Dressed in holiday style at Disneyland
ANAHEIM, Calif._Harsh halogen lights bathed Disneyland's Main Street U.S.A. in the dark early-morning hours as the backup beeps of aerial lifts and heavy-metal cranes mixed with the thundering sound of their revving diesel engines.
Horticultural workers in neon safety vests hustled to plant red and white blooms in a large flowerbed while a second crew directed a massive white crane to lower an 11-foot metal sleeve into a concrete hole to support a 12-ton Christmas tree that was expected soon.
Looking more like the chaos of a disaster recovery effort than a jolly seasonal makeover, the work on a recent Monday morning marked the beginning of a four-day job to transform Disneyland into a holiday playground. But the annual project had, in fact, been meticulously planned for nearly 11 months to make the most of scant hours before park visitors burst through the entrance gates.
"We only get a
