November 15, 2024 – Early January 2025
Disney California Adventure Holiday Events is all about celebrating traditions, memories, and cuisine inspired by the holiday season. These holiday events let guests experience the world’s different holiday cultures.
The following is information for the holiday season 2023. Updated details will be posted when released for 2024.
World of Color Disney Festival of Holidays Decor Treats
World of Color – Season of Light
The Disney California Adventure Holiday Events wouldn’t be complete without the World of Color – Season of Light. A spectacular transformation of water, light, story and song into breathtaking holiday magic. Beloved moments from favorite Disney and Pixar films illuminate a towering wall of mist. Hundreds of sky-high fountains dance to holiday music while glistening snow floats across the screen. It’s a mesmerizing display that stretches across more than 18,000 square feet!
Disney California Adventure Holiday Events – Festival of Holidays
As a part of Disney California Holiday Events discover a holiday celebration inspired by diverse cultural festivities with food, music and dance. This heartwarming holiday celebration is inspired by Christmas/Navidad, Hannukah, Diwali, Kwanza and Three Kings Day.
Festive Foods Marketplace Kiosks
Nosh your way through Disney California Adventure Holiday Events in a culinary celebration of different cuisines and traditions. From belly-loving bites to spirited libations – there’s a world of possibilities to please your palate at these Festive Foods Marketplace Kiosks during Disney Festival of Holidays.
@themouseforless Disney Dad reviews Shrimp & Grits ($8.00) from Holiday Duets at Festival of Holidays at Disney California Adventure #disneydad #disneyfood #disneytok ♬ Southern Christmas – Rick Dickert
Enjoy delicious, internationally inspired food and beverage at themed kiosks.
¡Viva Navidad!
During the Disney ¡Viva Navidad! Disney California Adventure is brought to life with vibrant colors, live Latino music, jubilant dancing and dance lessons, and special character appearances. Delicious foods as well as deliciously fun activities are all available throughout the park and you won’t want to miss any of it.
Disney ¡Viva Navidad! Street Party
The high-energy Disney ¡Viva Navidad! Street Party is led by the “The Three Caballeros” – Donald Duck and his life-long amigos Panchito Pistoles from Mexico and Jose Carioca from Brazil. Guests will love the mix of Mariachi and Samba musicians, folklórico and carnaval dancers, 12-foot-tall mojiganga puppets, and those ambassadors of holiday cheer Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse. Be on the lookout for Santa and Mrs. Claus as they join in to cheer and celebrate ¡Viva Navidad!.
@themouseforless Viva Navida! Street Party led by the Three Caballeros is one of the many holiday events at Disney California Adventure during Christmas. This 10 minute performance is featured several times nightly near the Paradise Garden Grill area. Have you seen the whole show? would you like me to post the whole show? what part is your favorite? #disneyland #vivanavidad #disneycaliforniaadventure #dcachristmas ♬ original sound – TheMouseForLess
Three Kings’ Day
The Epiphany—or twelfth day of Christmas—is celebrated around the world at the end of the holiday season. In Mexico, Central and South America the holiday is known as El Día de los Reyes Magos. Commemorate the close of the holiday season with this special celebration that pays homage to the 3 Wise Men’s visit to the nativity—featuring traditional décor and a photo opportunity.
Fanciful Displays & Décor
Paradise Gardens will be decked out with special festive accents. You won’t want to miss the bright and cheerful holiday decorations, featuring colorful hanging papel picado banners, piñatas and more. Discover finely crafted figures of the Three Wise Men bearing gifts to Bethlehem. Guests will even be able to learn why the sight of children’s shoes have been left outside to be magically filled with toys by the Three Kings during the night.
Disney Characters
- Share magical moments with some of your favorite Disney friends dressed in their holiday best!
- Enjoy a special seasonal celebration of the Walt Disney Animation Studios musical comedy Encanto with special appearances by Mirabel.
@themouseforless You can find zoot suit Goofy in Disney California Adventure! #disney #disneyparks #disneycaliforniaadventure #goofy #disneytok ♬ Zoot Suit Riot – Cherry Poppin’ Daddies
More Entertainment at Disney California Adventure Holiday Events
- Mickey’s Happy Holidays – Dance along with Mickey Mouse and pals to the magically merry rhythms of the Holiday Toy Drummers
- Mariachi Divas put their own festive spin on classic holiday tunes
- Mostly Kosher honors Hanukkah with an eclectic blend of musical styles from klezmer and jazz to Latin and rock
- The spirited Blue13 Dance Company celebrates Diwali with traditional dances during an unforgettable Bollywood party
- Phat Cat Swinger presents brassy, classy, swinging holiday music selections with a fresh new twist
- Hear the magic of The Mistletoes! Celebrating Christmas and the spirit of Kwanzaa, this a cappella vocal ensemble reimagines holiday hits with rhythm and soul!
- Tina and The Sounds of Celebration! – Powerhouse vocalist Tina and her dynamic musicians from all over Latin America hype up the crowd with Salsa, Merengue, Caribbean and Latin Rock music that’s sure to get everyone on their feet!
- Holiday Toy Drummers march to their own beat while drumming up smiles wherever they go
Disney California Adventure Holiday Events Decor
Buena Vista Street
Buena Vista Street will be decked out in vintage-style ornaments and decor, with Disney California Adventure’s 50-foot-tall Christmas tree going up in Carthay Circle. All of the tree’s decorations are large-scale replicas of actual decorations that would’ve been on a Los Angeles Christmas tree in the 1930s. The oversized Red Car Trolley ornament features Mickey and Minnie, and a smaller version of the ornament is available for purchase in the park.
Under the tree will be custom-made 1/16th-size train chugging along with sound and lights, and all sorts of vintage toys for display, from a tin robot to a blimp and other hidden surprises from the 1930’s time period. Even Mickey and his friends will sport a retro holiday look.
The Buena Vista Street Holiday Entertainment
The Buena Vista Street Community Bell Ringers will perform as they wander up and down the street in a ring-along, sing-along encouraging guests to join in by singing familiar carols and ringing in the season. The bell ringers will also participate in the nightly tree lighting during Disney California Adventure Holiday Events.
Tree Lighting
The tree on Buena Vista St. will be light daily from November 11 to December 30 at 4:55 p.m. outside Elias & Co. Here holiday cheer and festive decorations fill the air, as you watch in wonder as this towering tree twinkles to life with a kaleidoscope of colored lights, hundreds of whimsical ornaments and swags of gleaming garland.
Cars Land
In Cars Land, each address along Route 66 – Flo’s V-8 Café, Fillmore’s Taste-In, the Cozy Cone Motel, Luigi’s Casa della Tires – will feature wacky holiday decorations reflecting the personality of the “Cars” character who lives there. Mater has a nine-foot-tall tree made of tires with an arching sparkplug on top. The Cozy Cone Motel’s tree is made of orange traffic cones and powered by a battery. Be sure to stop in Cozy Cones Motel. Here, Sally has a gingerbread replica of the Motel in the lobby area.
Luigi and Guido added holiday flair to the red, white and green color scheme of their shop—the colors of the Italian flag. Sarge sports a six-foot-tall, red, white and blue tree with a military star on top and a large patriotic display. Fillmore’s tree is adorn with peace signs and a car angel at the top. And Flo’s shiny tree has a music theme!
Around almost every corner of Cars Land, you’ll discover new imaginative decorations and surprises — even the 20-foot-tall tree at the courthouse has a hubcap for every ornament. The courthouse statue of Stanley, the founder of Radiator Springs, is adorned with a Santa hat and a big bag of rims, wheels, accessories and other goodies for all the good residents of Cars Land. Air filter garland with snowflakes constructed of wrenches is strung up over Route 66.
Attractions
For the holiday season, two attraction in Cars Land will have their own fun holiday take. Luigi’s Rollickin’ Roadsters becomes Luigi’s Joy to the Whirl and Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree becomes Mater’s Jingle Jamboree. Mater and Luigi add even more cheer to the seasonal fun by singing new holiday tunes for the occasion.
Holiday Characters
Be on the lookout for Cars Land’s version of a snowman, Snowy the Snow Car at the entrance to Cars Land. You won’t want to miss a photo op with this endearing, seven-foot automotive holiday friend. And of course, a holiday visit to Cars Land is not complete without saying hello to Santa Mater. He can be found outside the Cozy Cone Motel where he waits to meet with guests!
Pixar Pier
The holiday scene along the Paradise Bay boardwalk includes a beautifully decorated Christmas tree and lampposts decked out with seasonal wreaths. Plus, the lights on the Pixar Pal-A-Round on Pixar Pier will are specially programmed for the holidays.
Disney California Adventure Holiday Events – Treats
Hand Made Candy Canes
@themouseforless Disneyland Hand Pulled Candy Canes! #disney #disneyland #candycanes #disneytok ♬ A 3-minute song that is ideal for the BGM of cooking videos(1031572) – mi-ya
This much anticipated treat is an annual favorite during the Disney California Adventure Holiday Events. They can be found on Buena Vista Street at Disney California Adventure’ Trolley Treats on select days during the holiday season. Visitors line up in the morning at Trolley Treats to receive wristbands with the date and batch time on it. These can be redeemed when the candies are ready. You must be present in person to obtain a wristband. Each wristband will entitle the bearer to one candy cane. Guests must pick it up by 4:00 or the candy cane goes to someone in the standby line. Candy makers usually make three batches of 40 treats each or about 120 candies each day. These are large candy canes, weighing in at 5.25 ounces. Dates are subject to change and updates will be added as they become available.
Sweets and Treats
Special food and beverages are available throughout the Disney California Adventure. Be on the lookout for treats like holiday krispies, candy cane beignets, peppermint ice cream, holiday cookies, brownies, and Yule logs. Also popular are popcorn buckets, drink steins, and more.
