Disneyland's 70th Anniversary Celebration Kicks Off May 2025: Full Guide to Events and Entertainment

Dec 06, 2024 in "Disneyland Resort"

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Disneyland's 70th Anniversary Celebration

Posted: Friday December 6, 2024 11:20am ET by WDWMAGIC Staff

Disneyland Resort will mark its 70th anniversary with a celebration spanning from May 16, 2025, through summer 2026. This milestone honors seven decades of Disneyland memories with special entertainment, themed décor, food, and collectibles.

Here's a breakdown of what to expect during the celebration.

Nighttime Spectaculars and Parades

World of Color Happiness!

Disney California Adventure Park will debut a new "World of Color" show inspired by Walt Disney's dedication speech. Themed around happiness, the show will feature Joy and her "Inside Out" companions alongside iconic moments from Disney and Pixar films like Turning Red and Tangled. Expect dynamic fountains, lighting effects, lasers, and flame effects transforming Paradise Bay.

World of Color Happiness!

Paint the Night Parade

Returning to Disneyland Park, this nighttime parade features LED-lit floats showcasing beloved characters from Monsters, Inc., Toy Story, and more. The parade blends vibrant colors, music, and special effects for a visually stunning experience.

Paint the Night

Wondrous Journeys

Back at Disneyland Park, this show will project Disney Animation classics onto Sleeping Beauty Castle, Main Street, U.S.A., and "it's a small world." Enhanced with fireworks on select nights, it celebrates stories like Moana and Encanto.

Wondrous Journeys

Daytime Entertainment

Better Together: A Pixar Pals Celebration!

This daytime parade at Disney California Adventure Park features nearly 30 Pixar characters from films such as Luca and Up, alongside lively music and colorful floats.

Better Together: A Pixar Pals Celebration!

Mickey and Friends Celebrate Happy!

A new cavalcade at Disneyland Park invites guests to join Mickey, Minnie, and their friends for a high-energy procession celebrating seven decades of fun.

Themed Enhancements and Décor

Sleeping Beauty Castle

The castle will feature anniversary décor, including a commemorative medallion.

Sleeping Beauty Castle

Character Costumes

Mickey, Minnie, and friends will wear outfits created for the occasion, available for meet-and-greets in Town Square.

Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse 70th anniversary costumes

Projection Displays

Carthay Circle Restaurant and "it's a small world" will showcase new projection shows designed for the celebration.

Seasonal Adjustments

Both "Wondrous Journeys" and the Pixar Pals parade will temporarily pause for Halloween and holiday events before returning later in the celebration.

Food, Merchandise, and More

Expect themed food and beverage offerings and exclusive collectibles highlighting the 70th anniversary. Further details will be released as the celebration approaches.

Stay tuned for updates as Disneyland continues to roll out plans for this historic occasion.

Discuss on the Forums

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Disney Irish21 days ago

Well I think it should have been running all this time, so I'll agree with you on that one. It should have made its return long ago. But just as you said about Wonderous Journey the same can be said about PtN, its fairly recent and fantastic. So its should fall under the same "acceptable that its returning" stance.

PiratesMansion21 days ago

Well, in the case of PTN, I can't defend Disney at all, really. Am I glad it's back? Yes. But there's really no excuse that they spent a sizeable amount on a new light parade that people really loved-only to reject it repeatedly for the beyond-tired MSEP and let their new showcase parade sit in a warehouse for reasons that were never explained and never made any sense. The only real reason we got for that were unspecified "costuming issues"-issues that Disney absolutely had the resources to fix. And meanwhile, the HKDL version of the parade, identical save for *one float*, ran nightly until the pandemic hit. The only reasonable conclusions that one can come to for PTN make Disney look anything but good.

Disney Irish21 days ago

I was being generous and wasn't counting the 1 year hiatus it took after the 60th. But yeah you are correct, which makes it even newer.

MK-fan21 days ago

Not even 3 years lol, it played at Disneyland and DCA for a combined 26 months (2 years and 2 months) over its 10 year existence.

MK-fan21 days ago

There was a 100th anniversary celebration at Disneyland? Who knew?

Disney Irish21 days ago

Not to mention that PtN only ran for a short 3 years, so its practically still a new parade.

PiratesMansion21 days ago

Apart from Wondrous Journeys, fair. But point is that it was a fairly easy counterpoint to "we've had NO CELEBRATIONS or ANYTHING WORTH DISCUSSING since the 60th." And frankly, Wondrous Journeys is both relatively recent and fantastic, so I think it's acceptable that it's returning. IMO if you try and top something that's excellent too soon, you end up with Disney Enchantment, i.e. a genuinely mediocre show that few people liked.

shambolicdefending21 days ago

To be fair, the 100th was pretty lackluster. About the only memorable thing about it was the ironic Super Bowl commercial.

TP200022 days ago

It's a little scary to me that you remember that. 🤣 I don't even remember my opinion on the Disney100 thing, as it seems rather forgettable. 🤔

TP200022 days ago

It's not a show created for the 70th, that's the point. So far, the 70th is just a pre-existing (AKA "old") fireworks show and a ten year old night parade returning, plus a reworked WOC again. Without a day parade, and with the Hyperion and Fantasyland theaters sitting abandoned and empty. Plus a bunting package for the Castle and tram loading area. And popcorn buckets. Thank you for getting it. ;)

TrainsOfDisney22 days ago

Wondrous and Remember are both great shows…. But the point is that the 70th seems pretty lacking so far. Both can be true.

PiratesMansion22 days ago

Remember that he declared the Disney 100th a failure because not enough people were talking about it on Twitter on its first day, and almost surely never visited during that time and saw the show in person.

MTBaymax22 days ago

So, by your standards, Wondrous Journeys is an old fireworks show? Meanwhile there’s still a legion that wants Remember to come back.

TP200022 days ago

I remember that. But why would that cancel the plans to build the Garden Of American Heroes to be dedicated and opened on July 4th, 2026? And then after cancelling that garden in 2021, replace those plans for the 250th Anniversary with... nothing? A few of my favorite Americans were going to be included in statuary form in the Garden Of American Heroes. I imagine most here would agree with me, because it was to include a statue of Walt Disney. Other favorites that were included in the plan that was cancelled in 2021 were Julia Child, Bob Hope (dedicated the Contemporary Resort!), Ronald Reagan (hosted the 1955 TV opening!), Shirley Temple (dedicated the 1957 Castle walk-thru!) and Davy Crockett (inspired the only ride without a track!)