Disneyland marks 70th anniversary with year-long programme of events

Disneyland Resort has launched a year-long celebration to mark its 70th anniversary, with new shows, parades, and themed attractions rolling out across its two theme parks in California. The festivities began this week, on 16 May, and will continue through the summer 2026

The anniversary commemorates the opening of the original Disneyland Park in July 1955. Located in Anaheim, just outside Los Angeles, the site has since expanded into a multi-park resort featuring Disney California Adventure Park, three themed hotels, and a retail and dining area known as the Downtown Disney District.

Among the headline attractions returning for the anniversary is Paint the Night, a popular after-dark parade at Disneyland Park. The illuminated procession, last staged several years ago, features “vibrant floats and more than a million brilliant LED lights”, according to the resort.

Across the esplanade at Disney California Adventure Park — which focuses more heavily on Pixar films and West Coast-themed attractions — a new nighttime water show titled World of Color – Happiness! has debuted. Inspired by Walt Disney’s 1955 opening day speech, the show combines fountains, projections and music, including a rendition of Rainbow Connection by Boyz II Men and a new original track, Makes Me Wanna Move, by FITZ, frontman of Fitz and the Tantrums.

According to Disneyland, the new entertainment is designed to “inspire guests to sing along and dance” and to reflect Walt Disney’s original vision for the park as “a source of joy and inspiration to all the world.”

Additional shows include The Celebrate Happy Cavalcade, a short daytime parade through Disneyland Park, and Tapestry of Happiness, a projection show staged nightly on the façade of the it’s a small world attraction — a boat ride through animated global scenes originally created for the 1964 World’s Fair. Over at Disney California Adventure, projections are also being shown on the Carthay Circle Restaurant, a replica of the Los Angeles theatre where Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs premiered in 1937.

A new theme song, Celebrate Happy, performed by the Jonas Brothers, is being used throughout the resort and forms the musical backdrop to many of the anniversary shows.

To mark the occasion, the parks have been decorated in what Disney describes as “bold blue, magenta and purple décor with golden accents”. A commemorative medallion now adorns the iconic Sleeping Beauty Castle, and classic characters including Mickey and Minnie appear in specially designed anniversary costumes.

More than 70 limited-edition food and drink items have also been introduced, ranging from themed candies to nostalgic American snacks with a modern twist. New merchandise collections include the Disneyland Resort 70th Anniversary Celebration Collection and a vintage-inspired Vault Collection, featuring apparel, toys, collectibles and souvenirs.

The celebrations also coincide with the launch of new attractions. Among them is Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, a water-based ride themed around The Princess and the Frog. Alaska Airlines recently unveiled a new Boeing 737-800, named Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Flyer, to celebrate its opening. The aircraft – which features livery showing Princess Tiana, Louis the alligator, and other characters from the 2009 animated film – took over 2,000 hours to complete.

Meanwhile, a new interactive stage show, Disney Jr. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Live!, aimed at younger children, began performances at Disney California Adventure on 16 May.

On 17 July — the date the original park first opened — Disneyland will debut Walt Disney – A Magical Life at the Main Street Opera House. The new experience includes a cinematic presentation of Disney’s life, followed by a recreation of his Burbank office, “brought to life for the first time ever through Audio-Animatronics storytelling”. The space will also host a gallery of artefacts and artworks tracing the development of the park from its earliest stages.

Also opening on the anniversary date is a tribute to the Sherman Brothers, the songwriting team behind many classic Disney themes, which will be housed at the Main Street Cinema. A new verse will also be added to the it’s a small world song, one of their most recognisable compositions.

Photos: Disneyland Resort