NORTH POLE WITH DISNEY TWIST: SCOTT WEAVER'S ELABORATE DISPLAYBECOMES HOLIDAY TRADITION FOR MANY FAMILILIES

Whether you call the destination the "Christmas Castle," the "Disney House," or by its owner's name, "Weaver's Winter Wonderland," the Christmas lights display created at Scott Weaver's house is Rohnert Park's version of the North Pole with a Disneyland twist, turning visitors' annual sojourn into a holiday tradition.

Winding through Rohnert Park's "C" section on winter nights, Lisa Lloyd said, "We always get lost, but we follow the cars and the lights." Like many annual regulars, Lloyd, 37, and her family have gone to the Weaver home every year for nearly a decade to bask in the glow of thousands of Christmas lights, let the weight of the daily grind slip away into holiday bliss, and take some family photos to mark the year.

Even if you forget the address, 1190 Cielo Circle, Lisa's husband Marc, 45, suggested, "Just follow the glow."

Without Weaver's castle in Rohnert Park as part of their annual family tradition, said Lisa, "There'd be less holiday spirit. It's part of celebrating the Christmas season" and helps define the Friendly City.

"It's like another world. The kids are in awe. Everybody is happy," Lisa said. "It's Rohnert Park's Disneyland. You forget about your job, you forget about any stress, the laundry, the homework, the reality."

Even years when winter's chill sets in with a vengeance (by California standards, anyway), the Lloyds make bags of popcorn, pile the kids in the car with blankets, put on some holiday tunes and head out to the Weaver home.

As they round the corner to their destination at the end of the cul-de-sac, Marc said he enjoys watching his daughters' reactions to the scene. "I look in my rear-view mirror the whole way watching the kids' expressions."

Lauren, 11, and her sister, Ashlyn, 6, said they can't wait to get out of the car and see the decorations each year. "The guy makes decorations for the whole neighborhood," Lauren said of the 20-plus homes on the street Weaver decorates with characters such as an abominable snowman and a giant purple dragon standing taller than the rooftops. There are superheroes and Cinderella; Dalmatian puppies can be found scattered in many front yards. Lauren's favorite character is the "Ed, Edd and Eddy" design. And a family favorite (as it is for many regular visitors) is to search for Waldo, who hides in a different spot each year. Weaver made it a bit tricky this year to find Waldo, but here's your hint: He's on the roof. Bring your eyeglasses or keen vision; even with the hint, you'll be hunting for a while.

Now in his 16th year, Weaver adds something new each year. This year, Weaver added purple lights around the castle's turrets. "The purple just really sets it off," he said. "It really makes it pop."

When he added a flowing waterfall and bubbles flying through the air a few years ago, that became Ashlyn's favorite. When she's not eating one of the candy canes Weaver hands out to visitors, she's trying to eat the tumbling bubbles.

Like many of the expected 30,000 visitors this year, the Lloyds will follow another tradition and take a family photo with the children sitting in the sleigh Weaver built many holiday seasons ago. They'll also chat with Weaver, who seems to remember people from year to year and is always friendly. "He's very welcoming and warm," Lisa said. And even though Weaver doesn't wear the red-and-white suit, she and Marc agreed Scott Weaver is like Rohnert Park's Santa.