Disneyland Christmas Decorations

There's nothing more spectacular than Disneyland's Christmas decorations. Each season, from mid-November to mid-January, Disneyland in Southern Calfornia turns into a winter wonderland complete with falling snow, non-stop Christmas carols and even a visit from St. Nick himself.

One of the main highlights of Disneyland's Christmas decorations is Sleeping Beauty's Winter Castle, which is decorated with more than 300,000 LED lights.

Disneyland's spectacular 60-foot Christmas tree greets visitors as they enter the Southern California park. It's 62,000 LED lights are lit nightly.

One of the most time-consuming yet amazing transformations seen during the holidays at Disneyland takes place at It's a Small World. Instead of just a tour around the globe, it's a celebration of the world's cultures during the winter holidays.

Small World shuts down every year in mid-October so the thousands of indoor and outdoor decorations can be put up for display. The ride reopens in mid-November when the theme park kicks off its holiday season.

The Christmas decorations that adorn Small World are non-secular. While there may be some displays with religious overtones, the remainder show off the various traditions and customs held by people in countries all over the world.

The holiday decoations in Disneyland's New Orleans Square are just as festive as the ones up throughout the rest of the theme park. Colorful lighted ornaments and wreaths adorn the many buildings and lampposts in this "town."

Nestled in the back of Disneyland, Frontierland is its own Christmas wonderland complete with reindeer, turkeys and yes, Santa Claus himself.

Live pointsettia plants make up a large portion of the Disneyland Christmas decorations in Frontierland.

Mickey, Minnie and all their friends are seen throughout Disneyland at Christmas. Dressed to match their surroundings, they help complete the holiday theme.

Twice a day during the holiday season, Disneyland's Christmas Fantasy Parade makes its way through Main Street, U.S.A. This music box float with a dancing ballerina leads the parade. This parade debuted in 1994, replacing the Very Merry Christmas Parade.

Eight performers dressed as snowflakes skate their way through the Fantasy Parade. This is definitely a crowd-pleaser because if you live in Southern California, you know you hardly ever see snowflakes dancing - or falling, for that matter.

No Christmas parade would be complete with a set of eight scurrying reindeer.

Frontierland undergoes a major renovation of sorts during the holidays. Reindeer Round-Up is the temporary home to Santa Claus, his reindeer and even a couple of turkeys.

After being pardoned by the President of the United States, two robust turkeys make their home at Disneyland, where they are on display until the end of the Christmas season. After the season, they become part of the park's petting zoo.

Also on display during the holiday season are several "real" reindeer. Santa Claus calls these his "reindeer in training."

While technically not a Disneyland Christmas decoration, Santa Claus (shown here during the Christmas Fantasy Parade) is as much a fixture at the Southern California park during the winter holidays as the rides are year-round.