Should Disney or Universal deck the halls all year round?
The modern theme park industry and the Christmas/Holiday season have been together since the very beginning, as Disneyland has celebrated on some level since its first year. These days, the season is one of the busiest at both Disney and Universal (as someone who has been visiting both companies’ theme parks for 30 years, it’s one of my favorite times to visit), with decorations, annual events, and merchandise galore available each year. And yet, neither company has built a year-round Christmas-themed land.
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Let’s begin in Disney. While there have never been plans for a full permanent Christmas land at either Walt Disney World or Disneyland (that we know of), there were once plans for a Nightmare Before Christmas dark ride, which eventually evolved into the Haunted Mansion Holiday overlay attraction.
There are permanent Holiday shops at Walt Disney World (Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe in the Magic Kingdom, various displays around World Showcase, and Disney’s Days of Christmas in Disney Springs) and Disneyland (Plaza Point Holiday Shoppe on Main Street).
Meanwhile, the idea of a permanent Christmas-themed area has been broached at Universal before. Specifically, during the early-mid 2000s, it was heavily rumored that a Grinch-themed sub-land, including a massive Mt. Crumpit roller coaster, was going to be added to Seuss Landing at Islands of Adventure.
So, why is there no permanent Christmas or holiday-themed area, outside a few small stores at Disney World and Disneyland? Well, while there’s no official answer, I would guess it’s about keeping things “special.”
Part of why Holiday decorations and events like Disney’s Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, EPCOT’s Festival of the Holidays, Jollywood Nights, the Candlelight Processional, and Universal’s Grinchmas events are so popular is their limited timing and ties to the actual season.
A permanent installation would arguably dilute this specialness, making the “magic” of the season simply part of the normal rigamarole of everyday park operations. Stay tuned to AllEars for more thoughts on Disney and Universal.
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Would you like to see a permanent Christmas-themed installation built at Disney World or Universal? Let us know in the comments below.
Universal needs a Grinch dark ride in Island of Adventure. Disney needs a permanent Nightmare Before Christmas dark ride somewhere (not the Haunted Mansion which they should keep overlaying in Disneyland).
I didn’t spot a clear reason in your article as to why Disney and Universal are “making a huge mistake,” as the headline indicates, but I saw very articulate arguments AGAINST the idea of a year-round Christmas-themed land. Not only would it seem less special, as you said, but I think an even better reason is that not everyone celebrates Christmas in the first place. However, if there were an entire park dedicated to holidays with each land themed to a different one – Christmasland, Hanukkaland, Kwanzaaland, etc. – then this is a concept I could fully get behind. It would be a holiday showcase similar to what Epcot already does in World Showcase, except on a grander scale with attractions themed to a diversity of festive cultural customs. A version of this concept already exists in Santa Claus, Indiana – a theme park called Holiday World – but its focus is purely on American holidays.
Please bring back the festival of dancing lights!! It doesn’t matter what park they’re in. They are sorely missed by our family. Big mistake in getting rid of them. The current Christmas offerings are sort of lame in comparison.