Santa Claus returns to Disney Springs November 11 through December 24, 2026, meeting guests at Santa’s Marketplace near Disney’s Pin Traders in the Marketplace area. Meeting Santa requires a virtual queue in the My Disney Experience app, with five chances to join each day, and there is no standby line.
Santa arrives the same day the 2026 Disney Springs Christmas Tree Stroll begins, two days earlier than last year’s November 13 start. Santa’s Marketplace also has a new host. Dairy Does More takes over from last year’s host, Bauducco, and Disney says guests can enjoy fresh milk and cookies as part of the visit.
The virtual queue opens at these times each day:
- 9:00 a.m.
- 11:00 a.m.
- 1:00 p.m.
- 3:00 p.m.
- 5:00 p.m.
That last window moves up an hour from last year, when the final chance to join was 6 p.m.
You must be at Disney Springs to join. One person can join for the whole party, up to 10 people, and that person gets a push notification when it is time to return, with a link to a digital entry code. If you cannot find the code, tap the three-line menu in the app and choose Virtual Queues. Spots are subject to availability, and last year they filled fast, so be ready right when each window opens. Guests may remain in wheelchairs and ECVs for the visit.
Our photos from last year show what to expect inside. Before you reach Santa, there is a photo spot styled like a cozy cabin, with a fireplace hung with stockings, a decorated tree, nutcrackers and rows of little red and green boots lined up on a bench. Santa’s Workshop has a toymaker’s drafting table in front of shelves of wooden toys and ornaments, and Santa waits on a green velvet couch next to a grandfather clock and an open copy of The Night Before Christmas.
If you do not land a spot, there is another way to reach the North Pole. Once Upon a Toy lets kids write a letter to Santa and mail it straight there.
Santa meets guests at Disney Springs November 11 through December 24, 2026. For how last year’s Disney Springs holidays played out, see our 2025 Disney Springs holiday guide.
