Disneyland Turns 70 Next Year Here Is Everything Planned For The Bash Beyond
ID:
TMS-5703
Source:
USA Today
Author:
Eve Chen
Dateline:
Posted:
Status:
Current
2025 is going to be a big year for Disneyland and a particularly great time to visit.
Not only will the Happiest Place on Earth turn 70 years old, but guests will find 340 days of special celebrations, festivals or other limited time offerings throughout the year, the California resort announced Thursday. Those include a new after-hours 90s Nite, the return of the beloved Paint the Night nighttime parade, and the debut of the first ever audio-animatronic of Walt Disney.
“We're at a moment in time, 70 years after Disneyland opened, where we feel that the technology has caught up with our ambition to tell Walt's story and to let the newest generation of Disney fans experience what it felt like to be in a room with Walt,” Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D’Amaro told USA TODAY at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Experience this summer, noting its special importance to him as a cast member who started at Disneyland 26 years ago.
Here’s everything Disneyland has planned for its 70th anniversary and the rest of 2025 to help plan ahead.
Disneyland's 70th Anniversary
Disneyland opened on July 17, 1955, but its 70th anniversary celebration will kick off on May 16 and run through summer of 2026. The theme will be “Celebrate Happy.”
As part of the festivities, the resort will bring back several popular past experiences, including the “Paint the Night” nighttime parade and “Wondrous Journeys” nighttime spectacular at Disneyland Park, with fireworks on select nights. The “Better Together: A Pixar Pals Celebration!” parade will return to Disney California Adventure. Note, both “Wondrous Journeys” and “Better Together” will pause during the resort’s Halloween and holiday celebrations and resume after those seasons are over.
The 70th anniversary celebration will also include a new nighttime spectacular called “World of Color Happiness!” and new nighttime projections on Carthay Circle Restaurant at Disney California Adventure. Disneyland Park will get a new character cavalcade, new projections on the facade of “it’s a small world,” new outfits for Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse, and special decor on Sleeping Beauty Castle. A new anniversary theme song called “Celebrate Happy” will also play throughout the celebration.
The audio-animatronic of Walt Disney will debut May 16 as part of a new attraction called “Walt Disney A Magical Life,” that starts with a cinematic presentation on his life and wraps with a visit to Disney’s office, with the audio-animatronic. Unlike limited-time 70th anniversary experiences, the attraction will stay on and after its initial run, play in rotation with The Disneyland Story presenting Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln at Disneyland Park’s Main Street Opera House theater.
Returning festivals and celebrations
Many of Disneyland’s special offerings and seasonal celebrations are included with the price of standard admission, like these next year:
Lunar New Yearat Disneyland California Adventure – Jan. 17 - Feb 16
Anaheim Ducks Day at Disney California Adventure and Downtown Disney District – Jan. 24
Celebrate Gospel at Disneyland Park – Feb. 8 and 15
Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival – Feb. 28 - April 21
Season of the Force at Disneyland Park – March 28 - May 11
Disney Jr. Let’s Play! Party at Disney California Adventure and Downtown Disney District – Summer dates to come
Halloween Time at the Disneyland Resort – Aug. 22 - Oct. 31
Plaza de la Familia at Disney California Adventure Park – Aug. 22 - Nov. 2
Holidays at the Disneyland Resort – Nov. 14 - Jan. 7, 2026
After-hours events
Disneyland’s after-hours events are not included with standard park admission. They require separate, special tickets and quickly sell out. Next year, there will be four uniquely themed Disneyland After Dark events and Oogie Boogie Bash – A Disney Halloween Party, each spanning multiple nights.
Sweethearts’ Nite – Jan. 21, 23, 28; Feb. 4, 6, 9, 11, 13
This event isn’t only for couples, though it celebrates love with iconic Disney pairs, a royal ball, a new cavalcade, and more. Tickets will go on sale to the general public on Dec. 12, 2024.
90s Nite – March 4 and 6
This new event will feature dance parties, sing-alongs and “90s on Parade,” which will throw back to past parades like “The Lion King Celebration” and “Mulan Parade.” General public ticket sales also begin Dec. 12, 2024.
Attractions Referenced In This Article:
Parades Referenced In This Article: