The happiest place on earth, all decked out for the silly season

If I had to pick one time of the year to visit Disneyland, it would definitely be during the winter holiday season.

One of my kids’ favorite experiences at Disneyland during the holidays is Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas in the Haunted Mansion.   My four-year-old daughter is usually scared by the Haunted Mansion, but when it dressed up in its mad cap holiday best, she loves every minute of the ride.   The attraction is basically the wonderful end result of a collision between Halloween and Christmas.   Christmas trees flocked with snow are adorned jack o’ lantern ornaments and surrounded by mounds of gifts wrapped in orange and black.  Even the exterior of the mansion is decorated to reflect Jack Skellington’s interpretation of Christmas in a Halloween land.

The Haunted Mansion is not the only ride to undergo a holiday transformation.  It’s a Small World, the ride with that song famous for getting stuck in your head for days, is transformed every November to celebrate the holiday season across the planet.  Doll children from around the globe sing the namesake tune while classic holiday songs like Jingle Bells and Deck the Halls are brought into the mix.  The famous external façade is covered with thousands of holiday lights making it a colorful celebration for all to enjoy.

Disneyland isn’t the only theme park to get in the holiday spirit.  Disney’s California Adventure dresses up in its iconic “CALIFORNIA” letters in red and white candy cane stripes.  Giant bulbs and oversized Christmas lights decorate A Bug’s Land, giving visitors a view of the holidays from an insect’s perspective.  Even the Paradise Pier Boardwalk is gussied up in a red and green.

Disneyland knows the holidays aren’t complete without a visit from Santa and his reindeer, so children should be sure to stop by Big Thunder Ranch in Frontierland.  Kids can stop by and tell Santa what they want for Christmas while watching real reindeer graze in the corral.  Santa also makes a very special appearance in Disney’s “A Christmas Fantasy” parade which features classic Disney characters celebrating the season.

My absolute favorite part of enjoying the holiday season at Disneyland is starting at the massive Christmas tree and strolling down a fully trimmed Main Street towards Sleeping Beauty Castle which is covered in snow for the season.   The castle slowly gains more and more snow as the wears on, climaxing in fireworks and snowfall over Main Street, New Orleans Square and It’s a Small World mall during the “Believe… in Holiday Magic” show.  Who says it never snows in Orange County?

Sharlene Earnshaw is an Orange County based family travel writer with a passion for her native California and aspires to have Huell Howser’s job one day.  She is the woman behind the Trekaroo blog and Double the Adventure.

Photos courtesy of Paul Hiffmeyer/Disneyland

December 15th, 2010 | by Sharlene Earnshaw Comment