey-shaped gingerbread cookie and stood in a line that some guests said they spent 40 minutes standing in. But having had it over the past year, as well as the Halloween version of the cookies just a few weeks ago, I can attest to the soft quality. Worth the wait? Your mileage may vary, but know that the best gingerbread cookies in Disneyland are actually inside Harbor Galley Park, where the cookies are small and round, but also spicy and delicious. And 13 of them cost just $13.79, making them one of the most budget-friendly breakfasts at the resort. They are a must.

There’s still so much to sample in Disneyland’s two parks, its shopping district and hotels, so much so that I spent a lot more time eating than riding on Sunday. Most of my afternoon was devoted to Disney California Holiday Festival food, where most items go for $6 to $9 (or buy a pass to try six items for $49). The highlight was El Padre’s mac and cheese where I slathered pork cubes on top of the theme park cheese slaw. Don’t miss out on some of the returning favorites, like the barbacoa tamale de res, which has deliciously tender beef, or the pork belly adobo, one of the festival’s signature dishes. Just know that the booths may run out of stuff from time to time during the day, so be prepared for a rush.

Elsewhere, I sampled the creamy, rum-forward horchata with whipped cream ($18) at Disney Centro, a cool, cinnamon-focused mid-afternoon dessert drink, and made a note to return for the seasonal, always tamales. It wouldn’t be a holiday without a little eggnog, so I made it to the Disneyland Hotel’s Broken Spell Lounge for its $19 cognac and rum-spiked singalong. That’s a lot of alcohol, so next time I might simply stick to a local spirit-less homemade eggnog for $9. While there, don’t miss the French toast, although pricey at $34, a hearty, filling sandwich that debuted during the holidays last year and became so popular with guests that it stuck around.

Still on my to-try list: Gingerbread-Cranberry Cheesecake Mini at Disneyland’s Jolly Holiday Bakery Cafe and Gingerbread Pancakes at River Bell Terrace.

And of course, don’t miss the Holiday Rides, including the Haunted Mansion and It’s a Small World

The Haunted Mansion is related topic at the moment "The Nightmare Before Christmas," A charming, Christmas-centric makeover.

In a way, Disneyland has been celebrating Christmas since August. That’s when the Haunted Mansion was recreated in its “Nightmare Before Christmas” form and became a ride that widely loved the December 25 holiday.

While Disneyland’s original Haunted Mansion is one after my own heart, the cover has its own charm, a demented gingerbread house in a ballroom scene. This year’s song is full of deadly red-eyed ravens who are up to no good, and in true Haunted Mansion fashion it has a pun to name. The 13-foot gingerbread house is titled “The Bird of Murder.” Be very careful when walking, because not all of these crows and crows seem to survive a visit to the Gingerbread House.

And while Disneyland’s evening tree lighting tends to draw crowds, you’ll want to make your way to Fantasyland at 5 p.m. to see this little world light up. Here, tens of thousands of lights instantly flip on for Southern California’s most memorable Christmas light display. It’s so bright, that nearby walkways will turn red and green and green, along with a playful piece of mid-60s architecture.

Attraction itself remains pleasure. The give and take of “Jingle Bells” along with the ride’s name songs and seasonal ornaments make a relaxing boat trip even more enjoyable. The regular version is my favorite ride at Disneyland, and during the holidays it’s like riding through a giant, wintery music box.