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The 2023 Ultimate Guide to the Holidays at Disney Parks

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If your holiday wish is to experience the merriment of Walt Disney World® Resort or the Disneyland® Resort, use our guide to the festivities to help you plan a joyous celebration. Here’s what you need to know about important updates and key events. And as you prepare for the holidays, the New Year and all the unforgettable getaways ahead, remember to use your Disney® Visa® Credit Card to take advantage of special vacation financing on select Disney vacation packages.1

Know Before You Go

Make reservations for theme parks and experiences

Before you can have an enchanting day at the theme parks, you’ll need to make theme park reservations in advance for Walt Disney World® Resort and the Disneyland® Resort. You should also plan to make reservations for restaurants, activities and any other experiences that can be scheduled ahead of time to ensure you can maximize all the holiday happenings.

It’s best to have a plan

Make the most of your visit when you download the My Disney Experience app for Walt Disney World® Resort or the official Disneyland® App*. Navigate the parks, place mobile orders, manage your reservations and more.

And check out the Disney Genie+ service—available at Walt Disney World® Resort and the Disneyland® Resort—for convenient ways to help plan your day in the park. Save time waiting in line by using Lightning Lane entrances; some are available with the purchase of Disney Genie+ service, and other Lightning Lane entrances may be purchased individually.

Holidays at Walt Disney World® Resort

Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party**

Gather your loved ones for this winter tradition that’s sure to make you smile. This special event returns to Magic Kingdom® Park select nights from November 9 to December 22, and it features spectacular entertainment, including Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade, Mickey’s Most Merriest Celebration and the grand finale of Minnie’s Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks show. Immerse yourself in the decor, feast on seasonal treats, shop for specialty merchandise, and keep an eye out for Disney Characters and Santa!

Disney Jollywood Nights**

Disney’s Hollywood Studios® is hosting a brand-new nighttime party where holiday glamour meets cheer. Delight in yuletide entertainment with live music, browse limited-time merchandise, explore themed swanky venues, and enjoy cocktails along with savory and sweet dishes. This limited-capacity event runs on select nights from November 11 through December 20.

Frozen Holiday Surprise

Cinderella Castle is getting a new, dazzling experience featuring Elsa, Anna, Olaf, Kristoff and the Snowgies. Gather ’round… this holiday surprise is sure to thaw any frozen heart!

Holiday Nighttime Lights

No one beats Disney when it comes to amazing holiday experiences, and the season just wouldn’t be complete without the classics. Take in the stunning glow of holiday projections on Cinderella Castle at Magic Kingdom® Park, The Hollywood Tower Hotel at Disney’s Hollywood Studios® and the Tree of Life® at Disney’s Animal Kingdom® Theme Park.

Tower Terror

EPCOT® Festival of the Holidays, presented by AdventHealth

Celebrate traditional tidings from around the world at this spirited fete, returning from November 24 through December 30. Hear from Storytellers from across the globe, experience the beloved Candlelight Processional featuring several new celebrity narrators, and enjoy seasonal flavors from 11 Holiday Kitchens. Don’t miss limited-time festival merchandise or the Holiday Cookie Stroll, during which Cardmembers can redeem Disney Reward Dollars toward delicious desserts.2

Disney’s Animal Kingdom® Theme Park Holiday Happenings

Swing by Adventurer’s Outpost to pose for a photo with Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse all decked out in their holiday attire. Then, venture to Discovery Island®, where you’ll find life-size, artisan-sculpted puppets of arctic animals like penguins, reindeer, foxes and polar bears at the Merry Menagerie. Keep an eye out for decked-out flotillas with some of your favorite Disney Characters (and Santa). And don’t miss the Christmastime fun at Pongu Pongu in Pandora – The World of Avatar. When evening comes, the Tree of Life® awakens with a series of wintry tales, complemented by familiar and heartwarming holiday music.

Minnie’s Holiday Dine at Hollywood & Vine

This seasonal soiree hosted by Minnie Mouse features celebratory music, whimsical winter decor and popular Disney Characters dressed to impress. If you have a reservation for this delightful holiday dinner, come hungry for a delicious meal and enchanting entertainment.

For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration

This iconic musical experience in Disney’s Hollywood Studios® is extra spellbinding during the holidays, with a special finale featuring Olaf. You’ll be enchanted by this recounting of Anna and Elsa’s story as told by the Royal Historians of Arendelle.

Frozen

Holiday Merchandise Collection

Show your Walt Disney World® Resort fandom with a holiday twist. Be on the lookout for fleece, totes, and other clothing and accessories. Cardmembers, remember to use your Disney Visa Card to save 10% on select purchases at select stores around Walt Disney World® Resort.34

Holidays at the Disneyland® Resort

Disney Festival of Holidays

Christmas, Navidad, Hanukkah, Diwali, Kwanzaa and Three Kings’ Day are traditions to be treasured during this celebration at Disney California Adventure® Park that’s filled with multicultural music, food and fun. Stop by the Festive Foods Marketplace to try dishes from around the world. Cardmembers, redeem your Disney Rewards Dollars toward the purchase of a Sip and Savor Pass, which lets you sample eight delicious foods and non-alcoholic beverages (restrictions apply). If you’re feeling generous, you can share your Sip and Savor Pass with a friend or even use it in multiple visits if you plan to stop by again.2

Festival of Holidays

Disney ¡Viva Navidad!

Enjoy the ultimate fiesta for Navidad with a street party featuring authentic performances and 12-foot-tall mojiganga puppets of Santa and Mrs. Claus! Dazzling décor, colorful papel picados and piñatas adorn Paradise Gardens, where you can celebrate Three Kings Day. Plus, meet some of your favorite Disney friends dressed in their holiday best, including a special appearance by Mirabel.

World of Color – Season of Light

Hundreds of towering water fountains dance to dazzling colors and lights in this returning nighttime spectacular at Disney California Adventure® Park. Watch iconic moments from Disney and Pixar films illuminate a wall of mist, accompanied by a medley of beloved music, from festive favorites to movie tunes you know by heart. A flurry of shimmering snowflakes brings enchantment to this winter wonderland on the water!

A Christmas Fantasy Parade

With Christmas-themed floats and a catchy soundtrack, this beloved parade down Main Street, U.S.A.,® brings out many favorite Characters, including Mickey Mouse and friends, Anna and Elsa, Woody and Buzz, and Disney Princesses. Wave hello to Santa as he passes by at the end of the parade!

A Christmas Fantasy Parade

“Believe…In Holiday Magic” Fireworks Spectacular

A kaleidoscope of colors, this pyrotechnical display at Sleeping Beauty’s Winter Castle has been a festive favorite for more than 20 years and entices attendees with its brilliant displays and merry music. Picture twinkling lights, glowing icicles, a gorgeously transformed castle and even snow. Bundle up and make your way to “it’s a small world” Holiday and portions of Main Street, U.S.A.® to experience magical snow falling all around you.

Sleeping Beauty's Winter Castle

Special Attraction Overlays

During the holidays, from November 10, 2023 to January 7, 2024, it’s the perfect time of year to see some favorite attractions with a seasonal twist. Some of the most popular attractions are getting their annual merry makeovers—such as Mater’s Jingle Jamboree, the Haunted Mansion Holiday, “it’s a small world” Holiday and Luigi’s Joy to the Whirl, presented by Enterprise®.

Haunted Mansion

Seasonal Décor

Both parks will be brimming with themed decorations. Discover wintry delights at every turn, like the Buena Vista Street Holiday Tree Lighting in Disney California Adventure® Park, with the 50-foot tree in all its sparkling glory. And at Disneyland® Park, you’ll find Main Street, U.S.A.® festooned in wreaths and garland all along the storefronts, lampposts and rooftops. Embrace the moment by taking in all of the frosty flair.

Holidays Outside the Parks

Disneyland® Resort Hotels and Disney Resort Hotels at Walt Disney World® Resort

Stay in the magic at a Disney Resort hotel and you’ll not only get to enter a theme park 30 minutes early every day, but you’ll also experience glitzy decor, seasonal menu items and can’t-miss gingerbread displays at select Resorts. Read our Disney Rewards Dining Perks Guide to map out select dining locations where you can save 10% most days by using your Disney Visa Card.35

Girl and Santa

Disney Springs®

The spirit of the season is on full display at Disney Springs®, and it’s the perfect complement to your Walt Disney World® Resort vacation. Explore wonderful gifts, sparkling decorations, delicious food and enchanting entertainment. And make sure to visit the Disney Springs Christmas Tree Stroll presented by AdventHealth. Pick up a complimentary map at participating locations and join in the fun!

Downtown Disney® District

Magical merriment is a part of the shopping, dining and entertainment experience in the Downtown Disney® District! Marvel at nightly snowfall as it drifts down every 30 minutes from 6–10 p.m. on November 24 through December 31 in the area between Jazz Kitchen Coastal Grill & Patio, Tortilla Jo’s, Splitsville and Black Tap. And you’ll also find holiday treats, spirited swag, live entertainment and carolers. It’s a fantastic place to find some gifts during your vacation at the Disneyland® Resort.


We’re wishing you and all your loved ones a wonderful winter ahead. If your holiday plans include shopping, remember that you can save 10% on select merchandise purchases when you use your Disney Visa Card at select stores around Walt Disney World® Resort and the Disneyland® Resort.34


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