The holidays officially kicked off at the Disneyland Resort on November 10th and will continue through January 8th, 2017. LaughingPlace was recently invited to take a closer look at some of this year’s offerings.
Steve Davison introduced a special viewing of World of Color—Season of Light. He explained that this year’s completely new show was intended to create warm feelings through a combination of familiar Christmas songs and beloved Disney and Pixar animated moments. Among the selections are Home for the Holidays, The Christmas Song, Mele Kalikimaka, and Let There Be Peace on Earth. David L. Duffy, a member of the team that created World of Color—Season of Light showed us how Disney used the technology of the Paradise Bay to support the theme.
At Disneyland Ambassador Allie Kawamoto officially inaugurated Small World Holiday with a lighting ceremony. She was joined by a children’s choir that performed a medley of the Christmas songs that are performed in the attraction through the holiday season.
Disney California Adventure welcomed back Viva Navidad! for its fourth year. The street party features festive dance and live music several times daily at the Paradise Garden area. Show Director Carla Carlile shared her thoughts about this returning fan favorite.
Disneyland Resort holidays would not be complete without special foods. This year sees an abundance of offerings at Festival of Holidays, which is spread throughout Disney California Adventure. Fourteen venues offer a wide variety of holiday favorites, drawn from a number of diverse cultures. Chef Amy Benson walked us through the creation of kugel, a Jewish comfort food that often adorns holiday tables.
Finally, it should not be forgotten that there is an important birthday during Disney’s celebration of the holidays. Mickey Mouse officially turned 88 years old on November 18. Kevin Kern of the Disney Archives was on hand to share about Mickey’s storied past and continued popularity into the 21st century. He also shared a rare artifact, drawn from the collection of the Archives.
Kevin Kern of the Disney Archives with birthday boy Mickey Mouse