Theme Park Scope

If you have ever wondered how Disneyland goes from witches and ghosts to twinkle lights in what feels like a single blink, the answer is a couple of well-timed closures.

And the dates for two of the big ones just got confirmed.

it’s a small world Holiday and Redwood Creek Challenge Trail will both reopen on Friday, November 13, after closing for their respective seasonal overlay changes. Two different attractions, two different closing dates, one shared return date, which makes this one of the easier Disneyland seasonal handoffs to plan around.

Let’s start with the one that will make people the happiest. it’s a small world is closing starting October 30, so the attraction can be converted to its holiday version. If you have been to Disneyland over the holidays before, you already know what is coming, and if you have not, here is the short version: lights, festive music, and decor, and a lot of it. Disney dresses the ride in decorations representing different holiday traditions from around the world, which is a very fitting fit for a ride that is already about different cultures sharing one song. The ride’s famous theme song also gets blended with holiday classics like Jingle Bells and Deck the Halls, which is either the most cheerful thing you will hear all year or the thing that gets stuck in your head until January. I would put money on both.

If that closure date sounds familiar, it is because we first flagged it in our look at the three Disneyland rides closed or closing in October. The reopening date has since been confirmed as Friday, November 13, which is a day later than the around-November-12 estimate we had at the time, so if you were already planning around the earlier date, give yourself that extra day.

Now for the other half of this story. Redwood Creek Challenge Trail at Disney California Adventure is closing November 1 to remove its Halloween overlay. If you have been to Oogie Boogie Bash, you know that during the party this outdoor trail transforms into Villains Grove, an enchanted grove of mystical lights, sights, and sounds that is genuinely one of the most underrated parts of the whole event. Once the party wraps up, the overlay comes down and the trail returns to normal, also reopening Friday, November 13.

Before Villains Grove disappears for the year, here is a quick reminder of everything guests could encounter along the way:

Frollo’s Sanctuary is an otherworldly cathedral of trees infused with incense smells and chanting voices. Maleficent’s Will is a region full of eerie ravens, thorn-spiked vines, and a seemingly spellbound waterfall of cascading color. Queen of Hearts Garden is a charming garden of roses that paint themselves red right before your eyes. Scar’s Elephant Graveyard is a vast expanse that echoes with hyena laughter. Dr. Facilier’s Friends on the Other Side lures guests deeper into the grove’s darkest corners with shadowy hands and colorful spells. The Wicked Queen’s Lightning Forest is a forest that comes alive with an electrifying storm flashing from branch to branch. Home of the Wisps features winged caretakers guiding guests to safety through a magical bastion of endless light.

Dawn is the finale, where flickering lanterns lead the way toward a brilliant sunrise to close out the mythical trip.

If you have never walked through it, that lineup alone should tell you how much thought goes into what is essentially a trail with a very good costume change.

Here is the practical side of all this. Because both attractions come back on the same day, November 13, you can treat that Friday as the date when Disneyland is officially fully in holiday mode, at least where these two are concerned. That is roughly two weeks before Thanksgiving week, so if you are planning an early holiday trip and want the full seasonal experience, this is the earliest date to aim for. If your visit falls inside the closure window, between October 30 and November 13 for it’s a small world, or between November 1 and November 13 for Redwood Creek Challenge Trail, you will want a backup plan for those two spots.

It is worth remembering that reopening dates listed on Disney’s calendars can shift, and both attractions are often adjusted slightly as crews finish their work. As always, check the Disneyland app or website close to your visit rather than treating any list, including this one, as the final word.

We will keep tracking both reopenings and update this post if the dates move, so check back with Theme Park Scope for the latest.