| One by one, they take to the frozen pond next to
Donald’s chalet and enjoy a special game to the classic tune of “Winter
Wonderland”. Whilst they play, Donald continues to search for that elusive
catch of the day. Wait – he’s caught something! But it’s perhaps not what he
hoped for… Ahhh shucks! A Country Bear Winter Hoedown It seems the fun and laughter of the group hasn’t only been disturbing
Donald, as curious animal sounds begin to echo out of the frosty cave at the
side of the stage. Should they go and find out what it is? Eventually,
one of the characters summons up the courage to check it out, before running
out in fear and describing the horrible creature they saw! No need to worry, though – the “monster” is just a
group of three goofy, loveable Country Bears, who take to the frozen pond to
show off their delicate figure skating talents. Realising that their
country cousins mean no harm, the explorers and their Disney friends emerge
from the chalet and greet their furry neighbours. Once everyone’s introduced, they find a selection
of traditional, Country and Western musical instruments and begin to whip up
a blizzard of lively music and dance. Everyone gets involved in the
“Winter Hoedown” – even Donald, who dons the same special Winter Western
costume as his two new adventurer friends. They all dance a
traditional Country jig and shout out the lyrics of classics like “Oh!
Susanna” and “Rocky Top”, before finishing with a loud and lively finale. Romance On Ice The lights fade down and a warm,
romantic, purple and blue glow fills the icy stage as Mickey and Minnie
skate out onto the lake with dazzling, shimmering, red and purple costumes
and an impressive touch of ice skating talent! To the symphonic score
of “La Valse des Patineurs” (Waltz of the Skaters), Mickey and Minnie glide
around the pond, weaving in and out of each other and performing a number of
magical ice moves and routines. “Sleighbells and
snow, fresh winds that blow”, Mickey sings to Minnie as they skate,
“Old-fashioned Winter, how sweet your glow”. The heavenly romance ends
with the two coming together in a heart-warming hug, as Mickey gives Minnie
a cheeky peck on the cheek! Sleighbells Ring… The show comes to an end as Mickey
and Minnie conclude their charming ice dance and a traditional red and green
sleigh is pulled on stage by two beautiful horses! The sleigh stops
for just enough time to finish the show with one final musical number with
all the classics together one last time. The music ends, and the two
explorers and their colourful Disney friends pose by the sleigh, taking a
moment to remember the fun they’ve had together. Then, the entire gathering of new friends, old
friends and furry friends climbs aboard the sleigh and gently glide off to
continue their Winter adventure together, in the snowy wilderness beyond…
 Getting a Seat If you arrive for the show and see a
huge queue stretching out of Frontierland’s “Cottonwood Creek Ranch” area,
don’t be put off! The theatre is one of the biggest in the whole park, and
the queue soon condenses into the theatre. If you want one of the best seats in the
theatre, then it is recommended that you aim to arrive at least 20 to 25
minutes in advance. The Chaparral Theatre is divided into three main
sections – middle, left and right. The middle section gives an excellent
view of all the action on stage, but fills up quickly with guests. The two
side sections are hampered by the large roof support columns which block a
bit of your view from some seats. It is recommended that you check that
these will not affect your view before you take your seat. If you arrive just a few minutes before the show
begins and the Cast Members have closed the main entrance doors, you may
still be lucky enough to be directed around to the back of the theatre,
where you can enter quickly and grab a great empty seat at the last minute! During the Show The theatre is actually an outdoor
venue, but has a large roof and partial side walls. This means that it can
sometimes get quite cold whilst inside, so remember to stay wrapped up warm! Another good way to stay warm is simply to enjoy
the show and laugh, clap or even dance along to the fun onstage! You won’t
be alone – the classic characters and festive atmosphere always get a big
reaction from the audience! A Winter Wonderland at Night In the final shows of
the day, the darkness outside of this semi-enclosed theatre complex adds an
extra touch of magic to the setting and lighting!
  Despite using a soundtrack compiled from so many different sources and
backgrounds, the music of Mickey’s Winter Wonderland is perhaps one of the
most consistent and charismatic soundtracks from any show in the resort. The
classic, up-tempo, Winter songs “Let It Snow” (Jules Styne / Sammy Cahn),
“Baby It’s Cold Outside” (Frank Loesser) and “Winter Wonderland” (Dick Smith
/ Felix Bernard) mix with the intricate orchestrations of Emile Waldteufel’s
Valse des Patineurs to create a soundtrack with both the fun and the romance
of a snowy Winter holiday. All the music used in the show was remixed and
re-recorded to create the complete soundtrack you hear in the show. It was
produced by Robbie Buchanan and Vasile Sirli (the Musical Director of
Disneyland Resort Paris), with arrangements and orchestrations by Vasile
Sirli and Dave Volpi.
Some sections were created exclusively for the show itself. The “Finale”
section is a bridging of an alternate version of “Sleigh Ride” with “Winter
Wonderland” and an original music piece entitled “Sweet Horn” by Vasile
Sirli. The “Winter Hoedown” is perhaps one of the most exciting and
memorable sections of the show, since it mixes together the Winter mountain
setting and Frontierland location perfectly. It features both the classic
songs “Rocky Top” and “Oh! Susanna” along with a relatively new “Country
Christmas” section by Steve Skorija and Gary Paben. The hugely appealing, catchy and even romantic
soundtrack to this wonderful wintry show has surely been a key factor in its
continued success year after year in The Chaparral Theater. Lyrics Let It Snow –
Baby
It’s Cold Outside –
Winter
Wonderland –
Winter Hoedown
– Finale
| 
The
Disney’s Christmas
The
