Christmas at Disneyland: 2019 Edition
Disneyland Resort, Anaheim, CA
Merry Christmas, everybody! We haven’t been as active recently—a combination of post-haunt recovery, a November vacation, and the busy holiday season in general—but today, we’re stopping by the Happiest Place on Earth for a photo journal of the holiday decorations this year. Inside Walt Disney’s original Magic Kingdom, things are as they’ve been in past years, with decorations gracing Main Street, lighting up Sleeping Beauty Castle, and adding festive Christmas ambiance to New Orleans Square, Critter Country, Frontierland, and Mickey’s Toontown. Outside of the parks, new and somewhat divisive holiday decorations have been a part of Downtown Disney’s landscape the past month+, while the Grand Californian Hotel has its own nifty decorations—including a unique ginger bread house—as well.
Today’s update will be less update-focused and more of just a stroll through the Resort. So sit back, relax, break open some eggnog (or spiced cider or spiked hot chocolate or whatever your festive drink of choice be), and enjoy the pictures!
Downtown Disney Christmas
Something visually jarring sprang up last month around Downtown Disney. The colorful pumpkins and fall decor were put away, and in their place arose… colorful Christmas displays of decided modern and abstract fare. Circular rings hanging like halos from tress above marked practically phosphorescent neon trees in a variety of hues, turning Downtown Disney into something out of a high end commercial shopping plaza.
This was a radical departure from the traditional, nostalgic Christmas decorations of string lights and wreaths and garland, and it definitely took some getting used to (if some got used to it at all). But admittedly, the nighttime brought a much more welcoming ambiance, as those floating halos and chromatic evergreens were lit up in a variety of pretty colors that offered a festive—if not still contemporary—take on the holiday.
The Grand Californian Hotel
Holiday decorations at the Grand Californian Hotel were their typical rustic selves, with a massive Christmas tree in the (almost actually dead) center of the lobby and a lavish gingerbread house cooked up by Disney’s culinary artists on display just a stone’s throw from the tree. It’s a nice ambiance for those visiting, even if they’re not heading into the parks.
Main Street U.S.A
Holiday decorations haven’t changed much inside Disneyland Park, other than switching over to LED bulbs these days to save energy. Main Street remains as charming as ever, and it sets a wondrous holiday mood for all who enter. With its iconic tree at the head of Town Square, garlands hanging overhead, and wreaths and bows adorning each Americana storefront, the entry land to the Magic Kingdom takes guests back to a more innocent, bygone era out of a Norman Rockwell holiday painting. And by nightfall, the lights of Main Street add to an already romantic atmosphere that is tailor-made for warm Christmas memories!
Frontierland
Things get a little rustic in Frontierland, which features lighter ornamentation than Main Street and lines up its facades with evergreen garland and ribbons and warm white string light bulbs. If they had electricity back on the Old West days, this is probably what the holidays would look like in those pioneer outpost towns!
New Orleans Square
Things get festive in New Orleans Square, with hanging beads, colorful lights, and plenty of ornaments lining Royal Street. Further on at the Haunted Mansion, the Nightmare Before Christmas continues its overlay from the Halloween through the Christmas holiday. The last day to ride this famed attraction under this year’s holiday guise is actually Monday, January 20th—a couple of weeks after the end of the holiday season this year. The Mansion will also undergo a moderately extensive refurbishment in the spring of 2020, starting on January 21st and stretching into March or April. It appears to be more extended TLC type work, as Disney has not mentioned any new scenes or new effects. But we’ll see if those happy haunts have any surprises.
Critter Country
The rustic mood from Frontierland continues into Critter Country, which has some modest decorations around Splash Mountain as well as a few little gems for sharp-eyed guests walking along the stream next to the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. This back area of the park is always relatively serene, making for a more relaxing Christmas mood.
Mickey’s Toontown
People (without kids) might tend to forget that Mickey’s Toontown has holiday decorations every year as well. Fittingly more whimsical and cartoony, Mickey’s Toontown feels like a more animated and fun version of a classic Christmas scene, using the same general string light and wreath and garlands combination but adding more color to the various elements to match the rainbow palette of the neighborhood. In fact, as far as themed lands go, Mickey’s Toontown is actually one of the more richly decorated parts of the park. Even if this part of Disneyland isn’t your favorite hangout, I think the effort here can still be appreciated.
Fantasyland
Of course, Fantasyland returns its two biggest and most monumental holiday overlays of the entire park: It’s a Small World Holiday and the Sleeping Beauty Winter Castle. The former is a multi-colored, lavish, sparkling celebration of color and world harmony that really comes alive at night. The latter is the memorable impression that all guests see during the daytime, and the one they leave with before the end of the night. The icicle strands and wintery illumination might be tough to capture on camera, but they always inspire amazement in person. And with nightly lighting sessions occuring twice an evening, the castle adds a ceremonial sense of Christmas to the holiday experience!
That wraps up Christmas at Disneyland this year. If you’re there this or next week, good luck, since it is the busiest and most hectic time of the year. But if you do go, bring you patience, and try to take some time to appreciate the small things and little moments in between the hustle and bustle and excitement. This holiday season, we hope you can find good tidings, great cheer, and quality time with quality people. Cheers!
Architect. Photographer. Disney nerd. Haunt enthusiast. Travel bugged. Concert fiend. Asian.
