Disneyland celebrates 70 years by bringing back fan favorites

Disneyland is bringing back some old favorites and adding new attractions for its 70th birthday in the coming year. It also offers Southern California residents tickets for $67 a day.

Disneyland’s 70th Anniversary starts on May 16, 2025, and continues through the summer of 2026. The biggest news for Disney fans is that the popular “Paint the Night” parade is returning to Main Street.

Walt Disney will also return to Main Street — as a robot. The Main Street Opera House, which now houses the Abraham Lincoln show, will become home to “Walt Disney — A Magical Life.” 

Disney’s theme park designers say this new robotic Walt will be one of their most advanced creations yet, featuring the company founder in his office. The show will include “Feed the Birds,” one of Walt’s favorite songs.

Over at Disney California Adventure, a new water show called “World of Color Happiness!” will light up the lagoon. Joy from Inside Out will host the show, which Disney says draws inspiration from Walt’s original dedication speech for Disneyland. Visitors can expect scenes from newer movies like Turning Red alongside classics like The Lion King.

From New Year’s Day through mid-May, anyone living in Southern California ZIP codes 90000 to 93599 can buy a three-day, one-park ticket for $199. That works out to about $67 per day — a big savings considering regular one-day tickets cost between $104 and $204. Visitors must make park reservations and can pay extra to hop between parks or skip lines.

Families have another way to save money through March 20: Kids aged three to nine can get in for $50 for one day at one park. Disney hotels offer discounts of up to 30% for summer visits for four or more days between May 16 and Sept. 26.

The year starts with the Lunar New Year festival at California Adventure from Jan. 17 to Feb. 16. Mulan leads a procession featuring traditional dances and martial arts performances. The Year of the Snake celebrations include a special water show called “Hurry Home.”

Food lovers can look forward to the Food & Wine Festival at California Adventure from Feb. 28 through April 21. The event will set up 10 food stands around the park, offer cooking demos, and bring back the original version of the Soarin’ Over California ride.

Disney is also planning several special nighttime events. Couples can attend Sweetheart’s Night on 14 evenings between Jan. 21 and Feb. 13, with character couples and dancing. For ’90s kids, the park will host themed nights on March 4 and 6 featuring music and characters from that decade.

Downtown Disney is getting new food spots too. A food hall called Parkside Market is almost ready to open, with plans for fried chicken and Korean rice bowls. It will include a bar upstairs with views of the monorail. A new candy shop is also in the works.

Star Wars fans get their own celebration from March 28 to May 11. The Space Mountain roller coaster will transform into Hyperspace Mountain, and the Galaxy’s Edge area will feature special effects during fireworks. Eight special Star Wars Nights are scheduled between April 8 and May 6.

Summer brings Pride Nights with rainbow light shows on June 16 and 18. July 17 marks Disneyland’s 70th anniversary, though celebrations will continue all season.

Halloween starts early next year. The after-hours Oogie Boogie Bash begins Aug. 17 and runs for 31 nights through October. The regular Halloween season starts Aug. 22. During the bash, guests can meet Disney villains, watch a parade, and walk through a lit-up trail in the redwood area. The park will also celebrate Day of the Dead with Coco-themed festivities.

Winter holidays run from Nov. 14 through Jan. 7, 2026. While Disney hasn’t announced specific plans yet, visitors can likely expect the usual holiday versions of It’s a Small World and Haunted Mansion. This year’s Festival of Holidays added more entertainment, including two new Latin-themed shows.

Looking ahead, Disney California Adventure expects to start work on a major addition to its superhero area. Plans include a new ride called Avengers Infinity Defense, featuring scenes from Black Panther’s Wakanda and Thor’s Asgard. Another ride, Stark Flight Lab, will lift riders in two-person pods to simulate flying.

The park recently turned Splash Mountain into Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. Future plans include a Coco boat ride and an Avatar area, though opening dates haven’t been announced.

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