Holidays at the Disneyland Resort run Nov. 13, 2026 through Jan. 6, 2027, across both parks, the hotels and Downtown Disney. Forecasts put the heaviest crowds at Thanksgiving week and from about Dec. 18 through New Year's, with early December the best window. Every park visit needs a ticket or Magic Key plus a same-date reservation.
The dates come from the Disney Parks Blog. Older pages listing Nov. 18 are out of date: WDW News Today reported the start moved a week earlier. Santa greetings run Nov. 13 through Dec. 24, FOX 11 reports, and hotel holiday character dining runs Nov. 16 through Jan. 3, per Disney.
What is different this year
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No ART. This is the first holiday season since Anaheim Resort Transportation's last day of service on March 31.
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Eastern Gateway construction. Disney broke ground Aug. 24 on a structure of about 6,000 spaces with a pedestrian bridge over Harbor Boulevard. Disney has not announced a completion date. Disney Tourist Blog estimates 2028.
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Esplanade changes. Disney says east ticket booths are being removed starting in fall, East Security will temporarily move into that space, and construction walls may change walkways to the main entrances. Accessibility Services are now at Ticket Booth 6.
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Shuttle drop-offs. Disney says Good Neighbor and third-party hotel shuttles will move to a new Downtown Disney District Shuttle Area near Lululemon, and Toy Story Lot drop-off moves slightly north, closer to Harbor. Disney Tourist Blog reports the hotel shuttle change takes effect Nov. 2 and calls it a longer walk through Downtown Disney.
When to expect crowds
These are forecasts from independent planning sites, not official data, and they disagree in places. Disney Tourist Blog's November and December pages were written before the Nov. 13 start was announced. Its 2026 calendar and Mickey Visit are more recent.
| Period | What forecasters say |
|---|---|
| Nov. 13-16 | No forecast we read addresses opening weekend. |
| Nov. 17-20 | Mickey Visit: Nov. 17-18 below normal. |
| Nov. 21-27 | Disney Tourist Blog: dates to avoid, with crowds arriving around Nov. 22 and peaking Monday and Tuesday. Mickey Visit: the days before Thanksgiving can feel manageable, but Thanksgiving morning should be very crowded. |
| Nov. 28-Dec. 6 | Disney Tourist Blog: moderate by Nov. 28, then the lowest stretch of December. |
| Dec. 7-17 | Disney Tourist Blog: Dec. 7-13 below average, Dec. 15-18 likely around 9/10. Mickey Visit: Dec. 6-11 lower than usual, with the spike arriving Dec. 18. |
| Dec. 18-Jan. 1 | Mickey Visit: massive from Dec. 18 through the end of the month. Disney Tourist Blog: 8-10 of 10 from Dec. 22, with Dec. 26-29 usually the worst days of the year. |
| Jan. 2-6 | No forecast we read covers these days. |
Reading the week like a local
Disney Tourist Blog ranks Wednesdays and Thursdays as the best full days, then Tuesdays, with Mondays busiest and Friday nights the worst Christmas-season evenings. It also says local crowds increasingly arrive in the early afternoon, especially Fridays. Christmas Day and New Year's Day both fall on Fridays this season. Mickey Visit says December evenings draw the largest crowds.
Blockout dates also show when resident passholders cannot go. These are Laughing Place's list, updated May 25. The Imagine Key is limited to Southern California ZIP codes 90000-93599, Disney Park Nerds reports.
| Magic Key | Holiday season blockouts |
|---|---|
| Imagine | Nov. 14, 15, 21-29; Dec. 4-6, 11-31; Jan. 1-3 |
| Explore and Enchant | Nov. 14, 15, 21, 22, 26-29; Dec. 5-6, 12-13, 16-31; Jan. 1-2 |
| Believe | Nov. 14, 21, 27, 28; Dec. 5, 12, 13, 18-31; Jan. 1-2 |
| Inspire | Dec. 21-31 |
Before you go
Everyone age 3 and older needs both a reservation and a valid ticket or Magic Key for the same park on the same date, Disney says. Reservations are limited and not guaranteed, and multi-day tickets and passes need one for each day. Park Hoppers and Magic Keys can switch parks only if the other park has availability.
One-day, one-park adult tickets range from $104 to $224 across seven tiers, MousePlanet reports. Disney's page for "Believe...in Holiday Magic" notes that shows may be canceled for weather.
Driving and parking
Disney's driving page points you to Mickey & Friends and Pixar Pals if you are traveling south on I-5 or east on CA-91, and to Toy Story if you are traveling north on I-5, west on CA-91 or on CA-22. It also warns, "You may be directed to an alternative parking location." Standard parking is $40 and preferred is $60, MousePlanet reports.
Enchanted Insider, a planning site, suggests considering Toy Story after 10 a.m. on busy days and avoiding the exit rush from about 9:45 to 10:30 p.m. The same page also says lots never fill, so treat this as a rule of thumb. Complimentary buses link the parks and Toy Story until about one hour after the last park closes, Disney says.
Going without a car
Disney lists OCTA Route 43 on Harbor, Route 46 on Ball and Route 50 on Katella among resort-area routes. OCTA runs Sunday/holiday schedules on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day, which fall on Nov. 26, Dec. 25 and Jan. 1.
The Anaheim Resort Campus Shuttle that followed ART is reported as a service for hotel guests, with a $6 adult day pass.
Ducks games add a second crowd
The Ducks' schedule has 14 home games at Honda Center during the season, with times subject to change:
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November: 14 (7 p.m.), 15 (5 p.m.), 25 (6:30 p.m.), 27 (1 p.m., Kings)
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December: 1 (7 p.m.), 4 (7 p.m.), 6 (5 p.m.), 16 (6 p.m.), 22 (7 p.m.), 27 (5 p.m.), 29 (7 p.m.)
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January: 1 (1 p.m.), 3 (5 p.m.), 5 (7 p.m.)
Watch Nov. 27 and Jan. 1, which are afternoon games, and Dec. 27 and Dec. 29, which land in the heaviest forecast stretch. This list covers Ducks games only. A date missing from it means no Ducks home game, not an empty arena.
If you live near the resort
If you live or run errands around Harbor, Katella or Ball, our suggestion is to use the crowd table and the Ducks list as your calendar for the season. Dates that appear on both are the ones to plan around first.
If guests park on your street, Anaheim's permit program may be worth knowing. Voice of OC reported in 2018 that all city streets became eligible to convert to permit-only parking, with zones limited to permit holders around the clock by default unless petitioners request other hours.
For current details, go straight to Disney's tickets page, reservations page and holiday page.
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