Another holiday season is upon us as tomorrow marks the beginning of Holidays at the Disneyland Resort. This is the 68th holiday season at the Disneyland Resort, and the holidays, no matter how we celebrate, are the most magical of all seasons. It’s a time to be thankful, grateful, and appreciative of what we have.
Growing up and living in Southern California my entire life, I’ve been grateful to have been able to visit the Disneyland Resort during all seasons. Holiday time just means more to me than most of the other times of the year. The twinkling lights, the music of the season, and the decorations make me and thousands of others happy.
Visiting the Parks during this time of the year brings smiles to thousands, and many of them are grateful and thankful to be at the Disneyland Resort with family and friends. The excitement you see throughout the Parks especially once the lights turn on is something that you just cannot describe. We all experience the Parks differently. And whether it’s watching “A Christmas Fantasy” Parade, “Believe… In Holiday Magic,” Mostly Kosher, Phat Cat Swinger, or the Mariachi Divas or even enjoying all of the holiday treats, the magic of the season is all around us.
One of my favorite holiday overlays is “it’s a small world” holiday. “it’s a small world” is my favorite attraction at Disneyland, but it becomes even brighter and happier during the holiday season. This attraction is all about bringing everyone together, and we need this even more now than ever before. Seeing the children of the world celebrate the holidays in their unique way makes me smile so much. Of course, once the sun goes down, the facade comes alive with thousands upon thousands of lights. You can see the lights as you make your way towards “it’s a small world,” and seeing everyone’s faces light up while hearing their excitement when the lights turn on after the projection show is very special.
I know that every specialty performer and Cast Member at the Disneyland Resort is grateful and thankful during this time of the year. I worked at Disneyland during seven holiday seasons, and each one was special. Each one made me realize how thankful and grateful I am (and was) for helping create and make memories that would last a lifetime.
We all have our different reasons for going to the Disneyland Resort during the holiday season. For me, it’s being able to be at a place that has meant so much to me throughout my life, and a place that will continue to be a place that means so much to me even more now.
So again, I’m just grateful and thankful that my “happy place” is a place that can make thousands upon thousands of people happy each and every day, and even more so during the holiday season at the Disneyland Resort.
