Families hoping to meet Santa at Disney Springs during the 2026 holiday season will need to join a virtual queue rather than wait in a traditional line.
Santa will appear at Santa’s Marketplace near Disney’s Pin Traders in the Marketplace area from Nov. 11 through Dec. 24. Disney says guests must use the My Disney Experience app to enter the queue; there will be no standby line.
Enrollment requires guests to be physically at Disney Springs. Disney will offer five daily opportunities to join, beginning at 9 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. One guest may enroll a party of up to 10 people, but entry is subject to availability and is not guaranteed.
After joining, guests may spend time elsewhere at Disney Springs until the registered guest receives an app notification that the group can return. That notification includes a digital entry code; if it disappears, Disney says the code can be found in the app’s Virtual Queues section.
Planning Your Trip
Undercover Tourist is an authorized seller of Walt Disney World tickets, often at a discount off gate price.
Santa’s Marketplace will also offer fresh milk and cookies hosted by Dairy Does More. Children can write and send letters to Santa at Once Upon a Toy.
Disney Springs’ Christmas Tree Stroll is scheduled to run from Nov. 11 through Jan. 3, 2027. The display will include new trees inspired by Bluey, Monsters, Inc. and Hallmark, alongside a Hallmark pop-up shop with seasonal merchandise.
