Special Events at Disneyland 2026: Complete Guide for Every Season

While a Disneyland vacation is special any time, the resort is known for multiple special events, seasonal festivals, and holiday celebrations that happen at different times every year. These celebrations often feature unique decorations, special foods, and one-time only entertainment. Naturally, many Disneyland guests want to time their vacation for when one of these special offerings are happening.

Historically, Disneyland didn't announce the exact dates for special events and holiday festivals until maybe 3-6 months before they started. That made things a bit challenging for guests who want to plan much farther in advance. Luckily starting a few years ago, Disneyland began releasing the full year's event schedule for the following year in early December, and just did so again for 2026! This makes it much easier for those of you who prefer long-term planning.

I've been to Disneyland in every season many times and can compare and contrast all of these choices. If you are trying to pick just the right time to visit Disneyland, here is an overview of all the events, food festivals, and holiday celebrations that are happening in 2026 to plan for your next trip.

If it's been a few years since you've been to the Disneyland Resort, also remember that not everything at Disneyland is entirely as it was in previous years. Be sure to check out these posts for even more of the most current Disneyland vacation planning details:

• Complete Guide to Visiting Disneyland - (updated multiple times each year)
• How to Make Disneyland Park Reservations
• Frequently Asked Questions About Disneyland's Lightning Lane

Disneyland Special Events Happening in Every Season of the Year

Here are all the special events and seasonal celebrations that happen each year at the Disneyland Resort, as well as all the unique offerings that have been announced for 2026.

70th Anniversary Celebration (January - August)

Dates in 2026: Continuing from 2025 through Aug 9, 2026.

In case you've missed the news (is that even possible?), 2025 was a major anniversary year at Disneyland. The parks started celebrating the 70th Anniversary last summer, and the celebration will continue into much of 2026.

A few of the special entertainment offerings for the 70th have been paused during the fall and winter seasons to make space for Halloween and Christmas entertainment, but the full 70th lineup is coming back in January 2026.

You can continue to experience lots of themed food, merchandise and a whole lot of entertainment. Here's a quick refresher on the Anniversary's entertainment lineup:

• Paint the Night: A beloved fan favorite nighttime parade with a catchy soundtrack and dazzling lights in Disneyland park.
• Wondrous Journeys: The nighttime spectacular from the Disney100 Celebration with projections and fireworks (select nights) in Disneyland park.
• "Better Together: A Pixar Pals Celebration!": A daytime parade in DCA that was new for last year's Pixar Fest.
• World of Color Happiness: A new nighttime world of color water and light projection show in DCA that debuted for the 70th.
• “Walt Disney – A Magical Life”: Audio Animatronics show featuring Walt Disney himself in the Main Street Opera House in Disneyland.

Lunar New Year at Disneyland (January & February)

Dates in 2026: January 23-February 22, 2026.

The earliest recurring special event of every new year at Disneyland is Lunar New Year. The event is held at Disney California Adventure park and includes lots of special entertainment as well as multiple food marketplaces featuring a wide variety of Asian dishes. My guide to Disneyland's Lunar New Year has all the details.

This celebration is smaller in scope but has really grown from even a few years ago. The holiday used to be commemorated only on a single weekend with just a couple of special offerings that mostly catered to locals. It's now a full-fledged festival running worthy of planning a vacation around, running for about 3-4 weeks in late January and early February.

With Disney now announcing dates for it in early December, that's not a lot of lead time for guest planning purposes if you are planning for it in future years. And since the date of Lunar New Year is variable and the festival is shorter than many other Disneyland festivals, predicting the timing of this event is a bit harder than with most other Disneyland events. The date of actual Lunar New Year can fall anywhere between the third week of January and mid-February.

This means Disneyland adjusts the dates of the festival a bit each year. Sometimes the event falls over some or all of the Presidents Day weekend holiday (as it will in 2026), but it sometimes it does not run that long when Lunar New Year falls in January. So if you need to plan for future years, consult the lunar calendar carefully while planning and aim for a visit close to the actual holiday to be doubly sure you don't miss it.

Disneyland After Dark (January to June)

Disneyland also offers after hours special ticketed events called "Disneyland After Dark" in the first part of every year. These are themed parties in Disneyland park with special food and beverage, photo opps, unique characters, and super-short ride lines.

One of the the themes of these events is Sweethearts' Nite, which is offered on 9 dates in late January and early February around Valentine's Day. I've attended one of these parties before and felt I got a very good value experiencing a few of the special offerings and then riding attractions to my heart's content!

Other themes in 2026 include a new special event celebrating the 70th anniversary, Star Wars Nites around "May the 4th," Pride Nite, and three nights celebrating Disney Channel nostalgia. These parties are pricey (and aren't great for kids because they run so late), but can be a good alternative to a park day for adults and teens - no Lightning Lane purchase needed!

A complete list of themes and dates are:

• Sweethearts' Nite: January 22, 25, 27 and February 3, 5, 8, 10, 12, 17
• 70 Years of Favorites: March 3, 5
• Disney Channel Nite: April 12, 14, 16
• Star Wars Nite: April 28, 30 and May 4, 6
• Pride Nite: June 16, 18

Valentine's Day (February)

Dates in 2026: February 14, 2026 (and sometimes a few days prior)

Although Valentine's Day itself isn't a major celebration at Disneyland beyond the after-hours events, the holiday isn't completely overlooked at the Disneyland Resort either.

If you happen to be able to go to the parks in the couple of days leading up to February 14, you'll see some decorations, special food, and photos opps. (The Happiest Blog on Earth keeps an updated guide to Valentine's Day at Disneyland to bookmark.)

Celebrate Gospel! (February)

Dates in 2026: February 20-21 & 27-28, 2026

February is pretty jam-packed most years, as the last two weekends also are reserved for the Celebrate Gospel celebration. The concert series is moving to Downtown Disney this year and features numerous community gospel choirs as well as headliner gospel acts.

Food & Wine Festival & Spring Break at Disneyland (March & April)

Dates in 2026: March 6-April 27, 2026.

Disneyland's largest annual festival, the Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival, happens every spring. Spring at Disneyland is one of my favorite times to visit, and I've been lucky enough to attend the festival regularly for many years to really see it evolve.

The festival usually starts right around the beginning of March and runs about 6-7 weeks well into April. It's timed to encompass almost all the spring breaks for school districts in California and neighboring states, and always includes Easter weekend as well.

The festival features around a dozen food kiosks set up along the walkways of Disney California Adventure park. Home-grown California ingredients like garlic and berries take center stage in every dish. It's a huge highlight for foodies but definitely has enough to offer families with kids as well. See my complete guide to the Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival for all the specifics.

Bonus in March/April: Easter!

Easter isn't overlooked in the spring at Disneyland either, but you have to peek more closely to find the offerings. The major thing to do is Easter Egg-stravaganza where guests can purchase a map and go hunt for eggs displayed in hidden spots through the parks and in Downtown Disney.

There are a few unique Easter foods as well as dining experiences on Easter Sunday itself at some restaurants. My friends Tom and Sarah over at Disney Tourist Blog keep an updated guide to Easter at Disneyland with all the specifics.

Summer Festivals & Attraction Debuts (May, June, July, & August)

There is no recurring festival during the summer at Disneyland, but Disneyland usually does something special each and every summer to bring something new to the parks.

When Disney is celebrating a major milestone birthday, the celebration usually is themed around that anniversary. Usually the anniversary starts at the beginning of one summer (as the 70th did in 2025) and continues through the following one (as it will in 2026). So for the second summer in a row, the 70th will be the focus of the summer fun, with the celebration officially concluding in early August after a 15 month run.

But the 70th isn't the entirety of this year's summer fun. Disneyland will also debut two updated attractions this year.

The first updated attraction will be a new ride mission on Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run starting May 22, 2026. The action will be inspired by The Mandalorian & Grogu movie debuting at that same time.

The second ride update will help celebrate another important anniversary, as the year 2026 is the 250th birthday of the United States of America. For the Semiquincentennial, Disney is leaning into all things patriotic and launching "Soarin' Across America." The attraction in Disney California Adventure (and its equivalent ride in Epcot at Walt Disney World) will feature an all-new video over famous USA landmarks and will reopen on the West Coast on July 2, 2026 - just before Independence Day.

For summer planning in future years after the 70th anniversary is over, note that summer is traditionally when new attractions and lands launch. Often, Disney gives the summer a theme that is in keeping with the new opening. For example, Disney named 2017 the Summer of Heroes and launched a celebration for all things Marvel after Guardians of the Galaxy - Mission: BREAKOUT! opened earlier that spring.

There are a number of new attractions and lands announced to be coming to Disneyland in the next several years, including a new E-Ticket attraction in Avengers Campus, a Coco ride, an Avatar attraction, and the Disneyland Forward project, so any and all of those openings could be the focus of future summer celebrations.

The bottom line is that if you go in summer, there will be something fun to celebrate, even if you don't always know the exact theme.

Bonus on July 17: Disneyland's Birthday!

July 17, 1955 was Disneyland's opening date, and that date itself is always full of extra special offerings. Disneyland will likely release more details in the coming months.

Halloween Time (late August, September & October)

Dates in 2026: August 21-October 31, 2026.

The fall brings one of the most beloved holiday celebrations to Disneyland. In September and October (and now in late August too!), both parks celebrate Halloween Time. The pumpkin and villains decor is over-the-top all over the resort, making it one of my favorite times to head to Anaheim.

When do the Halloween decorations go up? The official launch used to be right around Labor Day weekend. Starting a few years ago, however, Halloween Time began starting earlier than ever. It now appears that this shift is likely permanent.

Like its Florida counterpart has done for many years, you can now celebrate Halloween in Disneyland starting in late August - yikes! And while Halloween Time officially ends on the October 31 holiday, there are two additional days in early November when the Dia de los Muertos offerings continue (most notably in DCA at Plaza de la Familia).

You are usually able to count on the seasonal ride overlay Haunted Mansion Holiday to be ready to go on the official Halloween Time opening day.

Disneyland also has a special Halloween party during the fall multiple nights a week. Called Oogie Boogie Bash and held in Disney California Adventure park, the parties historically didn't started until a bit later into the fall season after the decor appears. In 2026, however, the parties actually start BEFORE the official opening of Halloween Time - on August 18. And this year there will be a record-setting 33 of them!

Just be sure to watch for dates when tickets will be released (usually in early summer) because they will go fast.

Holidays at the Disneyland Resort (November, December, & early January)

Dates in 2026: November 18, 2026 - early January TBD, 2027.

Last but certainly not least are the winter holiday celebrations at Disneyland. The holiday decorations and treats used to be up by the Veterans Day holiday in early November, but a couple of years ago brought another timing change that is continuing in 2026.

The Holiday season at Disneyland will not start until several days after Veterans Day (perhaps to better distribute crowds around that busy holiday weekend?) and will stretch into early January. The celebration usually ends right around the time most kids return to school.

The offerings are too many to list, from ride overlays like it's a small world Holiday to Mater's Jingle Jamboree to special holiday parades and evening fireworks. The holiday season also features a food festival of its own in Disney California Adventure. See all the details in my guide to the holidays at Disneyland.

One thing to watch out for: the holidays definitely do bring out crowds. The two busiest times to visit the Disneyland Resort are Thanksgiving week and the week between Christmas and New Year's. If you can go other times in the season, you can experience more of the magic without the crowds. I particularly love going during the early December lull.

Do you have a favorite season to visit Disneyland? What event are you planning to attend on your next trip?