Chapter 169
Do You Believe?

It’s hard to describe just how truly magical the Believe fireworks show was.

We had sort of gotten to enjoy the show from the pool deck of Paradise Pier in January, but I think it really needs to be seen from in front of the castle to be fully appreciated. It’s not really as though the fireworks themselves are all that impressive, but it’s just the way that they resonate with the other effects that make it all feel so special.

Seeing all the lights in the trees and watching the castle come to life truly sent a shiver down my spine because it was all just so perfect.

And then “snow” started falling all around us, and Tracy and I had turned into blubbering messes by the time the show came to an official end.

It’s hard to explain in retrospect what made this fireworks extravaganza so emotional. Part of it is just how much we love Christmastime. I think another part, however, is just how impressed we were with everything going on around us. After having been AP-holders for the better part of a year, it had started to feel like we’d exhausted our store of surprises. But the Holiday Time celebration is just so all-inclusive. The park truly feels like a different place, and it was so exciting to be in the center of it all.

Here’s a nice view down Main Street that shows some more of the snow falling.

It’s interesting how they time the lighting up of the castle and the trees. Everything is illuminated pretty briefly before going back to normal, so seeing it in that sweet spot is such a fleeting experience. Of course, everything was still pretty once the lights had gone out as well.

Now that the fireworks had concluded, we knew that “it’s a small world” would probably be opening soon, so we started walking back through Fantasyland once again. As we waited in the short DAS return line, I took a few more pictures of the lovely facade.

I think the fun thing about it being so intricately decorated is that every different angle showcases something a little different.

The clock started to chime for 8:00pm.

Soon, we were on our boat and started sailing toward the entrance.

I had intentionally steered clear of spoilers even though there would have been plenty of opportunities to find out what the holiday overlay was like before we got to ride it for ourselves, and I’m very glad the whole thing was a surprise. (So if you’ve never seen it, I would certainly recommend skipping over the next few photos so it remains a surprise for you as well).

I think Tracy and I were both really surprised at how entirely they overhaul this attraction in a relatively short period of time. The additions are seriously everywhere and it feels like a completely different ride.

I don’t think there are any rooms that go untouched, and several are almost unrecognizable when compared to the regular attraction.

Ariel’s stack of fish for Santa was one of our favorite little changes.

I also liked all the reindeer masks.

The White Room, in particular, really left us awestruck.

“it’s a small world” is always one of my favorite attractions in Disneyland, but I think this version also ranks among my favorites as well just because of how joyful and exciting it is. As we got off, we were already looking forward to getting to ride again.

I paused on the exit bridge and took several more photos from unique perspectives.

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