2:54 p.m. EST December 1, 2017 Theme parks, long reserved for roller coasters and kiddie rides, now get decked out with Christmas trees and holiday shows. The trend has accelerated in the last decade as parks discover the holidays can bring out crowds eager for elaborate decorations, special foods and holiday shows,

says Robert Niles, editor of ThemeParkInsider.com. "They do Christmas on a scale you won't find anywhere else." He shares some top park holiday displays with Larry Bleiberg for USA TODAY.

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Christmas Town, Busch Gardens
Williamsburg, Va.
Visitors travel hundreds of miles to experience this Old World-themed park, with Broadway-style shows and more than 6 million lights. "It's one of the largest displays in the country," Niles says. "This is a beautifully landscaped, hidden-gem park." Luminaries and glowing snowflakes lead past miles of garlands and 1,500 decorated trees, including towering specimens programmed for sound-and-light shows. Carnival-style games offer a chance to throw real snowballs, and special foods include turkey and trimmings, gingerbread cheesecake and hot chocolate flavored with liqueur. 800-343-7946; seaworldparks.com

Macy's Holiday Parade, Universal Studios Florida
Orlando
No need to get up early on a chilly Manhattan morning to catch this famous Thanksgiving Day spectacular. The park re-creates the event from Dec. 7 to Jan. 4, complete with giant floats from New York. "This is Thanksgiving's revenge, They have balloons and floats from the Macy's parade that are either brought down or created," Niles says. 407-363-8000; universalorlando.com

Smoky Mountain Christmas, Dollywood
Pigeon Forge, Tenn.
A hologram Dolly Parson makes several ghostly appearances at her signature theme park for a new musical presentation of A Christmas Carol. Her image, appearing as The Ghost of Christmas Past, performs seven new songs. "This is not something you're going to find at your local mall," Niles says. 800-365-5996; dollywood.com

A Very Furry Christmas, Sesame Place
Langhorne, Pa.
Who needs reindeer and turtle doves when you have Big Bird? This younger-set park inspired by the educational children's television show is literally warm and fuzzy, Niles says. "They have the very familiar characters there with familiar décor. It's an introduction to what Christmas is and why we celebrate it." 866-464-3566; sesameplace.com

The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights, Disney Hollywood Studios
Lake Buena Vista, Fla.
When this Arkansas home display hit 4 million lights, it went big time, moving to the Disney park. "It's like you've stepped into a completely different electrical world," Niles says. "Every inch of very surface of the buildings has been covered with lights and it's coordinated with music." Guests can even get special "Glow With the Show" mouse ears that pulse in sync with the production and other events around the parks. 407-934-7639; disneyworld.disney.go.com

Holiday Snow Days/Winter Nights, Legoland California
Carlsbad, Calif.
Why bother decorating an evergreen when you have a limitless supply of Lego bricks to build a Christmas tree? This toy-inspired park creates a world of whimsical decorations including a plastic-blocked Santa, always ready to pose for pictures."There are tiny details added throughout the park, geared for observant children, but even more for their parents," Niles says. 760-918-5346; california.legoland.com

An Old Time Christmas, Silver Dollar City
Branson, Mo.
This heartland park embraces Christmas traditions with a living Nativity scene, shows and holiday meals. "They're really known for their food. They do these huge feasts with turkey and ham and roast beef," Niles says. The park also features scores of themed trees, including one that towers five stories in the middle of the park. 800-888-7277; silverdollarcity.com

Holiday in the Park, Six Flags Over Texas
Arlington, Texas
The original Six Flags park has found that crowds will come out even in sometimes chilly North Texas weather to ride coasters and take in millions of lights, along with campfires and a sledding hill with snow. "They create this huge display of what you can do when you have an entire theme park to decorate instead of a house," Niles says. 817-640-8900; sixflags.com

SeaWorld's Christmas Celebration
Orlando
Every year a Christmas tree forest appears in the middle of this aquatic park's center lake, offering a mesmerizing vista of reflections. "You're not going to see anything like this anywhere else," Niles says. Along with ice-skating performances, the park runs special holiday shows with its sea lions, Santa and killer whale Shamu. 888-800-5447; seaworldparks.com

Holidays at the Disneyland Resort
Anaheim, Calif.
Disney has Christmas down to a science, having decorated for the holidays since the 1950s. "Disneyland is all about charm and nostalgia, and there's no holiday more imbued with charm and nostalgia than Christmas," Nlies says. He particularly likes the transformation of the It's a Small World ride. The characters are programmed to sing carols and holiday songs from around the globe. 714-781-4636; disneyland.disney.go.com