For many guests, “it’s a small world” Holiday is a must-do during Holidays at the Disneyland Resort. This year, we are celebrating the 20th season of this beloved seasonal attraction, which combines the classic “it’s a small world” with festive decorations, holiday-inspired costumes and a mix of favorite holiday songs. Here are some things you might not know about this holiday favorite!

  • In a tribute to its 20th season, there are at least half a dozen “Hidden 20s” in “it’s a small world” Holiday this year. Decorators use 50,000 lights on the façade of “it’s a small world” Holiday, and an additional 350,000 mini-lights in the trees, hedges and animal topiaries surrounding the attraction. Thousands of additional lights decorate the nearby shops and food kiosks, bringing the total to more than 400,000 lights adding sparkle and wintry ambiance to the plaza area around “it’s a small world.”
  • After dark, the smiling clock at the front of “it’s a small world” Holiday, decked out in a Santa hat, reveals a sparkling projection show. On every quarter hour, the brightly light façade of the attraction is transformed into an enormous clockwork mechanism with advanced 3D-projection technology presented by Siemens. The gears and springs pull back to reveal a world of holiday wonders hidden behind the whimsical clock.
  • Among the holiday-inspired special effects inside the attraction are scents of fresh pine and peppermint in the European scenes. In the South Seas scene, hundreds of iridescent bubbles float through the air.
  • Nearly 150 giant candles decorate the Christmas tree in the European scene.
  • The attraction’s finale features a 14-foot snowman standing atop a 10-foot-wide snowflake. The snowman joined the attraction in 2011, bringing an extra sprinkle of holiday pixie dust with him.
  • It takes a talented and dedicated team of nearly three dozen cast members 35 days to install the glittering façade and nearly 18 days to decorate the holiday attraction’s dazzling interior.

Don’t miss “it’s a small world” Holiday, now in its 20th season at Disneyland park!