People dressed as reindeer rehearse their dance moves and work crews in cherry-pickers add lights to Sleeping Beauty Castle as the Disneyland Resort prepares for the holiday season.
Each year, Disney’s theme parks, hotels and Downtown Disney undergo a transformation that begins right after the last visitor clears the gates from Disneyland’s Mickey’s Halloween parties on Oct. 31st.
Over two weeks, during off-hours, pumpkins give way to wreaths, lights, trees and even snow machines.
Some attractions, like “it’s a small world,” get a holiday makeover; “small world” adds lights its annual holiday overlay. A projected video is shown on its outdoor facade each evening, “The Magic, The Memories and You.”
There is a holiday fireworks show, too, “Believe … in Holiday Magic.”
“Watching fireworks in front of ‘it’s a small world’ is the best kept secret at Disneyland,” said John Addis, senior show director for Disneyland Creative Entertainment. “During the fireworks, we just decided to paint the building with projected images.”
Here’s a video look at the preparations underway for the holidays at the Disneyland Resort:
To prepare for “A Christmas Fantasy,” a parade that will roll along Main Street, U.S.A., final dress rehearsals are held in the middle of the night. The parade includes Disney characters and other dancing troupes, such as roller-skating snowflakes. As is tradition, the Toy Soldiers from “Babes in Toyland” front the parade.
“We have a couple of new costumes, but the heart of the parade is the same. It’s still the traditional parade that all of our guests have come to know and love,” said Denny Newell, senior show director for the Disneyland Resort.
The resort puts up 100 artificial holiday trees. Some attractions, like the “World of Color” water-and-light show in Disney California Adventure, add holiday cheer as well.
The holiday season officially starts at the Disneyland Resort on Monday and runs through Jan. 8.
Times vary for the various holiday shows and fireworks displays.
For information about show times, park hours and admission prices, check the resort’s website.
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Transforming Disneyland for the holidays is a post from: Around Disney