Seasonal Events and Experiences at Disneyland® Resort

Summer

1. Fourth of July Celebration

There is a reason that the Fourth of July is the second busiest day of the year at Disneyland® Resort. The Independence Day celebrations will bring out the patriot in you with the entire park decked out in red, white, and blue.

The crown jewel of the Fourth of July celebrations is Disney’s Celebrate America – Concert in the Sky, a spectacular display of fireworks, light projections, and patriotic music that will have you tapping your feet and singing along with pride. Because this festival is so popular if you want a good view, you are going to need to get in early to avoid the crowds.

3. Disneyland® Resort Forever Fireworks

Every night of over the summer, the sky is set ablaze with color and light from the Disneyland® Resort Forever Fireworks display. From your vantage point on Main Street, U.S.A, you will be transported through scenes from classic Disney stories including a deep dive with Nemo, soaring across the rooftops of London with Peter Pan, or caught in a blizzard with Elsa from Frozen.

The soundtrack creates an immersive magical Disney experience for all park guests and even features a new original song, “Live the Magic.”

Even some of the rides get a Halloween makeover. One of the most popular rides at the park, Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission – Breakout transforms into Monsters After Dark which continues the original rescue story, but in this version, guests need to save Groot. With a heavy metal soundtrack and darker theme, this ride offers added thrills and chills for Halloween. Be sure to include a Disney MAXPASS® with your Disneyland® Resort ticket so you can use the FASTPASS® mobile app to avoid the queue at this incredibly popular ride.

3. La Plaza de Familia

For a fantastic family experience during the fall, you can’t miss La Plaza de Familia. This Coco-themed attraction is in the Paradise Gardens Park and celebrates all things “Family.”

Decorated to represent Día de los Muertos, you can find plenty of fun activities to do such as crafts, mask making, face painting, or recording family memories at the Tree of Life photo location. Catch a showing of A Musical Celebration of Coco, enjoy delicious Mexican cuisine and dance to fun mariachi music. Best of all, it’s included in the price of your entry.

4. Viva Navidad Street Party

Join the Three Caballeros, Donald Duck, Panchito, and Jose Cariocha for the greatest street party of all time! Viva Navidad kicks off the festivities with a swinging parade through the streets of Paradise Gardens Park with mariachi and samba music that make you want to dance along with the folk dancers. Don’t forget to check out the incredible 12-foot tall mojiganga puppets of Santa and Mrs. Claus, they’re hard to miss!

5. Disney Festival of Holidays

Disneyland® Resort’s Holiday of Festivals is a multicultural celebration of some of the fun-filled holiday festivities from around the world. Foodies can enjoy some of the delicious multicultural treats on offer at the Festive Food Marketplaces located throughout the park while listening to some of the traditional tunes and beats that cultures from around the world use to celebrate the holiday season. There is so much to see, do, and taste, don’t forget to pick up a Disney Festival of Holidays Tasting Passport to guide you around this food lover’s paradise.

Winter

1. Holidays at Disneyland® Resort

The folks at Disneyland® Resort go all out for the holidays. Every year, beginning in November and running through January, Disneyland® Resort is transformed into a festive winter wonderland with holiday décor festooning every inch of the park.

Disney characters don their best festive outfits for seasonal photo opportunities, and food vendors cook up delicious holiday treats. Many of the rides and attractions get festive updates as well. Don’t miss the Christmas-themed It’s a Small World After All with the animatronic characters adding Christmas carols to their song list and a spectacular holiday light display on the exterior.

Head over to the Haunted Mansion ride where Jack Skellington and friends have taken over and created A Nightmare Before Christmas -themed Haunted Mansion Holiday which is much spookier than the original ride. Don’t forget to check out the stunning snowfall over Sleeping Beauty’s castle.

2. New Year’s Eve

Add some Disney magic to your New Year and celebrate in style at Disneyland® Resort. With a dazzling firework display over some of Disneyland® Resort’s most iconic attractions, a dance party, and New Year countdown, this place is the best party in town. They generally put on two fireworks displays; the first a 9 pm for the younger visitors and the second at midnight to ring in the New Year. And, as this is one of the busiest days in the Disneyland® Resort calendar, make sure you plan.

3. Three Kings Day

Rounding out the Viva Navidad and Festival of Holidays celebrations is Three Kings Day, a tribute to the Three Wise Men and honoring the 12th day of Christmas, the Epiphany as it is celebrated across Latin America.

There are plenty of fun themed activities for the kids to participates in and crafts, such as making their custom crown for the occasion.

4. Lunar New Year

Every year, Disneyland® Resort celebrates the Lunar New Year with a bang at Paradise Garden Park. From festive décor to amazing Asian foods, Disneyland® Resort wants to wish all guests luck and good fortune.

One of the big highlights of the day includes Mulan’s Lunar Year Procession where beloved characters, Mulan and Mushu, greet with visitors while beautifully costumed dancers, warriors, traditional drummers, and a Chinese dragon puppet entertain to the triumphant Mulan soundtrack.

There are also a range of fun activities to enjoy including performances at the Paradise Garden Bandstand, a Lucky Wishing Well, kids’ crafts, and special guest appearances by your favorite Disney characters.

5. Disneyland® Resort After Dark: Sweetheart’s Nite

Fancy a Disney-themed date night with your sweetheart? One of the sweetest events happens after the park’s official closing time when Disneyland® Resort remains open for four hours for all the lovebirds out there.

Sweetheart’s Nite is one of Disneyland® Resorts amazing Disneyland® Resort After Dark events and features a love song-themed dance party and a “Royal Ball” so you can dance the night away, Sweetheart-themed décor for romantic moments, and your favorite Disney couples for plenty of photo opportunities.

Disneyland® Resort hosts numerous Disneyland® Resort After Dark events throughout the year and they are always full of fun and surprises so check out the official event schedule to find out when and what theme the next one will be.

Spring

1. Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival

Get to know all of California’s amazing and abundant produce at the Disney California Adventure Food and Wine Festival, one of the most popular events on the Disney calendar.

There are so many amazing events at the festival you’ll have trouble seeing them all. Some events you won’t need to make a reservation for such as the culinary demonstrations by both guest and Disney chefs, or Jr. Chef, a hilarious “hands-on” cooking class designed for 3- 10-year-olds taught by chef Goofy. You can also check some of the smooth musical performances located around the park, or sip on some signature cocktails and craft beer at Sonoma Terrace.

Some extra-special events require a reservation as the seating is limited, so make sure you plan ahead of time, so you don’t miss out on amazing events. One such event is In the Kitchen With, an intimate buffet brunch with some of the world most renowned chefs who whip up some of their signature dishes and regale the audiences with culinary stories.

Another must-see for those of you with a sweet tooth out there is Sweet Sundays, a brunch buffet and dessert making demonstration with World-class pastry chefs who create some of their best-loved creations and engage in an illuminating interview.

Finally, for the wine connoisseurs and beer lovers, there is the Carthay Circle Winemaker Reception where you can experience some of California’s best wines paired with a beautiful variety of small plates. And, Wine, Beer and Mixology Education and Tasting Seminars in which the industry’s top brewmasters, sommeliers, and mixologists share their trade secrets and give expert advice.

2. Egg-Stravaganza

Easter at Disneyland® Resort is a special occasion and is celebrated with the biggest Easter egg scavenger hunt ever. Guests can purchase a map and sticker book from merchandise stores for a small fee then enjoy exploring the park in search of special hidden eggs. Once you have found your eggs, mark the location with a sticker and head back to the store to receive your surprise collectible egg. You can also purchase the collectible egg and map together to save a return trip.

There are plenty of other Easter-themed activities for guests to participate in and don’t forget to have your photo taken with one of your favorite Disney bunnies including Thumper, White Rabbit, Roger Rabbit, Winnie-the-Pooh’s BFF, Rabbit, and the Easter Bunny himself, who will be wandering around the park enjoying the whimsical spring décor.

Tickets and Packages

All rides and attractions are included as part the Disneyland® Resort ticket price. However, special and seasonal events tickets must be purchased separately. Prices vary according to the event type. You can still enjoy some of the festive fun at free themed events around the park.

For general admission, we offer 2, 3, 4, and 5 day single park entry tickets. But to truly experience the best the Disneyland® Resort has to offer, the 2, 3, 4, and 5-day Park Hopper® tickets allow you access to both Disneyland® Resort and Disney California Adventure with all 3, 4, and 5-day passes coming with free Magic Morning admission which lets you access the parks an hour earlier so you can beat the crowds.

If you plan on attending one of the amazing events, be aware that most of these events tend to increase the crowds at the park so it is a good idea to upgrade your Disneyland® Resort ticket with a MAXPASS® which gives you access to online FASTPASS® booking so you can skip the queue and enjoy more of the park.

Final Thoughts

While these official Disneyland® Resort seasonal events can add an extra special touch to your visit, there are also numerous unofficial events that Disney includes on the schedule that are fun for the whole family. Be sure to check out the official Disneyland® Resort Event Schedule for the most recent updates and mark your favorite events down on your calendar.

For exclusive deals on discounted Disneyland® Resort tickets, amazing savings on packages and hotels, and some of the lowest prices on travel call 1 (800) 434-7894 (international callers use +1 (619) 546-5622) to speak with an aRes Travel planning expert seven days a week or book online now.

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