Disneyland Kicks Off Its Seventieth Anniversary Celebration

This month, Disneyland formally kicked off its Seventieth anniversary celebration with festive decor, leisure, meals, merchandise, and even treasure hunts, all centered across the theme of “Have fun Completely happy.” The more-than-yearlong occasion will run by summer season 2026.

“These anniversaries actually began in 1955 on July 17 with Walt Disney, once they embellished Primary Road pink, white, and blue,” David Caranci, Walt Disney Imagineering supervisor for artistic improvement, stated throughout a media preview occasion. “We do not stay previously, however we honor the previous. We honor our historical past, tradition, and custom as we glance to the long run.”

And that’s precisely what the celebratory parts do greatest, as I skilled final week throughout a sneak preview of the milestone occasion. So many nostalgic nods pulled on my heartstrings, from the return of the Paint the Evening after-dark parade at Disneyland Park with reminders of the Primary Road Electrical Parade to the brand new World of Colour Happiness! nighttime present at Disney California Journey Park, the place I caught myself singing alongside to snippets of The Muppets’ “Rainbow Connection” and the Mickey Mouse Membership theme tune. 

The Seventieth celebration felt like a dwelling scrapbook of all of the reminiscences I had made at Disneyland in many years previous, whereas additionally making me really feel like a curious and carefree child at coronary heart once more, rediscovering that magic does exist.

Right here’s your information to Disneyland Resort’s Seventieth anniversary celebration.

Leisure 

For the milestone celebration, the parades, exhibits, and nighttime spectaculars have been dialed up a notch.All through the Seventieth anniversary leisure, an upbeat new theme tune, additionally referred to as “Have fun Completely happy” is performed, that includes the acquainted voices of the Jonas Brothers, longtime members of the Disney household.

On the authentic park, the short-but-sweet Have fun Completely happy Cavalcade showcases an all-star line-up of Disney characters all dressed within the celebratory colours with fan-favorite characters Duffy, ShellieMay, and Max becoming a member of the anniversary get together with Mickey, Minnie, Peter Pan, and Aladdin, amongst others. 

The temper turns much more festive after darkish, with Tapestry of Happiness, a five-minute projection present towards the It’s a Small World facade. It is a tour by the resort’s historical past, ending with the brand new theme tune merging with the traditional experience’s tune, tying the proper knot between Disney’s previous and current. 

The Paint the Evening parade makes its much-anticipated return with greater than 1,000,000 LED lights spotlighting films from classics like “Magnificence and the Beast” and “The Little Mermaid” to extra trendy favorites like “Monsters Inc.” and Automobiles, culminating in Sorcerer Mickey hovering above the road.

In fact, the grand finale right here is the Wondrous Journeys fireworks spectacular set towards Sleeping Magnificence Fortress, a stroll by 100 years of Disney animation. I keep in mind listening to tales of my mother being wowed by Tinkerbell floating within the air throughout her first go to, and let’s simply say there are two floating figures on this present.

Over at Disneyland California Journey, the Higher Collectively: A Pixar Buddies Celebration! daytime parade options almost 30 characters, whereas Carthay Circle’s tower lights up with a two-minute music and lightweight Have fun Completely happy present.

The large World of Colour after-dark present additionally has a Seventieth-specific happiness theme, beginning with a Muppets pre-show that’s technically about security however is certain to induce just a few laughs. The colourful mild, fountain, and projection present is themed across the Inside Out movies, with songs from Boyz II Males and Fitz from Fitz and the Tantrums, however general it’s impressed by Walt Disney’s phrases from opening day: “To all who come to this completely satisfied place, welcome!”

Rides 

It’s a Small World is certainly one of Disneyland’s most historic points of interest, so it is solely becoming that it will get a refresh for the Seventieth. Envisioned by Walt himself for the New York World’s Truthful in 1964 and 1965, he selected a pair of girls to deliver the 300 characters singing in concord to life: Mary Blair as artwork director and Alice Davis because the costumer. Now company will spot Miguel and Dante from “Coco” within the Mexico part, and a new tune verse written by Richard Sherman, who handed away final yr, can be added to the experience on July 17, the precise Seventieth anniversary.

Over at California Journey, Toy Story Halfway Mania! is celebrating the Seventieth anniversary with logos all through, together with sparkly “70” targets to purpose for throughout the interactive 3D experience.

Meals and Drinks

From turkey legs to Mickey waffles, iconic meals objects have lengthy been part of Disneyland Resort’s legacy—and greater than 70 new menu objects can be featured by the celebration. 

“We wished to take our traditional flavors and put a up to date presentation on them, and match the colour scheme, which supplies that celebration really feel to it,” Eduardo Rodriquez, chef for Disneyland Resort, tells Journey + Leisure. He referred to as the Peach Cobbler Funnel Cake Fries served with vanilla ice cream his private favourite, which will be discovered at Disneyland’s Hungry Bear Barbecue Jamboree.

A number of dishes additionally pull on old-school favorites, just like the Banana Break up Churro (obtainable at California Journey close to Goofy’s Sky College) impressed by the unique banana cut up served at Carnation Cafe in 1955, and the W.E.D. Chili Cheese Baked Potato (at Disneyland’s Troubadour Tavern ) and Chili Cheese Corn Canine (at California Journey’s Corn Canine Fortress) that had been impressed by Walt’s favourite chili.

I used to be most excited concerning the throwback Mickey Hat Cookie with the Mickey Mouse Membership emblem (at Disneyland’s Market Home), in addition to the ube sugar-dusted Seventieth Celebration Churro (obtainable close to Disneyland’s Huge Thunder Mountain Railroad, Haunted Mansion, and City Sq., and California Journey’s Willie’s Churros).

The Seventieth anniversary additionally introduces collectible popcorn buckets just like the light-up Mickey Balloon bucket and Mickey Mouse bucket that strikes and talks.

Merchandise 

It wouldn’t be a Disney celebration with out unique merchandise, and there are 4 distinct collections to select from.

The Celebration Assortment makes use of the celebratory colours together with traditional characters and rides in every thing from t-shirts and shoulder baggage to water bottles and bubble wands and even an interactive MagicBand+ to boost the park expertise. The Fortress Assortment options all issues Disney royalty with a retro emblem. In the meantime, the Vault Assortment is a blast from the previous with devoted objects for varied chapters of the resort’s historical past.

Lastly, the Disneyland Resort Seventieth Anniversary Walt Disney Nostalgia Assortment dives into the heritage of Walt Disney and the parks themselves, together with objects with the quote that’s memorialized on the underpass main into Primary Road U.S.A.: “Right here you permit right this moment and enter the world of yesterday, tomorrow, and fantasy.” 

Medallion stations all through the parks now have Seventieth-themed cash, whereas just a few collectible penny machines even have the emblem as an possibility.

Treasure Hunts

As a part of the seven-decade commemoration, Disneyland Park additionally has a pair of particular tech options hidden across the park that unlock surprises, nearly like a geocaching search, which I’m dubbing “treasure hunts” with magical twist.

First, there’s the Key to Disneyland, an outsized light-up key that may be bought at park outlets. At every of the 9 stations (one in every land), company place the important thing into the lock, which is able to reveal an icon, in addition to mild and music results themed to the land you’re in. Upon discovering the ninth, head to the Mickey Topiary closing station close to the doorway, the place your thriller pin (hidden inside the important thing) can be revealed.

Then there’s my obsession that I fully stumbled upon whereas carrying my MagicBand+, an RFID bracelet that may operate as a ticket, fee methodology, and extra. At sure factors whereas strolling across the park and through exhibits, I’d really feel it buzz or mild up in sync with the environment. As I used to be strolling by Downtown Disney, the Seventieth shows additionally unlocked songs at any time when I waved my hand, main a bystander to ask “How did you try this?” to which I might solely reply, “Magic.” 

However the coolest factor was after I was wandering previous the store by the Golden Horseshoe and noticed just a few buttons with the Seventieth emblem on them. As I tapped my band on the buttons, a ticket appeared, every for a nostalgic experience. One was for Disneyland Railroad, one other for Mark Twain Riverboat, and the third for the Golden Horseshoe Revue–free collectors’ objects that I did not even know existed!

I then realized there have been stations hidden throughout the park, so in fact, I needed to hit all of them. Close to the Jungle Cruise, I bought a ticket for the Mekong Maiden. However not all stations had been created equal. Tucked in Sleeping Magnificence Fortress had been 5 completely different buttons, which unlocked animated actions for the characters behind the window after I tapped them. The spotlight was the one from Tilly on the Primary Road Cinema, which ejected a retro film ticket that claims it’s for “Our Particular Seventieth Anniversary Visitor.”

With that sort of pixie mud hidden in plain sight, I discovered myself smiling nonstop whereas I explored the park as Disneyland continues its legacy of Celebrating Completely happy, simply as Walt wished.