By Cassandra Pinkney and Alice Shu
The Disneyland Resort 70th celebration is here! The Happiest Place on Earth is honoring seven decades of creating unforgettable memories for guests, and D23 is ready to help you find your perfect way to celebrate too. Whether you’re at home, in a Disney Park, or hanging out with D23, there are plenty of magical ways for you to honor this monumental milestone.
Here’s a breakdown of all the ways you can join the fun from anywhere:
Extra-Special D23 Events
Celebrate happy with D23 at some extra-magical events this month! The D23 festivities kick off Wednesday, July 16, with food, fun, and fandom at D23 Night at the Anaheim Packing District. Savor the Anaheim Packing District’s fourth annual World Taste—a globe-trotting food sampling extravaganza—by purchasing a discounted ticket with code D2325 here (valid until July 15 at 11:30 p.m. PT). And on top of the irresistible international eats the Anaheim Packing District has to offer, be sure to sample can’t-miss, Disney-inspired treats like “Hunny Potion” milk tea and Mickey Mouse-shaped beignets!
The festivities continue July 17 and 19 with two encore presentations of February’s D23 Gold Theater presentation: “The Happiest Place on Earth: 70 Years of Disneyland with Don Hahn and Christopher Merritt”! Hear from Disney Legend Don Hahn and former Imagineer Christopher Meritt, as they share stories and rarely seen media from the early years of Disneyland Park. Their book, The Happiest Place on Earth, also releases this month and is a premium item for our D23 Gold Members. Tune in by clicking here on Thursday, July 17, at 6 p.m. PT / 9 p.m. ET. and Saturday, July 19, at 11 a.m. PT / 2 p.m. ET.!
On Friday, July 18, D23 is presenting an exclusive morning viewing of Disneyland’s Walt Disney – A Magical Life, featuring a pre-show introduction by Walt Disney Imagineering Portfolio Executive Creative Producer Jeff Shaver-Moskowitz. Stay tuned across our socials for more on this exciting new showcase, and check out Walt Disney – A Magical Life when it opens at Disneyland Park July 17.
Still want more D23 fun? Gold Members can join us Saturday, July 19, for a special installment of our Spotlight Series with a presentation all about Disneyland’s early years. Join Walt Disney Archives Director Becky Cline and Disney artist and historian Stacia Martin for fun facts, stories, and rarely seen media from Disneyland’s first decades. Guests can also enjoy shopping at The Walt Disney Company Store to stock up for their next Disney adventure! Learn more by clicking here.
Celebrate Happy at the Disneyland Resort
There is plenty of incredible entertainment across Disneyland Resort to honor the park’s 70th anniversary! At Disneyland Park, enjoy “The Celebrate Happy Cavalcade,” an energetic performance featuring seven decades of Disney happiness. Dance and clap along with your favorite characters, many of whom are dressed in their super stylish 70th attire, unique to the celebration. Plus, this cavalcade features special appearances from two friends not often seen in Disneyland: Duffy and ShellieMae from Duffy and Friends! And the fun doesn’t stop there—soak in the sunshine at Disney California Adventure Park while watching your favorite Pixar characters in “Better Together: A Pixar Pals Celebration!” This heartwarming daytime parade is a special display of Pixar films you know and love, featuring music and characters from Toy Story, Turning Red, Up, and more.
And the fun doesn’t stop when the sun sets, with special nighttime spectaculars in both parks! At Disneyland, experience the grand return of the fan-favorite “Paint the Night” parade as it lights up Main Street, U.S.A., in more than a million lights! Experience your favorite characters from films like Frozen, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and more when Mickey Mouse uses his imagination to bring these stories to life in brilliant color. For even more magic, check out “Tapestry of Happiness,” a brand-new projection show on the it’s a small world facade. This visual love letter to Disneyland creates an animated mosaic of the park’s most beloved music, moments, and memories in art inspired by Disney Legend Mary Blair. And end the night with a bang with “Wondrous Journeys,” a beloved nighttime spectacular enhanced with fireworks on select nights. Celebrate the legacy of Walt Disney Animation Studios with music and stories from Hercules, Big Hero 6, Moana, and more! This dazzling display is accompanied by state-of-the-art projection effects that bring these beloved stories to life on Main Street, U.S.A., Sleeping Beauty Castle, it’s a small world, and the Rivers of America.
The fun continues when you head over to Disney California Adventure Park. Check out “World of Color Happiness!,” a dazzling nighttime spectacular that explores the meaning of “happy” with the help of Joy and the other emotions from Pixar’s Inside Out and Inside Out 2. The emotions travel through the worlds of Disney and Pixar to bring you iconic moments from films like The Incredibles, A Goofy Movie, Encanto, and more. The show is interactive, too! Before the evening’s performances, Disney California Adventure parkgoers can vote for Sadness, Anger, Disgust, or Envy from Inside Out and Inside Out 2 to make an extra-special appearance during the show. And if that wasn’t enough fun for you, get ready for The Muppets to deliver plenty of hijinks and shenanigans before each performance!
Make Magic at Home
If you plan on staying home during the Disneyland Resort 70th Celebration, don’t worry: There’s lots of magic waiting to be made! Disney+ subscribers can enjoy the following immersive P.O.V. experiences of some of Disneyland Resort’s most beloved attractions and nighttime spectaculars in honor of the 70th celebration:
- Pirates of the Caribbean | Disneyland Resort
- Indiana Jones Adventure | Disneyland Resort
- Radiator Springs Racers | Disneyland Resort
- Incredicoaster | Disneyland Resort
- Haunted Mansion | Disneyland Resort
- Tiana’s Bayou Adventure | Disneyland Resort
- Cars Land | Disneyland Resort
- Pixar Pal-A-Round | Disneyland Resort
- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad | Disneyland Resort
- Jungle Cruise | Disneyland Resort
- Soarin’ Around the World | Disneyland Resort
- Avengers Campus | Disneyland Resort
- Hollywood Land | Disneyland Resort
- Main Street, U.S.A. | Disneyland Resort
- Mickey’s Toontown | Disneyland Resort
- 70th Celebration Nighttime Spectaculars | Disneyland Resort
And what’s a celebration without an equally praiseworthy meal? D23 has you covered with some Disney-inspired recipes for you to make at home!
Appetizers
- Hushpuppies From New Orleans Square
- Pozole from Disney California Adventure Park
- Trader Sam’s Panko-Crusted Chinese Long Beans with Sriracha Mayonnaise
Sides & Salads
Main Dishes
- Disneyland’s Big Thunder Ribs
- Lobster Nachos from Lamplight Lounge
- Pan-seared Salmon Recipe from Disneyland’s Blue Bayou
- Veggie Tater Casserole
Desserts
- Apple Crisp from Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa
- California Grill’s Chocolate Lava Cake
- Chocolate Mud Pie-O-Rama from Flo’s V8 Café at Disney California Adventure Park
- Flo’s V-8 Café Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie
- S‘mores Bake from Big Thunder Ranch Barbecue at Disneyland
- Strawberry Twists from Maurice’s Treats at Disneyland
- Walt’s Own “Chris’s Cold Pie”
We hope you’ve found all manner of ways to join the magic during the Disneyland Resort 70th Celebration, happening now for a limited time! Always remember… “Disneyland is your land.”