Disneyland doesn’t turn 70 until July, but there’s nothing wrong with celebrating early. The park kicked off its birthday party earlier this month, with a combo of new experiences and returning favorites paying tribute to its seven decades. If you’ve never been to the original Disney theme park, now’s the time; if you’re a regular, well, you’ve probably already checked out the 70th offerings. Either way, there’s a wealth of new and familiar tributes commemorating the park’s birthday right now, with even more on the way.
Let’s start with the entertainment offerings. In the afternoon Main Street USA is briefly taken over by the Celebrate Happy Cavalcade, a daytime celebration through Disneyland featuring Mickey and his pals partying on a fancy new float, along with appearances from a handful of other characters, from Alice and the Mad Hatter to Goofy’s teenage son Max. For hardcore Disney nerds the big talking point about this is the inclusion of Duffy the Disney Bear—an ‘00s-era creation that wasn’t particularly popular in the States, but became a phenomenon at Tokyo Disney. Disney reintroduced Duffy in the American parks in 2010, and Celebrate Happy might be his most prominent gig over here yet; he and his pal ShellieMay head up the procession on the back of their own custom bicycles. If you’re wondering what Disney means by the word “cavalcade,” imagine a bite-sized parade, with only one float, a few groups of dancers, and Duffy and ShellieMay on their bikes. It’s all choreographed to “Celebrate Happy,” the Jonas Brothers’ official theme song for Disneyland’s 70th—which you will hear, like, a dozen times during any day in the parks right now.
One of Disney’s most popular nighttime parades is back, as Paint the Night has returned to the Disneyland Resort for the first time since a 2018 run at California Adventure. It’s an appropriate time for it: Paint the Night originally debuted in 2015 as part of Disneyland’s 60th anniversary Diamond Celebration. It was a visual marvel then, with over a million brilliant LED lights studding its technologically advanced floats, and it remains an amazing spectacle today. It’s not exactly the same as you might remember it from 10 years ago; the first float has a new, more advanced mechanism to make Tinker Bell’s show-opening flight even more realistic, and there have been some tweaks to the soundtrack throughout. It also marks the return of one of its most dramatic floats, a recreation of Elsa’s Ice Palace from Frozen, which hasn’t been seen since the parade left Disneyland in January 2017. Paint the Night’s still got it; it’s a bright, beautiful trip through Disney’s history.
Another recent favorite also returns for one more engagement. Wondrous Journeys, the spellbinding show that made me a believer in Disney’s nighttime spectaculars, is back for another run. Originally debuting in January 2023 as part of the celebrations for Disney’s 100th anniversary as a company, Wondrous Journeys wrapped up that August before a brief, three-week return in the spring of 2024. I’ve always looked forward to Disneyland’s nighttime shows because the lines for the rides get shorter during them, making it a perfect time to hop onto a ride without much of a wait; the stunning Wondrous Journeys makes me wonder what I’ve missed over the years. It’s an overpowering, senses-rattling tribute to a century of Disney animation, using music, projections, fireworks, and a flying Baymax drone to pay tribute to every animated feature in the company’s history. Most impressively, though, is how it makes me feel; it packs a surprisingly strong emotional wallop into its sensory overload, making it something truly special. No lie: Wondrous Journeys is better than many of the movies it references. If you’re at all a fan of Disney animation, you owe it to yourself to see it in person. The best view can be found about halfway down Main Street; you’ll be fully immersed in the show, with projections on all the storefronts around you, and still have a clear view of the castle and the fireworks above it.
Wondrous Journeys isn’t the only projection-heavy nighttime show you can enjoy at Disneyland this summer. The brand new Tapestry of Happiness is a more modest endeavor, running for only five minutes, but it’s an absolute can’t-miss, especially if you love It’s a Small World and the history of Disneyland. Projections bring the ride’s iconic clockwork building to life, with stylish animated references to dozens of Disneyland rides and attractions. It’s all done in the adorable art style of Mary Blair, whose work defines the look of It’s a Small World. It’s basically a living mosaic of Disneyana, mashing up 70 years of Disneyland with inspired musical choices (“Hellfire” from The Hunchback of Notre Dame plays during a brief tribute to Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, which infamously ends with you going to hell) and the ever-charming aesthetic of Mary Blair.
Speaking of It’s a Small World… Disneyland might turn 70 this year, but Disney’s never shied away from change. Earlier this year Disney reopened The Haunted Mansion after its latest refurbishment, which added a new queue and a gift shop, and updated the effects in its attic scene. Another classic attraction also got some work done. It’s a Small World reopened alongside the start of the 70th Celebration with two new faces among its children’s choir: dolls of Miguel and Dante from Coco can now be found in the ride’s Mexico section. A bigger change is coming to the beloved boat ride later this summer, as a new verse will be added to its famous song; it’s the last work of Richard M. Sherman, who died on May 25, 2024, and who, along with his brother Robert, wrote some of Disney’s most iconic songs—including “It’s a Small World.” Sherman’s last verse makes its public debut on July 17.
This isn’t everything. Food is always a major part of any Disney theme park celebration, and special 70th anniversary treats can be found throughout Disneyland. There’s also a robust line of merchandise, of course, with all kinds of clothing, plush, pins, and other swag to buy. And the long-running nighttime show at Disney California Adventure, the park next door to Disneyland, has launched its latest incarnation alongside the 70th; World of Color Happiness is a symphony of light, music and water hosted by the characters of Inside Out 2, which was briefly the highest grossing animated film of all time. The kids will love seeing Joy and Sadness and the rest, while parents and other adults won’t want to miss the short pre-show; it introduces the Muppets to the World of Color, with their patented brand of irreverence. And before night falls California Adventure is once again home to Better Together: A Pixar Pals Celebration, the Pixar-focused parade that ran throughout the summer of 2024.
If you want to experience the Disneyland Resort 70th Celebration in person—and if you’ve ever loved Disneyland, you should seriously consider it—you won’t have to hurry. It’s scheduled to run for over a year, through the summer of 2026. And what might be its biggest addition to the park isn’t there yet; Walt Disney—A Magical Life, a new show featuring the first-ever animatronic of Walt Disney himself, is scheduled to open on July 17. The new It’s a Small World verse also debuts that day. These anniversaries and birthdays can kind of run together; they’re always celebrating some kind of milestone at the Disney parks, and just since the pandemic we’ve gone from Disney World’s 50th into The Walt Disney Company’s 100th into Disneyland’s 70th. Disney’s good about giving them all their own visual identity, though, with unique decor for the castles and new outfits for Mickey and his friends, along with the limited edition merch and food found throughout the parks. Disneyland’s 70th might feel a little light on stuff that’s actually new and made specifically for the 70th, but that should change in July. And although much of what’s happening in the park right now isn’t new, it’s at least a collection of genuinely beloved, legitimately great experiences that probably should have had longer runs in the first place. Disneyland will always walk hand in hand with nostalgia; what makes it special is how it balances the warmth of the familiar with the excitement of the new. Disneyland’s 70th gets that careful formula just right.
Senior editor Garrett Martin writes about videogames, TV, travel, theme parks, wrestling, music, and more. You can also find him on Blue Sky.
