Okay Disney fam, we need to talk about what’s happening with Disneyland’s holiday season because there’s some GOOD news and some confusing scheduling that you absolutely need to understand if you’re planning a trip in the next few weeks. Officially, the holiday season at Disneyland Resort ends on January 8, which sounds like bad news if you’re visiting after that date and hoping to experience all the festive magic. BUT (and this is a big but), the two holiday overlays that everyone actually cares about are staying open WAY past that date. We’re talking Haunted Mansion Holiday and “it’s a small world” Holiday, the seasonal transformations that people literally plan entire trips around, both operating well into late January even though the “official” holiday season is over.
Here’s what’s wild about this: Disneyland says the holiday season ends on January 8, but then Haunted Mansion Holiday stays open until January 11 (okay, that’s only three extra days, whatever), and “it’s a small world” Holiday keeps going all the way until January 26. JANUARY 26! That’s nearly three weeks after the holiday season supposedly ends. So clearly when Disney says “the holiday season is over,” what they really mean is “we’re taking down the Main Street decorations and ending the special entertainment, but the actual attractions people care about are sticking around for a while longer because we know that’s what brings people through the gates.”
And honestly? We’re not mad about it. These extended dates are GREAT news for anyone who missed the main holiday rush or wants one more chance to smell that gingerbread house at Haunted Mansion Holiday (yes, we’re talking about the gingerbread house, because it’s literally the best part of the overlay and we will fight anyone who disagrees). But here’s what you need to know: both attractions are going to close for WEEKS after the holiday versions end, so if you’re planning a late January or February trip, you need to be strategic about when you visit depending on which versions of these rides you actually want to experience.
Haunted Mansion Holiday: Your Last Chance Is January 11
Let’s start with Haunted Mansion Holiday because this one closes first and honestly, it’s the overlay that generates the most hype. You have until January 11 to experience Jack Skellington’s takeover of the classic New Orleans Square attraction. That’s it. January 11 is your LAST DAY, and then it’s gone until next fall when the holiday overlay comes back for another season.
If you’ve never experienced Haunted Mansion Holiday, let us tell you: it’s COMPLETELY different from the regular Haunted Mansion. Jack Skellington and the whole Nightmare Before Christmas crew have basically taken over the entire attraction, and it’s equal parts spooky and festive in the best possible way. The music is different, the scenes are different, Zero the ghost dog is there, and honestly the whole thing just WORKS in a way that shouldn’t make sense but absolutely does.
But let’s talk about the REAL star of Haunted Mansion Holiday: the gingerbread house in the ballroom scene. Every single year, Disney builds this massive, elaborate gingerbread house that’s an actual functioning piece of the attraction, and the smell of real gingerbread fills that entire section of the ride. We’re not exaggerating when we say that some people visit Disneyland specifically to smell this gingerbread house. It’s THAT iconic. It’s THAT good. And you have until January 11 to experience it before it’s demolished and you have to wait an entire year for the next one.
After January 11? Haunted Mansion is CLOSED. Like, completely shut down. Not open in holiday form, not open in regular form, just CLOSED while they spend six weeks ripping out all the Nightmare Before Christmas stuff and putting the regular Haunted Mansion theming back in. The classic version doesn’t reopen until February 23, which means there’s a massive gap from January 12 through February 22 where you can’t ride Haunted Mansion at all regardless of which version you prefer.
So if you’re planning a Disneyland trip between mid-January and late February, just know that Haunted Mansion is completely off the table. Build your park plans accordingly because one of Disneyland’s most popular attractions is going to be sitting there behind construction walls doing absolutely nothing for your vacation.
“it’s a small world” Holiday Sticks Around Until January 26
While Haunted Mansion Holiday is packing up and heading out on January 11, “it’s a small world” Holiday is still going strong for two more weeks. This overlay runs all the way through January 26, giving you significantly more time to catch at least ONE of the two major holiday overlays even if you miss the Haunted Mansion window.
The “it’s a small world” Holiday transformation is honestly adorable. They add Christmas celebrations from all the different cultures represented in the ride, the facade gets all lit up with holiday lights and decorations, and the music incorporates holiday songs mixed with the classic “it’s a small world” tune that will absolutely get stuck in your head for days afterward. It’s festive, it’s inclusive, it’s exactly what you’d expect from a Disney holiday overlay, and it runs until January 26 which gives you plenty of time to experience it.
BUT (there’s always a but with Disney scheduling), here’s where things get weird: Disney hasn’t announced when the regular version of “it’s a small world” is coming back. Like, at all. Haunted Mansion has a specific February 23 reopening date for the classic version. “it’s a small world”? Nothing. The park calendar goes out to February 16 and shows zero operating hours for “it’s a small world” during that entire stretch, which means it’s going to be closed for AT LEAST several weeks after January 26.
So if you’re visiting Disneyland in February and you were hoping to ride “it’s a small world” in its classic form, you might be out of luck depending on your exact travel dates. The ride is definitely closing on January 27 to start removing all the holiday theming, but when it’s actually reopening is anyone’s guess right now. Could be two weeks. Could be four weeks. Could be longer. Disney isn’t saying, which is frustrating for people trying to plan trips around specific attraction availability.
What This Means for Your Disneyland Plans
Okay, so let’s break down your options depending on when you’re actually visiting because these closure dates create some very specific windows for what you can and cannot experience.
Visiting before January 12? YOU WIN. Both holiday overlays are still open. You can experience Haunted Mansion Holiday AND “it’s a small world” Holiday in the same trip. Smell that gingerbread house, sing along to holiday music on the boat ride, live your best seasonal Disney life. This is the optimal window if you want maximum holiday overlay access.
Visiting between January 12 and January 26? You get “it’s a small world” Holiday but Haunted Mansion is closed. Not ideal if you specifically wanted to experience Jack Skellington’s mansion takeover, but at least you’re getting one of the two major overlays. Better than nothing!
Visiting between January 27 and February 22? BOTH attractions are closed. You’re in the dead zone where neither the holiday versions nor the classic versions are operating. This is honestly the worst possible time to visit if you care about either of these attractions because you’re getting zero access to two of Disneyland’s most popular rides. Plan your trip around other attractions because these two are completely off the table.
Visiting February 23 or later? Haunted Mansion is back in its classic form! You can finally ride the original version with the 999 happy haunts and no Nightmare Before Christmas theming. But “it’s a small world” might still be closed because Disney STILL hasn’t told us when it’s reopening. So you’re getting partial access but not full access, which is frustrating but at least better than the late January dead zone.
The Holiday Overlay Debate Continues
Look, people have STRONG opinions about these holiday overlays. Some Disney fans absolutely LOVE them and think they’re the best versions of these attractions. Other people are purists who hate that the overlays exist at all and just want to ride the classic attractions year-round without Jack Skellington or holiday music getting in the way.
We’re firmly in the pro-overlay camp, especially for Haunted Mansion Holiday. That gingerbread house is worth the price of admission alone, and the way Nightmare Before Christmas characters interact with the original Haunted Mansion concept is genuinely clever and fun. But we get why some people prefer the originals and resent having to wait until late February to experience the classic versions.
The good news is that these extended closure dates give both camps what they want, just at different times of year. Holiday overlay fans get their seasonal fix through late January. Classic attraction purists get their wish starting in late February (well, at least for Haunted Mansion, we’re still waiting on “it’s a small world” intel). Everyone’s happy! Except people visiting in that late January/early February dead zone when everything’s closed. Those people are not happy.
So what’s YOUR take on all this? Are you scrambling to book a trip before January 11 to catch that gingerbread house one last time? Are you specifically waiting until late February because you ONLY want to ride the classic Haunted Mansion without any holiday nonsense? Or are you one of those lucky people visiting in early January who gets access to both overlays before they close? Drop a comment and tell us your Disneyland holiday overlay strategy, and more importantly, tell us if you’re Team Holiday Overlay or Team Classic Attractions Only. This debate never ends and we’re here for ALL the opinions!
