During the holiday season, California Arts & Crafts movement-inspired festive décor adorns the Great Hall of Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa with a larger-than-life Christmas tree at the center of the room. Its ornaments are no different; large lantern ornaments grace the tree and can be spotted from across the room. This year, guests can search for a brand-new lantern ornament in the hotel, designed and installed by cast members — the heart of the holidays at Disneyland Resort.
The new ornament inspired an accompaniment of joyful elements across the hotel in celebration of the season — a replica ornament and collectible holiday pin available to guests, as well as a brooch for Santa Claus to don during his visit.
A Twist on a Past Design
The project first began 10 years ago when Resort Enhancement cast member Brett Snodgrass, then a supervising art director, helped design the lantern ornaments and decor that adorn the Great Hall at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa — many of which can still be spotted today! When looking to refresh some of the designs nearly a decade later, the team requested Brett’s expertise in California Arts & Craft movement-inspired décor once again, this time as a Resort Enhancement artist.
“One of my design loves is the California Arts & Crafts movement, and I was very excited to dig back into the style with this project,” shares Brett.
When he presented his beautiful designs, the hotels team knew that guests would want to take home the magic to display on their own holiday trees or on their Disney Pin Trading boards.
Brett’s original ornament design rendering that later became the ornament on display in the lobby.
“When we saw Brett’s designs, we thought it’d be a wonderful opportunity to collaborate with our Retail Merchandise partners to create a replica of this lantern, so, when guests saw the large lantern on our tree, they too could bring home their very own keepsake version,” shared Allie Kawamoto-Choy, Experience Integration manager at the Hotels of Disneyland Resort.
Brett’s unique design served as the inspiration for the replica ornament, pin and brooch for Santa Claus. “One of my favorite things is working with other designers, and I was so touched to see what each team’s designer came up with,” he said.
From there, the Retail Merchandising team scaled the ornament down to a miniature replica that guests were able to purchase in the hotel. Disney Live Entertainment Costuming cast members transformed the design into a brooch to gift Santa Claus to don during his stops at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa.
Santa Claus’ hat adorned with the brooch.
“This project is a great example of the power of collaboration,” Allie shared. “There were so many teams that came together to share ideas and created this wonderful collection that our guests are now able to enjoy.”
The holiday ornament collection at Acorns Gifts & Goods at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa. The ornament has sold out at the time of publishing.
This year’s lantern is the first to come from a new collection that Brett has designed, rolling out during upcoming holiday seasons at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa — something that would not be possible without cast member collaboration and plenty of holiday cheer.
For Brett, designing this special ornament means being an integral part of the magic, inviting guests to bring his design home for the holidays: “To know that I’m contributing a little bit more to joy and magic by having this ornament out in the world, especially as someone who’s been a backstage person my whole life, it’s indescribable to me.”