The magic is alive at Disneyland this holiday season.
The park has been transformed into a winter wonderland complete with tall, decorated Christmas trees, beautiful wreaths and holiday music for guests to enjoy. It is truly a sight to see.
Christian Leon, a representative with Disney, said park officials begin decorating for the holidays in October. This year, a number of new holiday features can be enjoyed by guests at the park as well.
“This is the biggest year in terms of how we have treated the holidays,” said Leon. “We want our guests to feel like we do during the holidays – warm and fuzzy. We want to show people how Disney celebrates the holidays.”
One of the highlights, located in Disney California Adventure, is the breathtaking show ‘World of Color’.
Officials recently debuted a new holiday version of the water and light show.
Hosted by Olaf the snowman from the upcoming Walt Disney Pictures’ animated feature Frozen, the ‘World of Color − Winter Dreams’ combines new animation with classic winter scenes from beloved Disney and Disney Pixar films.
The show includes new music and special effects, along with new methods for utilizing the massive ‘stage’ of water, colour and light on which ‘World of Color’ is presented.
More than eight million guests have enjoyed the original ‘World of Color’ since it opened in 2010, part of the five-year expansion of Disney California Adventure.
The breathtaking, award-winning nighttime show brings animation to life on Paradise Bay, as 1,200 powerful fountains create one of the world’s largest projected water screens.
The new ‘World of Color – Winter Dreams’ features additional, advanced technology. An ultra high-definition projection system presents a sharper version of the show, with more than four times the resolution of the classic ‘World of Color’ system.
Nearly 700 high-power LED strobe lights now line the structure of the California Screamin’ roller coaster, each with four individual control channels. Additional moving lights appear within the ‘rays’ of Mickey’s Fun Wheel on Paradise Pier and the show glistens with 10 mirror balls on the speaker and lighting towers. Adding fun in the viewing area are six ‘snow generators’ which create giant, floating snowflakes in six different designs.
Disney also teamed up with Grammy-winning composer Eric Whitacre to produce a new song for the show entitled Glow which features a virtual honour choir. The choir was formed by choosing from more than 1,400 submissions from across the U.S. and is made up from 150 members.
“This is the first time we’ve changed the whole show for the ‘World of Color,’” said Leon.
In addition, another must-see while at Disneyland Park is the spectacular fireworks show, called ‘Believe…in Holiday Magic’, which can be seen nightly. At the end of the display snow falls to the ground – truly allowing guests to feel the magic of the holiday season.
“We want people to believe in the holiday. The snow falling down feels like Disney magic,” said Leon.
Even a few of the rides at the park have added some holiday flair.
One of the classic rides at Disneyland, ‘It’s a Small World’, has been transformed from the inside out in the spirit of the holiday season.
More than 50,000 lights have been put on the exterior of the façade and inside the ride, although the classic elements remain, some holiday-themed cheer in the form of displays and Christmas carols have also been added.
The Jungle Cruise has also changed to the Jingle Cruise where guests can enjoy the holiday antics from the boat skippers.
“This is brand new and we want people to have a boatload of fun,” said Leon. “We have changed the crews and the names of the boats to be more festive.”
Other highlights in the Disneyland Park include the Jingle Jangle Jamboree, Sleeping Beauty’s Winter Castle and the Haunted Mansion Holiday.
Meanwhile, the holiday season is also being celebrated in the Disney California Adventure Park as well via oversized holiday ornaments in A Bug’s Land, ¡Viva Navidad! which features Latino holiday cuisine, entertainment and colourful décor, among others.
Disneyland is a family-friendly destination any time of year, but there is something about the holiday season that makes it even more magical than it already is.