With the recent expansion of Cars Land, the Disneyland resort is now bigger than ever and welcoming more guests than ever. Beginning November 12th, the holiday line up for the parks will include new holiday décor for Cars Land and Buena Vista Street in DCA, Ice Skating at Downtown Disney, special fireworks, the Christmas Parade, and Snowfall in Disneyland just to get started.
As we mentioned in August, three is a new expanded schedule for the 2012 Disneyland Candlelight Ceremony and Processional. Candlelight will now run a total of 20 nights with two performances each night. Below is the list of currently scheduled narrators for shows from December 1-20:
Dec. 1-2: Dennis Haysbert (actor)*
Dec. 3-5: Kurt Russell (actor and Disney Legend)
Dec. 6-8: TBA
Dec. 9-11: Lou Diamond Phillips (actor)
Dec. 12-13: Dick Van Dyke (actor and Disney Legend)
Dec. 14: Marcia Gay Harden (actress)
Dec. 15-16: Patricia Heaton (actress)
Dec. 17-19: Molly Ringwald (actress)
Dec. 20: Dennis Haysbert (actor)
*December 1-2 performances are by invitation only, as they have been since 1958, when Walt Disney first held these private celebrations to thank partners in the community for their support throughout the year.
More details of holiday offerings at Disneyland Resort below the cut:
Holidays at Disney California Adventure Park
Celebrating their first Disneyland Resort holiday season, Cars Land and Buena Vista Street, the new lands of Disney California Adventure, will be decked out in unique and festive seasonal décor.
- A whimsical “snowcar” (the Radiator Springs version of a snowman) will stand at the entrance to Cars Land, and each address along Route 66 – Flo’s V-8 Café, Fillmore’s, Cozy Cone Motel, Luigi’s Casa della Tires and more – will feature holiday décor that reflects the personality of the “Cars” character who lives there.
- A dazzling, 50-foot Christmas tree will adorn Carthay Circle along Buena Vista Street. The tree and surrounding buildings, inspired by Los Angeles as it appeared when Walt Disney arrived in the 1920s, will be decorated with vintage-style ornaments.
- The classic department store Santa Claus comes to Buena Vista Street. Children of all ages may tell Santa what they want for Christmas by visiting him at Elias & Co., the main department store along this thoroughfare, reminiscent of 1920s Los Angeles.
- New wintertime fun rocks the night at “Mad T Party” as Alice and the Mad Hatter add their own brand of off-kilter holiday spirit to the nighttime celebration in Hollywood Land.
- The nightly “World of Color” water and effects spectacular on Paradise Bay welcomes special holiday guests Lanny and Wayne, elves from the television show “Prep & Landing.”
- ”a bug’s land” transforms as Flik and his bug buddies spread giant Christmas lights and oversized ornaments throughout their realm.
- The holiday scene along the Paradise Bay boardwalk includes a beautifully decorated Christmas tree and lampposts decked out with seasonal wreaths.
- A Holiday edition of the street show, “Phineas and Ferb’s Rockin’ Rollin’ Dance Party,” includes festive décor, costumes and holiday tunes. The show invites guests of all ages to “seize the day,” dancing and singing on Paradise Pier with the Disney Channel’s inventive animated boy geniuses.
Holidays at Disneyland Park
At Disneyland, holiday guests will find the traditional snowdrifts and icicles adorning Sleeping Beauty’s Winter Castle. After dark, a sensational holiday lighting and special-effects show carries the magic of the holidays from the castle all the way to the Christmas tree in Town Square. The 60-foot-tall Disneyland Christmas tree is specially designed to present a nightly holiday light show like no other with more than 62,000 energy-efficient LED lights.
The Sleeping Beauty’s Winter Castle presentation unfolds throughout the evening in three acts, each of them featuring a touch of winter snow on Main Street, U.S.A. The finale of the show includes the legendary “Believe … in Holiday Magic” fireworks show, which takes guests on a journey of sights and sounds of the season and ends with a touching rendition of “White Christmas,” along with a climactic snowfall swirling down on Main Street, U.S.A., “it’s a small world” Mall and New Orleans Square.
“A Christmas Fantasy” parade has become a holiday tradition in Disneyland. Guests enjoy watching as Disney characters celebrate the magic of the season, wrapping gifts, baking holiday treats and preparing for the arrival of Santa Claus, who shouts a jolly greeting to spectators along the parade route. Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse even take to the ice for some skating fun.
More holiday favorites return to Disneyland, adding to the merriment.
- “it’s a small world” Holiday becomes a worldwide celebration of the season, boasting more than 300,000 glittering lights on its facade. Along with the children of many nations in their holiday attire, the attraction features a sparkling snowman dressed in a gold top hat, golden scarf and hundreds of twinkling lights for its finale. A frosty snowflake mobile twirls over his head, and his “Happy Holidays” sign is sculpted out of ice that changes color
- Haunted Mansion Holiday presents a madcap celebration as the traditions of Halloween and Christmas collide. The ghoulish but well-meaning Jack Skellington from the film “Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas” has come to Haunted Mansion to transform it with his skewed vision of the holidays.
- Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus greet Disneyland guests at Jingle Jangle Jamboree in Big Thunder Ranch, Frontierland. Kids and their families can chat with St. Nick, meet Disney characters, and enjoy games, music, crafts and seasonal entertainment.
- Disneyland will celebrate Three Kings Day, also known as Dia de los Reyes Magos, from Jan. 4-6, 2013, with special décor, food and entertainment that showcases this Latin American holiday tradition.
- Guests may book guided “Holiday Time at Disneyland” tours that provide entry into “it’s a small world” Holiday and Haunted Mansion Holiday along with reserved seating for the Disneyland “A Christmas Fantasy” parade, a view of the new holiday décor in Disney California Adventure, a keepsake remembrance and entertaining information about the history of Disneyland holiday traditions. For information and reservations guests may visit any Disneyland Resort Guest Relations location or call (714) 781-TOUR (781-8687).
Downtown Disney Ice Skating, Holiday Shopping, Resort Hotel Décor and Themed Menus
For the first time during a Disneyland Resort holiday season, guests in the Downtown Disney district will be able to go skating on an outdoor “The Secret of the Wings” ice skating rink, located near ESPN Zone and AMC Theatres. Ice skates will be available for rent. The rink pays tribute to “The Secret of the Wings,” the new Tinker Bell adventure released to DVD and Blu-ray by Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment.
Holiday shopping at Disneyland Resort offers an array of merchandise available exclusively at Resort theme parks and the Downtown Disney district. Along with ornaments, holiday-themed Mickey Mouse ears, jewelry and tasty holiday sweets, guests can discover a new line of Cars Land holiday-inspired merchandise that is sure to have you Dashing Through The Snow and Wishing others a Happy New Gear.
Disneyland Resort hotels join in the holiday festivities with twinkling lights and ornaments, special entertainment and holiday dining with themed menus. Expanded hours at both Disneyland Resort theme parks extend the family fun and offer more time for guests to enjoy all there is to see at do at Disneyland Resort.