Disneyland is turning 70 next year, and the theme park has never missed an excuse to throw a nostalgia-fueled party. The coming months will be no different, and arguably the star of the festivities will be Walt Disney himself, albeit in robotic form.
The Disneyland Resort’s 70th anniversary happenings launch May 16 and are expected to extend through summer 2026. To celebrate, Disneyland and Disney California Adventure will be resurrecting some fan favorites — the buoyant and gleaming nighttime parade Paint the Night will return to Disneyland — and the park will also get a new, technically advanced show that looks to explore Disneyland’s creation and the life of its patriarch.
Coming in May to the Main Street Opera House, currently home to a patriotic attraction centered on Abraham Lincoln, is “Walt Disney — A Magical Life.” Walt Disney Imagineering, the company’s arm devoted to theme-park experiences, will unveil what is promised to be one of its most advanced audio-animatronics to date. As previously reported, the robotic show focusing on the Disney founder, who died in 1966, will be set in his studio office and is expected to feature on of his favorite songs, “Feed the Birds” by the Sherman Brothers.
But not all of Disneyland’s 70th anniversary proceedings will so overtly look back. Also on the docket: a brand new World of Color show coming to Disney California Adventure. Dubbed “World of Color Happiness!,” the lagoon-based show, featuring fountain projections, is said to be inspired by Disney’s dedication to Disneyland. But it will be hosted by a more modern creation, the blue-haired character of Joy from the “Inside Out” films.
The 70th anniversary event will be the anchor of the Disneyland Resort’s 2025. Yet it’s far from the only noteworthy occurrence coming to the theme park and its connected Downtown Disney retail and shopping district. A look at what major events to expect, based on the season in which you may choose to visit, is below, including more details on Disneyland’s 70th extravaganza and a quick look at some current deals.
SoCal residents can take advantage of a $67 per day deal in ’25
Disneyland takes a lot of heat for its pricing and purchase add-ons once one is at the park. But Southern California residents interested in an early 2025 visit can get a slight wallet reprieve, as the park is once again offering locals a bargain if they’re willing to commit to a three-day ticket. From Jan. 1 through May 15, a three-day, one park ticket can be had for $199. That works out to just about $67 per day. One day, one park tickets normally range from $104 to $204.
The offer is available now and good for those who live in ZIP Codes 90000 to 93599. One can go on consecutive days or spread the visits around to partake in various winter and spring events. Park reservations are required, and one can add, for an additional fee, a park-hopper upgrade or a line-skipping Lightning Lane Multi Pass. The park-hopper option will add $90 to the cost of the promotion.
Additionally, families can get creative in combining offers. Through March 20, the resort is still offering a one-day, one-park ticket for children ages 3 to 9 for $50. While neither deal extends to the beginning of Disneyland’s 70th anniversary celebration, the resort has announced a hotel promotion that begins May 16 and runs through Sept. 26, with discounts as high as 30% off, depending on the time of stay. However, there is fine print: The hotel visits must be of at least four days.
Winter is for Lunar New Year and sweethearts
Disney’s holiday calendar in recent years has expanded, and though the resort’s Lunar New Year festival at California Adventure doesn’t take over the park in the same was as Christmas or Halloween, it’s become a reliably festive source for inventive food and character interactions that aim to explore Chinese, Vietnamese and Korean traditions. A staple: Mulan’s Lunar New Year Procession, with segments that touch on folkloric dances, martial arts and umbrella choreography. Mulan is also featured in the water short “Hurry Home — A Lunar New Year Celebration.” It will be the Year of the Snake, and while the creature is often treated as a villain in Disney’s animated films (see, for instance, Kaa from “The Jungle Book”), we’d love to see Mickey Mouse get a serpent pal. Lunar New Year runs Jan. 17 to Feb. 16.
Starting shortly after Lunar New Year ends and extending into the spring is the Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival. Expect 10 pop-up food marketplaces offering small bites, cocktails and an emphasis on California beer and wine. The event boasts a number of tasting seminars and cocktail-making sessions and typically features some upscale dinners at resort restaurants and bars. Goofy in his chef costume is given a starring role, but our favorite detail of the Food & Wine festival is no snack or sugary beverage. It’s the return of Soarin’ Over California, the original rendition of the flight simulator attraction. The festival runs Feb. 28 through April 21.
Disneyland is for lovers, and winter brings with it the return of the separately ticketed Sweetheart’s Night, running in Disneyland on 14 evenings between Jan. 21 and Feb. 13. Look for character couples and the opportunity to dance at the fairy tale-themed Royal Ball. Needing something a little less sentimental but still want a dose of nostalgia? On March 4 and 6, Disneyland is hosting a ’90s Nite, featuring throwbacks to Disney films and music from the decade, as well as processional that will highlight “The Lion King” and “Mulan.” Both go on sale Dec. 12.
No dates yet, but expected to open sometime in early 2025 will be new culinary additions to Downtown Disney. A food hall, the Parkside Market, will host multiple eateries offering fried chicken, Korean rice bowls and more, as well as a second-story bar that looks out toward the district’s monorail tracks. At the time of publication, Parkside Market looked to be nearing completion. Also arriving soon is a re-imagined candy and treats shop via the Disney Wonderful World of Sweets.
Spring heralds the start of Disneyland’s 70th anniversary
A host of entertainment and attraction offerings will arrive May 16 when the resort launches its 70th anniversary celebration. In addition to the aforementioned Walt Disney show on Main Street, USA, Disney has provided additional details on “World of Color Happiness!” Some of the animated works will include “Turning Red,” “A Goofy Movie,” “Tangled” and “The Lion King,” and, like past “World of Color” shows, expect a mix of projections on fountains, lasers and pyrotechnics. Disneyland will revive the nighttime “Paint the Night” parade, and California Adventure will a host a return of the Pixar-focused daytime parade “Better Together: A Pixar Pals Celebration.”
There’s more. The fireworks show “Wondrous Journeys” will return for Disneyland’s 70th. Introduced for the 100th anniversary of the Walt Disney Co., “Wondrous Journeys” focuses on the history of the company’s animated works. Also teased are some new evening enhancements, such as projection shows on California Adventure’s centerpiece of Carthay Circle, and Disneyland’s facade of It’s a Small World. In the daytime, Disneyland will provide a character cavalcade rather than one of its full parade productions.
Spring also heralds the return of the “Star Wars”-focused branding celebration that is Season of the Force. Those who opt to watch Disneyland’s nightly fireworks from Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge will be treated to additional projections and effects. Coaster Space Mountain will also once again be re-themed to Hyperspace Mountain, featuring original trilogy effects. Accompanying Season of the Force is another evening ticketed event, the return of Star Wars Nite, which runs on eight evenings between April 8 and May 6. Tickets go on sale Dec. 12, and Season of the Force runs March 28 to May 11.
Summer brings Pride Nite, and fall and winter holidays begin earlier than ever
Disneyland’s official 70th anniversary date is July 17, so expect summer to focus heavily on continued festivities surrounding the commemoration. Also returning is Pride Nite, which will celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community and run as a separately ticketed after-hours event on June 16 and 18. Expect colorful, rainbow projections and a bounty of playful character interactions, including, no doubt, some cheeky looks and moves from Clarabelle Cow, who has become something of an unofficial mascot for the event.
Summer, increasingly, means Halloween. While the parks’ Halloween Time won’t officially launch until Aug. 22, the ticketed after-hours California Adventure event the Oogie Boogie Bash will host its first gathering on Aug. 17. The evening, which typically features unique meet-and-greets with Disney villains as well as a parade and an illuminated, ever-so-slightly spooky walk through the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail, usually sells out. It will run on 31 nights from mid-August to Oct. 31. On sale information has not yet been announced. Finally, coinciding with the arrival of Halloween Time on Aug. 22 is California Adventure’s Plaza de la Familia, a Día de Los Muertos celebration that heavily relies on imagery from the Disney/Pixar film “Coco.”
Holidays at the Disneyland Resort will follow shortly after, beginning Nov. 14 and lasting through Jan. 7. While Disney has not yet detailed next year’s offerings, expect staples such as the makeover of It’s a Small World and Haunted Mansion attractions, as well as the return of California Adventure’s Festival of Holidays. The latter this year has significantly increased its entertainment content, including two new shows that honor the Latin community.
And we will eagerly anticipate some construction — yes, construction
Disneyland last month reopened the popular log flume ride Splash Mountain as Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, and while the resort doesn’t have a a large attraction opening (or re-opening) in 2025, changes are afoot.
Ground is expected to break next year on a major expansion to California Adventure’s Avengers Campus, including the long-teased showcase attraction for the area, Avengers Infinity Defense, which will feature locations such as the Black Panther world of Wakanda, Asgard and New York City. Also planned: Stark Flight Lab, an amusement park-like thrill ride in which guests will sit in two-person pods and then attach to a mechanical arm that will lift them into the air and attempt to simulate sensations of flight.
Such additions, as well as other planned projects such as a “Coco” boat ride in California Adventure and a section devoted to the “Avatar” franchise, will help, hopefully, set up the Disneyland Resort for its next 70 years.
