Disneyland closes Sleeping Beauty Castle forecourt for ABC holiday special taping
Disneyland closed the area in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle Monday for ABC holiday special filming, with taping reported from 3 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.
Disneyland fans who showed up Monday expecting the usual Sleeping Beauty Castle photo stop found a holiday TV setup instead. The area in front of the castle was closed off for filming tied to ABC, changing one of the park's signature guest spaces into a production zone for the day.
@DisneyScoopGuy: "The Christmas special is taping tonight at Disneyland!" https://t.co/TgtHq6JKk4
What changed was immediate for anyone heading toward the castle hub. The forecourt in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle was blocked off, with stage equipment in place and cast members stationed nearby. Guests on site also found signage for the Disney Parks Holiday Special, and a separate photo prop carried the title The Wonderful World of Disney Holiday Spectacular.
The setup appeared to be ready for a performer and band, but the information visible Monday did not identify who would be taking the stage. It also did not give an air date. What the signs did say was that the material being filmed would air on ABC.
For parkgoers, the key point was that the closure affected one of Disneyland's most popular castle-viewing and photo areas. Cast members told guests that filming would happen later in the day and that anyone inside the park could watch. People were already being allowed to wait behind a rope for the first performance.
@DisneyScoopGuy: "The entire area in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland has been closed off in preparation for the first concert of the Disney Parks Holiday Special! The first performance is expected to be around 3:05pm and they're already letting people wait behind the rope!" https://t.co/o4KXAm4hsM
As for when it takes effect, it already had by Monday morning, and the first taping was said to start at either 3:00 p.m. or about 3:05 p.m. A final filming time of 10:30 p.m. was also posted. Those times were presented as reported or expected rather than as part of a formal public schedule.
That leaves a few things unresolved for fans tracking the special. The available information did not clarify how the different event names connect, whether more than one holiday program is being filmed, or how long the castle area will remain unavailable beyond Monday's production window. But for guests in the park that day, the practical impact was clear: the usual castle-front access was restricted, and anyone hoping to watch needed to line up in the designated viewing area.
