Visiting Disneyland in November 2024: Holidays at the Disneyland Resort, and more!
The holidays arrive at Disneyland in November! Typically during the second week of the month, the holiday decor arrives and it feels a lot like Christmas in the California theme parks. Holiday overlays, parades, shows, and even “snow” can be found throughout the entire Disneyland Resort. Weekends will likely be busy, and the crowds will definitely pick up as it gets closer to Thanksgiving. But with a little bit of pre-planning, November can be a wonderful time to visit Disneyland!
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Planning a Disneyland vacation in 2024? Be sure to check out our guide to all that the Disneyland Resort has to offer this year including the return of the Disneyland Half Marathon, the grand opening of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, and more!
November At-a-Glance
- Disneyland in November will be cooler, but pleasant. Layers are an excellent way to be prepared for warmer afternoons and cooler evenings. It is also worth noting that this month marks the beginning of the rainy season. Ponchos are a great way to be prepared!
- Disney typically begins the festivities during the second week of November. So if you want to enjoy the holidays without the crazy Christmas crowds, November (prior to Thanksgiving) can be a wonderful time to visit.
- The holidays at the Disneyland Resort are very popular and crowds should be expected. That being said, November should be less crowded than December. Weekends will be busier with locals, Veteran’s Day Weekend could also see an increase in crowds, and Thanksgiving week will be very busy.
November Events
Plaza de la Familia at Disney California Adventure Park will be taking place August 23-November 2. Experience a celebration of family and Mexican traditions during Día de los Muertos with the enchanting storytelling and captivating music of Pixar’s “Coco.” Immerse yourself in this cultural event that pays homage to the enduring bonds of family.
The Holidays at the Disneyland Resort begin on November 15, 2024! During the holiday season at Disneyland, the entire resort comes alive with various festive offerings. Guests can immerse themselves in the Christmas Fantasy Parade, explore the holiday-themed version of “it’s a small world,” witness the dazzling “Believe…In Holiday Magic” fireworks, admire the enchanting Wintertime Enchantment at Sleeping Beauty’s Winter Castle, and experience the transformed Haunted Mansion Holiday, among other exciting attractions.
At California Adventure, visitors can immerse themselves in the Disney Festival of the Holidays, Watercolor – Season of Light, Mater’s Jingle Jamboree, Luigi’s Joy to the Whirl, and other exciting experiences. There is a multitude of options for everyone to enjoy and celebrate the holiday spirit.
Even though it seems as if Disneyland goes straight from Halloween to Christmas, Thanksgiving does not get forgotten. Thanksgiving meals are offered at select fine dining locations.
Veteran’s Day is honored at Disneyland each year with a larger flag retreat ceremony. This features the Dapper Dans and the Disneyland Band and is held daily in the park. But for Veteran’s Day, the festivities include Disneyland Cast Members who are veterans (or are in the reserves). Sometimes a military band is also in attendance.
Dapper Day arrives at Disneyland on November 3, 2024, and active and retired service members are encouraged to wear their dress uniforms! This is an unofficial event at the park with a “pop-up shop” at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel held November 2-3.
November Refurbishments & Closures
*We’ve included all current refurbishments here on this list… even ones that may be open in time for November 2024. (Please note that this list could change at a moment’s notice.)
Disneyland Park
- Splash Mountain closed on March 31, 2023, for retheming. Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is scheduled to debut on November 15, 2024.
- Dumbo the Flying Elephant will be closed on October 1, 2024, and it will reopen on October 2.
- “it’s a small world” will close on September 16 for refurbishment. Rumor has it that during this time, it will be receiving its popular holiday overlay and reopen on November 15. It is also rumored to be closing again on January 21 for further maintenance, and it will likely reopen in the spring of 2025.
- Jungle Cruise will be closed from September 16 through October 4, 2024.
- Sailing Ship Columbia will be closing September 23 and reopening on September 27.
- Indiana Jones Adventure will be closing on September 9 and reopening on September 14.
- The Disneyland Monorail closed on August 12, and it will be reopening on September 13, 2024.
- Pirate’s Lair on Tom Sawyer Island will be closing on September 16, and it will be reopening on September 19.
- The Disney Gallery is now closed and will reopen on October 1, 2024.
- The Disneyland Railroad closed on August 5, 2024, and no reopening date has been announced yet.
- The Disneyland Story presenting Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln closed on April 16, 2024. Disney recently announced that there will be a new show coming to the Main Street Opera House featuring the first-ever Walt Disney animatronic. This is expected to open in 2025.
California Adventure Park
- World of Color – ONE will be closing on September 9. This refurbishment will likely last for several weeks.
November Weather
Disneyland in November will be cooler, but pleasant. The average high is 70 degrees and the low is typically around 53 degrees. Layers are an excellent way to be prepared for warmer afternoons and cooler evenings. It is also worth noting that this month marks the beginning of the rainy season. Ponchos are a great way to be prepared!
November Disneyland Crowds
Crowd calendars are very popular, but they can also be a bit unpredictable. That being said, the pandemic has made predicting crowds even more difficult than normal.
While crowd calendars can be a big help in planning your trip, keep in mind, that they are predictions at best. When designing our calendars, we take a look at events, school calendars, ticket prices, park hours, holidays, and typical monthly patterns. Unfortunately, our crowd calendars cannot predict other things such as weather, travel advisories, pandemics, or last-minute openings or closings of shows and attractions.
The holidays at the Disneyland Resort are very popular and crowds should be expected. That being said, Disney typically begins the festivities during the second week of November. So if you want to enjoy the holidays without the crazy Christmas crowds, November (prior to Thanksgiving) can be a wonderful time to visit. Weekends will be busier with locals, and Thanksgiving week will be very busy.
Ready to Start Planning Your Visit to Disneyland in November?
Here are some resources to help you get started!
Disneyland Dining Guides:
Disneyland Attraction Guides:
Planning your first Disneyland vacation? Be sure to visit my step-by-step guide to get started!
