It was a strange to hear carolers singing Christmas carols while fake snow blew around in what seemed like 100 degree heat in the Qwest Field parking lot on July 4.

The event was a 3-day visit by the "Disney's Christmas Carol Train Tour," promoting a Disney 3-D film set to open in theaters on Nov. 6. On this Fourth of July, at 5 pm in the afternoon, however, it was just sweltering outside . Winter seems a long way off.

After entering the parking lot, I was handed a free ticket that allowed me to tour the train which features 4 custom-designed rail cars full of behind-the-scenes attractions, entertaining demonstrations and activities celebrating "Disney's A Christmas Carol."

But, before getting to the train, parked at a siding at Seattle's King St. Station, I passed the carolers with fluffy fake snow being blown into the air around them. A short walk got me to the train.

On board were costumes from the film, digital flat-panel displays showing how various aspects of the film were being made (the fill is still in production), as well as a cleaver opportunity for visitors to get a picture of their face morphed into one of the film's lead characters.

Among the highlights of the tour are authentic artifacts on loan from the Charles Dickens Museum of London; artwork, costumes and props from the film; demonstrations of performance capture technology; and a chance to morph your face into one of the film’s characters using HP TouchSmart PCs.

Back, outside in the heat outside the train, was all I could call an inflated mini-theater where visitors got a chance to see a 10-minute preview of the film on a giant screen.

The traintour is making its way across the US with 40 stops and was in Seattle over the weekend of the Fourth. The train will make stops in 36 states as it travels across more than 16,000 miles of track and ends at New York's Grand Central Terminal.