The magic turns distinctively merry when Disneyland® Resort celebrates the holiday season November 5 through January 2. "The Happiest Place on Earth" becomes "The Merriest Place on Earth" as a jolly array of entertainment and festive décor fills the two theme parks – Disneyland® and Disney's California Adventure™ – the three outstanding hotels – Disney's Grand Californian Hotel®, Disneyland® Hotel and Disney's Paradise Pier™ Hotel – and the Downtown Disney® District, Southern California's hottest entertainment and dining destination, as well as a perfect locale for holiday shopping.
All of the special holiday events at Disneyland Resort are in addition to the many popular attractions in Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure. The amazing new "Twilight Zone Tower of Terror™," a supernatural thrill ride on an unpredictable elevator, is the latest thing in Disney's California Adventure. "Snow White – An Enchanting New Musical" is charming guests of all ages in the Fantasyland Theatre in Disneyland.
Disneyland park continues its long tradition of holiday cheer beginning November 5 with the premiere of nightly holiday fireworks capped by an amazing Southern California snowfall and the return of the special "it's a small world holiday" attraction. Many of the park's theme lands are decked out with scores of wreaths, colorful lights and other decorations. Main Street, U.S.A., is covered with garlands and highlighted by a 60-foot-tall Christmas tree; New Orleans Square offers a Southern-style Yuletide celebration; Mickey's Toontown is trimmed with wacky, oversized adornments; and Frontierland is brightened with rustic, handcrafted decorations.
A tremendously popular holiday feature is "Haunted Mansion Holiday," a madcap mixture of the spooky and the silly in which Jack Skellington, the hero of Tim Burton's Nightmare Before Christmas, brings his own weird version of Christmas to the popular "Haunted Mansion" attraction in New Orleans Square.
Creating a nighttime spectacle in the sky is "Believe … In Holiday Magic," a special holiday version of the Disneyland fireworks choreographed to a medley of Christmas tunes. The show concludes with a magical snowfall along Main Street, Small World Mall and New Orleans Square. In Fantasyland, the "it's a small world holiday" attraction creates a merry twist on the classic ride, depicting holiday celebrations around the world, with a "Jingle Bells" musical soundtrack and more than 300,000 twinkling lights adorning the exterior of the attraction and mall area.
Beloved Disneyland characters have a holiday reunion in "A Christmas Fantasy" parade, which makes its season debut on November 19 and continues daily through January 2. This Disneyland holiday pageant showcases marching toy soldiers, wintry vignettes including Mickey and Minnie skating on an ice rink, dancing snowmen and Santa Claus joined by his team of friendly reindeer.
Another holiday highlight is the "Christmas Candlelight Procession," a Disneyland holiday tradition, which takes place December 4 and 5 on Main Street, U.S.A., featuring a full orchestra and chorus performing music of the season and a retelling of the Christmas story by a celebrity narrator.
Meanwhile, Disney's California Adventure park offers a lineup of shows and attractions for holiday revelers. Seasonal décor includes a 30-foot-tall Christmas tree in Hollywood Pictures Backlot; garland, wreaths and lights strung along the park's Golden Gate Bridge; hanging lanterns in the Pacific Wharf, and golden ornaments, banners and wreaths in the Golden State area.
Every day throughout the season at Disney's California Adventure, Sunshine Plaza is transformed into "Santa's Beach Blast," a continuous party where classic holiday images and Disney characters collide with contemporary California beach culture in a merry celebration of the season. The plaza's planters are filled with beach sand, seashells and surfboards, while Santa Claus, dressed for surfin', greets guests and poses for photos near a sleigh styled after a Woody wagon. The Beach Blast also features interactive games for kids and the opportunity to join Lilo and Stitch in a limbo contest.
New Year's Eve, December 31, brings a special celebration to Disneyland, which will be open past midnight to welcome the arrival of 2005.
Downtown Disney and the Disneyland Resort hotels will also join in the holiday festivities with twinkling lights, special entertainment and Yuletide dining experiences. The hotels and Downtown Disney feature a combined total of more than a dozen fine dining locations, including the award-winning Napa Rose at Disney's Grand Californian, the whimsical Goofy's Kitchen at the Disneyland Hotel, Yamabuki at Disney's Paradise Pier Hotel and, in Downtown Disney, ESPN Zone, Rainforest Café, House of Blues and more.
