December is an eventful month at Disneyland, with the Christmas celebration in full swing and some major fluctuations in crowd levels. There are a few key differences in entertainment, recreational offerings, park operations, and more that you should be aware of if you are visiting during this month.
Keep reading for all of the changes coming to Disneyland in December 2025! At Mickey Visit, we report on the latest Disney news, including 2026 opening dates for new Disneyland rides and attractions just revealed, and the next Disneyland Magic Key annual pass on-sale date announced.
READ MORE – 11 Unwritten Rules of the Disney Parks You Really Need to Follow
Parks Operations Hours Changed From Past Years
crowds on main street disneyland during christmas time
A key difference from last year in December is that the hours of operation at the parks are a bit different. In prior years, every day had a midnight (Disneyland Park) or 10 PM (Disney California Adventure) closure, but this year’s hours are different. This is something you’ll want to be aware of if you have a trip planned and are expecting the full park hours during the weekdays.
This month, Disneyland will close at 11 PM, and Disney California Adventure will close at 9 PM Sunday through Thursdays up until the 19th, when both parks will switch to full hours (12 AM and 10 PM closing) through the rest of the month.
There are a couple of anomalies to this, including a 12 AM/10 PM closure on Monday, the 8th, and the typical 2 AM Disneyland Park/ 1 AM Disney California Adventure closure on New Year’s Eve, which we will discuss more later in this article.
New Holiday Foods and Meals Coming (And One Favorite Leaving)
White Mocha-Peppermint Tree-shaped Macaron
Certain new holiday foods will debut at table-service locations during December! While most of the Disneyland Christmas foods are already available, there is a good handful that will debut-and a couple going away-in December. Some of the seasonal items coming in December include a Holiday Dinner Special at Carnation Cafe, Apple Bundt Cake at Plaza Inn, and a few different offerings in Downtown Disney.
There is also a treat that will only be offered through December 14. This is the White Mocha-Peppermint Tree-shaped Macaron at Jolly Holiday Bakery Cafe. We really enjoyed this treat and rated it very highly in our Disneyland Christmas foods review this year. This is something to be aware of if you go to order it and then realize it’s not there! The Candy Cane Bark at candy shops will only be available through December 25, and Santa’s Magical Macarons at Kayla’s Cakes will be available through December 31.
Certain table-service restaurants will also offer holiday meals on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, including the Great Maple at Pixar Place Hotel, Jazz Kitchen Coastal Grill & Patio, and Paseo.
Hand-Pulled Candy Canes Distributed at Disneyland
Disneyland candy canes
During the month of December, Disneyland’s famous hand-pulled candy canes will be distributed! These are a longstanding holiday tradition at the resort. Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure will offer them on alternate days.
At Candy Palace and Candy Kitchen, candy canes will be distributed on December 2, 7, 9, 14, 16, 22, and 24th. At Trolley Treats, they will be distributed on December 1, 3, 8, 10, 15, 17, 23, and 25.
You can see all details about the Disneyland hand-pulled candy canes and the process for getting one here.
Crowd Levels Will Vary Throughout the Month
Disneyland holiday crowds Main Street nighttime
While December has some of the biggest crowds of the year, there is also a stretch of time at the start of the month that is much quieter. The Candelight Processional weekend is one of our favorite times of year to visit, as there are often shorter lines for rides while most people in the park are more focused on the event.
From the second half of the month onwards, crowd levels start to increase. Around December 21, as most schools are out on winter break, you can expect pretty massive crowds. This period of time includes Christmas Eve/Day and New Year’s Eve/Day. You can see all crowd calendar projections in our Mickey Visit Disneyland crowd calendar.
If you’re visiting during this time, don’t panic! You can still enjoy a great trip and get a lot done if you utilize our hacks for beating the crowds at Disneyland.
Candlelight Processional Weekend Changes Entertainment Times
disneyland band and orchestra candlelight
Building off of our last point, you should be aware of the impacts on the park on Candelight Processional dates. This musical retelling of “The First Christmas” in Town Square is a time-honored tradition at Disneyland Park. Each year, there is a new celebrity narrator. This year, the Disneyland Candlelight dates will be December 6 and December 7, 2025, and the shows will likely be held at 5:30 pm and 7:45 pm each night. It is not a publicized event, and viewing opportunities are limited.
If you’re planning on visiting during this weekend (which we do actually recommend due to the lower number of people going on rides), you should know that traffic in and out of Disneyland will be heavily impacted for a good chunk of the day while the front of the park is blocked off. If you want to avoid the crowds and foot traffic jams, we recommend avoiding the front of the park between 4 and 9 pm.
There will also be some other impacts in the park on these two days. A Christmas Fantasy Parade will be moved to 12:45 pm and 3:15 pm, and in the past, we’ve seen other impacts like limited access to stores and closed popcorn and churro carts in the area. The Disneyland Railroad will also not run during the performances (hours will be 8:00 am to 3:00 pm and 10:00 pm to 12:00 am).
Holiday Tea Not Returning
Photo via Disney Parks Blog
An interesting change this year is that the popular holiday tea with Santa that quickly sold out this year is not returning.
This Holiday Tea with Santa and Mrs. Claus at Hearthstone Lounge was a special tea party with Santa and Mrs. Claus featuring a selection of premium loose-leaf teas, tea sandwiches, and more treats. Last year, the experience was only offered on select weekdays in December between 11 am and 3 pm.
This year, Disney has unfortunately not made any announcement that this offering will be returning. However, there are still plenty of seasonal character dining experiences available during December this year, including a Breakfast With Santa, holiday meals at Goofy’s Kitchen, and holiday breakfast and brunch at Storytellers Cafe.
Santa Appearing Until Late December
Santa at the Grand Californian lobby
Santa appears all across the resort, through Christmas Eve on December 24. If you’re visiting after this date in December, Santa will no longer be appearing.
Up through the 24th, you can see him at Pixar Place Hotel (in the main lobby), Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa (in the Great Hall), the Disneyland Hotel (in the main lobby), and Redwood Creek Challenge Trail in Disney California Adventure Park and Fantasyland Theatre in Disneyland Park, as well as the Breakfast With Santa experience at Naples Ristorante e Bar.
Disneyland Hotel Activities Are Holiday-Themed This Month
Disneyland Christmas tree Grand Californian lobby
Throughout the year, there are various recreational offerings for guests staying at the Disneyland Resort Hotels. During the month of December, these entertainment and activity offerings are holiday-themed!
At all three hotels, you can meet Santa Claus for a special daily story time, now through Christmas Eve. This takes place at 3:15 PM at the Pixar Place Hotel, 5:00 PM at the Disneyland Hotel, and 7:00 PM at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa.
There are special screenings of Prep & Landing: The Snowball Protocol and A Very Jonas Christmas Movie on December 2, 9, 16, 23, and 30 at the Frontier Lawn at the Disneyland Hotel. You can also enjoy live entertainment from various holiday groups, Ornament Decorating at The Sketch Pad Café at Pixar Place Hotel, and special seasonal services at Tenaya Stone Spa.
New Year’s Eve Special Hours and Fireworks
Disneyland band in front of train station
New Year’s Eve is a unique day in December when it comes to both hours of operation and entertainment offerings. Throughout the day, you can enjoy festivities like dance parties at various locations across the parks, free hats, etc. There are earlier showtimes for A Christmas Fantasy Parade (12:45 PM and 3 PM).
The parks have longer hours, with Disneyland Park open until 2 AM and Disney California Adventure open until 1 AM. This can be a really fun day of the year to visit, but it’s important to manage expectations. Every aspect of the park will be packed, with longer lines for food, rides, restrooms, the parking structure, and people saving spots for shows.
The special fireworks show on this night, called the New Year’s Eve Fantasy in the Sky Fireworks Spectacular, happens at 9:00 PM and 12:00 AM. It begins with a DJ countdown on Main Street U.S.A., followed by Auld Lang Syne playing.
Over at Disney California Adventure, there is a big countdown as well in the World of Color viewing area that typically takes place at 9 PM and 12:00 AM. This special show is a rare time when World of Color has fireworks, with more DJ-type music played after the initial playing of Auld Lang Syne.
You can see everything you need to know about visiting Disneyland on New Year’s Eve here.
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