Disney has announced returning & new live entertainment, character meet & greets, nighttime spectaculars, dance parties and more for Christmas 2024 at Disneyland, California Adventure, Downtown Disney, and the resort hotels. This guide covers everything you need to know, plus offers commentary about why this is unexpectedly great news!
In terms of basics, Holiday Time at Disneyland Resort returns from November 15, 2024, through January 6, 2025, featuring a wide variety of festive, family-friendly entertainment, decorations, parades, ride overlays, and so much more. In addition to returning classics, this year’s lineup presents some all-new options.
This is your guide to the merry, must-see entertainment across both theme parks, Downtown Disney District and the Hotels of the Disneyland Resort. If you’re looking for an all-encompassing overview and tips to make the most of the holiday season, see our Ultimate Guide to Christmas 2024 at Disneyland Resort.
As an additional planning resource, it’s highly recommended to download and consult the Disneyland app or the Hours & Events Calendar on Disneyland.com for the full list of entertainment offerings and latest performance schedules. Showtimes do vary by date–for example, there will be more (and different) showings of certain entertainment on weekends or during peak weeks than there will on some random weekday in early December.
Anyway, here’s a rundown of the new & returning Christmas entertainment at Disneyland Resort, followed by our commentary…
Disney California Adventure Christmas Entertainment
NEW! “Mirabel’s Gifts of the Season”
Mirabel from Walt Disney Animation Studios’ “Encanto” and her friends rejoice in the spirit of the holidays, bringing everyone together during their very own Fiesta de Navidad celebration.
Kids of all ages and families will enjoy singing along to the beloved songs from the film in this heartfelt musical presentation. Scheduled Mondays through Fridays outside the entrance to Paradise Gardens Park.
NEW! “A Musical Christmas with Mariachi Alegría de Disneyland & Miguel!”
This nighttime show gathers friends and families to listen to heartfelt stories and timeless songs in an enchanting celebration of the holidays. Mariachi Alegría de Disneyland, accompanied by graceful dancers, delivers intimate, bilingual performances of beloved Christmas songs.
The celebration closes with a special appearance by Miguel from Pixar Animation Studios’ “Coco” for a beautiful rendition of “Silent Night.” Scheduled Monday through Friday evenings on Buena Vista Street.
DCA Festival of Holidays: New & Returning Live Music
Disney California Adventure Festival of the Holidays celebrates Christmas, Navidad, Hanukkah, Diwali, Kwanzaa, and Three Kings Day. This year’s festival features an expanded rotation of live bands and cultural performance groups – bringing a variety of high-energy seasonal fun each day for all ages to enjoy.
The live entertainment across Disney California Adventure displays an extensive range of genres, including mariachi, jazz, klezmer, Latin pop, fusion, reggae, polka and more. Several new live bands and cultural performance groups will perform at the festival, such as Joy, Rangoli Rhythms, Malaya Filipino American Dance Arts, Keali’I O Nālani & Daniel Ho, and more. You can also enjoy a season of celebrations with many returning favorites, including Blue13 Dance Company and The Mistletoes.
The entertainment rotation varies throughout the season, so it is highly recommended to check Disneyland.com for a full list of performers and daily showtimes. Scheduled multiple times daily at various stages across Disney California Adventure.
“Mickey’s Happy Holidays” and Holiday Toy Drummers
Families and kids will want to dance along to holiday rhythms as iconic Disney characters march along the Disney California Adventure park parade route to the beat of the Holiday Toy Drummers during “Mickey’s Happy Holidays.”
In addition, the playfully percussive precision of the Holiday Toy Drummers will delightfully drum up seasonal cheer for all to hear in front of the obelisk in Paradise Gardens Park. The Holiday Toy Drummers perform multiple times daily at DCA during Festival of the Holidays.
Disney ¡Viva Navidad! Street Party
Hosted by The Three Caballeros, the Disney ¡Viva Navidad! Street Party features lively Mexican folklórico dancers and mariachis, uplifting Brazilian samba dancers and percussionists, and more. Plus, Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse make an appearance in their colorful fiesta attire. Scheduled on Saturdays and Sundays from November 16 through January 5, 2025.
“World of Color – Season of Light” (NEW Tag!)
With splendid views around Paradise Bay, you can bask in holiday wonder during “World of Color – Season of Light“ at Disney California Adventure. This stunning nighttime spectacular features scenes from films such as Pixar Animation Studios’ “Inside Out” and Walt Disney Animation Studios’ “Frozen,” set to lively holiday music.
For a limited time beginning November 15, an all-new water short highlighting Walt Disney Animation Studios’ new film “Moana 2” will be presented before the show. “Moana 2” is in theaters beginning November 27, 2024.
Joining the complimentary virtual queue to experience “World of Color – Season of Light” is highly recommended. This nighttime spectacular is performed once or twice nightly, depending upon crowds.
Disneyland Christmas Entertainment
NEW! “Holiday Fun with Santa and Friends!” at Fantasyland Theatre
Throughout the day, Santa Claus and select Disney characters will make appearances and pose for holiday photos at “Holiday Fun with Santa and Friends!” at the Fantasyland Theatre. Families can also enjoy craft making, sing-alongs of holiday classics and atmospheric music. Scheduled daily at Disneyland.
“Disney Holiday Dance Party” at Tomorrowland Terrace
Kids and kids-at-heart can dance the night away at Tomorrowland Terrace in Disneyland. Nightly fun at this location will feature holiday tunes and appearances by favorite Disney characters on a stage dressed up for the season. Scheduled nightly at Disneyland park from November 16 through January 6, 2025.
“A Christmas Fantasy Parade”
“A Christmas Fantasy Parade” returns for another merry musical celebration, filled with jolly elves, dancing gingerbread cookies and prancing reindeer. Disney characters such as Anna and Elsa from Walt Disney Animation Studios’ “Frozen,” Disney Princesses, Buzz Lightyear from Pixar Animation Studios’ “Toy Story” and more also join in, with Santa Claus appearing in the grand finale.
Viewing areas can be found around “it’s a small world” Holiday, near Matterhorn Bobsleds and Main Street, U.S.A., while reserved viewing for the parade is included with the Holiday Time at the Disneyland Resort Guided Tour. “A Christmas Fantasy Parade” is performed daily at Disneyland during the holiday season.
“Believe…In Holiday Magic”
The “Believe…In Holiday Magic” fireworks spectacular lights up the night sky above Disneyland on a nightly basis as Sleeping Beauty’s Winter Castle shimmers with more than 80,000 twinkling lights, sparkling “icicles” and glistening snow-capped turrets.
You can also experience a magical “snowfall” along parts of Main Street, U.S.A., near “it’s a small world” Holiday and along the Rivers of America during Wintertime Enchantment at Sleeping Beauty’s Winter Castle several times each night.
Meet Santa Claus Throughout Disneyland Resort
Enjoy merry moments, snap festive photos and share holiday wishes with Santa Claus, who will also stop by Redwood Creek Challenge Trail in Disney California Adventure through December 24. From December 25, 2024, through January 6, 2025, you may encounter Santa Goofy at this location.
Santa will also swing by Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, Disneyland Hotel and Pixar Place Hotel from November 28 through December 24 to greet children of all ages, so make sure to say hello before he heads back to the North Pole.
Christmas Character Appearances
Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse and their friends will show off stunning new looks in Town Square at Disneyland, reminiscent of writing warm letters to loved ones during the holidays.
Throughout both parks, you may spot characters making special appearances for the holidays, including Mirabel and friends from Disney Animation’s “Encanto” on select days at the Paradise Gardens gazebo in Disney California Adventure park.
At the Hotels of the Disneyland Resort, you can also encounter characters during specially themed dining offerings at Goofy’s Kitchen Celebrates Christmas and Storytellers Cafe.
Holiday Lighting Moments
Nightly at Disney California Adventure, you’ll have the opportunity to witness a magnificent 50-foot tree illuminate in dazzling splendor during the Buena Vista Street Christmas Tree Lighting.
As dusk begins to fall each night at Disneyland, you can gather in front of “it’s a small world” Holiday to watch thousands of twinkling lights come to life. Then, during select times throughout the night, a joyous light projection show animates the façade of the attraction with a kaleidoscope of holiday colors and images.
Live Music and Nightly Snow at Downtown Disney District
The holiday festivities extend to the Downtown Disney District with holiday décor, shopping and entertainment. The Downtown Disney LIVE! stage and lawn will present seasonal live music each night, with featured acts covering genres such as rock, jazz and classic caroling.
“Snow” will also fall near the Downtown Disney District LIVE! stage and lawn during special moments nightly from November 29 through January 6, 2025.
Entertainment at the Hotels of the Disneyland Resort
In addition to ornate and themed holiday décor, all three Hotels of the Disneyland Resort will host holiday carolers on select days. Performances are during select times and at select locations from November 21 through December 31, 2024.
On Tuesday, Friday and Saturday evenings starting November 22, the elegant atmosphere of the Great Hall lobby at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa will be enhanced with live holiday jazz.
Our Commentary
This is fantastic news. It’s great to see Disneyland Resort adding multiple pieces of entertainment, and expanding others. The new Encanto and Coco-inspired entertainment on Buena Vista Street sounds excellent, like a great mix of characters and culture. If this sounds similar to Viva Navidad, well, it probably is!
As we previously reported, one disappointing change for 2024 is that Disney ¡Viva Navidad! will only occur on 16 dates from November 16, 2024 through January 5, 2025. It will be performed every Saturday and Sunday, and no other dates–not even holiday long weekends or peak season dates between Christmas and New Year’s Eve. Just Saturdays and Sundays–that’s it.
There was a lot of anger and disappointment back when this was revealed, especially given that Disneyland had already dramatically scaled back entertainment over the summer. At the time, we feared this was a preview of what was to come with the start of the new fiscal year on the horizon and a slowdown in attendance.
If I were Disneyland, I probably would’ve announced all of this at once. It’s now clear what the actual plan was, to reallocate resources from Viva Navidad to new entertainment in a more centralized location. From my perspective, this makes complete sense. Viva Navidad is tucked away in Paradise Gardens Park, and you’re not alone if you wondered “what/where is that?”
Moving entertainment up to Buena Vista Street on weekdays just makes sense from a guest utilization perspective. Doing something new and fresh is also very welcome, especially with Disneyland Resort’s local-centric guest demographics. Having Viva Navidad for a couple days of the week no longer looks like a budget cut–instead, it feels like a nice gesture to its diehard fanbase (us included!).
When it comes to Disney decisions, even ostensibly positive ones, I’m constantly questioning: what’s the catch? With this news, I cannot think of one. I’d imagine some Viva Navidad fans who are blocked out on weekends will still disappointed, but on balance for the guest experience as a whole, this seems like a net positive. The new acts on BVS will be incredibly popular–I’d hazard a guess that they’ll be enjoyed by double the number of people who viewed Viva Navidad.
Ultimately, that’s where I stand on all of this. I’m fully on board with Disneyland “constantly reevaluating its entertainment offerings” (or whatever line they give) when this is the end result. More new entertainment, refreshes to fan-favorites, and so forth. I said as much when they retired that weird Dr. Strange show in Avengers Campus that was almost impossible to see. Here’s hoping that this is a sign of what’s to come, because these entertainment additions for Christmas 2024 should be the blueprint for 2025 at Disneyland. (I just hope I’m not missing something obvious, as this still feels a little too good to be true after the last 18 months!)
Planning a Southern California vacation? For park admission deals, read Tips for Saving Money on Disneyland Tickets. Learn about on-site and off-site hotels in our Anaheim Hotel Reviews & Rankings. For where to eat, check out our Disneyland Restaurant Reviews. For unique ideas of things that’ll improve your trip, check out What to Pack for Disney. For comprehensive advice, consult our Disneyland Vacation Planning Guide. Finally, for guides beyond Disney, check out our Southern California Itineraries for day trips to Los Angeles, Laguna Beach, and many other SoCal cities!
Your Thoughts
What do you think of the entertainment lineup for Christmas 2024 at Disneyland and Disney California Adventure? Excited by all of the new additions, or disappointed they’re coming at the expense of weekday showings of Viva Navidad? Do you agree or disagree with our assessment? Any questions? Hearing your feedback—even when you disagree with us—is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
