Visiting Santa At The Disneyland Resort- Complete Guide 2024

Are you heading to the happiest place on earth this Holiday season? If you are, don’t miss visiting Santa at the Disneyland Resort! I’ve got all the information you need to meet Santa while you’re at Disneyland. Seeing Santa is always magical, but visiting Santa while you’re at Disneyland is extra magical! What could be better than seeing Santa in the happiest place on earth? There are quite a few different places you can visit Santa at Disneyland. This post will cover them all, including my personal favorite.

You’re going to want to check out my full guide to Disneyland during the holidays. It’s full of information that will be important and helpful to you on your Disneyland visit. I cover it all! Haunted Mansion Holiday(and the best time to ride), the Christmas Fantasy Parade, World of Color, ride overlays, holiday decorations, and more! Everything you need to know about visiting Disneyland during the holidays is in that guide. So, check it out so you don’t miss anything!

Discount Disney Park Tickets And Hotels

Please be aware, that Disney theme parks all require park tickets and reservations. Make sure you have both! Please don’t pay the full price for your Disney tickets or hotel. My partners at Get Away Today have the very best deals on tickets and hotels. Their customer service is top notch and they even have layaway plans. You can find them here or call 1-855-GET-AWAY. Make sure you tell them Melissa from Mix In Some Magic sent you for the best deal! If you book a package with park tickets and a hotel room you can use my code MIX10 to save an extra $10. That’s more churro money, friends!

I have a bunch of hotel reviews that might be helpful for you if you’re still trying to decide where you’d like to stay. 

Visiting Santa At The Disneyland Resort

There are six places you can see Santa during the Christmas season at Disneyland. No matter where you decide to visit him, I know you’ll have a great experience! Disney is famous for character interactions, and Santa Claus is no different. All the Santas who visit with Disneyland guests are incredible! You can expect them to take lots of time with your family and to make every member feel special. You’ll never be rushed through your visit. This is one of the best things about visiting Santa at the Disneyland Resort!

Of course, because the Disneyland cast members never rush guests during their character interactions, this also means that sometimes there can be long lines to visit Santa(or other favorite characters). Please be patient as each guest has their turn and special interaction with Santa Claus. Your turn will come and your family will get the same magical experience.

Visiting Santa At Disneyland Park

You can find Santa at Disneyland park in Critter Country right near Splash Mountain and Winnie the Pooh. Santa has taken over Pooh’s “thotful spot”

Santa usually arrives here at 11 am and is around for most of the day, with a few breaks here and there.  There’s a festive backdrop behind Santa Claus with a few Christmas trees that’s perfect for a picture or two. Of course, Santa has his jingle bells and his traditional “Ho, ho, ho!”. He’s full of holiday spirit!

Often, you’ll also be able to meet Pooh Bear and some of his friends in their holiday clothes while you’re waiting to see Santa!

You can also catch Santa at the end of the Christmas Fantasy Parade at Disneyland. Now, this isn’t a meet-and-greet situation, but it might be perfect for your family. Maybe the idea of meeting Santa is a little scary for your kids and they’d rather wave from a distance. If that’s the case, seeing Santa Claus at the end of the parade might be the perfect option for you.

Visiting Santa at Disney California Adventure Park

You can find Santa at the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail. This is my favorite place to meet Santa! Santa is tucked away in a cozy nook. He’s surrounded by the cutest backdrop that’s perfect for a few pictures. This location usually has a longer wait time to meet Santa than some of the others, but it’s worth it in my opinion.

This is my favorite location for visiting Santa at the Disneyland Resort because there are a few additional fun things to do! You can meet Santa’s helpers and play elf games. The elves usually have something fun for your kids to participate in like a rubber ducky race in the little stream or a small craft. There’s also a zipline, a rock wall, a cave to explore, and lots of room for kids to burn a little energy!

After you see Santa you can purchase sugar cookie decorating kits. There’s a little area set up for you to use to decorate and enjoy your cookies.

Redwood Creek Challenge Trail. Open 9 am-4:30 pm daily. Times are subject to change. Check your Disneyland app for the correct times on the day you visit.

Visiting Santa at Disneyland Resort Hotels

Santa is available for visits at each of the three Disneyland Resort hotel lobbies. You can see him in the lobby at the Disneyland Hotel, Pixar Place and Grand Californian. You do not have to be a hotel guest to visit him at any of the hotels. Anyone is welcome in the hotel lobbies.

Santa is usually available for visits in the hotel lobbies from 4:30 pm- 8:30 pm. Santa’s schedule can change, so make sure you check with a cast member at the hotel for his schedule. The wait times to visit Santa at Disneyland hotels are usually much shorter than visiting him inside the parks. 

Can You Visit Santa At Disneyland After Christmas?

Unfortunately, after the Christmas Holiday, Santa Claus is no longer available for visits. He has to head back to the North Pole and start preparing for next year. However, after Christmas Day you can meet Goofy dressed in a Santa Suit at Redwood Creek Challenge Trail. It’s so nice of Goofy to fill in for Santa!

Meeting Other Characters During The Holidays

Santa isn’t the only one hanging around Disneyland during the holidays! There are lots of other characters who are dressed up for the Holidays and excited to meet you! You can find Jack Skellington in his Santa Suit in New Orleans Square. Mater wears a fun Santa hat to celebrate the season. You can find him in Cars land. Don’t miss Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, and their friends in their adorable holiday sweaters! You can usually find them on Main Street USA.

I have a guide to finding characters at Disneyland that will help show you how to find characters at Disneyland so you don’t miss your favorite one! Find it here.

Disneyland Photographers

If you decide to visit Santa inside Disneyland Park or in California Adventure Park, there will be a Disneyland photographer there to capture the magical moment! If you have purchased Genie Plus, then photo pass is included with your purchase. So, make sure you have the photographers take lots of pictures! If you don’t have photo pass, you can ask a nearby cast member to take a picture for you using your phone or camera. They are happy to help out!

If you visit Santa at one of the Disneyland Resort Hotels, there usually isn’t a photographer available to take pictures. But, a helpful cast member will happily take a group shot for you!

Disneyland Planning Help

I’ve got bunches of information on planning a Disneyland trip that will be so helpful for you! Start with my complete guide to visiting Disneyland. It’s a step-by-step guide for planning your vacation that will be helpful. Check out my top 10 Disneyland tips and my guide to when to visit Disneyland to help you pick the best time for your vacation! I’ve also got a post on rope dropping at Disneyland that’s very helpful.

Make sure you check out my downloadable touring plans if you’d like a step-by-step guide to the parks! 

I have a planning phone call that’s super popular! In this phone call, I can answer all of your Disneyland vacation questions and give you lots of tips and info tailored just to you and your group!

I just love visiting Disneyland during the holidays! It goes from the happiest place on earth to the merriest place on earth. Visiting during Christmas time is pure magic. I love the holiday food, Christmas decorations, and the holiday magic fireworks. But, I think my favorite part might be visiting Santa at the Disneyland Resort. I just can’t think of a better place to meet him!

I’m so excited for your holiday time vacation! I know you’re going to have a great time on your vacation. You’ve picked a wonderful time of year to visit! Hopefully, this guide to visiting Santa at the Disneyland Resort was helpful for you! Remember to check out my Disneyland Holiday guide for everything you need to know about visiting Disneyland during the Holidays!

Make sure to check out my podcast for lots of Disney planning information! You can find it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Just search for “Mix In Some Magic” Follow me on Instagram for more Disney tips and lots of Disney tips and fun!