You're giving your family the best holiday gift ever this year — a trip to Disneyland! We know you want to know how to manage your time, avoid the crowds and save some money on this journey. Don’t worry; we are toadally with you on making this a great trip with our Disneyland holiday tips. You cannot fully escape the crowds, but, with our Disneyland holiday tips and tricks, you will definitely learn how to maximize your time at Disneyland, save some green and outsmart the crowds. If you're looking for more details on what to expect in terms of holiday entertainment, hop on over to our guide to the Hoppiest Holidays at Disneyland.
10 Tips for the Holidays at Disneyland in 2023
We're so hoppin' excited to celebrate the holidays at Disneyland. It's the most festive time of the year! All the holiday entertainment and fun is back, including the holiday dance party and World of Color! The holidays at Disneyland are from Nov. 10, 2023, through Jan. 7, 2024.
Unfortunately, crowds are back too. Even with the theme park reservation in place, capacity is back to normal. You'll want to plan and reserve your trip earlier than in years past, from purchasing park tickets to making dining reservations. Plus, there are new time-saving tools to use. Dining and entertainment are much more in demand these days. We've taken all this into consideration in developing these tips for visiting during the Disneyland holidays.
1. Buy and reserve ASAP
The reservation system is still in place, which means dates will be sold out early. You need to purchase tickets and reserve your dates up to 180 days in advance as of Oct. 11, 2023, (90 days for Magic Key holders) or you will be left out in the cold. OK, more like California sunshine, but you will be sad that you cannot get into Disneyland, so it will feel like Elsa has frozen your heart for a second. Usually, you could decide last-minute which days to visit and even purchase same-day tickets, but that is not the case in recent years. If you have a date in mind that is full, we have a few tricks for finding a reservation. Here are your most important links to planning, purchasing and reserving tickets this holiday season:
- Disneyland Park Availability Calendar — Check this calendar before you purchase to make sure the parks you want to visit are available on the days you want to visit. Compare the Park Hopper calendar versus the 1-Day ticket calendar, as they are different, and you may find better availability with a Park Hopper ticket.
- Discount Disneyland Resort Theme Park Tickets — Save with multi-day tickets that have no blackout dates.
- Guide to Disneyland's New Theme Park Reservation System — If you're new to the reservation system, here's how to use it. You may reserve up to 180 days in advance.
- Disney Genie — You may want to purchase a theme park ticket with Disney Genie+ already loaded to save money and time. We'll go over more details on Disney Genie and Disney Genie+ below.
- Magic Key Pass Access Calendar — If you have this annual pass, you can reserve up to 90 days in advance, and popular dates fill up quickly, but we usually have good luck checking in the evening for cancellations or early in the week (mornings) when more dates are released.
If you are staying at a Disneyland Resort hotel or have a Good Neighbor hotel package, one of the benefits is better theme park availability. Link your reservation to your app, and then search for reservations. You might see more dates become available. If you still don't see anything, keep checking, especially late at night and early in the morning. Reservations do seem to open up as people's plans change.
2. Arrive at the front gate 45 to 60 minutes before park opening
We have a saying in our family: The early frog gets the flies. And that means getting into Disneyland before rope drop. On crowded days, everyone is trying to arrive in that first hour or two after the park opens, so already being in the park before the park opens can mean avoiding the giant lines that form at security and outside the gates. Instead, you can be among the first to ride attractions with little to no wait times. On a busy holiday, it can sometimes take two hours to park, go through security, get a bus or walk to the front of the park and get through the gates if you arrive late. Avoid this by being ahead of the crowd.
You'll want to mobile order those holiday treats early in the day, especially those popular gingerbread Mickeys. Jolly Holiday Café treats are generally the first to run out. You can also find those gingerbread Mickeys at the coffee shops (Market House or Fiddler Fifer & Practical) or at the Grand Californian cookie cart in the lobby.
You can mobile order certain novelties, such as the Donald sipper, other sippers and sometimes popcorn buckets. Hop over to our post on holiday treats at Disneyland for all the must-have bites and items.
The good news about arriving early is that you can eat breakfast in the parks. If you skipped breakfast to skip the lines, you can still enjoy a hearty meal or heavy snack once you're securely in the park and have reserved your first ride with Genie+. River Belle Terrace now serves brunch (and breakfast foods) from 11 a.m. until 3:55 p.m. After an efficient morning, take a moment to rest and dine as the crowds fill up the park. Or if you want to eat earlier and on the go, there are several quick-service breakfast options as well. We like to mobile order quick breakfast at Red Rose Taverne, Galactic Grill or Ronto Roasters, depending on our location in the park. Red Rose Taverne has Mickey pancakes!
If you are an on-site hotel guest, you will be able to access select attractions before rope drop. Bring your room key to access certain rides and lands with Early Entry. It's amazing how much you can accomplish when you get a head start. But that means being at security about an hour to an hour and 15 minutes before park opening so you can be in the park and ready to go when Early Entry starts.
3. Purchase multiple-day tickets with park hopper
When you purchase multi-day passes through Undercover Tourist rather than single-day tickets, you can save a lot of green. Many of the one-day tickets sold for Nov. 18-25, 2023 and for Christmas break from mid-December through Jan. 7, 2024, may have peak (Tier 5 and 6) prices. Peak prices run $184 to $194 per day for a 1-Park per day ticket, but a 3-day ticket at Undercover Tourist takes the price down to $122.64 per day, a 4-day pass comes to $104.95 per day, and a 5-day pass comes out to $90.56 when broken down by day.
We recommend adding a park hopper to a multi-day ticket at Disneyland. Why? The parks are very close to each other, making it easy to hop and take advantage of all the holiday offerings. So the more days the ticket, the cheaper it is per day to hop. It's $65 to add park hopping to a 1-day ticket. It's $75 to add park hopping to a 5-day ticket. It comes to just $15 per day to hop on a 5-day ticket.
There is so much entertainment hoppening in both parks. You may want to hop to see and do it all.
If you're trying to decide which days to visit during the holidays, visiting before Christmas and after Jan. 2 will be your best bet. We normally recommend at least three days for a first Disneyland visit, but with all the holiday entertainment, you could easily take four or five days to see it all. There is just so much to see and do!
Keep in mind that you can hop back and forth after 11 a.m. and have to choose a park to start in each day. Having a park hopper gives you more options and flexibility. If Disneyland is full the day you want to visit but Disney California Adventure is available as a starting park, you can start your day at DCA and hop to Disneyland at 11 a.m. with a park hopper ticket. That way you can still get all your nighttime holiday Disneyland feels with a parade, fireworks and snowfall.
4. Use time-saving tools to manage your day
You can use several tools (some new!) to manage your day and skip the lines this holiday season:
- Disney Genie — This free service through the Disneyland app can help you plan your itinerary and get suggestions in real time.
- Disney Genie+ — This optional paid service (starting at $30 per person, per day) allows you to make selections to skip the standby line and access rides through the Lightning Lane (formerly FASTPASS Return entrance) via your smartphone. It also includes PhotoPass.
- Individual Lightning Lane selections — Some of the most popular rides are not on Genie+. You can pay to skip the line for Radiator Springs Racers (the standby line and Single Rider line remain free) or Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance (standby is free).
- Re-vamped Disability Access Service (DAS) — People with certain disabilities can now set up DAS in advance of their visit via video chat and can make DAS return time selections on their phone instead of getting them in person.
- Early Entry — If you are staying at one of the Disneyland Resort hotels, you can enter either theme park at least 30 minutes early each day (with park reservation and ticket). To clarify, everyone can enter the parks at least 30 minutes early, but hotel guests can go past the ropes to ride select attractions 30 minutes before other guests.
- MagicBand+— MagicBand+ has come to Disneyland. Save time and your phone battery by using the band to tap in for park entry, capture PhotoPass Photographer images, and redeem Lightning Lanes. Plus, the bands add a bit of magic to your day by lighting up and pulsing at some attractions and during entertainment (as long as your band is charged).
- Mobile Order — Skip the food lines by using Mobile Order through the Disneyland app. Plan ahead and order a few hours in advance for the evening, especially for dining areas near Main Street and the Hub, when people waiting for the parade or fireworks like to order food close by.
Since you’ll be visiting during the most crowded days of the year (which fall during the holiday season), it is worth it to add on Genie+. You can get the best price ($30 per day) on Genie+ by purchasing a Disneyland ticket with Genie+. If you wait until you get into the park to purchase in the app, the price can fluctuate and cost you more. Lock in the rate with a Genie+ ticket. We frogs are always looking to save money, but this is not one of those times. We promise that you will not regret this add-on cost to be able to skip some lines and get all your PhotoPass photos.
It's up to you to decide if you want to add on some individual Lightning Lane selections. The per-person, per-ride price will vary per day. You can pay to skip the line at Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance or Radiator Springs Racers. Our Genie+ FAQ post may answer your questions about Disney Genie, Genie+ and individual Lightning Lane selections.
There are a few other tools to keep in mind. Hop over to our Disneyland virtual queue post to learn tips on how to join the virtual queue for World of Color — Season of Light for free.
You’ll want to arrive at the parks not only with our Disneyland holiday tips in mind and these new tools but also armed with a touring plan. Some rides offer single-rider lines for parties that do not mind being split up (all guests must be age 7 or older). If you have smaller children who don't want to ride or aren't tall enough, ask about Rider Switch at the ride entrance.
5. Check the Disneyland holiday entertainment schedule
Be sure to check the entertainment guide each day so you know what to expect and can map out your day. That way, you know of any special holiday entertainment such as parades, snowfall, fireworks, tree lightings, or Viva Navidad! celebration showtimes to be sure that you do not miss anything. Knowing what shows and parades are on your must-see list can help you plan your day and formulate a touring plan. Some days have special entertainment available, such as New Year's Eve. You can find the calendar at the Disneyland site and on the Disneyland app (there are no longer paper entertainment guides). Arrive early for all shows and entertainment, and get in place for fireworks and parades well in advance.
Consider less-crowded areas to watch fireworks. You can view fireworks at "it's a small world" (or Rivers of America) without a crowd. Plus, the snowfall directly after is magical. Then, if "it's a small world" reopens after the fireworks, you'll be at the front of the line! You may even catch the projection show (which is every half hour) if you time it near snowfall or after fireworks, getting multiple holiday experiences in one location. If you want that iconic castle view, stick to Main Street rather than camping out in front the of castle. The snow falls there too!
For World of Color — Season of Light, see the second show for the lowest crowds. You can join the Virtual Queue at noon each day for either show.
6. Make dining reservations
Having dining reservations during the busiest days of the year is a smart plan for several reasons. This is one of our top Disneyland holiday tips! It takes the guesswork out of where to eat. It helps you skip long food lines and avoids that awkward search for a table while carrying a heavy tray of food with your froglets in tow. Plus it allows you to sit down and rest your tired feet and legs. You can make reservations for restaurants in the parks, hotels and Downtown Disney up to 60 days in advance through Disney Dining.
There are usually special Christmas meals from Dec. 22 through 25 at Storytellers Café, Goofy’s Kitchen and Napa Rose. In fact, Goofy's Kitchen has a special holiday buffet from Dec. 1 through Jan. 1. Napa Rose usually offers a New Year's Eve bash. Hop over to our New Year's Eve post if you plan to visit then.
We have a whole post on Disneyland dining packages to help you save time and determine which ones are worth the added expense. Last year we got the parade dining package at Plaza Inn. It was pricey, but it took the guesswork out of where and when to watch the parade. Plus we enjoyed the surrounding Town Square entertainment while we waited for the parade to start. Last year we took the Holiday Time at the Disneyland Resort Guided Tour. It gave us Lightning Lane access to "it's a small world holiday," treats, a tour and a reserved parade-watching area.
If you miss out on dining reservations, there is still hope. Keep checking! You might pick up a cancellation. Also once you're in the park and near a restaurant, you can check for walk-up availability for that location in the Disneyland app. We get in a lot of restaurants with the walk-up feature.
Another strategy for snacks and meals in the park is to carry some food with you so that if your blood sugar levels take a dive, you have quick and easy choices available without waiting in line. Bringing snacks can save you some money and whining. It’s a win-win!
If you are getting food from the festival booths at Disney California Adventure for Festival of Holidays. You can skip the order lines by ordering items from multiple locations at one booth and taking the receipt to the different booths to collect your food. Just don't lose that receipt!
Be sure to take advantage of the Mobile Order service at restaurants. At busy times, such as the holidays, we pre-order our food, and even treats, a couple hours before we get hungry so that it'll be ready right when we're ready to eat. If you wait until you are hungry to start thinking about meals and find that the arrival windows are one to two hours away, you'll have some #hangry froggies. Nobody wants that. Keep everyone hoppy by planning ahead for meals and having some snacks on hand. Save some room for some of these Disneyland holiday treats.
7. Check the weather
Be prepared for sunshine, rain and cool nighttime temperatures. A warm, sunny day at Disneyland, can turn into sweatshirt and scarf weather as soon as the sun sets. There are lockers at Disneyland to store nighttime clothes or rain ponchos, or if you have a stroller, you can store them underneath for later. With the reservation system, you'll be locked into your day no matter the weather, so dress for comfort.
8. Pack patience
When so many people are in one place, you’ll need to expect lines and that you'll be walking at a much slower pace than you're used to. That just comes with celebrating holidays at Disneyland. You may need to hop in place for parades and fireworks fairly early, and you should plan an hour or two ahead for that. Or choose less-crowded places to watch, which require no time. You should plan extra time for meals and consider eating at less crowded times.
Lily still uses a stroller at Disneyland, and on crowded days, we have developed a love-hate relationship with that stroller. You might want to park your stroller in a central area of each land, while you visit multiple nearby attractions and only use it for traveling longer distances. It can be more challenging to move in a crowd with a stroller. But it does come in handy for transporting tired toddlers, schlepping bags and keeping children strapped in and safe.
9. Take measures to avoid lost children
Nobody plans to lose a child, but with heavy crowds and so much to see, it can be easier to do than you think. Be smart and plan ahead. Talk to your kids about safety and sticking close by. Hold hands as much as possible. Tell kids what to do if they get separated — they should stop and look around them. If they cannot find you, they should go to a Disney employee with a name tag to get help. Set up a plan in advance with older children for where to meet if you get separated. Plan a time and place to meet at the end of the day if you're splitting up.
Don’t rely on cell phones, which can die. Carry portable chargers to prevent this. Take a group photo in the morning so you can make note of each person’s clothing. Wearing matching colors or shirts can make it so much easier to keep an eye on everyone. Read on for more tips to avoid losing a child at Disneyland.
10. Stay nearby and avoid parking at Disneyland
If you can stay on-site or at a nearby hotel, it can make your life a lot easier. It's best if you walk to Disneyland from your hotel instead of driving. If you can take a bus or taxi/Uber, it can save you over an hour of parking. Parking runs $35. On busy days in the morning, the process of parking can become very time-consuming and you do not want to waste the precious early hours of the day sitting in gridlock traffic. Plus, if you need a break or nap time, staying nearby can be convenient for that mid-afternoon break. Looking for lodging in the Disneyland area? Undercover Tourist can help you get a jump on that with discounted hotels in Anaheim near the Los Angeles area. We even offer discounts on Disneyland Resort hotels!
Sounds like you're in for an amazing journey spending the holidays at Disneyland. Follow these Disneyland holiday tips and you'll be good to go! Remember you can save some green on Disneyland Resort tickets and hotels with your favorite festive froggy friends.
Related: Guide to the Hoppiest Holidays at Disneyland
Related: Disney's Festival of Holidays at Disney California Adventure
Keep hopping!
