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Credit: DisneyThe holiday season at Disneyland Resort officially concludes on January 8, 2026, marking the end of festive decorations, seasonal entertainment, and special holiday offerings throughout the parks.
However, two of the most beloved holiday attractions will continue operating well beyond that date, giving guests additional weeks to experience these popular seasonal transformations.
Haunted Mansion Holiday and “it’s a small world” Holiday, both iconic overlays that draw enormous crowds throughout the winter season, will remain open for guests into late January, providing extended opportunities to experience these limited-time versions before the attractions revert to their classic iterations.
This extended availability represents welcome news for anyone who missed the holiday season proper or wants one more chance to experience these transformations before they disappear for another year. The overlays have become so integral to the Disneyland winter experience that their closure dates generate as much interest as their opening announcements.
Understanding exactly when these attractions close and when they’ll reopen in their standard forms helps guests plan visits strategically, whether they’re trying to catch the holiday versions one last time or prefer to wait for the classic attractions to return.
The staggered closure schedule also reveals something about the complexity involved in transforming these attractions. Haunted Mansion Holiday and “it’s a small world” Holiday don’t simply flip a switch to return to normal. Each overlay requires extensive removal of seasonal elements, cleaning, maintenance work, and reinstallation of original theming components.
The time required for these conversions means guests face weeks-long closures after the holiday versions shut down, creating gaps in attraction availability that impact park touring strategies for anyone visiting during the transition period.
Haunted Mansion Holiday’s Final Days
Haunted Mansion Holiday will close to guests on January 12, 2026, giving the overlay four additional days beyond the official end of the holiday season. This means guests have through January 11 to experience Jack Skellington’s takeover of the classic New Orleans Square attraction one final time this year.
The Nightmare Before Christmas-themed transformation has become such a beloved tradition that many Disneyland regulars specifically plan trips around experiencing it, making these final operating days particularly valuable for anyone who hasn’t yet visited this season.
The overlay completely reimagines the Haunted Mansion experience with characters and music from Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas. Jack Skellington and the residents of Halloween Town redecorate the mansion for their interpretation of Christmas, creating a unique blend of spooky and festive that appeals to fans of both the original attraction and the film.
One of the overlay’s most popular elements is the elaborate gingerbread house that appears in the ballroom scene, filling the air with the scent of actual gingerbread and serving as a photo opportunity that guests specifically seek out during their ride-throughs.
Following the January 12 closure, Haunted Mansion will undergo its conversion period to remove all holiday theming and restore the classic attraction elements. This process takes approximately six weeks, with the standard Haunted Mansion scheduled to reopen on February 23, 2026.
That’s a substantial closure period during which one of Disneyland’s most popular attractions will be completely unavailable to guests, something to consider if you’re planning a visit in late January or February.
The February 23 reopening date means guests visiting Disneyland between January 12 and February 22 will find Haunted Mansion closed entirely. For fans of the classic version who prefer the original 999 happy haunts without Jack Skellington’s holiday intervention, this wait might be worthwhile. For anyone who simply wants to experience some version of the attraction, planning around these closure dates becomes essential.
“it’s a small world” Holiday Extends Even Longer
While Haunted Mansion Holiday closes on January 12, “it’s a small world” Holiday will continue operating until January 26, 2026, providing two additional weeks of availability beyond Haunted Mansion’s closure. This extended schedule gives guests more flexibility in planning visits to catch at least one of the two major holiday overlays, even if they miss the Haunted Mansion Holiday window.
The “it’s a small world” Holiday overlay transforms the classic boat ride with seasonal music, decorations, and holiday-themed elements throughout the various regions represented in the attraction. The facade receives special lighting and decorative treatments, while the interior scenes incorporate Christmas celebrations from cultures around the world, maintaining the attraction’s message of global unity while adding festive seasonal touches.
Unlike Haunted Mansion, Disney has not announced a reopening date for the classic version of “it’s a small world” following the holiday overlay’s closure. The attraction calendar currently extends through February 16, and no operating hours appear for “it’s a small world” during that visible timeframe.
This suggests the conversion process and any associated maintenance work will take at least several weeks, similar to Haunted Mansion’s closure period, but the exact duration remains uncertain.
The lack of a confirmed reopening date creates some ambiguity for guests planning February visits who want to experience “it’s a small world” in its classic form. The attraction will definitely be closed from January 27 onward for an indeterminate period, but whether that closure extends two weeks, four weeks, or longer isn’t clear from currently available information.
Guests should check the Disneyland app or website closer to their travel dates for updated operating calendars that might reveal the reopening timeline.
Planning Around Overlay Closures
The extended availability of both holiday overlays through mid-to-late January provides valuable flexibility for anyone hoping to experience these seasonal transformations. If you’re visiting Disneyland in early January and want to catch both overlays, you have until January 11 to experience Haunted Mansion Holiday and until January 25 for “it’s a small world” Holiday. Missing those windows means waiting until next holiday season for another chance.
Conversely, if you specifically prefer the classic versions of these attractions and want to avoid the holiday overlays entirely, understanding these closure dates helps you plan accordingly. Haunted Mansion returns in its original form on February 23, while “it’s a small world” has no confirmed return date yet but will definitely be closed starting January 27.
The conversion closures also impact overall attraction capacity at Disneyland Park. Having one or both of these major attractions offline during late January and February means other attractions absorb those guests, potentially creating longer wait times across the park. This factor matters when deciding whether to visit during the transition period or wait until both attractions have reopened in their classic versions.
For guests who’ve never experienced these holiday overlays, they’re worth seeking out at least once. Both transformations represent substantial creative efforts that completely reimagine beloved attractions while maintaining their core appeal. The Haunted Mansion Holiday gingerbread house alone has become enough of a tradition that some guests visit specifically to see and smell it each year.
If you’re planning a Disneyland trip in the coming weeks, which version of these attractions are you hoping to catch? Drop a comment and let us know if you’re trying to squeeze in one last holiday overlay experience before January 12, or if you’re waiting for the classic versions to return in late February.
And if you’ve experienced both versions, tell us which you prefer and why. The debate between holiday overlay fans and classic attraction purists never gets old!