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I know I have a lot of favorite times of the year at Disneyland, but Holiday Time really is my absolute favorite!
I tried to hold off writing this post till after Thanksgiving, but I just couldn’t do it… I have to share this all now. There is so much happening at The Disneyland Resorts right now during the 2015 Holiday Time from Nov. 13, 2015 through Jan. 6, 2016!
Holiday time is best experienced over two days, but if you are strategic you can see, do, and eat it all in one day! We always start in Disneyland and park hop over to Disney’s California Adventure when the crowds hit Disneyland midday. Then we head back over to Disneyland in the evening.
Let’s get started with all the fun!
There is no better time than during the holidays to take a horse drawn trolley ride up or down Main Street USA. It’s also the perfect way to sit back and enjoy all the holiday decorations!
Now it’s time to explore and go on more rides!
The Haunted Mansion Holiday presents a spooky but lighthearted mashup of the Halloween and Christmas holidays as imagined by Jack Skellington from the Walt Disney Pictures animated classic Tim Burton’s “The Nightmare Before Christmas.” Continuing an annual tradition, a new gingerbread house is created each year for the Mansion, adding a humorous touch to the ballroom scene. This year, the gingerbread house design features gingerbread zombies constructing a teetering “house of cards.” This is Maddie’s favorite ride even if you go on it each year, it’s fun to see all the changes they have made for this year’s ride!
Jingle Cruise is also all ready for the holidays!
Hop on a boat for an adventurous, fun-filled expedition. Discover a cargo of holiday gifts and decorations that have been jettisoned over the jungles of the celebrated Jungle Cruise attraction in Adventureland. This year, a few new surprises have been dropped into the Cruise’s African veldt scene.
After the Haunted Mansion go straight to The Winnie The Pooh ride.
It rarely has long waits so we always hop on… it’s also one of Emmy’s favorite rides! As you leave the ride there is an area to the right of it where you can meet Santa! Go as early in the day as possible!
After meeting Santa head on into the store behind you (next to Winnie the Pooh) for a holiday treat! There are also special ones in celebration of the 60th (an announcement was made that it will continue till Monday, Sept. 5, 2016!)
Candy maker Beau shared with me all about the holiday time sweet treats:
I picked some of my favorite holiday merchandise too… I love these ears!
These crossover holiday and Season Of The Force pins are just straight up awesome!!!
The park is beautiful at night!
We love the holiday colors on the castle!
Right in front of the castle is a great spot to catch “Disneyland Forever,” the dazzling, new fireworks spectacular! It’s a street-to-sky, immersive experience like nothing seen before at the Disneyland Resort, with pyrotechnics, original music and viewing locations throughout Disneyland Park. Guests will be surrounded by the worlds of timeless Disney tales, from the tips of their toes to the sky high above, thanks to the largest installation of projection mapping technology in a Disney park and surprising special effects.
Don’t forget to check and see what time “A Christmas Fantasy” parade is happening.
It’s not to be missed. It’s a Disneyland holiday treasure, presents Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse and an array of Disney characters celebrating the holiday season. The daytime parade features 100-plus performers including Santa Claus, who brings jolly holiday wishes from the North Pole. 
After dark, the Diamond Celebration “Paint the Night” parade will bring its own brand of glittering magic to Disneyland, with dazzling special effects, unforgettable music, energetic performances, Disney characters and spectacular floats. The luminescent parade creates a river of color flowing down Main Street, U.S.A., with more than 1.5 million brilliant LED lights.
I wanted to ride this 100 times.
Everyone on our boat left full of joy. It is such a special tradition to ride “it’s a small world” Holiday! This ride offers a worldwide celebration of the season, with more than 60,000 twinkling LED lights on the attraction’s façade. Inside, animated dolls representing children of many nations are dressed in holiday attire, singing holiday songs as well as the classic “It’s a Small World After All.”
Here is everything happening over at Disney’s California Adventure…
If you haven’t experienced one of these shows you must. They are breathtakingly beautiful and fun!
For the first time (in forever, I had to add that Frozen reference in there), two splendid versions of the “World of Color” spectacular will be presented nightly during the Holiday season on Paradise Bay. The holiday-themed show, “World of Color − Winter Dreams,” features host Olaf the snowman along with classic winter scenes from beloved Disney and Disney●Pixar films such as “Bambi,” “Toy Story” and “Frozen,” the blockbuster Disney film. For the Disneyland Resort Diamond Celebration, “World of Color – Celebrate” pays a fun, surprise-filled tribute to Walt Disney, whose imagination led to the creation of Disneyland and so many beloved characters. “World of Color – Winter Dreams” is the first show of the evening, followed by “World of Color – Celebrate!”
“Disney ¡Viva Navidad!”
“Disney ¡Viva Navidad!” is a daily celebration of Latino culture and holiday traditions with music, dancing, vibrant colors and delicious food. Disney characters join the fun in the lively “Disney ¡Viva Navidad! Street Party,” presented multiple times a day.
“Olaf’s Snow Fest”
“Olaf’s Snow Fest” celebrates its return to Hollywood Land with Olaf, the comical snowman from “Frozen.” Stage 17 is transformed into a charming castle courtyard inspired by the “Frozen” kingdom of Arendelle. Kids of all ages have fun in a giant wintry play area with real snow where they are encouraged to build snow creations and zip down a snow slide. Guests who wish to observe the icy fun will have a nearby viewing area. Music and storytelling entertainment will be presented throughout the day.
“Snowcar”
The residents of Radiator Springs will welcome guests with a “Snowcar” at the entrance of Cars Land, and each address along Route 66 – Flo’s V8 Café, Fillmore’s Taste-In, Cozy Cone Motel and more – will feature holiday decorations reflecting the personalities of the “Cars” character who lives there.
Flik and his buddies decorate “a bug’s land” with giant Christmas lights and holiday ornaments, adding to the festive spirit.
There is even more fun in the Downtown Disney District.
You can take a break from holiday shopping and dining to go skating on “Olaf’s Frozen Ice Rink” and The Downtown Disney Winter Village around the ice rink. It creates a festive mood and guests may purchase holiday gift items from the windows of the charming village chalets. Last year they had awesome hot chocolate too!
I will be back in Disneyland in April! I can’t wait. I wish I was there for xmas!
I’m so excited for you to experience the 60th celebration! You are going to have so much fun Robin!
how fun and delicious is this going to be for everybody who goes there! 😀
I would love to see Disneyland at Christmas. I’ve never had the opportunity to see Disney during a holiday before.
It sounds like Disneyland is the perfect vacation destination for the holidays. I would love to just walk around the park and see some decorations.
Disneyland looks great all year round. I bet now it is super magical.
I’ve always wanted to see Disney during Christmas. I think the magic of Disney plus the magic of Christmas would be a fantastic experience.
Christmas at Disneyland looks amazing. I want those sparkly Minnie Mouse ears.
These are great I am ready to to go to Disneyland amazing candy cane awesome.
That would be a fun place to visit during the holidays.
I don’t think there’s any other place that can may you so excited about Christmas other than Disneyland! So awesome. I love the sweets, I’ll die in dessert heaven!
Disney at Christmas seems like such a magical time. I would love to get my kids there at some point! So awesome.
I can’t until I can take my kiddo there! It looks like SO much fun! I want to try all the food there.
I’ve been to Disney World once, when my daughter was 3, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It’s on my wish list to visit Disneyland as well, as I really want to see Cars Land!
Disney is such an overall class act. Being there during the holidays would be wonderful and I’ll admit, I’m a bit jealous of your experience! 🙂
Looks so beautiful all decorated for Christmas! I’d love to go to Disneyland once in my life so I have something to compare Disney World to! (Since I’m only 30 minutes away from Disney World and have been there quite a few times!)
Disney just seems like so much fun. I cannot wait to go there with my kids one day. I may go during the holidays now that I see how beautiful is.
P.S. Those sweet treats are not good for my pre-diabetes. LOL
Disney is magical any way you look at it, but during the holidays, it is even more special. I am taking my family there soon.
I have been wanting to take the kids to Disney soon. The Holidays would be a great time to go. I would love to see the parade .
I would love to go to Disney for the Holidays. The park would look amazing all decorated.
There is no place like Disneyland for the holidays!!
what an amazing time and wow love all the great pictures, it would indeed be a magical time
We did disney last year with our then 2 year old and 9 month olds. I am going to wait until they are older before we go again : )
What a magical time of year to visit Disneyland! I love how magical Disney is anytime of year but it’s an extra something special for the Christmas season!
I love Disney Land. Those cake pops look so yummy.
i used to be a tour guide at Disneyland and I loved giving the Holiday time at the Disneyland resort tour. i highly recommend it
I’ve never seen Disneyland for the holidays. my Mom loves Disneyland, she was just there a week or so ago.
We were in Disneyland a year ago today! If I could spend our holidays there every single year I would! It is my favorite place on earth!
Disneyland during the holidays is like double the magic. I havent been there in a while and it would be nice to be back.
I have always wanted to visit Disneyland during the holiday season. They decorate everything so beautifully.
That looks like so much fun! I would love to visit disneyland during the holidays!
When my kids were young, we would go to Disneyland quite often. Or when we had guest in from other states. Because my husband and I had no family here, we would often go to Disneyland on Thanksgiving Day. It was always so beautifully decorated. It has been a long time for me since I have been there.
I have always wanted to visit Disneyland, what is the difference between California Disney and Florida Disney.
That looks yummy! I think this is the best time to be at Disney.
Oh, you guys had a wonderful time. I would love to go to Disney on Christmas time.
I’d love to go to Disneyland! It is indeed the happiest place on earth. Maybe when my hubby is not in pain, we can plan a trip there. Thanks for sharing!
Christmas is so near! and i bet this place was a lot of fun i really want to go there
I love just being able to relax and have fun. It’s so nice in Disneyland.
I would love to make it over to Disneyland for Christmas! How beautiful 🙂
We haven’t done Disneyland at Christmas, but did Disney World about 4 years ago. It was so magical, we jones for a return trip every winter!
Wow, Disneyland definitely goes all out for the holidays! The place is completely transformed!
Man I would love to visit Disney during the holidays! It looks so magical!
Disney at Christmas seems like such an awesome moment of life…! Being there during the holidays would be wonderful.
Maybe I will get to go again – this time with my granddaughter! Thanks for this!
Those are yummy treats! I can’t wait to go back to Disney. It’s been a long time since we last went there.
Christmas is such a magical time let a lone adding Disneyland into the mixture! Such pretty food and decorations!!
I love the video! I would love to eat all of the treats on the table.
I’ve never been to Disneyland during the holidays. I can only imagine how magical it is!
I have visited Disney World during Thanksgiving but never during Christmas. It was decorated for Christmas though and it was very pretty and festive.
We have our FIRST EVERY planned vacation to Disney next year! We are excited for the whole experience!
Disneyland is always so fun during the holidays. I really enjoyed your post overall and I love your video of the Candy Making man.
This place really is where dreams are made! My kids would love to visit and have fun there!