What You Need to Know Before Planning Your 2026 Disneyland Vacation

Planning any Disney vacation can be challenging, but planning a 2026 visit to the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California, can be even more daunting for those who haven’t visited the Southern California theme park in a long time, those who usually visit Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, and even those who are visiting the Happiest Place on Earth for the first time.

After many visits to the Disneyland Resort over the years, and planning each of them myself, I have learned some valuable tips and tricks to make the planning process and actual vacation easy and enjoyable for everyone. Even with all the changes coming to the resort next year, from hotel amenities to attraction closures, and more, a vacation to Disneyland in 2026 is still a great idea, and it’s sure to be filled with lots of magical memories. Here’s what you need to know before planning your 2026 Disneyland vacation.

Try to plan your 2026 Disneyland vacation during the off-season

While the crowd calendar isn’t an exact science, I often look at it when planning a trip to Disneyland. I like the one from MickeyVisit.com, which ranks days based on factors like single-day ticket prices, Magic Key block days (Disneyland annual passes), historical wait time data, school calendars for surrounding states, and special events. However, crowd calendars are not an exact science and can be wrong. Days that show fewer people will probably be very busy. So, don’t put all your Mickey Bars in one basket, try to guarantee a smaller crowd for your family based on the crowd calendar.

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Some of the best times for your 2026 Disneyland vacation are late January (except Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend), early to mid-February, early to mid-May, late August, the first week of November, and the time between Thanksgiving and the first full week of December. These dates often overlap with children’s school schedules, shoulder season trips, and dates at the start of Disneyland’s seasonal events.

That said, some times you’ll want to avoid Disneyland in 2026 include the first week of January, President’s Day weekend and the following week, Spring Break the last week of March, Easter week, Thanksgiving week, and Christmas week. While there are other times of the year that are filled with more people, these are often the weeks that draw the most people to the park. If this is the only time you can travel because your kids are out of school, that’s fine. Realize that the day will be busy, and make a plan for how you want to spend the day.

Our senior theme park editor’s favorite times to visit Disneyland are in 2026

While the off-season (or say, weeks) makes the park easier to manage, this isn’t actually the case bad it’s time to visit Disneyland Resort in 2026. This year, I visited Disneyland several times from spring through summer and loved every second of it. I’ve also visited during Halloween and holidays several times. But if anyone asked me when my favorite time to visit is, I would have to say Halloween. Even if you’re not attending the extra-charge Oogie Boogie Bash party at Disney California Adventure, there’s still plenty of Halloween fun to be had around the resort.

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Some of my favorite things about Disneyland during Halloween are the smorgasbord of rides for attractions like the Haunted Mansion, Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission — Breakout, and Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree. I also love the spooky decorations around the parks and hotels, seeing Mickey Mouse and his friends dressed in Halloween costumes, and all the delicious treats that come with the season.

What special events are happening in 2026 at Disneyland?

Throughout the year, Disneyland Resort hosts a variety of special events. The biggest celebration, Disneyland’s 70th anniversary celebration, begins in May 2025 and will run through summer 2026. You can read our complete guide to this milestone anniversary here.

Additionally, the resort is famous for its annual celebrations. While official schedules won’t be announced until publication, we expect the return of the Lunar New Year Festival starting in January, the Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival starting in February, Season of the Force starting in March, Halloween Time at Disneyland starting in August, and the holiday season starting in November.

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Throughout the year, there are also Disneyland After Dark Events, such as Sweetheart’s Nite and Star Wars Nite. This additional fee event is very popular, and we predict it will return in 2026.

How long will you need at Disneyland in 2026?

There are several factors to consider when determining how much time to spend at Disneyland in 2026. Are you relatively close to the resort and a frequent visitor, or do you travel far and should only visit once a year or less? Do you want to take it all in at both parks, or do you want a vacation that combines amusement park rides with a little relaxation?

Whatever direction you want to go, I always recommend that people who are taking a long trip to Disneyland, haven’t visited in a while, or want to get a lot done on their trip, plan for three full days. This gives you plenty of time to explore all the attractions you want, enjoy some of the entertainment and dining options in the parks, plus a little downtime at the hotel during the day.

What amenities will Disneyland hotel guests get in 2026?

Starting early next year, the benefits of staying at one of Disneyland’s three hotels change. Starting January 5, 2026, guests staying at the Disneyland Hotel, Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel and Spa, or Pixar Place Hotel get one Lightning Lane pass for each qualifying attraction during their stay. This takes 30 minutes to get into the park early which will continue to be an advantage from now until January 4, 2026.

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Other than a few days of early park entry or Lightning Lane entry, there are no distinct theme park amenities that make staying at a Disneyland hotel different from staying at a hotel near Disneyland.

Is it worth staying at the hotel on site?

Figuring out whether it’s worth staying at an on-site Disneyland hotel is also subjective. I love staying at the three Disneyland properties, but they are expensive. All Disneyland Resort hotels are similar to the luxury hotels at Walt Disney World in terms of price and amenities.

If I want to splurge and plan to balance my time between parks and hotels, I choose a room at one of the Disney properties. The Disneyland Hotel is my favorite because of its cute rooms, monorail themed pool, and lots of places to eat. Additionally, the new Disney Vacation Club tower offers more ways to stay, either with your own points or by renting points from leading outlets like DVC Shop or David’s Vacation Club Rentals.

What off-site hotels are the best?

For luxury lodging near Disneyland, the Westin Anaheim Resort is ideal, with comfortable rooms (some even overlook Disney California Adventure), a pool for a quick dip after spending time at the parks, and an on-site restaurant to fuel yourself for more fun. The resort is about a 15 minute walk to Disneyland.

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My favorite budget-friendly hotel is Hotel Lulu, which is part of the Best Western hotel umbrella. The hotel is cute, with a fun beach theme. While the amenities are basic, the nightly price is hard to beat, especially if you plan on being in the park all day and just need a place to sleep and shower. The hotel is a 10 minute walk from Disneyland.

How to get the 2026 Disneyland holiday promo

The first place you should look for deals on your 2026 Disneyland vacation is the deals page on the official Disneyland Resort website. Here, you’ll see all the ticket, hotel and bundle deals currently available.

At the time of publication, one 2026 offering was available. Those who live in California can get a 3-day park hopper pass for $249 (over 50 percent savings). This ticket is valid from January 1 to May 21, 2026.

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