“it’s a small world” Holiday is back at Disneyland a day early. The ride reopened on Thursday, November 12, one day ahead of its planned Friday return, after dropping off Disneyland’s refurbishment calendar that morning.
“it’s a small world” Holiday at Disneyland has been removed from the refurbishment calendar and will likely open 1 day earlier today.
— ThemeParkIQ (@ThemeParkIQ) November 12, 2026
That gives guests in the park Thursday a first ride before the official start of the holiday season at the Disneyland Resort on Friday. It is a big day across the street too, with the Disney Festival of Holidays opening at Disney California Adventure and World of Color – Season of Light returning to Paradise Bay.
A Faster Changeover This Year
The ride has been closed since just before Halloween while crews swapped in the holiday overlay. That job now takes 14 days instead of the 18 it used to, and Disneyland says the shorter closure means an estimated 74,000 more guests get to ride. We covered how the crew pulled that off earlier this week, from storing decorations right on the ride to the three days it takes to reset the opening room alone.
Opening a day early adds one more day on top of that. If you are heading to Disneyland this week, the ride is now part of the lineup from the start of the season through its final day on January 6.
What’s Inside
The holiday version mixes “Jingle Bells” into “it’s a small world” as the boats float past every corner of the globe dressed for the season. The Europe room trades its chess board for a tall metal Christmas tree, a giant candy arch smells like gingerbread as you pass under it, and the old Main Street Electrical Parade finale fireworks now twinkle in the Asia room. The ride ends in a snowy finale before the boats float back out into Fantasyland.
The Nightly Lighting Is Back Too
The facade is half the attraction. As it gets dark each night, the 400,000 lights on the building switch on all at once, and a projection show animates the exterior at select times through the evening. The area in front of the ride also gets “snowfall” each night during Wintertime Enchantment at Sleeping Beauty’s Winter Castle, and it is one of the viewing spots for A Christmas Fantasy Parade. If you want both the ride and the lights, ride during the day and come back after dark to watch the facade come to life.
Holidays at the Disneyland Resort runs from November 13, 2026, through January 6, 2027.
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