Sleeping Beauty’s Winter Castle during “Believe … in Holiday Magic” fireworks show/ Photo courtesy: Disneyland

It's Holiday Season at Disneyland! The Christmas decorations are up (and will stay up through January 3, 2010) and Mickey's kingdom is cheerier than ever and filled with holiday spirit! My family and I just got back from a long weekend enjoying the holiday fun at Disneyland. We had the best time thanks to both the holiday theme and the super short lines!

Now is THE time to go visit Disneyland. Why not forget the Black Friday sales and crowded stores and just book a trip to Disneyland for your family's Christmas present. You can beat the crowds and save $400 on a 4-night trip by going before Christmas - details HERE. They also have special two night packages. Info on that HERE. The 4-night package is really the perfect length of time to stay and enjoy all the rides, parades and shows. And staying at one of the three Disneyland hotels is a must. I've done it both staying at a near-by hotel and at the park and hands-down staying at the park is THE only way to do it. You get so much more out of your day and the kids (and you) can rest up - plus you can enjoy their great pools. (Read more about the hotels HERE and stay tuned for more tips on the hotels coming soon!)

If you decide to go and enjoy "Holiday Season" at Disneyland, some of the highlights are special holiday versions of “it’s a small world” (see photo, left, courtesy: Disneyland) and Haunted Mansion, along with colorful holiday décor and a nightly snowfall on Main Street, U.S.A. Other holiday fun includes the traditional snowdrifts and icicles adorning Sleeping Beauty’s Winter Castle. After dark a holiday lighting and special effects show will carry the magic of the holidays from the castle all the way to the Christmas tree in Town Square. The Disneyland Christmas tree is specially designed to present a nightly holiday light show with more than 62,000 energy-efficient lights.

The Sleeping Beauty Winter Castle presentation unfolds throughout the evening in three acts, each of them featuring a touch of winter snow on Main Street, U.S.A. The finale of the show includes the legendary “Believe … in Holiday Magic” fireworks show, which ends with “White Christmas” along with a climactic snowfall swirling down on Main Street, “it’s a small world” Mall and New Orleans Square. People were watching in awe and many (adults even) ran to catch as much snow as possible. It was really pretty!

Here's a look at the special touches at the Holiday Season at the Disneyland park:

• “it’s a small world” holiday transforms “it’s a small world” into a worldwide celebration of the season, boasting more than 300,000 glittering lights on its facade.
• Haunted Mansion Holiday presents a madcap celebration as the traditions of Halloween and Christmas collide. Tim Burton’s "The Nightmare Before Christmas” is the theme of the Haunted Mansion, similar to during Halloweentime, but more snow and Santa hats and a little less scary for youngsters.
• “A Christmas Fantasy” parade runs every day on Main Street, sometimes twice a day. You can check the calendar HERE for showtimes. This ever-popular procession depicts a collection of holiday scenes, music and a cast of Disney characters and performers in yuletide vignettes.
• Santa Claus and his reindeer are hanging out in Frontierland at Big Thunder Ranch. Kids and their families will chat with St. Nick and see real reindeer grazing in a corral.

At Disney’s California Adventure there's lots of holiday fun too, including:

• “CALIFORNIA” letters transformed to appear as swirling red and white peppermint sticks (as you can see in the photo, right, of my family).
• “a bug’s land” transforms as Flik and his bug buddies spread giant Christmas lights and oversized ornaments throughout their realm.
• The holiday scene along the Paradise Bay boardwalk includes a beautifully decorated Christmas tree and lampposts decorated with seasonal wreaths. You can find Santa over there too!
• The ever-popular “Disney’s Electrical Parade” will be presented nightly at the height of the holiday season, December 18 through January 3, 2010.

Additional new and continuing shows and attractions featured this season:

• “Tiana’s Showboat Jubilee!,” which begins daily performances November 6 in New Orleans Square in Disneyland, will be a rousing, colorful show with a jazz-filled holiday celebration vibe. It will begin as guests are invited to join a Mardi Gras-style cavalcade in New Orleans Square. The cavalcade will lead guests to the waterfront where Princess Tiana and other “Princess and the Frog” characters will board the Mark Twain Riverboat. The boat will then take to the river where Tiana and company will entertain guests on shore with a musical show including songs from the motion picture.
• In Disney’s California Adventure, the “Pixar Play Parade” is complemented by performances of the energetic, traveling rock and dance concert show, “High School Musical 3: Senior Year-Right Here! Right Now!”
• At Disneyland in December, guests will explore the newly relocated Disney Gallery on Town Square, Main Street, U.S.A. Next door, The Disneyland Story featuring Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln is scheduled to reopen in late December with new technology and an enhanced presentation.

As an added bonus - when we visited this past weekend, lines were the shortest I've ever experienced at Disneyland and Disney World. I could not believe it. We had a blast zooming through short lines and hoping right onto rides. We got to experience so much and even rodes rides over and over again. Read my ride guide for babies thru preschoolers.