DLRP Today

With the lights fading on the park’s fifteenth Christmas season, it seems a good time to step back in time and remember what happened on Christmases past. The Lights of Winter, Mickey’s Nutcracker Parade, Sparkling Christmas Fireworks… do you remember them all?

Lights of Winter
1992 - 2004

Spanning the length of Main Street, thirteen towering, white arches dominate the entire turn-of-the-century town. At night, they illuminate the street below in a rainbow of festive colours and shapes. They were replaced in 2005 due to the cost of erecting and maintaining the arches, but, if you’ve been missing them these past two years, head out to Epcot at Walt Disney World for a near exact replica set.

Replaced with the Enchanted Fairytale Illuminations.

 

Le Noël de Mickey
1992 - 2005

Mickey, Minnie and friends have fun at Fantasy Festival Stage as they wait for Santa Clause on the night before Christmas. Check out our recent “Remember..?” article for a full run-through with photos.

Replaced with Winnie the Pooh and Christmas, Too.

Full “Remember…?” article »

 

“it’s a small world” Celebration
1992 - 2004

The lands of “it’s a small world” deck themselves out for Christmas with tinsel, trimmings and lights - plus a special festive soundtrack. The attraction overlay fizzled out in the 2000s, but can still be experienced overseas - particularly at Disneyland California, where the entire facade is covered in thousands of fairy lights.

 

Christmas Main Street Electrical Parade
1992 - 2002

During its 11-year run, the Main Street Electrical Parade returned for Christmas as Disney’s Fantillusion does today, albeit with a longer run until March the next year. In the weeks leading up to Christmas, however, the parade would be given a jazzed-up Christmas version of its classic 1970s soundtrack and several special illuminated characters.

Replaced with Disney’s Fantillusion.

 

Tree Lighting Ceremony
1992 - 2003

The Tree Lighting Ceremony has gone through so many incarnations that it’s almost impossible to chart them all. For many years after park opening, the ceremony simply featured Father Christmas at Town Square, with the “Jolly Holiday” song leading to the illumination of the Lights of Winter and Christmas Tree.

Big changes began in 2003, when the show was given a larger audience area at the new Fairytale-themed stage on Central Plaza and included a child being picked out of the audience to unlock a chest on-stage with the help of Father Christmas’ elves. The show concluded with a burst of ground-based fireworks, but was generally not a success, since the Central Plaza location separated it from the Town Square tree.

In 2004, the show became The Enchanted Fairytale Ceremony that we know today, with an Ice Palace, Princesses and more. In 2005, the Enchanted Fairytale Illuminations on Main Street joined a reworked show featuring Mickey and friends.

 

Mickey’s Nutcracker Parade
1997 - 2002

Similar to The Christmas Parade of recent years, the earlier Mickey’s Nutcracker Parade featured an overlay of the usual parade floats. For its soundtrack, however, it featured music from the classic Tchaikovsky suite and dancers and characters dressed to match the theme.

Replaced with The Christmas Parade.

 

Magical Christmas Tree Forest
2001

For one year only, this ambitious project featured a gathering of giant, rustic Christmas Trees on the hub of Central Plaza, with decorations and characters hidden inside. The forest mirrored the shape of the Castle behind, but was generally unpopular since it rendered the classic view of the Castle from Main Street impossible.

 

Fire, Frost & Fantasies: Sparkling Christmas Fireworks
2001 - 2003

Disney’s Christmas Season had its very own fireworks show for just three years. Sparkling Christmas Fireworks featured a very up-tempo mix of “Jingle Bells”, “Santa Clause is Coming to Town” and “Let It Snow” set to around 4 minutes of blue and gold ground-based fireworks. In the tradition of the summertime Tinkerbell’s Fantasy In The Sky, the Castle itself became a fireworks launch pad.

 

Belle’s Musical Medley
2002 - 2005

When the hugely ambitious and hugely successful Belle’s Christmas Village launched with the 2002 season, it was joined with a quick Belle storytelling show. Then, in 2003, a full-scale character show was introduced featuring Belle, Gaston and their fellow villagers acting out scenes inspired by the Beauty & the Beast film, with some songs taken from the direct-to-video spinoff, The Enchanted Christmas. The vocals were not sung live, and the show did cause problems on the small path through to Storybook Land.

Performed by a group of “outside” (non-Disney) performers, who also played extras in The Enchanted Fairytale Ceremony, budget cuts in 2006 meant it did not return for a third season. The fountain used in the show remained, however, with the area reverting to extra seating for The Old Mill snack kiosk.

 

Central Plaza Christmas Tree
2004 - 2005

With the launch of The Enchanted Fairytale Ceremony came the biggest shake-up of Christmas Season yet. To join the show together and make it all easy-to-see from one angle, the Christmas Tree was moved from its regular home on Town Square to the small hillside at Central Plaza. Its presents and decorations remained intact, but ultimately, with Town Square feeling lonely, it was returned to its natural home for 2006.

 

Merry Christmas Walt Disney Studios
2005

The 2005 season finally brought some stand-alone Christmas entertainment for Walt Disney Studios, with the first being a Christmas version of the popular summertime Good Morning Walt Disney Studios mini-parade. A small cavalcade of characters in classic automobiles, this version featured a cleverly customised red car with antlers and snow to carry Goofy Clause. Unfortunately, a cap on budgets for the expensive season has so far halted its return for a second season.

 

Goofy presents… The Swing-Along Santas
2005

The second piece of a new entertainment was a full show for Production Courtyard’s Place des Stars stage. Graduating from their previous home inside the Rendez-Vous des Stars Restaurant nearby, the Swing-Along Santas filmed a festive carol performance at the New York Times Square set, with Goofy as their choir master.

The 2006 season also lost various other Christmas elements from Walt Disney Studios Park, such as Santa’s Monster Truck in Backlot, snow covering the Les Parapluies de Cherbourg set and the popular New York Times Square backdrop. However, Christmas themeing on and around restaurants and throughout Front Lot returned.
The Christmas Parade
2003 - 2006?

With the new Disney’s Once Upon a Dream Parade arriving this year, could today have seen the final performance of The Christmas Parade, circa 2003? Or will it return again for another encore come November? Only time will tell, until then - Chante, c’était Noël!

Do you have more memories of Christmas Past at Disneyland Resort Paris? Share them here!