Wrapping up the Holiday season with five, festive days, the Disneyland Resort will celebrate Three Kings Day at Disney California Adventure Park, Friday through Tuesday, Jan. 2-6, 2015. The Three Kings Day celebration provides guests with a new opportunity to delight in the cultural experience that is “Disney ¡Viva Navidad!,” a fun and popular event that has run throughout the holiday season with a colorful street party, authentic and merry music, and traditional Mexican foods.
New at the park this year for Three Kings Day is “The Spirit of Navidad,” a joyful storytelling performance presented by two bilingual, musical artists. This festive addition will deepen guests’ appreciation of the various Latino traditions celebrated during Christmas, New Year’s Eve and Día de Los Reyes (Three Kings Day). The storytellers will perform interactive musical interludes throughout this spirited celebration. Guests may take photos with sculptures of the Three Kings bearing gifts and enjoy a traditional sweet treat known as Rosca de Reyes. Children may participate in crafts and make paper crowns with sparkling “jewels.”
Three Kings Day has been celebrated for generations in Mexico, Spain, Latin America and other countries as part of the Christmas story. It commemorates the day the three kings (the magi or “wise men”) followed the star to Bethlehem bearing gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.
- The Three Kings Day celebration at Disney California Adventure unfolds in Paradise Gardens, near the site of “Disney ¡Viva Navidad!,” an event inspired by the warmth and joyous holiday spirit of the Latino culture. The area is decorated with holly, banners and authentic cultural icons, including traditional papel picado hand-cut art decorations.
- Along with the new storytelling performances, sculptures of the Three Kings will be displayed in Paradise Gardens. Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse and Goofy also will appear in their “fiesta” costumes, along with The Three Caballeros: Donald Duck, Panchito from Mexico, and José Carioca from Brazil.
- Jan. 2-6 are the final days to enjoy the exciting “Disney ¡Viva Navidad! Street Party.” Performing six times daily, it features The Three Caballeros on a colorful holiday float, Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse transported on brightly decorated street tricycles, flag-bearers carrying papel picado banners, Mexican folklorico dancers, Brazilian samba dancers and drummers, plus giant mojiganga puppets depicting Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus.
- At the Paradise Gardens Bandstand, guests will enjoy performances by traditional Mariachi, Norteño, and other regional music groups. Also at Paradise Gardens, community music and folklórico troupes perform throughout the weekend.
- Three Kings Day guests also may participate in the ongoing “Disney ¡Viva Navidad!” arts and crafts, storytelling and face painting, and they will discover a selection of unique merchandise.
- Dining locations in Paradise Gardens continue to offer popular Mexican food options in honor of the holidays. Menus feature Mexican dishes such as pozole (hearty stew), chicken mole drumettes, champurrado (Mexican-style hot chocolate), sweet tamales,torta al pastor (pork sandwich) and buñuelos (deep-fried sweet treat). TraditionalRosca de Reyes bread is offered for Three Kings Day.
- The Three Kings Day festivities add to all the holiday fun at the Disneyland Resort, including nightly snowfall on Main Street, U.S.A., “A Christmas Fantasy” parade, “it’s a small world” Holiday and Haunted Mansion Holiday attractions in Disneyland Park, plus bell-ringing carolers, special Cars Land décor and the dazzling “World of Color – Winter Dreams” holiday water spectacular in Disney California Adventure Park.
To join the conversation about Disneyland Resort at the Holidays, guests may use the hashtag #DisneyHolidays.