Paint the Night has returned to Disneyland for the first time since 2018 and we were among the first to view the parade during its debut for the Disneyland 70th Celebration.

Paint the Night is one of the best nighttime parades Disney offers and it returned with a list of new changes! Let’s get into all the details of the new Paint the Night changes.

Updated Paint the Night Drum for 70th Celebration

The Paint the Night drum has been updated to honor Disneyland’s 70th Celebration. The drum alternates between the Paint the Night and 70th Celebration logos.

Frozen Float Returns to Paint the Night Parade

The fan-favorite Frozen float featuring Anna and Elsa in an ice castle has returned to the Paint the Night parade.

This is the first time that the Frozen Fractals float has been featured since the parade's initial run. It was removed when the parade was moved to Disney California Adventure in 2018 since the height of the float interfered with the trolley lines along the parade route. Now it has returned to Disneyland and the float looks great!

Goodbye Incredibles Parade Float

The Frozen float has replaced the Incredibles parade float that was introduced in 2018 to make up for the removal of the Frozen float. I don’t think anyone will be too bothered by the absence of the Incredibles float with the Paint the Night return since the Frozen float is much more impressive.

Improved Costume Designs for Paint the Night

Many of the costumes received updates like the glow up for Tinker Bell.

One of the rumors in the past for Paint the Night not returning was that the costumes were too heavy for the performers and caused a lot of behind the scenes issues. If this was the case, the improved costume design isn’t just about visuals but comfort for the cast members.

Controversial Splash Mountain Song Removed

“Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah,” the song known for its association with the old Splash Mountain attraction and Song of the South, was replaced by the new “Celebrate Happy” song created for the 70th celebration by the Jonas Brothers and Disney.

The music change works seamlessly and it’s doubtful many guests will notice the switch. It makes more sense to integrate the “Celebrate Happy” song as this song is being incorporated all over the park for the event.

No More “Ladies and Gentlemen” Announcement

In the introduction to the parade, the language has been changed from “ladies and gentlemen” to “to all who come to this happy place”. I think this change is just fine and is relatively seamless. The language of “To All Who Come to This Happy Place” is pretty artful and incorporates Walt Disney’s classic speech.

Paint the Night Parade Times

The return of Paint the Night is one of the most highly anticipated offerings of the Disneyland 70th anniversary celebration. Paint the Night will run twice a day at Disneyland at 8:45 PM and 10:45 PM.