WDW Daily News

The sparkle of the Diamond Celebration and the thrill of Star Wars Season of the Force make the holidays an ideal time to create magical memories with loved ones at the Disneyland Resort. From special holiday experiences and themed decorations to delicious treats and commemorative merchandise, guests will find lots of ways to celebrate at the Merriest Place on Earth.

1. Experience the Dazzle of the Diamond Celebration: Each night at the Disneyland Resort, the all-new “Paint the Night” parade at Disneyland Park sparkles with more than 1.5 million twinkling lights and the “Disneyland Forever” fireworks spectacular illuminates the skies. During the show, animated sequences are projected onto the buildings of Main Street, U.S.A.; the façade of “it’s a small world”; the mist screens of Rivers of America; and the Matterhorn. Merchandise and food and beverage locations across the Disneyland Resort will continue to offer commemorative Diamond Celebration offerings during the holidays.
2. Join the Worldwide Celebration at “it’s a small world” Holiday: From the brilliantly lit façade to the intricate details inside, “it’s a small world” Holiday is decked out in decorations that honor cultures across the globe and how they unite to celebrate the season.
3. See Two Holidays Collide at Haunted Mansion Holiday: For the first time, the Hatbox Ghost joins Jack Skellington and his frightful friends from Tim Burton’s “The Nightmare Before Christmas” as they host a “spirited” Halloween and Christmas celebration, filled with spooky surprises and eerily cheerful décor.
4. Revel in the Merry Magic of “A Christmas Fantasy” Parade: Guests will witness the spirit of the season sweeping through Disneyland as Santa Claus and classic Disney characters merrily march down Main Street, U.S.A. in “A Christmas Fantasy” parade, a holiday tradition at the Disneyland Resort for more than 20 years.
5. Snap a Photo with Santa: Between preparing for his famous flight on Christmas Eve and leading his reindeer in “A Christmas Fantasy” parade, Santa Claus visits Critter Country at Disneyland and Elias & Co. at Disney California Adventure Park to meet with guests and hear their holiday wishes.
6. Delight in Special Holiday Dishes and Treats: Dining locations across the Disneyland Resort add even more merriment with delicious food, beverages and desserts guests may enjoy only during the holiday season. The classic peppermint bark and “snow-capped” dark chocolate peppermint gourmet apples may be found in the resort’s candy kitchens.
7. Enjoy Two Different Shows at “World of Color”: This year, guests may enjoy two versions of the breathtaking nighttime spectacular “World of Color,” nightly at Disney California Adventure. The cast of 1,200 dancing fountains, lights and special effects honor the Diamond Celebration with the performance of “World of Color – Celebrate! The Wonderful World of Walt Disney” and the holidays with “World of Color – Winter Dreams.” Guests may check the park calendar for show times.
8. Dance and Dine at Disney “¡Viva Navidad!”: José Carioca and Panchito of “The Three Caballeros” team up with Donald Duck to host a lively seasonal celebration at Disney California Adventure. Colorful “mojiganga” puppets, folklorico dancing, festive music and flavorful menu items at Paradise Pier honor Latino holiday traditions.
9. Have a Flurry of Fun at “Olaf’s Snow Fest”: Stage 17 at Disney California Adventure transforms into an Arendellian winter wonderland with lively music, “Frozen”-inspired treats and an expansive play area with real snow. After zipping down the snow slide and building their own snowmen, guests may share a warm hug with Olaf.
10. Take the Family to Downtown Disney Winter Village and “Olaf’s Frozen Ice Rink”: Just outside the parks in the Downtown Disney District, the entire family may enjoy a flurry of wintertime fun skating at “Olaf’s Frozen Ice Rink.” The charming chalets in the Downtown Disney Winter Village offer holiday shopping, each with its own selection of seasonal gifts or treats. Admission to “Olaf’s Frozen Ice Rink,” including skate rental and helmets, is $17 for adults and $15 for children ages nine and under.
11. Race Through the Star Wars Galaxy on Hyperspace Mountain: A brand new experience during Season of the Force, the classic Space Mountain attraction in Tomorrowland is reimagined to transport guests right onto the front lines of an exciting X-Wing battle.
12. Become Immersed in the Star Wars Saga at Star Wars Launch Bay: At the new Tomorrowland Expo Center at Disneyland, guests at Star Wars Launch Bay will celebrate the Star Wars saga with fun interactive experiences, including encounters with Star Wars characters, all part of the new Season of the Force.

With dazzling wonder and joy, Holidays at the Disneyland Resort begin Nov. 13, combining the 60^th Anniversary Diamond Celebration with seasonal merriment and fun. Holidays at the Disneyland Resort offer unforgettable entertainment, attractions, food and gift items day and night, through Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2016.

During this year’s Disneyland Resort holiday season, exciting attractions such as “it’s a small world” Holiday, Haunted Mansion Holiday, “Disney ¡Viva Navidad!”  and “A Christmas Fantasy” parade combine with the spectacular new nighttime Diamond Celebration spectaculars: “Paint the Night” parade  and “Disneyland Forever” fireworks in Disneyland Park, plus “World of Color – Celebrate! The Wonderful World of Walt Disney” in Disney California Adventure Park. Each evening throughout the holiday season, two versions of “World of Color” will be presented: World of Color – Celebrate!” and the enchanting holiday version, “World of Color – Winter Dreams.”

An additional celebration adds to the holiday cheer beginning Monday, Nov. 16 when Star Wars Season of the Force arrives in Tomorrowland in Disneyland, inviting guests to explore the Star Wars galaxy with new experiences, themed food and merchandise. Star Wars Launch Bay will take guests into the new film Star Wars: The Force Awakens with special exhibits and peeks behind the scenes, including opportunities to visit with some favorite Star Wars characters. Hyperspace Mountain, a reimagining of the classic Space Mountain attraction, takes guests into an X-wing Starfighter battle. On Star Tours – The Adventures Continue attraction, the journey takes guests to one of the locations from Star Wars: The Force Awakens, the latest film in the Star Wars saga, which premieres Dec. 18, 2015.

Holiday time at the Disneyland Resort has become an annual tradition for many guests, filled with the warmth and magical memories of the season. This year, the sparkling excitement of Diamond Celebration décor and entertainment adds to the holiday excitement throughout the resort. Sleeping Beauty Castle in Disneyland and Carthay Circle Theatre in Disney California Adventure bring extra glitter to the season with diamond highlights on their facades.

The Disneyland Resort holiday traditions include soaring Christmas trees in Town Square, Disneyland, and Buena Vista Street, Disney California Adventure, along with visits by Santa Claus to both parks, and holiday food and merchandise items. Additional highlights include:

In Disneyland:

• “A Christmas Fantasy” parade, a Disneyland holiday treasure, presents Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse and an array of Disney characters celebrating the holiday season. The daytime parade features 100-plus performers including Santa Claus, who brings jolly holiday wishes from the North Pole.
• After dark, the Diamond Celebration “Paint the Night” parade will bring its own brand of glittering magic to Disneyland, with dazzling special effects, unforgettable music, energetic performances, Disney characters and spectacular floats. The luminescent parade creates a river of color flowing down Main Street, U.S.A., with more than 1.5 million brilliant LED lights.
• “Disneyland Forever,” the dazzling, new fireworks spectacular, is a street-to-sky, immersive experience like nothing seen before at the Disneyland Resort, with pyrotechnics, original music and viewing locations throughout Disneyland Park. Guests will be surrounded by the worlds of timeless Disney tales, from the tips of their toes to the sky high above, thanks to the largest installation of projection mapping technology in a Disney park and surprising special effects.
• “it’s a small world” Holiday offers a worldwide celebration of the season, with more than 60,000 twinkling LED lights on the attraction’s façade. Inside, animated dolls representing children of many nations are dressed in holiday attire, singing holiday songs as well as the classic “It’s a Small World After All.”
• Haunted Mansion Holiday presents a spooky but lighthearted mashup of the Halloween and Christmas holidays as imagined by Jack Skellington from the Walt Disney Pictures animated classic Tim Burton’s “The Nightmare Before Christmas.” Continuing an annual tradition, a new gingerbread house is created each year for the Mansion, adding a humorous touch to the ballroom scene. This year, the gingerbread house design features gingerbread zombies constructing a teetering “house of cards.”
• Jingle Cruise, an instantly popular addition in 2014, returns to take adventurous guests on a fun-filled expedition. They discover a cargo of holiday gifts and decorations that have been jettisoned over the jungles of the celebrated Jungle Cruise attraction in Adventureland. This year, a few new surprises have been dropped into the Cruise’s African veldt scene.
• This year Santa Claus brings holiday cheer to Disneyland guests in a new location in Critter Country, specially designed for him by Winnie the Pooh and his friends.

In Disney California Adventure:

• For the first time, two splendid versions of the “World of Color” spectacular will be presented nightly during the Holiday season on Paradise Bay. The holiday-themed show, “World of Color − Winter Dreams,” features host Olaf the snowman along with classic winter scenes from beloved Disney and Disney●Pixar films such as “Bambi,” “Toy Story” and “Frozen,” the blockbuster Disney film. For the Disneyland Resort Diamond Celebration, “World of Color – Celebrate” pays a fun, surprise-filled tribute to Walt Disney, whose imagination led to the creation of Disneyland and so many beloved characters. “World of Color – Winter Dreams” is the first show of the evening, followed by “World of Color – Celebrate!”

• “Disney ¡Viva Navidad!” is a daily celebration of Latino culture and holiday traditions with music, dancing, vibrant colors and delicious food. Disney characters join the fun in the lively “Disney ¡Viva Navidad! Street Party,” presented multiple times a day.
• “Olaf’s Snow Fest” celebrates its return to Hollywood Land with Olaf, the comical snowman from “Frozen.” Stage 17 is transformed into a charming castle courtyard inspired by the “Frozen” kingdom of Arendelle. Kids of all ages have fun in a giant wintry play area with real snow where they are encouraged to build snow creations and zip down a snow slide. Guests who wish to observe the icy fun will have a nearby viewing area. Music and storytelling entertainment will be presented throughout the day.
• The residents of Radiator Springs will welcome guests with a “Snowcar” at the entrance of Cars Land, and each address along Route 66 – Flo’s V8 Café, Fillmore’s Taste-In, Cozy Cone Motel and more – will feature holiday decorations reflecting the personalities of the “Cars” character who lives there.
• Flik and his buddies decorate “a bug’s land” with giant Christmas lights and holiday ornaments, adding to the festive spirit.
• Early in the new year, the Disneyland Resort celebrates Three Kings Day (Dia de los Reyes) in Paradise Garden. The event runs from Jan. 2 through 6, 2015, with fun activities that create a grand finale for “Disney ¡Viva Navidad!”

In the Downtown Disney District, guests may take a break from holiday shopping and dining to go skating on “Olaf’s Frozen Ice Rink.” The Downtown Disney Winter Village around the ice rink creates a festive mood and guests may purchase holiday gift items from the windows of the charming village chalets.

A rich tradition of innovation and storytelling will be on stage for the Disneyland Resort Diamond Celebration, beginning May 22, 2015. Three electrifying new shows will make their premieres, adding to the magical lineup of attractions and family-friendly fun that guests enjoy every day. Since opening July 17, 1955, the Disneyland Resort has grown from a single park to a world-class family destination with two renowned theme parks, three hotels and the shopping, dining and entertainment district known as Downtown Disney. As the resort continues to evolve and expand, the Diamond Celebration will recognize the innovation of the last 60 years while anticipating all that is yet to come.

The Disneyland Resort: By the Numbers

1. Since opening day in 1955, the Disneyland Resort has welcomed more than 750 million guests to The Happiest Place on Earth. That number includes guests from approximately 200 nations, nearly every country in the world today.

2. Through the years, hundreds of famous individuals have visited the Disneyland Resort, including U.S. presidents (dating to Harry S. Truman), heads of state and countless athletes, artists, authors and celebrities. The guest list is a virtual “Who’s Who” of the 20th and early 21st centuries.

3. The Disneyland Resort now employs some 28,000 cast members, making it the largest single-site employer in Orange County, California.

4. Thirty-eight different languages are spoken among Disneyland Resort cast members.

5. More than 50 scuba divers work year-round to maintain Disneyland Resort attractions, including “World of Color” at Disney California Adventure Park and Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage at Disneyland Park.

6. More than 800 species of plants indigenous to 40 nations grow at the Disneyland Resort, making it one of the most extensive and diverse botanical locales in the western United States. The landscape includes colorful flowers, 22 topiary animals and characters, and approximately 18,000 trees.

7. Mickey Mouse ear hats are the most popular Disneyland Resort souvenirs of all time, with more than 84 million “ears” sold since 1955. New “crystal” ears and other creative designs will debut during the Diamond Celebration.

8. The Disneyland Resort generates $4.7 billion annually for the Southern California economy.

New Fun at Disneyland

9. Debuting for the Diamond Celebration, “Paint the Night” will sparkle with more than 1.5 million individually controlled lights. Nearly all of those are energy-efficient, LED lights.

10. In addition to the LED lights on “Paint the Night” floats, each costume in the parade features its own sophisticated individual system of lighting controls.

11. “Paint the Night” features some subtle tributes to the classic “Main Street Electrical Parade,” including hints of that parade’s musical theme, a new “drum float” to lead the parade and, at the tip of Tinker Bell’s magic wand, a light from the original “Electrical Parade.”

12. In the new “Disneyland Forever” fireworks show, guests will enjoy pyrotechnics above them and immersive projections all around them: on Main Street, U.S.A., the mist screens on Rivers of America, the façade of “it’s a small world” and the Matterhorn. The largest use of projection mapping technology in any Disney Park will transform park locations into a magical canvas, transporting guests into Disney stories, from flying high above the London skyline with Peter Pan, dancing with King Louie of “The Jungle Book,” and seeing Nemo fly through the sky to Mount Wannahockaloogie.

13. “Kiss Goodnight,” the inspiring closing song of “Disneyland Forever,” was written by Disney Legend Richard M. Sherman. Richard also was the co-writer, with his brother Robert B. Sherman, of “it’s a small world” and the award-winning songs for the classic Disney film “Mary Poppins.” Adding another “practically perfect” touch to “Disneyland Forever” is the singer of “Kiss Goodnight” – Ashley Brown, star of the Broadway production of “Mary Poppins.”

14. A new show at Fantasy Faire in Disneyland tells the story of “Frozen,” Disney’s animated blockbuster film. The Royal Theatre’s resident storytellers, Mr. Smythe and Mr. Jones, tell the tale of Anna and Elsa in their own unique, wacky style.

More Fun at Disney California Adventure

15. In the Diamond Anniversary “World of Color – Celebrate!” nighttime spectacular, award-winning actor Neil Patrick Harris will appear in multiple film sequences with Mickey Mouse. They will host the show, with the help of some amazing special effects.

16. Part of the recent expansion of Disney California Adventure, “World of Color” uses a submersible platform that’s bigger than a football field, with more than 20,000 points of control and revolutionary lighting that infuses nearly 1,200 fountains with color — making it one of the largest show systems ever built.

17. “Anna and Elsa’s Royal Welcome” offers guests a special place to greet the popular sisters from “Frozen.” It opened in January, 2015, at the Disney Animation building.

18. The iconic Carthay Circle Theatre Restaurant and Lounge opened in 2012 on Buena Vista Street. It stands 79 feet 6 inches tall, to the top of its cupola spire, and it is approximately ¾ scale to the original Carthay Circle Theatre, the site where Walt Disney’s animated classic, “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” premiered in 1937. By way of contrast, Sleeping Beauty Castle in Disneyland stands 77 feet high and is designed to appear taller, due to forced perspective, when viewed from the other end of Main Street, U.S.A.

19. For the Diamond Celebration, Carthay Circle Theatre and Sleeping Beauty Castle will glisten and gleam as never before with brilliant diamond enhancements. On Carthay Circle Theatre, the large “Diamond D” marquee was inspired by the 1930s Art Deco movement. On Sleeping Beauty Castle, more than 100,000 blue, glass crystals will shimmer on the rooftops.

20. Cars Land is home to Radiator Springs Racers, the popular attraction that opened in 2012 at Disney California Adventure. After dark, the colorful and nostalgic appearance of the town of Radiator Springs features 16 neon signs in bright, luminous colors.

21. The cars of the Red Car Trolley attraction on Buena Vista Street are reminiscent of the historic cars of the Pacific Electric Railway system, which operated in Southern California from 1901 through 1961.

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When the reimagined Super Hero HQ opens this fall at Disneyland® Park, everyone’s favorite web slinger is swinging in for the occasion. That’s right! Spider-Man will be making his Disneyland Resort debut in a heroic new character greeting location, where your Clients can snap a photo, grab an autograph or just thank him for keeping everyone safe from the likes of Doctor Octopus and the Green Goblin!

Super Hero HQ is the West Coast home base of some of the greatest heroes in the universe. It’s the place to go, not only to meet some of those heroes, but to discover the super hero within. Guests can tour Treasures of Asgard and cross the Bifrost to come face-to-face with the mighty Avenger, Thor. They can also virtually suit up as Iron Man and check out the Hall of Armor at Iron Man Tech Presented by Stark Industries, play some of the latest games in the Game Center and pick up some Super Hero gear to take with them on their journey home.

Super Hero HQ opens Nov.16, 2015 in the Tomorrowland Expo Center at Disneyland Park.