Disneyland is gearing up for a 70th anniversary celebration in 2025 to rival the yearlong parties for the 50th and 60th anniversaries with a new attraction, updated water show, character cavalcade, two returning parades and fan-favorite fireworks show.
The 70th anniversary celebration of the original Disney theme park will kick off on May 16 and run through summer 2026 at Disneyland and Disney California Adventure.
The big birthday party starting in 2025 will stretch for more than a year — on par with the epic 50th and 60th anniversary celebrations in 2005 and 2015 at the Anaheim theme park.
Here are the presents Disneyland plans to unwrap for its milestone birthday party.
‘World of Color Happiness’
The Happiest Place on Earth will lean into the theme of happiness with a new “World of Color” water show hosted by Joy from “Inside Out” that will draw inspiration from Walt Disney’s opening-day dedication speech at Disneyland in 1955.
“World of Color Happiness” promises to explore a kaleidoscope of emotions with cameo appearances by “Inside Out” characters Sadness, Anger, Fear, Disgust, Anxiety, Envy, Embarrassment and Ennui.
The new water show will also feature moments from the “Lion King,” “Little Mermaid,” “Frozen,” “Tangled,” “Encanto,” “Turning Red,” “Wish” and “A Goofy Movie” films projected on water screens in DCA’s Paradise Bay.
‘Walt Disney — A Magical Life’
The world’s first Walt Disney Audio-Animatronics figure will debut May 16 at the Main Street Opera House as part of Disneyland’s 70th anniversary celebration.
Disneyland visitors will be able to sit down in Walt Disney’s office and listen to the park’s visionary founder talk about how he got started, his thoughts on his career and his dreams for the future.
The new “Walt Disney — A Magical Life” animatronic show will initially run solo before playing in rotation with “Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln.”
‘Wondrous Journeys’
The “Wondrous Journeys” fireworks show that anchored the Disney100 celebration in 2023 offered glimpses of all 62 Disney animated films — including the latest releases, “Strange World” and “Wish.”
Naturally, every Disney movie couldn’t play a starring role, as “Wondrous” raced through 18 songs in 13 minutes.
Storytelling highlights included scenes from “Peter Pan,” “Frozen,” “Princess and the Frog,” “Moana,” “Encanto,” “Big Hero 6” and “Hercules.”
The nighttime spectacular will play in projection-only mode without fireworks on select nights.
Paint the Night
The fan-favorite Paint the Night nighttime parade with 1.5 million LED lights debuted a decade ago during Disneyland’s 60th anniversary before moving over to Disney California Adventure in 2018.
Past versions of the parade have featured floats dedicated to “The Incredibles,” “Peter Pan,” “Monsters Inc.,” “Cars,” “Little Mermaid,” “Toy Story,” “Frozen” and the Disney Princesses.
Better Together
The lackluster Better Together parade last ran in the spring and summer during Pixar Fest 2024 at Disney California Adventure.
Better Together drew upon elements from the Pixar Play Parade that had a decade-long run at Disney California Adventure before moving over to Disneyland during the original Pixar Fest in 2018.
The Better Together parade featured roller skaters, bicyclists and dancers accompanying seven parade units — including floats dedicated to “Turning Red,” “Soul,” “Luca,” “Up” and “Inside Out.”
A new parade soundtrack wove in familiar songs from three Pixar films: “Nobody Like U” by 4*Town in “Turning Red,” “It’s Alright” from “Soul” and a 1960s beach movie-style song sung in Italian for “Luca.”
Both the Better Together parade and “Wondrous Journeys” fireworks show will temporarily pause during the Halloween and Christmas seasons in 2025 to make way for holiday shows before resuming in January 2026.
Mickey and Friends Celebrate Happy
That’s a whole lot of entertainment — but the jam-packed schedule still leaves a hole in the daily calendar where Disneyland typically offers a daytime parade.
The natural candidate would be Magic Happens — but that parade won’t return in 2025 for the 70th anniversary celebration.
Instead, Disneyland will offer the Mickey and Friends Celebrate Happy character cavalcade starring Mickey, Minnie and their pals in new anniversary outfits.
A “cavalcade” is Disneyland’s way of setting expectations below what fans have come to expect from a full-fledged parade. Expect something like the rainy-day cavalcades dispatched with characters aboard Disneyland’s double-decker bus and other Main Street U.S.A. vehicles.
Disneyland will roll out a new upbeat theme song for the 70th anniversary called “Celebrate Happy” that will likely play during the daytime character cavalcades and the nighttime projection shows on the It’s a Small World facade and the Carthay Circle restaurant exterior.
