SoCal theme parks get ready for Christmas

With the calendar turning to November, it’s time to put away the pumpkins and cobwebs and haul out the garland and faux snow at Southern California’s amusement and theme parks.

Personally, I’m looking forward to the completely nonsecular Snoopy’s Cool Christmas, which around Knott’s Berry Farm is unofficially known as “Jesus on Ice.” To me there’s just something irreverently reverent about the birth of Christ played out on a frozen stage.

Where else would you expect to find the “world’s tallest Lego Christmas tree” than at Legoland California in Carlsbad. The 30-foot-tall plastic tannenbaum employs 245,000 Duplo bricks and features more than 300 Lego ornaments and candles.

In Anaheim, Disneyland snow caps Sleeping Beauty’s castle while recycling all the old seasonal standbys: 60-foot tree, parade, Small World and Haunted Mansion holiday overlays and fireworks with a snow finale (really just soap bubbles, but still spectacular to see).

Persistent rumors position British-born actress and “Dancing With the Stars” contestant Jane Seymour as the host of Disneyland’s 2007 candlelight procession on Dec. 1 and 2.

Across the way at Disneyland’s red-headed step-park, California Adventure has canceled Christmas until after completion of its massive makeover in 2012. Just kidding. They’ve got a Santa Claus. But so does the mall.

SeaWorld San Diego gives Shamu’s show a holiday makeover with live music and Christmas choreography. There’s also a sea lion spoof on “Twas the Night Before Christmas.”

The San Diego Wild Animal Park’s Festival of Lights features a 100,000-bulb parade of nutcrackers, toy soldiers, gingerbread men and, of course, wild animals.

Six Flags Magic Mountain’s Toys for the Holidays offers free admission on Dec. 2, 8 and 9 to anyone who brings a new unwrapped gift worth $15 or more.

And mercifully, Universal Studios Hollywood plans to wait until after Thanksgiving before hoisting a tree and hanging the garland on the front gate.

— Brady MacDonald / Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

[Photo: Legoland California]

Permalink | E-mail | Print | Add to My Trips

This entry was posted on Thursday, November 1, 2007 at 3:38 pm by Brady MacDonald and is filed under Disneyland, Family & Kids, Knott's, Legoland, Los Angeles, Magic Mountain, San Diego, San Diego Wild Animal Park, SeaWorld San DIego, Theme Parks, Universal Studios Hollywood. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.