good morning, america. it's our second hour. that historic winter storm wreaking havoc, life-threatening conditions coast to coast. blizzard warnings now in effect as air travel comes to a standstill delaying and canceling thousands of flights, what you can expect while on the move this christmas weekend. also this morning, nearly a million customers waking up without powe a deep freeze pushing the national grid to the brink. breaking overnight, deadly shooting at the mall of america. packed with holiday shoppers put on lockdown. it's the third shooting within a year at the nation's biggest mall. what we know this morning about

the victim. ♪ hollywood's nepo babies. jamie lee curtis weighing in calling out the new nepotism term igniting the internet. why she is saying the current conversation is designed to diminish and hurt. ♪ santa, tell me ♪ the final countdown to christmas is on. claim victory in the holiday wrap battle. holly jolly hacks to getting every gift under the tree. plus, christmas dinner crunch time. "gma" gifting last-minute tips and recipes fit for any festive feast. ♪ my heart will go on ♪ near, far, wherever you are, "titanic" is turning 25. >> i'm the king of the world. whoo! >> unsinkable after a quarter century, how a new musical is keeping the blockbuster's legacy afloat as we say -- >> bonjour, good morning, america. shall we go for it? whoo!

♪ never let go ♪ man, there were so many things -- i didn't know if i wanted to say come back, jack. there was room for jack on the door. >> kate winslet agrees now. good morning, america on this christmas eve. so great to have gio benitez and will reeve in as eva and whit take the holiday off. >> if you can't tell, we've been having a little fun this morning. >> we have. i can't believe they're still playing that music and "titanic" is 23 years old. >> 25. >> or 25? [ laughter ] so i can't believe it. >> that's why she can't believe it. >> i can't believe it. all right. >> unbelievable. we have a lot to get to this morning. we do start with millions of americans bracing the bitter cold without power. temperatures dropping well below freezing across most of the country and the cold proving extreme for areas used to frigid temperatures. >> that bitter blast is creating a nightmare at the nation's airports this morning. that brutal winter storm forcing

thousands of cancellations and delays on one of the busiest travel weekends of the year. airlines saying it will take days for operations to return to normal. coast to coast heavy snow, high winds, coastal flooding, the warm-up not happening fast. so let's go back to abc's phil lipof in new york. he's got more on how the weather is proving to be a holiday headache. phil, good morning again. >> reporter: hey, will, good it is brutally cold out here, and really all across the country with close to a million people still without power. unable to get that heat they so desperately need. as you mentioned, this storm wreaking havoc on holiday travel. flight cancellations soaring with weather alerts nationwide. more than 1,500 flights canceled all across the country leaving travelers stranded just before christmas. buffalo, new york, residents getting nearly two feet of snow. the airport there had to shut down all evening flights

canceled. so what could you do? many people had no other choice but to hit the road and that proved dangerous even deadly in some areas. in ohio whiteout conditions causing this massive pileup. roughly 50 cars involved on interstate 80. state police confirming four people were killed. here in new york, governor kathy hochul deploying the national guard banning commercial vehicles in some major highways after virtually zero visibility in some areas. high wind causing problems too. watch this as powerful wind tears the roof off a hotel in new hampshire and a tree came crashing down on a car trapping a man inside. some of the nation's largest airline carriers say that it could take 48 hours, maybe even longer to clear out all these cancellations and delays. janai? >> all right. thank you, phil. that cold weather not only causing the travel troubles but also power outages. the deep freeze leaving nearly a

million customers in the dark this morning. abc's elwyn lopez is in atlanta with more. elwyn, good morning again to you. >> reporter: hey, janai, good morning. windchills here below zero and that arctic air bringing gusty winds and knocking out power. this morning still nearly a million in the dark. take a look at what this storm did to parts of the northeast. more than 200,000 without power in maine, flooded roads and toppled trees left in the wake of the storm. power crews working around the clock to get the lights back on there but warning it could take days. when the storm made its way down south, it left the music city in single digits. nashville feeling subzero chills like us in atlanta. officials in tennessee say some customers should expect a rolling blackout in ten-minute increments due to the power load. the carolinas implementing short power outages to protect their energy grid. that bitter blast won't come to an end until after the holiday weekend and, will, here in atlanta, we could feel the coldest christmas in nearly four decades. >> the coldest christmas in 40

years. elwyn lopez, thank you. stay warm with that hat or hood or whatever you got going on. more people need that down in atlanta and across the country. we turn to breaking news overnight. a deadly shooting at the largest mall in the country. the mall of america in minnesota, holiday shoppers left running for cover. abc's justin finch has the latest. justin, good morning again. >> reporter: will, good morning to you. police say this all began as some kind of altercation that escalated quite quickly ending with that 19-year-old victim shot several times in just a matter of seconds. this all happening close to 8:00 at the largest mall in the country. shoppers there wrapping up their last-minute holiday shopping when bloomington, minnesota police say an officer heard gunshots coming from the nordstrom store. authorities say surveillance video later showed an altercation between two groups with as many as nine people total turning from verbal to physical and then to that suspect pulling out a gun and shooting that 19-year-old man several times. a mall wide lockdown was quickly called.

one woman telling abc she found shelter in a nearby closet saying she barricaded herself in that room as the alarm blared for more than an hour with people yelling and running for safety until that lockdown was lifted and police have not yet named that 19-year-old victim and they are urging that suspect and anyone else who was involved to come forward. will? >> i'll take it from here, justin. thank you for that update, really unfortunate news there. well, still coming up here in our "gma morning menu," it's the article that has the internet buzzing about nepotism in hollywood. now jamie lee curtis is weighing in on the nepo baby conversation. also ahead, that's a wrap on holiday shopping. the last-minute tips you need to putting a bow on all those plus, "gma's" taking you to walt disney world this christmas. lucky you. you're going to take a bite out of a sweet tradition when we come back. ♪ by my side now i need

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welcome back to "gma." let's get right to our cover story and the online debate over so-called nepo babies, the children of celebrities who follow in their parents' famous footsteps. now hollywood is weighing in. mona kosar abdi has the details. this is a really interesting conversation, mona. >> it has taken the internet by storm. now, nepotism in hollywood is a concept as old as the industry itself. but under the rebranded term nepo baby, people have been having new discussions about the privileges that come with being a celebrity progeny. >> you know something, spill it. >> reporter: this morning, jamie lee curtis is weighing in on the latest debate over nepotism in hollywood. the actress was one of many celebrities named in the current issue of "new york" magazine titled "the year of the nepo baby." a newly-styled term that refers

to those who benefited from their famous parents or relatives' hollywood success. curtis, the daughter of janet leigh and tony curtis calling herself an og nepo baby in a lengthy instagram post, but saying this current conversation is designed to diminish and hurt. >> come on, mom. you can't tell me you never went to a rock concert. >> reporter: curtis writing it's curious how we immediately make assumptions and snide remarks that someone related to someone else who is famous would somehow have no talent whatsoever. >> what? >> reporter: the article also putting a spotlight on tony award winner ben platt. ♪ with star nes in our eyes ♪ ♪ we start believing that we belong ♪ >> reporter: the son of powerhouse producer marc platt currently adapting his production of "wicked" for the big screen. ♪ defying gravity ♪ ♪ i'm flying high defying

gravity ♪ >> reporter: the daughter of lisa bonet and lenny kravitz. ♪ i want to get away ♪ ♪ i wanna fly away ♪ >> reporter: zoe kravitz holding her own alongside nicole kidman and reese witherspoon whose son is also mentioned. >> should be able to take my name off. >> nothing is going to stop us. >> reporter: some online pointing out that this conversation is part of a larger one on generational wealth and privilege. now, nepotism isn't just prevalent in hollywood so there have been calls for the magazine to analyze other industries as well, janai. >> mona, i'm fascinated by this. you said there's actually a term for this in arabic. >> it's arabic called -- [ speaking non-english ] it's nothing shameful. people know that it's more about who you know than what you know essentially. >> look, if my mom sat on this "gma" desk i would have found a way to get here too. so thank you so much, mona. gio, over to you. >> i'm just glad to know both of you. thank you for that. calling all last-minute

shoppers putting a bow on your holiday gifting with helpful hacks you can actually get right now by pointing your camera over at the qr code on the screen. and this morning, our own stephanie ramos is winning the wrap battle catching up with the holiday expert who has the top tips to wrapping those picture perfect presents. take a look. >> hi, it's shannen, and welcome to my home. i'm so excited to share all my christmas ideas. >> reporter: shannen doherty is a mom of four with more than 2 million followers on tiktok. >> i'm about to save your gift wrapping this year. >> reporter: this holiday she has a sleigh full of hacks to make your days merry. >> the cutest napkin. >> reporter: wrapping gifts can be stressful so before you get your tinsel in a tangle, use these tips to simplify. >> i brought my little helper, lala, my daughter, to show you. >> gift bags can be expensive. make one. instead of buying one, she says

tape it so that it covers your gift. then you want to fold up the end like that, tape the sides, fold those in, it's going to create this little pocket on the bottom. we've created a little gift bag right out of wrapping paper and then this is another hack i love. instead of securing it with tape, grab a ribbon and you'll start folding right over the ribbon like that, creates a cute little ribbon handle right on your present this year. >> reporter: if you cut the paper too small, don't throw it away. >> i feel like this always happens to me. instead of cutting yourself a new piece, just turn the gift on the diagonal. your paper will fit, you do not have to cut a new piece and wrapping will be a breeze. >> mommy, there's no tape. >> reporter: no tape? no problem. >> if you've ever run out of

tape when wrapping, you can still wrap. this is a little trick. make sure it fits with two spins on top of the paper then you know it will be big enough. take your box and put it in the middle and turn it on the diagonal. >> reporter: she says folding is your friend. >> take your edges and create little folds, you're going to be creating a little envelope on the top of your package. >> reporter: then a little tuck. >> then you take it. fold it right into your present and you have wrapped a gift with no tape. >> reporter: if you run out of paper, don't stress. >> i like to wrap the gifts for the grandparents and great grandparents in our house with pictures my family draws for them. it's a two for one. wrapping paper and a picture for them to take home. >> reporter: finally this christmas connoisseur says use your wrapping to be extra jolly. >> so this hack is one of my favorites for christmas morning. i take an empty large box and i wrap it in wrapping paper. on christmas morning all the

extra scraps go right in, it makes it so much easier to recycle and it looks way cuter in your pictures. happy holidays. >> oh, thank you, stephanie, for that. such great tips there. she passed on one more hack for me to try. you know people they like getting wine bottles and don't necessarily like getting socks but here's a cool tip because you could actually use that sock to wrap the bottle. look at that. boom. right there. and then you could use another sock to tie it or get a nice bow and do it yourself right there. isn't that good? look at that. you could go ahead and use one of these hand towels and wrap that. so cool stuff, so happy gifting, everybody. janai? >> right. well, gio, i'm only accepting socks if they're covering wine bottles now. now to the spirit of the season and our month long "gma" gives back event along with the disney ultimate toy drive benefiting toys for tots. the organization spreading

holiday cheer helping provide new toys to kids across the country and this morning, we're revealing the grand total number of toys donated through "gma" gives back, let's cue the drum roll. [ drum roll ] >> thank you, tony. 201,002 toys collected, incredible. thank you so much to all of the "gma" viewers who helped make a difference this ray child's life. really means the world to so many. now let's send it over to brittany bell from our new york station wabc for another check of the frigid cold weather. good morning, again, brittany. >> and blizzard conditions continue near buffalo today so if you ever wonder what it looks like from the vantage point of a snowplow, here you go. you can see just almost whiteout condition, so hard to get through that and that's why travel really isn't recommended in that situation. also let's switch over to some great video along the ohio river just showing steam running against that. there was a large temperature change over the past 24 hours, about a 46-degree difference in new york.

also a 33-degree difference in washington, d.c. so the chill continues. we see windchill warnings across most of the country. that sticks around through tomorrow. more of the same in florida witg waking up to some very foggy conditions in parts of the north and east bay so dense fog throughout the next couple of hours and then we'll continue this dry weather with slightly warmer conditions. christmas eve christmas day numbers in the sixties and then a wet pattern setting up next week later on monday, the rain starts. the heaviest rain should arrive on tuesday. 62 today in oakland, look for low sixties up in napa and mitzi. sixties ♪ rocking around ♪ so for most of the country it will be cold on christmas. might i recommend staying inside and watching basketball because it is a treasured tradition. five marquis nba games back to back all christmas day long and

this year decorating the tree is a slam dunk. take the larry o'brien trophy, this is a miniature replica, not the real thing. put it on top of your tree. this tree is too small, but you get the gist. that is the trophy the nba champions receive and that first game starts at noon eastern, knicks against 76ers and basketball all day long, the suns taking on the nuggets at 10:30 eastern. catch it all on espn and right here on abc. janai? >> see, any chance we get to have him read sports and he just loves it. now to another jolly holiday tradition. this one at walt disney world. "gma" will broadcast from the magic kingdom tomorrow and chief meteorologist from our nashville affiliate wkrn, danielle breezy, is getting in on the magic a little bit early. take a look. ♪ >> reporter: over the years disney's grand floridian resort has welcomed the tanner family. >> all right. >> reporter: and real-life

royalty when princess diana took princes william and harry on a family vacation. the victorian themed hotel is also home to one of the sweetest holiday traditions at the most magical place on earth. i made the special trip because there's something you need to see to believe. a life-size gingerbread house has been dazzling guests since 1999 calling for 10,000 pieces of gingerbread. the seven-foot-tall by 12-foot-wide structure houses a store where 21 varieties of holiday treats are sold. >> i have families that approach us and say, our family has grown up with the gingerbread house. >> reporter: chef christine farmer has been part of every build. >> people book their vacations around our building of the house because they like to sit in the lobby and enjoy it. watch it go up. >> reporter: the massive undertaking requires quite the grocery list. 140 pints of egg whites, 600 pounds of powdered sugar

700 pounds of chocolate, 800 pounds of flour and 1,050 pounds of honey. >> this project starts way back in june of this year. it's put together by our engineering team. our gingerbread is all backed in chocolate and then we're applying it to the structure with royal icing. we take three days to put the structure together. over each window you'll see also artwork that's edible. all the characters that you see, the soldiers, the nutcrackers, the snowmen, the santa -- santa's 88 pounds of white chocolate. the final step, i go up and dust the roof with powdered sugar. >> it looks like snow. >> people love that final step. >> wow. there's a lot going on there. >> it's been my lifelong study, if you will. >> reporter: guys, chef christine tells me people try to bite that gingerbread house. don't worry, i didn't do that i've got mine. now it's off to space mountain. >> all right, thanks to danielle.

don't miss "gma" christmas day taking you to disney world full of christmas cheer. a lot of fun in store from the most magic place on earth. whit, eva and i really truly had a blast. >> it looked it. can't wait to see. very jealous. >> did you try the gingerbread house? >> no, but you'll see, we did try some other things. >> good tease. now we turn to the millions of animals in need of their forever home this holiday season. the aspca says shelters around the country see increased numbers of animals arriving this time of year, not enough being adopted. >> we want to spotlight some of our four-legged friends. babe right there, a 1-year-old pup in new york city who loves tennis balls. >> meet boo boo living in los angeles who loves to cuddle and chat with everyone she meets. >> don't forget about 'sreat too. we'l [door bell rings] hello, i saw you move in, and i wanted to welcome you to the neighborhood with some homemade biscuits!

oh, that's so nice! and a little tip, geico could help you save on homeowners insurance. hmm! cookies! uhh, biscuits. mmmm, is there a little nutmeg in there? oh it's my mum's secret recipe. you can tell me. it's a secret. is it cinnamon? it's my mum's secret recipe. call geico and see how easy saving on homeowners and condo insurance can be. i'll come back for the plate. the best part of christmas is basically the presents. -they always hide it in the same exact place. -i kind of want it to be a surprise, but i kind of want to know too. -i act like i never saw anything, that's why you call it being sneaky. how did kellogg's combine crunchy oat clusters with a touch of honey... plump, juicy raisins and tasty fiber into one delicious cereal? it took a lot of bran-storming. get it? kellogg's raisin bran crunch. two scoops of delicious. ( ♪ ) when it shines with your love, it's more than a gift.

♪ i get to see what santa left for me ♪

>> building a better bay area, moving forward, finding solutions, this is abc 7 news. >> mary christmas eve. police are looking for the public's health after a mother said someone tried to grab and kidnap her child.

it happened around 9:00 p.m. thursday along howard street. the mom was walking with her three-year-old when someone tried to grab her sons wrist. that is w street, got into a car and drove off on western avenue. police are trying to find witnesses or surveillance. it's good to check on your forecast with lisa. lisa: we have a here from the beach, more sun today and milder. yo have low to mid 60's. thank . thank you for joi

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welcome back to "gma" on this christmas eve entering the final few hours before all of those holiday get-togethers and if you're feeling the squeeze, "gma" is here to help you get your head in the game. >> we are here for you. it is christmas dinner crunch time with a group of chefs we gathered up to share last-minute and very simple tips and recipes fit for any festive feast. take a look. >> good morning, america. come on in. >> reporter: first up on our yuletide tour the pain dish. for anyone fine-tuning their christmas day menu jason goldstein shares his sweet and >> so the first thing we'll get is our canned pineapple. the juice is going to glaze that

ham beautifully and it's going to soak in. so we are going to take our ham and it's going to go for its bath into the pineapple juice right like that and then it's just equal parts honey to chili paste and then we are going to paint like holiday picasso, this is korean chili paste. it's sweet and spicy and then it has this awesome citrusy kick to it and this is special because me and my husband's first date we went to k-town and i'm so grateful for him. i'll put it right there and let it baste in all that flavor happiness and then while this bastes you can think about what you're grateful for this holiday season and what you wish for with gratitude for the new year. e liday parade of ham. nale on >> whaa holida second helpings? >> my favorite part of making this is the leftovers. the possibilities are endless. my two favorite are grilled

cheese and you get beautiful ham in there and you can have sandwiches for days and my second favorite is you make some fried rice and sprinkle like snow on the holidays on top. all right, what are you making? ♪ >> good morning, america. welcome to the bon appetit test kitchen. >> reporter: this food editor is cooking up a classic side dish. the recipe separate from her frugal store in the holiday issue. >> the first thing i'll do is soak my potatoes in cold water with salt and onion powder. never boil the potatoes when cooking them. always keep them at a simmer because this helps maintain the structure and doesn't make the potatoes watery and fall apart. the potatoes are seasoned with, of course, heavy cream so i have a lot of salt. i have onion powder, which is much cheaper than fresh onions.

i also some garlic powder and black pepper. i'm going to bring this to a simmer and then add them to my potatoes. my potatoes are done boiling and i've drained them as well and ready to be mashed. i like to use a potato masher. i think it gives you the perfect texture, it's fluffy and sometimes has a few bits in it which is good. the potatoes are fully mashed. i'll add my warm cream mixture in here along with some sour cream, which is really putting the sour cream in the sour cream and onion mashed potatoes and i also have lots of butter and you want the butter to be room temperature rather than melted. here are my final mashed potatoes. i like to garnish them with some scallions and i finish with a final pat of butter. >> reporter: next up her nori lemon butter sure to please any grinchy guest.

>> it starts with soft butter. you can use any butter you like and follow it up with a little bit of salt. some fresh cracked black pepper. i'm going to build the flavors which begins with the zest of a lemon, by using this lemon zest, you capture all of that flavor in this butter with none of the liquid or sourness that the juice has. and a last ingredient i'll add is toasted seaweed snacks which you can find everywhere. crush them in and this is a very fun experience. it's messy but it's fun. this is a great dish to make ahead. i like to do a little swipe on the flakes. serve it with any crunchy fresh vegetables that you have on hand and in less than five minutes an appetizer that everyone will love and, of course, no dinner is complete without dessert. >> reporter: baker dan langan not letting a single cookie go to waste. >> if you find yourself with leftover cookies all you have to

do to make them taste fresh is preheat your oven, line a sheetpan with parchment and brush them with a little bit of milk. once all brushed, pop them in the oven for about five minutes until they're nice and soft and they'll taste like the day you baked them. >> reporter: for a sweet treat -- >> take your favorite cookie and turn it into an elevated desert and whipped up this and flavored it with packets of hot chocolate mix and i'll add a little pinch of salt and then let this whole thing mix until it's nice and smooth. and i'll add a little bit of peppermint extract. you want to be careful with this stuff. it's pretty powerful. make sure heavy cream stays nice and cold because whip cream always flips up to its fluffiest potential when it's fresh out of the fridge. whip it up until you have nice medium peaks. i have it in a bowl. any round cookie will work for this so you want to put down a layer of cookies then a third of your hot chocolate whipped cream and an icebox cake is all about

the layers, almost like a dessert lasagna. take more cookies so i'll spread it on nice and even, nice and level, taking it all the way to the edge. then one more layer of cookies or actually what i like to do is add some nice swoops with the spoon and pop the whole thing in the fridge and it's beautiful just as is, but i like to take it just one step further with some crushed up peppermint candies on top and i'll add sprinkles of chocolate chips. everybody is impressed with this but you'll know how simple it is to put together. >> i am obsessed with icebox cakes and now i have a new recipe that's excellent. so our thanks to them. find their christmas recipes on our website, goodmorningamerica.com. >> now we are all hungry, all of us. >> i'm ordering breakfast on my phone right now. coming up here, "titanic" turns 25 and how a new musical is keeping the blockbuster's legacy afloat. we'll be right back on "gma." my a1c stayed here, it needed to be here.

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♪

♪ near, far, wherever you are ♪ janai couldn't believe it but it's been 25 years. >> 25! >> 25 years and audiences will still go on and on. jack, rose and, yeah, that door debate.

"titanic" proving unsinkable for fans around the world and abc's will ganss has more. good morning, will. >> reporter: director james cameron recently said that jack could not have survived on that door with rose, period, so consider that debate settled. but the legacy of "titanic" 25 years later sailing more strongly than ever. "titanic," a once in a generation cinematic event, tied for most oscar wins and the first film ever -- >> i'm the king of the world! >> reporter: -- to bring aboard a billion dollars at the box office. and now 25 years later, fans still obsessed over those spectacular scenes and that unsinkable music. ♪ you're here ♪ ♪ my heart will go on ♪ >> reporter: "the heart will go on" and so will the legacy of "titanic." >> it's so crazy. it's still in the zeitgeist.

i feel like it's having a resurgence and a renaissance and i feel like celine is having a celine-ssance as i like to call it. >> reporter: the star and co-author of broadway musical told from celine dion's perspective. jack, rose -- >> excuse me, miss, you dropped your -- >> crabtree and evelyn scarf. >> reporter: "the unsinkable molly brown." ♪ >> reporter: and somehow celine too. ♪ don't know much about your world ♪ [ applause ] >> sometimes i put on the wig and i look at myself in the mirror and i'm like, oh, my god, hey, celine. >> reporter: the score made up of celine's biggest hits. ♪ i want to love you more ♪ >> it doesn't feel like a spoof. it feels like a love letter.

>> it is a celebration of all things celine dion and "titanic." >> reporter: marla's take uncanny and hilarious. >> how does one become celine dion? >> it's all celine all the time. i watch her every move. i watch her facial expressions, what she does with her hand, but it's a character study. >> reporter: does celine and her team know this show exists? >> they very much do. in fact, we have gotten the blessing from david foster who wrote all of her iconic songs, her publicist came and was like, the queen would love this. >> reporter: but it almost never set sail at all. >> i was so scared of impersonating the greatest singer of all time and taking one of the best movies of all time but, again, i think what made the show so successful is that it comes from a place of love. >> reporter: a 90-minute love letter to one of the greatest movies of all time. >> everybody deserves the joy that comes from "titanique." >> thank you so much. >> reporter: thank you so

"titanique" has extended its run through may of next year. i can't recommend it enough. if you can't get to the theater here in new york city dust off the vhs set and watch "titanic." part one before christmas, part two after dinner. what do you think? should we go? >> will really gets into it. thank you, will. we should go. it looks really cute. that door debate, not over. >> it's not. >> sorry, james cameron. let's get to brittany bell for a check on the weather. >> let's start out with video in buffalo showing whiteout conditions due to the blizzard. very hard to see. low visibility and some cars were stranded too due to just tough driving conditions. but switching over to more of a christmas forecast, here's a look at your ugly sweater weather. so sweater bay, alaska, 29 degrees with a lot of snowfall. cozy cove, texas, 41 and sunny, yarn lake, minnesota, 0 degrees and sewing machine pass, utah, 42.

and still coming up here, "gma" is taking a trip to pandora. we'll be right back. peaceful state. full plate. wait, are you my blind date? dancing crew. trip for two. nail the final interview. buy or lease? masterpiece. inside joke. artichoke. game with doug. brand new mug. come here, kid. gimme a hug. have you gotten your updated covid-19 booster? they're designed to help protect against recent omicron variants. schedule yours at vaccines.gov. ♪

[music plays] if your instinct is to help. ♪ then clearly you care. ♪ you have what it takes to be a care professional. home instead. apply now. the best part of christmas is basically the presents. -they always hide it in the same exact place. -i kind of want it to be a surprise, but i kind of want to know too. -i act like i never saw anything, that's why you call it being sneaky.

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♪ we are back now on "gma" and "avatar: the way of water" making a big splash at the box office taking in more than $660 million so far, but how does this blockbuster come to life in disney world? danielle breezy went park hopping to find out. take a look. >> you should see your faces. >> reporter: it's the global phenomenon that first happened in 2009.

13 years later the world of pandora is back on the big screen astounding audiences all over again in "avatar: the way of water." >> if you want to live here, you have to ride. >> let's do it. >> there's beauty and we get the best artists in the world and try to create the world and invite you to it and let you live in it for two or three hours and it's kind of a different goal set than most movies. >> the well he has created, you know, these scripts, this universe, it is completely all from his imagination. >> reporter: but how exactly does an out of this world environment fit into disney world's largest theme park? >> value system that underlie animal kingdom are pretty much the same. >> the whole creative team behind "avatar," they created such an immense world, they really went the extra mile when it came to designing the universe to make it feel right as a part of that film so we really took our cues from that design team. >> reporter: opening in 2017, pandora, the world of avatar, put guests on the back of a

banshee and on a river journey coming face-to-face with a member of the na'vi. >> wow, so cool. >> reporter: it's also the place to be when the sun sets at animal kingdom. >> when you come at night, it's a totally different per septemberive experience with the bioluminescence coming to life in a different way. >> seeing these plants, some lighting up. >> reporter: there are so many other cues visually that you're getting a part of that signal that it's a different place. >> what we set out to do with an "avatar" film is not just convey a message butad aot ofda tnke. ngm e and i ta the brand-n due to oxtt. we h aot o we'll be right back.

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(grandma) [in navajo] where are they? it is cold outside. (vo) wells fargo has donated $50 million dollars in support of indigenous peoples... including funding solar furnaces that convert sunlight... (grandma) come into the warm house (girl) hi grandma! (vo) into household heat. (grandma) [in navajo] are you kids hungry? (vo) doing gets it done. wells fargo, the bank of doing.

thank you so much for being with us. here is a holiday card from all of us at "gma" to you. happy holidays. >> merry christmas. ♪ good morning ♪ >> let's do it again tomorrow. >> coming through. >> this is going to be a big "deals & steals" seller. >> i'm heading uptown. want to take the portal? >> good morning, everybody. >> we all need to go to chicago.

>> police are still investigating? >>? the books for the book club. >> can i get a dozen roses for the bachelorette? >> perfect for "the right stuff." >> meal is here. >> the mother of the victim. >> let's talk about what's going on next week. >> this will need a sponsorship bar. >> can anyone send me the note? >> we have the balloons. it'll be spectacular. >> i'll drop it into inews. >> i'm having an issue with the cookie segment. >> these pies look delicious. >> it's within the budget. >> heading down to shipping. >> did you see that video? >> who do you want? >> do you want a drone? >> absolutely. >> it looks great in here. >> let's do it. >> we closed the graphic. >> the graphic for our post-tape ready? >> ready for pickup. >> the portal transition around this way and then push through. >> sounds good. >> wow. i love keith urban. >> wow, this is going to be

huge. >> is everyone on headset over here? >> the audience is >> drums in place. >> uploaded over there. >> we're loading the gear now. >> yeah, it's a lot. >> like what you did. >> is new york seeing us? >> can we get a sound check? >> guys, keith urban is here. >> get keith on the stage now. >> we have to get to the production truck. >> check transmission. >> are you still working? >> just a sec. milder. >> can you boost the audio on that? >> what do you think of that? >> wanted to see if you're able to push. >> we need those online too. >> speeding on. >> with a one. >> done, fix that. >> good. it just needs to be shorter. >> what's going on with the graphic? >> every day we make miracles. >> good morning, robin. how was your weekend? >> breakfast is here. >> good morning. >> need it on set. >> you ready to talk? >> i got the flowers for the bachelorette. >> we have to move positions. >> all the way through florida this morning. these are records, below average.

>> can we hold 1221? >> coming through with the ladders. >> is everyone mic'd? >> send me in some reinforcements. >> 30 seconds till live. george on his way? >> graphics ready. >> line 86. 20 seconds. >> super. >> script is on the way. >> how are we on time? >> five seconds. >> how is everything looking? >> shot looks good. here we go. >> three, two, one. roll it. >> good morning, america. >> good morning. >> announcer: before you count down on new year's eve count on "gma" to be rocking with ryan >> building a better bay area, moving forward, finding solutions, this is abc 7 news. >> i am karina nova. for the second day, more than 90% of employees at the union square macy's will go on strike. they say macy's one to -- macy's wants to cut their

sick leave. ac sent a quote that says "our top priority is to ensure the safety of our colleagues and customers." the strike ends at 7:00 if you live in san francisco, you cannot have wood-burning fires this weekend if you live in san francisco, you cannot have wood-burning fires this weekend. . it is ■illegal for people to bun wood or use wood-burning devices. people can protect their health by avoiding any outdoor activities. friday broke the record for the most flight cancellations into or out of the u.s. within nearly 6000 canceled, according to flightaware. all three bay area airports are ng delays and cancellations. travelers are being forced to wait hours and some days. their winter storm affecting much of the nation's worsening fire conditions everywhere, so if you plan to fly out, make sure you check your flight status. we are looking at nice weather.

we talked about that spare the air alert. it is a little hazy with some sunshine. 44 palo alto. 50 four half moon bay. 60's arriving. 50 right now. 40 santa rosa. fog has been an issue from the north bay to the east bay. a quarter-mile to over one mile in novato. livermore pretty gray and we break into hazy afternoon sunshine. looking at poor air quality. north b central region. rain arrives after christmas. karina: thank you for joining us. our next newscast is tonight at 5:00.