EPCOT's Candlelight Processional

Each winter Epcot guests experience a remarkable transformation, Holiday Around the World changes the World Showcase yuletide celebration, with the centerpiece being the Candlelight  Processional at the American Garden Theatre.

With this wide angle shot, you can see just how many performers are required for this Walt Disney World classic. 

Joe Morton, Emmy winner of Scandal and The Good Wife fame, was the guest narrator for the night we attended, and his rich voice resounded through the air as he recounted the Christmas Story

Trumpeters move around the audience during the performance, lending a new definition to surround sound. Here they are on the side wings of the theater, which resemble stain glass church windows.

The music director has a 50 piece orchestra at his disposal, who start out with the Candlelight Overture, an instrumental medley of Christmas Music. The choir is assembled with processional music, composed of traditional Christmas Carols. In this photo, he is conducting the guests as they sing along with Silent Night.

Also under direction is a tremendous choir, led by the Voices of  Liberty singers. If you plan your day just right, you can catch a performance of the Voices of Liberty just prior to a showing of the American Experience. Check in with any of the cast members at the American Experience for details.The acoustics in the lobby area are a great way to indulge yourself in the Christmas Spirit and cool down if it is 84 degrees outside like it was during our visit.

Here are a few of the highlights of the Candlelight Processional performance that we attended. If you plan to go next year, we highly recommend a dining package to ensure a less stressful experience. These performances are so popular that people line up hours prior to the venue opening to make sure they get in. Although this isn't too bad, because then you get to hear the music twice. Our thanks to Mike at Walt Disney World, for helping us and giving us tips for a better experience.

A Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex Christmas Blast Off

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Holidays in Space is the Kennedy Space Visitor Center's unique high-tech holiday celebration. While the rest of us hang up a few lights, the Saturn 1B in the Rocket Garden serves as the projection screen for historical footage and computer-generated fun.

It kicked off on 12/21/2016 and starting the day after Christmas through 1/2/2017, there will be two shows nightly, at 6:45 and 7:45 PM. They are free and included with admission.

They did add a few lights and accent pieces throughout the facility like this tree.

A special kickoff event was held for season pass holders featuring sweet treats and hot chocolate with reserved prime seating. 

Another one of the many views afforded during the show. Every time the Saturn 1B transformed into an entirely different colored pattern, the children all oohed and aahed in appreciation.

Here are some highlights from the performance, which was re-imagined for 2016-17.

Just one of the many scenes from the show. It is the only rocket used as a projection screen that we have ever heard of, and it is definitely the most unusual backdrop employed in projection mapping shows.

The fireworks finale was great, as was the hospitality afforded by the Kennedy Space Visitor Center. Thanks to Andrea and Lauren, with special thanks to whoever baked all those great treats. It took a whole day to come down from the sugar high, but it was so, so good.

Scott And Carol Present - Celebrating The Grinchmas at Islands of Adventure

Where are you Grinchmas, where can we find you?  We'll give Orlando a try!

Every Christmas Season Universal Orlando' s Islands of Adventure transforms Seuss Landing into a Grinchmas Wonderland! Who-liday signs line the paths. leading guests to the Circus McGurkus, where you can have breakfast with the Grinch, featuring one of our favorites...Green Eggs & Ham.

 

It is also easy to find the area for the wonderful, live retelling of Dr. Seuss’s classic holiday tale starring The Grinch and featuring music recorded by Mannheim Steamroller.

The story is a mixture of Dr. Seuss' 1957 classic How the Grinch Stole Christmas and the 2000 Universal Studios movie starring Jim Carey.

Who-ville citizens preparing for the Who-bilation 

And the Grinch  stealing presents

Caught in the act by Cindy-Lou Who

The Grinch and Max returning all the stolen gifts and goodies

The Grinch, Cindy Lou and the citizens of Who-ville celebrating the Who-bilation

For our readers who are unable to enjoy the Grinchmas here is a brief teaser video of the Who-liday Spectacular that will hopefully have you making reservations to Orlando for Christmas next year. It was so good we watched it twice.

The Grinch was pleased with the "to Do List" on our shirts, but had an addition. Number 6 should be "Look fabulous while doing so." We stand corrected, and we wish you all a very Merry Grinchmas!

Six Flags Claims Smooch-Filled Record for Holiday in the Park Event

The holidays are traditionally a season filled with love, and Six Flags Entertainment has proven that to be true as ever with a brand new Guinness World Record, just achieved this weekend at Holiday in the Park.  The company now holds the official record for the most couples kissing under mistletoe at the same time!

© Six Flags Great Adventure

A crowd of about 350 people stood witness to the record at Six Flags Great Adventure, but in total there were six additional Six Flags Parks in three separate time zones involved in the attempt at the same time.  (Georgia, Over Texas, Fiesta Texas, St. Louis, Magic Mountain and Discovery Kingdom)  At Six Flags Great Adventure there were approximately 175 couples that participated, kissing for at least 10 seconds to make the record official - smoooooch!

© Six Flags Great Adventure

While the official total of people involved in the new world record hasn't been released yet, it's many hundreds more than the 402 people that previously held the record - which took place at Six Flags Over Georgia in 2015.

Holiday in the Park is going on at all the Six Flags theme parks that participated in the event, with each park featuring plenty of holiday lights, special entertainment, tasty treats and shopping opportunities, thrilling rides and of course Santa himself - plus plenty more.

Six Flags Great Adventure Welcomes Back Holiday in the Park for a Second Year

Holiday in the Park has returned to Six Flags Great Adventure for its second year, with several improvements, expanded areas, new live entertainment and more.  The giant holiday celebration turns the theme park into a brilliant winter wonderland, filled with more than one million lights.

“Guests are awestruck by the beauty of Holiday in the Park,” said Six Flags Great Adventure President Neal Thurman. “This festival combines holiday traditions with thrills that are uniquely Six Flags, landing it on every family’s must-do list this winter.”

© Six Flags Great Adventure

The event was a big success for the park last year, where tons of visitors flocked to check out all the special offerings along with many of their favorite rides.  Who doesn't want to ride a roller coaster in December?!

Six Flags Great Adventure offers 12 different themed areas during Holiday in the Park, filled with the rides and lights already mentioned, but also special holiday shopping, food, shows and more.  Visitors enter the park to find a 52 foot tall tree where the main water fountain is during the summer, which gives a dazzling light show every 30 minutes - complete with themed music and gently falling snow.

© Six Flags Great Adventure

All the themed areas at Holiday in the Park offer different opportunities to celebrate the holidays.  In the North Pole visitors can - not surprisingly - meet Santa for photos, and perhaps even have a run-in with a talking reindeer.  Poinsettia Peak is decked out in all red lights and watched over by the Poinsettia Princess, who greets guests nightly.  There are plenty of photo spots to cater to today's camera-ready society, including an "antique sleigh, twinkling mistletoe, larger-than-life characters, Santa's elaborate home, giant greeting card and a new kiddie train."

© Six Flags Great Adventure

Several new experiences will be waiting for visitors in 2016 - above is a photo from a new live show, Trouble in Toyland.  Located in the Showcase Theater, the show features Santa's North Pole workshop where Mrs. Clause sprinkles holiday magic complete with acrobatics, comedy and other surprises.  Another new show is the Holiday Harmonies with Hotsy Totsy, a New Jersey based 1950's style vocal trio that covers everyone's favorite holiday hits.

© Six Flags Great Adventure

There are two brand new themed areas for this year as well, above is a photo of the Merry Market Place.  Here you can find shops, food treats and warm fire pits - a great place to pick up a holiday gift or two.  Holly Jolly Christmas is the second new area, which features the new Joker 4D roller coaster, Harley Quinn Crazy Train and the Villains Cafe.  This year the Sky Way is also open, giving riders a beautiful view of the lights below.  In total there are nearly 30 rides open during Holiday in the Park.

Coming on December 10th Six Flags will attempt to break the world record for the most couples kissing under the mistletoe - that should be interesting to see!  For more on Six Flags Great Adventure's Holiday in the Park, click here.

SeaWorld Orlando's Christmas Celebration Expands for 2016 Event

Already a holiday tradition for thousands of families, SeaWorld Orlando's Christmas Celebration will be even bigger and brighter this year.  The event will kick off on November 25th and run select days through December 31st.

© SeaWorld Orlando

This year the world-famous Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is joining SeaWorld Orlando's Christmas Celebration.  Rudolph, along with his pals Clarice, Bumble and Yukon Cornelius can be seen in Rudolph's ChristmasTown, a brand new area.  Along with plenty of lights, decorations and the ability to meet the characters, the new area also features life-size story book vignettes showcasing Rudolph's classic and cherished story.

© SeaWorld Orlando

SeaWorld Orlando shines brighter than ever during the holidays, and is well known for their Sea of Trees display, pictured here.  Families can stroll through a "wintry, watery wonderland as they are immersed in a sea of glistening holiday trees that sparkle to music as they light up the water" in the theme park's central lagoon.  Also new this year is a giant, 70 foot tall tree that will certainly be a sigh to see.

© SeaWorld Orlando

Live entertainment is a huge portion of the fun that comes with Christmas Celebration.  This year everyone can meet Santa in an all new experience, Santa's Workshop presented by Coca-Cola.  Visitors can make a keepsake treasure as they meet the big man himself.

Other shows include Winter Wonderland on Ice (pictured above), Sesame Street's Elmo's Christmas Wish, O Wondrous Night, which features a live nativity scene, Shamu Christmas Miracles and Clyde & Seamore's Countdown to Christmas.

© SeaWorld Orlando

Along with special shopping opportunities, SeaWorld also has a wide variety of holiday food during the event.  The Christmas Market is a central location with entertainment, food offerings, fire pits and holiday cocktails.  Pictured above is a scene from Santa's Fireside Feast, a special meal that can be purchased that includes entertainment, all-you-can-eat dining, and a meet and greet with Mr. and Mrs. Clause.  Throughout the Christmas Celebration, the park has treats such as "fresh-popped kettle corn, waffle cone S'mores, grilled slider sandwiches, short-rip brisket mac & cheese and SeaWorld's very own apple pie with a unique and delicious twist."

For those who want to ring in the new year at the park, there will be a massive firework show, special entertainment, interactive DJ stations, craft beers and more.

Click here to visit the Christmas Celebration website.

Six Flags Magic Mountain Expands Holiday in the Park with Santa-Themed VR Coaster

© Six Flags Magic Mountain

Holiday In The Park at Six Flags Magic Mountain is back this winter and bigger than ever before, sporting more than one million lights, six themed sections and plenty of special entertainment and attractions.  Due to popularity, Holiday In The Park will also run for a total of 28 days this year, starting November 19th and ending on January 1st, 2017.

This year two new themed areas have been added to the event, one of which is the Gleampunk District: A Steampunk Holiday.  The large new area will feature Kwerkmas, a live show with trapeze artists, gymnasts and aerial stunts that the family will love.

The second new area is Santa's Star Spangled Plaza, home to red, white and blue lights, oversized toy soldiers and the first virtual reality holiday-themed roller coaster - Santa's Wild Sleigh Ride.  The ride has been created in partnership with the Hallmark Channel, and will take place on The New Revolution.  Once riders board and put on their virtual reality headsets, they will embark on a "ride on a sleigh with Santa and his reindeer to help battle a mischievous Elf trying to foil Santa’s mission to deliver toys on Christmas Eve."

The rest of the themed areas at Six Flags Magic Mountain's Holiday in the Park offer other goodies such as snowflakes falling nightly, live carolers around the property, several live shows, open rides and attractions, special holiday-themed foods, craft vendors and of course, Mr. and Mrs. Claus.

Full Details of California's Great America's WinterFest 2016 Released

Opening on November 25th, WinterFest at California's Great America will offer its guests the "newest and most immersive" holiday themed event in the Bay area.  The theme park will be filled with holiday cheer, plenty of lights, live entertainment, special food treats, shopping, rides and more.  WinterFest represents the rebirth of the event for many former Paramount Parks, and the park isn't starting off small - in fact they will have more than 7 million LED lights during the celebration!

© California's Great America

Seen above is concept art for the giant (70 foot tall) Christmas tree that will welcome guests inside the park.  There will be live entertainment nightly at the base of the tree, a show named Cool Yule Christmas that features 12 singers and dancers performing a high-energy Christmas pop show.  A special tree lighting ceremony will take place nightly as well.  In addition there will be six other live shows, including a Snoopy themed ice-show and Tinker's Toy Factory, featuring Santa's elves.

California's Great America will be transformed into 9 differently themed holiday wonderlands for WinterFest, each with their own look and feel.  In Snowflake Lake, visitors can ice skate on the frozen over pond in front of the Carousel and snow will gently fall on guests in Hometown Square.

© California's Great America

It wouldn't be a Christmas celebration without the main-man Santa, who will be at the park along with Mrs. Clause and his reindeer.  All the fun will work up an appetite for guests, who can try out themed specialties like eggnog funnel cakes, peppermint churros, a turkey dinner sandwich, all-you-can-drink hot chocolate and more.

On top of all the holiday themed fun, WinterFest will also include nearly 20 of the park's rides, including Gold Striker, Flight Deck, Delirium, Celebration Swings and plenty of Planet Snoopy rides for the little ones.

Tickets for the event start online for only $24.99, and WinterFest will run through December 30th, 2016.  For more information on the event, check out the full website.

Brand New Parade to Debut at 2016's Dollywood's Smoky Mountain Christmas

Already known as one of the most spectacular Christmas events in the country, Dollywood's Smoky Mountain Christmas has announced a brand new parade for the upcoming season.  Named Parade of Many Colors, the $2.5 million production will make the 2016 edition of Smoky Mountain Christmas the "best and brightest in the park's history."

© Dollywood

The parade has been dreamed up by Dolly herself, and is a part of the previously announced $300 million investment in the Dollywood Resort.  Parade of Many Colors "celebrates the fun, faith, family and harmony of the holidays" using "vibrant floats, interactive characters and a few other surprises help spread cheer throughout Dollywood this holiday season."  Just in time for the parade to open to guests, Dolly will be featured in her new NBC holiday movie, "Christmas of Many Colors: Circle of Love."

“The joy I feel during the Christmas season makes my heart sing because of the love and sweet Christmas memories I have of family and friends from when I was a child,” says Parton. “Christmas is the time of year when traditions, faith and family come together to create experiences we all remember forever. That is why my new movie and this parade are so important for me. I truly believe The Parade of Many Colors will inspire some of those same lifelong memories for the families who see it.”

Dollywood's Smoky Mountain Christmas features a stunning collection of over 4 million lights, along with tons of special activities, food, shopping and live entertainment.  This year the popular show "Christmas in the Smokies" has been remastered and moved back to the D.P.'s Celebrity Theater location.  The park will also premier a new show, based on the holiday classic "It's a Wonderful Life."

For more information on all the offerings of Smoky Mountain Christmas, check out the park's official website.