Disneyland’s 70th anniversary will feature a lot of returning favorites as well as new shows and attractions. With everything being announced in phases, it’s hard to keep track of all the new developments and offerings making their way to Disneyland for the 70th anniversary. That’s where this Disneyland 70th Anniversary Guide comes in. Hopefully this post can act as your comprehensive guide to this year-long celebration.

This is the fourth time I’m going to be visiting a Disney Park during a milestone celebration. I previously visited Tokyo Disney for its 30th anniversary, Disneyland Paris for its 25th anniversary, and Hong Kong Disneyland for its 5th anniversary. Among all those anniversaries, Disneyland’s 70th is by far the one I’m most excited for, mostly because of the entertainment offerings that are returning and because of Walt Disney: A Magical Life. 

I hope this post gets you as hyped for the 70th anniversary as I am. Let’s dive right into what exactly is coming to Disneyland for this milestone moment. As a general rule, unless it’s pointed out, everything in this guide is debuting on May 16, 2025.

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Walt Disney – A Magical Life

Arguably the 70th anniversary offering I’m most excited for, Walt Disney – A Magical Life is a new show heading to the Main Street Opera House. The show will feature a “cinematic presentation” of Walt Disney’s journey from his humble beginnings to his illustrious career, culminating in a scene in Walt’s office featuring the first audio-animatronic figure of Walt Disney himself will be on full display. To make the show more authentic, archival recordings of Walt Disney’s voice will be used in the show. 

When the 70th anniversary is over, A Magical Life will play in rotation with Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln, which is good news for Disney fans as it confirms that Mr. Lincoln is here to stay. The description of the show sounds very similar to Mr. Lincoln, which also starts with a video about Lincoln before revealing the animatronic as it moves and talks on stage. 

Unlike most of the celebration, which kicks off on May 16, 2025, Walt Disney – A Magical Life will debut on July 17, 2025. 

New Exhibits at the Main Street Opera House

Alongside the debut of Walt Disney – A Magical Life, the Main Street Opera House will be home to all-new exhibits. The first will be about the evolution of Walt’s dream of Disneyland. Art, images, and artifacts from the Walt Disney Archives and Walt Disney Imagineering will be on display to chronicle the journey Disneyland has gone on from its inception to the present day. 

A second exhibit will focus on the story and history of audio-animatronics and how they have evolved from Walt’s time to the present day. The Walt Disney Family Museum is also collaborating with the resort by sending over 30 different pieces to display at the Opera House. Included in these are some original artifacts that were present in Walt’s apartment above the Main Street Fire Station as well as some of the various accolades he’s amassed over the years. 

These exhibits will debut with A Magical Life on July 17, 2025.

New Film at Main Street Cinema 

As part of the celebration, the Main Street Cinema will show the short film “The Last Verse” on its screens. A tribute to the Sherman brothers and to the 60th anniversary of It’s a Small World, the film features the newly revealed “third verse” of It’s a Small World. In addition to the film being screened here, the last verse will be added to It’s A Small World on July 17, 2025. 

New Additions to It’s a Small World

A minor change is coming to It’s a Small World in the form of another Disney character joining the attraction. Miguel and Dante from Coco are going to be added to the Mexico section of the attraction. You can see Miguel and Dante when It’s a Small World opens from its lengthy refurbishment on April 25, 2025. This makes it the first Disneyland 70th anniversary offering to debut at the park. 

Paint the Night

The first returning offering in this Disneyland 70th Anniversary Guide, Paint the Night is Disneyland’s most recent electrical parade which debuted for the park’s 60th anniversary. Originating in Hong Kong, a California version debuted in 2015 to an extremely positive guest reception. Featuring floats themed to movies like The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast, as well as the return of the Frozen float, this parade uses cutting edge LED technology and fiber optics to bring the floats and costumes to life. 

I saw the Hong Kong version of this parade and can’t wait to see the Disneyland version because Disneyland’s version has additional floats included in its lineup. As with other parades at Disneyland, a dining package is available to purchase for the parade. It includes a set meal at the Plaza Inn and tickets to enter a reserved viewing area for the parade. If you want to watch the parade but don’t want to stake out a spot hours before it begins, this could be a good option for you. 

Wondrous Journeys

First shown as part of the Disney 100 celebration, Wondrous Journeys is a moving fireworks and projection show that incorporates every single Disney animated movie into its music and projections. It’s my personal favorite Disneyland fireworks show, narrowly beating out Remember…Dreams Come True. The show’s theme is centered on the hero’s journey, which is brought to life using Disney songs and projections. It’s also a tribute to the legacy of Walt Disney Animation Studios and the memorable characters they’ve created over the years. It also includes what is probably one of the best nighttime spectacular theme songs in Disney history. It’ll certainly leave a tear in your eye. 

You can watch this show nightly during the summer from Main Street, the Hub, It’s a Small World, or the Rivers of America. I personally recommend watching it from Main Street, but if you want to watch it from the hub you should reserve a spot over there as early as 2 hours before the show. It fills up really quickly and Wondrous Journeys is a popular show so getting there early is a must. 

World of Color: Happiness 

As part of the Disneyland 70th anniversary celebration, a new World of Color show called World of Color: Happiness will debut in Paradise Bay at Disney California Adventure. World of Color: Happiness will revolve around the theme of happiness and will be hosted by Joy and the other Inside Out emotions. 

Before the first show every night, guests will be invited to vote on the Disneyland app for one of four emotions (Envy, Disgust, Anger, and Sadness) they would want to see featured in special scenes during the show. This adds a layer of rewatchability to the show, which is good. 

In addition, a Muppets themed pre-show will debut with World of Color: Happiness. Boyz II Men will also be singing a new version of Rainbow Connection for the show while Fitz and the Tantrums will be singing the new theme song for the show entitled Makes Me Wanna Move. 

Just like the other World of Color shows, a Dessert Party will be offered which gives you reserved seating for the show as well as a selection of sweets and desserts that you can enjoy before or during the show. 

Better Together: A Pixar Pals Celebration

Returning from last year’s Pixar Fest, the Better Together: A Pixar Pals Celebration parade will return to the streets of California Adventure. This Pixar-focused parade features characters from Inside Out, Up, Turning Red, Soul, Luca, and more! This means that for Disneyland’s 70th anniversary, two parades will be operating at the Disneyland Resort.

Just like World of Color: Happiness, Better Together will have a dessert party. It comes with a package of desserts along with reserved viewing and seats for the show. I don’t know if this offering is going to be worth it, to be honest. Better Together isn’t the best parade, so I don’t see this being very popular. I would say that the World of Color Dessert Party has the better value, especially considering the two parties have the same price tag. 

Celebrate Happy Cavalcade

Because Disneyland will not have a daytime parade for the 70th anniversary, a cavalcade called the Celebrate Happy Cavalcade will take place during the day. The show will feature Disney Princesses and Heroes, Max, and for the first time in forever: Duffy and ShellieMay! For those of you wondering who Duffy and ShellieMay are, they’re incredibly popular characters in the Asian Disney Parks and Aulani. I’m guessing the theme song of the anniversary “Celebrate Happy”, performed by the Jonas Brothers, will be the music featured in the cavalcade.  

Tapestry of Happiness on It’s a Small World

A magical moment called the Tapestry of Happiness will also happen on the facade of It’s a Small World nightly. It will use light, sound, and projections to bring the stories of Disneyland to life. An “animated mosaic” of Disneyland attractions and memories will be projected onto the facade in the style of legendary Disney designer Mary Blair. The show’s music will also feature the theme of the anniversary “Celebrate Happy”. 

Toy Story Midway Mania 70th Anniversary Edition

As part of the 70th anniversary, Toy Story Midway Mania will debut all-new 70th anniversary graphics on their mini-games. Concept art shows Woody and Buzz holding targets with 70th anniversary decals stuck on them. 

Disney Jr. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Live

Replacing Disney Jr. Live, Disney Jr. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Live is a kid-oriented show that will take place at the Disney Junior theater in Hollywoodland. Inspired by the hit kids show “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse” and the new “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse+”, the show will feature Mickey and Minnie throwing a party, only to find out that Goofy, Donald and Pluto haven’t made it to the party yet. They then set out to find them, and ultimately they gather everyone together for a high energy dance number. Featuring original songs, interactivity, and appearances by Disney friends, this show is going to be a hit with kids for sure. 

Exclusive Merch

Disneyland has revealed some of the merch that will be coming to the parks for Disneyland’s 70th anniversary. From spirit jerseys and shirts to pins, bags, MagicBands, and ears, the amount of merchandise they’ve created specifically for the 70th anniversary is staggering. The merch will be released in four different collections, all debuting in May. 

A Story of Celebration: 70th Anniversary Guided Tour

As part of the festivities, a new guided tour will be introduced that will explore Walt Disney’s vision for Disneyland. From riding opening day attractions to learning about Disneyland’s evolution, this 2 hour tour is sure to leave you with a lasting impression of Disneyland, its legacy and its future. 

Exclusive Ticket Offer

Two new ticket offers will be available to guests for the first part of this anniversary period. The Disneyland Anniversary Ticket Offer will feature a specially priced 3-day ticket at $120 a day for a total of $360 and a 4-day ticket offer at $100 a day for a total of $400. You can use them on any three or four days from May 16, 2025 – August 14, 2025. Additional charges for park hopping and Lightning Lane Multi Pass will apply. 

Disneyland 70th Anniversary Guide Conclusion

That’s everything that has been announced for the celebration so far! Expect more surprises from Disneyland as the 70th anniversary unfolds over the next year. 

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