Holidays at the Disneyland Resort Will Include Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Opening

Sleeping Beauty’s Winter Castle – Photo credit: Disneyland Resort

As the holiday season approaches, Southern California’s Disneyland Resort is gearing up to deliver a fantastic festive experience that blends cherished traditions with exciting new offerings. From November 15, 2024, through January 6, 2025, guests can immerse themselves in a winter wonderland filled with glittering décor, character encounters, special entertainment, seasonal food and beverages, and even the launch of a highly anticipated new attraction.

Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Debuts

This end-of-year holiday season will see the grand opening of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure where Splash Mountain once stood inside Disneyland Park. Opening on November 15, 2024, this reimagined attraction set in Bayou Country (formerly Critter Country)is an imaginative flume ride that takes guests along with Princess Tiana and her jazz-loving alligator friend, Louis, on a musical journey through the bayou. The attraction is packed with intricate details, original music and beloved songs that bring the story of Tiana to life in an immersive way. 

The new ride adds a fresh element to the “Princess and the Frog” storytelling that guests can already experience in New Orleans’ Square, where Tiana’s Palace quick-service restaurant and Eudora’s Chic Boutique Featuring Tiana’s Gourmet Secrets are already installed. Visitors can further explore Tiana’s world by browsing themed merchandise at newly reimagined Bayou Country shops, Ray’s Berets and Louis’ Critter Club, adding to the engaging experience of the New Orleans-inspired setting.

Photo credit: Disney Corporation

Culturally Diverse Seasonal Celebrations

Over at Disney California Adventure Park, the vibrant multicultural celebration known as the Disney Festival of the Holidays highlights the rich diversity of the Southern California region, inviting visitors to indulge in a variety of festive foods and drinks, enjoy a range of live performances and shop for merry merchandise. With a Sip and Savor Pass, available in four-coupon or eight-coupon versions, guests can sample seasonal delights at participating marketplace and dining locations across the park. 

Meanwhile, enchanting live entertainment elevates the festivities, ensuring an energetic atmosphere filled with joyful music and dance. Alongside returning favorites, new performance groups will join the festival lineup this year, accompanying iconic Disney characters as they move to holiday melodies during the “Mickey’s Happy Holidays” cavalcade. 

Over in Paradise Gardens, the Disney ¡Viva Navidad! cultural celebration reprises with a host of offerings inspired by Latin American traditions, including vibrant décor, live music, arts and crafts, and tasty seasonal delicacies. Of course, appearances by beloved characters like Mickey, Minnie, and The Three Caballeros add a dash of Disney magic to the festivities. On select days, guests can catch the Disney ¡Viva Navidad! street party, which will see The Three Caballeros accompanied by Mexican folklórico dancers and mariachis, Brazilian samba dancers and percussionists, and others.

Photo credit: Joshua Sudock/Disneyland Resort

Holiday Cheer All Across the Parks

Both theme parks, the Downtown Disney District and the Hotels of the Disneyland Resort will be adorned with dazzling holiday décor, transforming every corner into a picturesque holiday scene. But the stunning visuals, auditory ambiance and other immersive elements don’t end there. Guests can treat their tastebuds to dozens of limited-time, holiday-themed edible novelties, with returning favorites and fresh festive delights being produced by the resort’s talented culinary team. Plus, several new holiday merchandise collections will make their debut this year, including the Mickey Mouse Family Christmas, Holiday Red and Snowman collections. You can find them featured at retail outlets around the resort, such as World of Disney, Emporium, Elias & Co. and more. 

And, there will be no shortage of awe-inspiring options when it comes to live entertainment in the parks. During the enchanting “A Christmas Fantasy Parade” at Disneyland Park, cherished Disney characters join together for a festive musical march that highlights the many delights of the season. And, each evening, the holiday spirit is ignited with dazzling fireworks and stirring melodies in the “Believe…In Holiday Magic” nighttime spectacular. As the show wraps up, delicate “snow” will gently descend along the Rivers of America, near “it’s a small world” Holiday, and along sections of Main Street, U.S.A. Over at Disney California Adventure Park, the “World of Color – Season of Light” spectacle will illuminate Paradise Bay with hundreds of synchronized fountains dancing to festive tunes, accompanied by sparkling “snowflakes.”

The “Believe … in Holiday Magic” nighttime fireworks spectacular at Disneyland Resort. – Photo credit: Disneyland Resort)

At the two parks, select attractions will receive special seasonal overlays that fans look forward to each year. In Disneyland Park, visitors can delight in the luminous “it’s a small world” Holiday, which takes guests on a world tour of good cheer, and Haunted Mansion Holiday, where Jack Skellington from The Nightmare Before Christmas brings his unique twist to the classic attraction. Over in Disney California Adventure Park, Cars Land will also join in the festive fun, with rides like Luigi’s Rollickin’ Roadsters and Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree temporarily transforming into Luigi’s Joy to the Whirl and Mater’s Jingle Jamboree.

For those looking to meet Santa Claus, alongside select favorite Disney characters, the Fantasyland Theatre in Disneyland Park will host jolly meet-and-greets, as well as fun activities like cookie decorating, craft making and storytelling. Through December 24, Santa’s visits will also extend to the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail in Disney California Adventure Park, as well as Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, the Disneyland Hotel and Pixar Place Hotel. Mickey and Minnie Mouse, along with some of their pals, will be sporting brand-new festive outfits inspired by the tradition of writing heartfelt holiday letters at Disneyland Park.

This article originally appeared in TravelPulse.