Disneyland Resort prepares for holidays

Christmas trees, parades, Santa, a food festival and more are in the works

Though it’s still summer, Disneyland is already making plans for the holiday season to fill the Anaheim theme park with seasonal parades, ride overlays, food and decor complete with Christmas trees, faux snow and shimmering icicles.

The winter holiday season returns to Disneyland, Disney California Adventure, Downtown Disney and the three Disney Resort hotels from Nov. 11-Jan. 8.

Disney California Adventure

Seasonal decor at California Adventure will include a 50-foot Christmas tree on Buena Vista Street, automotive-themed bunting in Cars Land and holiday attraction overlays on Luigi’s Rollickin’ Roadsters and Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree.

The “World of Color — Season of Light” nighttime spectacular returns to California Adventure’s Paradise Bay with scenes from Disney animated films set to holiday music.

The Viva Navidad street party in Paradise Gardens will feature Mexican folklorico and Brazilian samba dancers, mariachis, percussionists and giant mojiganga puppets while toy drummers will provide the beat for Mickey’s Happy Holidays character procession along California Adventure’s parade route.

Visitors hoping to go over their Christmas wish list and snap a photo with Santa Claus will find the jolly old elf in the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail.

The Disney Festival of the Holidays — celebrating Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Navidad, Diwali and Three Kings Day — turns California Adventure into a food festival with live entertainment. The Sip and Savor Pass, good for eight food and drink selections, will be back again this holiday season. Dates and further details about the Festival of the Holidays will be announced later.

Disneyland

A 60-foot Christmas tree will anchor one end of Main Street, U.S.A. while Sleeping Beauty’s Winter Castle glistens at the other end, covered in twinkling lights and shimmering icicles.

Back again for another holiday run are A Christmas Fantasy Parade with marching toy soldiers, dancing gingerbread cookies and Santa; the “Believe in Holiday Magic” fireworks and projection spectacular with a faux snowfall finale, and holiday ride overlays on It’s a Small World and Haunted Mansion.

Tomorrowland Terrace will host a nightly holiday dance party with Disney characters.

Downtown Disney

The Downtown Disney outdoor shopping mall will also be filled with seasonal decor and seasonal musical entertainment throughout the holidays.

JEFF GRITCHEN — STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER ANAHEIM Main Street, U.S.A., and the rest of the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim are getting holiday makeovers and events ready.

Route 66 in Cars Land at Disney California Adventure also gets decked out for the holidays. This is the 2018 decor.

Sleeping Beauty Winter Castle, with a different lighting scheme and faux icicles, is the holiday version of the Disneyland attraction.