By Jeffrey Epstein
Tom Vazzana wanted to create a new Disney holiday tradition—something that was, in his words “pop and fun and heartwarming and funny.” And with that, Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM! at Disney’s Hollywood Studios came to be. The new nighttime spectacular, which runs through December 31, brings to life the classic and contemporary characters Disney fans love, wrapped up with a Prep & Landing bow.
After planning to visit his friends in Orlando, Santa Claus disappears, and it’s up to elves Lanny and Wayne to save the day. Walt Disney World Entertainment Show Director Vazzana says he wanted the show to “span the generations… I really love the shorts from Prep & Landing. And then I thought, What do our parents love? And that was the heartwarming films they grew up with, and you’ll see that in the show. The third thing is…The niche audience—what do they love? And I truly believed there needs to be a story. So I decided that Santa has come to Orlando to say hello, and then we’re on a mission to find him.”
The colorful show uses more than 100 clips of Disney animation, as well as custom new pieces made by Walt Disney Animation Studios of the Prep & Landing team created just for Jingle BAM! Vazzana and his team worked closely to make sure all the effects—from the incredible, crisp projections on the Chinese Theatre to the eye-popping lasers and dazzling fireworks—were perfectly balanced to move the story forward with a rich score of holiday music. A 60-piece orchestra recorded for two weeks to make sure the sound was just right, and composers Danny Elfman and Michael Giacchino were on hand to help guide the way. “I was trying to do Christmas music, and I said, ‘Michael, how can we make The Little Drummer Boy sound like the Mission: Impossible theme?’ If you listen closely, when the elves come in, it’s The Little Drummer Boy done à la Michael Giacchino.”
And there’s much more for fans to love. Look for homages to the Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights in the opening number. “We replicate a few of the images from Streets of America,” reveals Vazzana. “And there are hidden Mickeys.”
One of the scenes he wanted to include was the moment in The Princess and the Frog when Tiana and Naveen—as frogs—kiss, setting off a magical transformation. “I had a list of must-haves,” he notes, including Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas, which plays an instrumental role in the show.
But his favorite moment is when Carl and Ellie from Up are shown dancing. “[It’s] on the lyric ‘through the years we all will be together…’” he says, with a smile. “I did that for my parents—and for myself.”