The Disneyland 70th anniversary celebration begins!

Category: Activities, Performances, & Events

It’s official. The 70th anniversary celebration is in full swing at the Disneyland Resort. With a new Celebrate Happy Cavalcade, night shows, food, and merchandise, this is a happy celebration. The logo is Celebrate Happy and that is what guests will feel when they come to the resort.

Here is a brief look at what is in store for guests when they visit the resort during this anniversary celebration.

Celebrate Happy Cavalcade

The new Celebrate Happy Cavalcade is adorable. It’s a mini parade led by Duffy and Shellie May. These two are fun to watch as they come down the street looking all cuddly and sweet. If you haven’t fallen in love with these two yet, you will once you see them in this cavalcade.

The song is upbeat and will have guests humming it as they continue their fun in the resort. This is a peppy tune, and only one among the many new music created for this special event.

Paint the Night

The Paint the Night parade is bright and cheery. This is the closest to the Main Street Electrical Parade that has been a favorite among Disneyland fans for years. This new parade is filled with plenty of lights (!) and characters from several films, including Cars, Frozen, and Monsters Inc. This Monsters Inc. float is awe-inspiring as the screens onboard change to different doors that open to reveal characters inside. How ingenious. And the big truck from Cars is another highlight. This truck is huge.

Wondrous Journeys

Wondrous Journey is a nighttime spectacular brings together the history of Disney with plenty of characters to delight viewers. There are amazing projections on the castle and the buildings on Main Street, U.S.A. accompanied by fireworks over Sleeping Beauty’s castle. The castle, by the way, is decorated for the 70th anniversary so by day or night it represents seven decades of the park.

World of Color Happiness

In Disney California Adventure the World of Color – Happiness water show is introduced by the Muppets. The emotions from Inside Out take center stage as guests are encouraged to vote (via the Disneyland app) during the day for one of four emotions. The emotion that receives the most votes that day will be highlights in the evening’s show. Will you vote for Sadness, Disgust, Anger, or Envy?

The Food

Food specialties during this celebration are both savory and sweet. The Mickey Hat cookie is not only a great throwback to the past, it is also delicious. 

And the Mickey popcorn bucket is probably going to be very popular during the celebration. Mickey’s eyes blink and he says three different things. This little guy is going to be enjoyed for years once he’s home and filled with your own popcorn or even empty. 

The Merch!

Let’s not forget about the merchandise. Here are just a couple of the new items. 

The Castle Collection is for those who love castles (what else?) and more vintage items. 

 

The pièce de resistance is the Key to Disneyland. This rather large plastic key is interactive. Take it to each of the lands and insert it into a special keyhole. The key registers that land and adds it to the body of the key.

Once all the lands have been collected insert the key into the main keyhole at the front of the part. Lights will sparkle, bubbles will be emitted, and a little hidden compartment opens revealing a “D” pin with a special design.  There are several pins to collect. It’s a blind item so no one knows in advance which pin they will get. But don’t forget about pin trading. This item is unique, interactive with the park, and an experience that is memorable for guests of all ages. 

There is plenty more. This has hardly cracked the surface of all the fun, new, and exciting things happening at the Disneyland Resort right now as they celebrate the 70th anniversary.

It has been seven decades since Walt Disney opened this park. Through the years it has changed, grown, and brought in new experiences for guests of ALL ages. As the park grows, so do the attractions. There are still several original attractions that have survived the decades. New rides, food, merchandise, parades, night time spectaculars, and fun experiences have added to the original park that is touted as “The Happiest Place on Earth.” Now it is time to  “Celebrate Happy” throughout the resort. 

Happy 70th anniversary, Disneyland! 

 

About the Author

Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment industry for over 30 years. She also writes about products and travel. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, is the entertainment correspondent for Good Day Orange County, and has her own TV show, Beyond the Red Carpet, on Village Television in Orange County. She is a longstanding member of the Television Critics Association and is accredited by the MPAA.