Visiting Disneyland in December 2025: Holidays at the Disneyland Resort, and more!

If you love the holidays, you will love Disneyland in December! No one does the holidays like Disney, and the entire Disneyland Resort is filled with holiday decor and festivities. It should be no surprise that this month sees an increase in crowds, especially as winter breaks begin and Christmas approaches. But with a little bit of pre-planning, December can be a magical time to visit the Disneyland Resort!

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Planning a Disneyland vacation in 2025? Be sure to check out our guide to all that the Disneyland Resort has to offer this year, including the Disneyland Half Marathon, special ticketed events, holiday festivities, and more!

In This Post

December At-a-Glance

December Events

December Refurbishments & Closures

December Weather

December Disneyland Crowds

Ready to Start Planning Your Visit to Disneyland in December?

December At-a-Glance

The weather in December is a bit cooler. Evenings will almost definitely require some layering as they can be quite chilly. Rain will also be a factor, as this is considered a rainy month for California.
December is one of the busiest months of the year. So if you’re planning on visiting the Disneyland Resort to enjoy the holidays, be prepared for crowds. That being said, weekdays during the first two weeks of the month will be less busy when compared to later in the month.
The holidays are such a fun time to visit the Disneyland Resort! You will want to visit with a plan due to the crowds, however. And be sure to make dining reservations early!

December Events

The Holidays at the Disneyland Resort begin on November 14, 2025! Throughout the season, the entire resort is transformed into a winter wonderland. Guests can enjoy the Christmas Fantasy Parade, take a holiday-themed ride through “it’s a small world,” watch the stunning “Believe…In Holiday Magic” fireworks show, admire the magical Wintertime Enchantment at Sleeping Beauty’s Winter Castle, and check out the spooky-but-festive Haunted Mansion Holiday, along with many other Disney holiday experiences.

California Adventure embraces the holiday season as well with festive decorations, including a 50-foot Christmas tree on Buena Vista Street. Cars Land gets a holiday makeover with special overlays like Luigi’s Joy to the Whirl, where cars dance to holiday tunes, and Mater’s Jingle Jamboree, complete with festive decor and music.

California Adventure also features Disney Festival of Holidays, including music, dancing, and special celebrations for Christmas, Hanukkah, Diwali, Kwanzaa, and Three Kings’ Day. Guests can enjoy shows like Mirabel’s Gifts of the Season, A Musical Christmas with Mariachi Alegría, and the Disney ¡Viva Navidad! festival, full of holiday treats, live performances, and character meet-and-greets.

December Refurbishments & Closures

*We’ve included all current refurbishments here on this list… even ones that may be open in time for December 2025. (Please note that this list could change at a moment’s notice.)

Disneyland Park

Haunted Mansion will be closed from August 9-21 in order to add the Haunted Mansion Holiday overlay. (It will likely close again for a short time in January to remove the overlay.)
it’s a small world will likely close for a short time in October for the installation of its holiday overlay. Exact dates have not been announced yet. (It will likely close again mid-January for the overlay removal.)
Star Tours – The Adventure Continues will be closed from June 30 through September 4.
Storybook Land Canal Boats closed on July 21, 2025. An opening date has yet to be announced.
Casey Jr. Circus Train closed on July 28, 2025. An opening date has yet to be announced.
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad will close on September 2, 2025, for refurbishment. An opening date has yet to be announced.
Mark Twain Riverboat will be closed September 8-11, 2025.
Pirate’s Lair on Tom Sawyer Island will be closed September 15-17, 2025.
Dumbo the Flying Elephant will be closed September 16-17, 2025.
Main Street Cinema will be closed beginning September 8, 2025. An opening date has yet to be announced.
Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room will be closed beginning September 7, 2026. A reopening date has not been announced.

California Adventure Park

Radiator Springs Racers will be closed August 18 through September 25, 2025.
Better Together: A Pixar Pals Celebration! will temporarily end for the Halloween season.
Disney Jr. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Live! will be temporarily suspended for the Halloween season.
Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue! will be permanently closing early 2026 to make room for a new Avatar-themed area.

December Weather

The weather in December is a bit cooler. The average high is 67 degrees, and the low is typically around 48 degrees. Evenings will almost definitely require some layering as they can be quite chilly. Rain will also be a factor, as this is considered a rainy month for California. Bringing ponchos to the parks would be an excellent idea, especially if you don’t want to pay a premium price for ponchos or umbrellas inside the parks.

December Disneyland Crowds

Crowd calendars are very popular, but they can also be a bit unpredictable. While they can be a big help in planning your trip, keep in mind that they are predictions at best. When anticipating future crowds, we take a look at events, school calendars, ticket prices, park hours, holidays, and typical monthly patterns. Unfortunately, our estimates cannot predict other things such as weather, travel advisories, pandemics, or last-minute openings or closings of shows and attractions.

Disneyland will be busy in December. If you want to avoid the worst of the crowds, try to visit during the first two weeks of the month and on weekdays if possible. Weekends throughout the month will be busy as many locals try to take advantage of the holiday festivities. Winter break will also be very busy, so be prepared for Christmas crowds!