Crowds at the Disneyland Resort are expected to thicken as the popular holiday season, including special fireworks and a parade, return Friday.

The resort's season runs through Jan. 2 with special entertainment, attraction makeovers and festive decorations.

Disney crews have been installing decorations in the parks since Halloween. Earlier this week, the snow features were on Sleeping Beauty Castle and garland adorned Main Street U.S.A.

The "Believe in Holiday Magic" fireworks show is starting earlier than normal 7:30 or 8:40 p.m. usually, instead of 9:35 p.m.

Nearby, the "Fantasmic" show on Rivers of America begins at 9 and 10:15 p.m. most nights. Across the esplanade at Disney California Adventure, the "World of Color" runs twice on busier nights. See the nightly schedule on the Disneyland website.

David Koenig, predicts that the schedule will tempt some visitors to try to hit all the shows on one night, creating the potential for bottlenecks between the sets.

Disney officials, however, think the schedule change will help.

"We're always looking for ways to enhance the guest experience, and we think these changes to the schedule will provide guests with greater opportunity to experience our holiday entertainment offerings," said David Gill, a Disneyland Resort spokesman, in a statement.

In addition to the night shows, Disney's holiday season includes other features throughout the day:

A Christmas Fantasy parade: Includes Disney characters and a holiday soundtrack and runs through the season. The parade runs twice on busy days, usually 2:30 and 5:30 p.m. this month.

Ride makeovers: The "it's a small world" holiday ride is set to reopen Friday with carols, festive costumes and a lighted façade. The ride has been closed for about three weeks during the transformation. Haunted Mansion Holiday, which was first decorated for the Halloween season, will remain open with the theme of "The Nightmare Before Christmas" movie.

Sleeping Beauty's Winter Castle: A five-minute light-and-effects show "Wintertime Enchantment Holiday Lighting" will go on several times nightly on the façade of the snow-and-icicle decorated castle.

Santa's Reindeer Round-up: Visitors can see real reindeer at the corral and meet Santa Claus in Big Thunder Ranch in Frontierland.

Disney California Adventure: Guests can meet Santa Claus on the boardwalk of Paradise Pier at Santa's Seaside Pavilion and see decorations in "a bug's land," along the bay and at the entrance.