5 reasons to have a Tokyo Disney Christmas!

The DisneySea Christmas Greeting with Santa
The DisneySea Christmas Greeting with Santa

Christmas is a magical time of year, but a Christmas spent at Tokyo Disney Resort takes magical to the next level! Here’s 5 reasons to book your next Christmas trip to Tokyo Disney!

We spent Christmas at Tokyo Disney Resort in Japan and couldn’t believe how wonderful it was! From the hotels to the parks, rides and entertainment – Christmas at Tokyo Disney Resort has to be experienced to be believed!

We loved our Tokyo Disney Resort Christmas
We loved our Tokyo Disney Resort Christmas!

We experienced Christmas Eve at Tokyo Disneyland and Christmas Day at Tokyo DisneySea and stayed at official Tokyo Disney Hotels. Here’s our review of what we thought were the most memorable highlights and really fun things to do at Tokyo Disney Resort at Christmas.

Here are our top five reasons why you should book your next family Christmas holiday at Tokyo Disney Resort!

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01. Tokyo Disney Parks general festivities

The Tokyo Disneyland Christmas Tree in World Bazaar
The Tokyo Disneyland Christmas Tree in World Bazaar

Does Japan Disney celebrate Christmas?

Yes, Tokyo Disney does celebrate Christmas, so if you’re worried about Japan not celebrating Christmas in their Disney Parks, you couldn’t be more wrong! Christmas is an important time of year at both Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea.

Even though Christmas is one of Disney’s special seasons, the crowds aren’t much more than a normal Tokyo Disney Resort day!

There are large Christmas trees like this one at DisneySea American Waterfront
There are large Christmas trees like this one at DisneySea American Waterfront

Tokyo Disney Resort parks are decked out in their finest Christmas decorations throughout the park. There’s a huge Christmas Tree holding court in the World Bazaar as you enter Tokyo Disneyland and another in the American Waterfront area of DisneySea which are wonderful for Christmas photos!

Christmas Garlands abound, the flowerbed Mickey at the front entrance of Disneyland is adorned with a Christmas Hat – there’s no mistaking it’s the most wonderful time of the year!

Is there Christmas food at Disneyland?

Yes, there are seasonal snacks and treats for Christmas at both Tokyo Disney Parks.

Seasonal Christmas snacks from the Sweetheart Cafe in Tokyo Disneyland
Seasonal Christmas snacks from the Sweetheart Cafe in Tokyo Disneyland

We had a Christmas Eve Breakfast at Tokyo Disneyland where they offered special Christmas Breakfast Sets. You can watch our YouTube video of our Christmas Eve breakfast at Disneyland here. There are many more yummy special Christmas menu items on offer around the Parks.

If you intend on booking a special Tokyo Disney Resort restaurant for Christmas Day, be sure to book as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

Christmas menu items can be found in most of the restaurants inside Tokyo Disney Parks
Christmas menu items can be found in most of the restaurants inside Tokyo Disney Parks

As the sun goes down the Tokyo Disney theme parks Christmas decorations light up beautifully to create a magical Christmas world.

Of course you can’t miss the Tokyo Disneyland Sky Full Of Colours Fireworks Show at Christmas, it’s lovely to sit together in front of the beautifully lit Disney Castle as the lights synchronise with Disney music and colourful fireworks!

Watch our Christmas Eve Disneyland Fireworks Show

02 – Christmas in a Tokyo Disney Hotel

Christmas decorations in the MiraCosta Hotel Lobby were lovely
Christmas decorations in the MiraCosta Hotel Lobby were lovely

Staying on-site in a Disney Hotel is a great part of the festive fun. We stayed Christmas Eve in the Tokyo Disneyland Hotel in a Beauty And The Beast themed room and Christmas Night at the DisneySea MiraCosta Hotel in a Capitano Mickey Superior Room and it was just perfect!

Waking up Christmas Morning was so fun. We were so ready to leap out of bed, exchange a few travel-sized Christmas presents and hit the parks! The Tokyo Disneyland Hotel lobby decorations, Christmas music and the Tokyo Disney theme parks waiting for us out of the window all amplified the anticipation and excitement of Christmas ten-fold!

Does it cost more to stay at a Tokyo Disney Resort official hotel during the Christmas and New Year’s holiday season?

Yes, there is about a 10% increase in hotel rates at Tokyo Disney Resort hotels during the Christmas period. Learn more about staying at the Tokyo Disney Resort hotels here.

03. Tokyo Disney Christmas Parades

The DisneySea Disney Christmas Greeting with Santa
The DisneySea Disney Christmas Greeting with Santa

Christmas parades are the order of the day at both Tokyo Disney Resort parks. Tokyo Disneyland had a wonderful afternoon Christmas Stories Parade.

Watch the Tokyo Disneyland Christmas Parade on YouTube

DisneySea had a special Santa Disney Christmas Greeting with Santa and various Disney Characters aboard a boat parading around the central Mediterranean Harbor.

The Tokyo Disneyland Dreamlights Parade on Christmas Eve
The Tokyo Disneyland Dreamlights Parade on Christmas Eve

At nighttime, Christmas is also incorporated into the shows and a special Tokyo Disneyland Electric Parade with Christmas music.

Watch the Tokyo Disneyland Electric Parade on YouTube

It all makes for such a wonderful Christmassy atmosphere that is unforgettable!

04. The Night Before Christmas Haunted Mansion overlay

The Holiday Nightmare overlay inside the Haunted Mansion
The Holiday Nightmare overlay inside the Haunted Mansion

I’m usually not a huge fan of ride overlays, but I have to admit the Holiday Nightmare overlay inspired by the Nightmare Before Christmas Movie of the Haunted Mansion got me wanting more!

Watch our ride on the Haunted Mansion Holiday Nightmare ride on YouTube

The Tokyo DisneySea Haunted Mansion is the classic charming version of the ride. The Haunted Mansion theme on its own is really enjoyable, but it is even more fun when incorporating this fabulous overlay which extends from the grounds outside to all through the ride.

Inside the Nightmare Before Christmas version of the Haunted Mansion ride
Inside the Nightmare Before Christmas version of the Haunted Mansion ride

In addition to the Haunted Mansion you may also find an overlay in place on the Country Bear Theatre at Christmas time – Jingle Bell Jamboree. One thing’s for sure – any Disney ride overlay at Christmas can only add to the jolly Christmas atmosphere!

05. Christmas Merchandise

The Grand Emporium Store at Tokyo Disneyland
The Grand Emporium Store at Tokyo Disneyland

During the Christmas season you can also buy special Tokyo Disney Christmas merchandise.

These include warm Christmas sweaters, special Christmas Mickey Ears, Christmas outfit character plushies including Mickey and Minnie, postcards, pins and more!

The big problem with securing any seasonal Tokyo Disney seasonal merchandise is that it often sells out on the first few days of release! Any Tokyo Disney Resort seasonal merchandise is extremely popular with Japanese locals, so on the first few days of release store visits must be reserved through the Tokyo Disney App to limit numbers.

With any luck you may be able to get something at actual Christmas time like a special pair of Christmas Disney Ears, but chances are that the majority of Christmas items are sold out before December – and it’s very rare that they ever have second runs of any seasonal or special merchandise.

Tokyo DisneySea Christmas Ornaments

One of our lucky group member discovered this beautiful Christmas ornament in June! “This is my absolute favorite purchase. I found a tangled crystal Christmas ornament at the store in the Aladdin shop down the stairs across from the carousel. There aren’t many ornaments to be found in Disneyland nor DisneySea but this one is beautiful! Quality like a Swarovski snow flake ornament. Price 4,900 Yen.” – Nancy Wong

This beautiful Christmas ornament was found and photographed by Nancy Wong

You can find out more about shopping at shopping at Tokyo Disney Stores in my guide here.

Tokyo Disney Christmas FAQs

The Tokyo Disney Christmas Parade
The Tokyo Disney Christmas Parade

When does the Tokyo Disney Christmas Season start?

The Tokyo Disney Resort official Christmas Season commences mid-November and finishes promptly at closing time the end of Christmas Day, December 25th. Overnight the Christmas theming is swapped out for the Tokyo Disney Resort New Year’s theme. So don’t arrive on Boxing Day hoping to still enjoy the Christmas festivities! Plan for your trip to fall between November 16 until December 25th to enjoy all the Tokyo Disney Christmas fun. (Don’t forget to join our Tokyo Disneyland Holiday Planning Facebook Group too!)

Are Tokyo Disney shows, rides and parades in English?

A Christmas well-done! My teens couldn't have been happier by Christmas Night!
A Christmas well-done! My teens couldn’t have been happier by Christmas Night!

Yes and no. But it really shouldn’t affect your enjoyment at all! Disney is Disney around the world, but the vast majority of Tokyo Disney Park go-ers at Tokyo Disney are of course local Japanese with a minority of tourists mainly consisting of Korean and Chinese visitors. Even so, most Disney music in the parks, including Christmas shows and parades are played in their original English version. There is of course plenty of Japanese narration and dialogue, especially on the rides but they are just as fun as ever and bring home that you are on an exciting overseas trip!

So as you can see, a Christmas visit to Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea parks is well worth it! Start planning now for your amazing Tokyo Disney Christmas – it’s never too early and makes for an incredibly memorable Christmastime.

Have you ever visited a Disney Park at Christmas? Tell me in the comments below!

 

Additional Tokyo planning reading

Tokyo Disneyland Facebook Group

Join our Tokyo Disney Facebook Group
Join our Tokyo Disney Facebook Group

Love all things Tokyo Disneyland, or just have more questions? Join our 100k+ member Tokyo Disney Facebook Group here!

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5 Reasons you should have a Tokyo Disney Christmas!
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