Plaza de la Familia

What It Is

Plaza de la Familia is Disney California Adventure's seasonal Dia de los Muertos celebration at Paradise Gardens, themed around Pixar's Coco. The 2026 run opens Friday, August 21, and closes Monday, November 2. The experience is included with regular Disney California Adventure admission and reservation.

Why Go

Plaza de la Familia is the only large-footprint Dia de los Muertos event inside a major Southern California theme park, and the staging at Paradise Gardens is designed around music, ofrenda-building, and character interactions tied to Coco. If you already have a DCA day planned in late October, this is the hour or two you build into the afternoon. If you are specifically going for the celebration, aim for the final two weeks when the ofrenda is fullest.

What To Know Before You Go

Location: Paradise Gardens, Disney California Adventure, 1313 Disneyland Dr, Anaheim. Dates: August 21 to November 2, 2026. Admission: requires a Disney California Adventure ticket and park reservation. Parking: standard Disneyland Resort parking rates apply. Pro tip: on Oogie Boogie Bash party nights, DCA closes to day guests at 6 p.m.; check park hours on the Disneyland app before planning a late-afternoon visit.

The Honest Take

Plaza de la Familia is additive to a DCA day, not a standalone event: there is no separate ticket for it and no way to attend without park admission. The Coco theming is substantive but it is still a theme-park celebration, with lines, standard-issue Disney crowds, and the pacing that comes with being inside DCA. If you already have the park ticket, it is worth the stop. If you do not, the ticket math is hard to justify for the plaza alone.