Ten Reasons to Visit Disneyland This Year
On July 17th, 1955, Hollywood legend welcomed 28,000 guests and 90 million viewers to the Happiest Place on Earth.
Hilariously, only a fraction of those people had paid for tickets, as the rest snuck inside illegally.
Photo: Disney
While the day didn’t go well, history will always remember that day, later called Black Sunday, as a seminal television event.
The captivated ABC viewing audience all decided right then and there that they would travel to Disneyland one day. And so they did!
Photo:Los Angeles Examiner/USC Libraries/Corbis via Getty Images
The Happiest Place on Earth became a blissful escape from our daily lives, one that has stood the test of time.
In less than two months, Disneyland Resort will celebrate its 70th birthday, so Disney has pulled out all the stops.
Image Allan Grant / The LIFE Picture Collection via Getty
Here are ten reasons you should visit Disneyland this year!
Better Together: A Pixar Pals Celebration! Returns
Photo: Spotify
In celebration of the park’s 70th anniversary, Disney is hosting the Disneyland 70 event, which debuted on May 16th.
This party will last until next summer, and you should think of the whole thing as Disneyland’s greatest hits.
Several favorites will return as part of the event, as Disney thoughtfully restores some of its favorites for its loyal fans.
Better Together: A Pixar Pals Celebration! is a Pixar themed parade through the streets of Disney California Adventure.
2024 Better Together Parade
This is one of Disneyland’s newest offerings, having debuted in 2024, only to close soon afterward. Fans are ecstatic to experience it again.
Disney Rides Add Special Touches
Photo: Disney
As part of Disneyland 70, a couple of rides will add birthday touches as well.
When you ride It’s a Small World or Toy Story Midway Mania!, you should pay attention to the anniversary inclusions.
You’ll notice a Coco scene on It’s a Small World and lots of 70s on Toy Story Midway Mania!.
Touches like this highlight the significance of the park’s achievement. More importantly, you can experience these highlights for a limited time.
The Disneyland 70 celebration lasts until the summer of 2026, giving you a countdown clock for your next visit.
Disneyland Offers Exclusive Merchandise
70th Celebration Acrylic Flute
Obviously, as part of the Disneyland 70 event, the parks will sell exclusive merchandise.
Those of us still happily wearing our Walt Disney World 50th anniversary gear understand the significance of these items.
Disney/USA Today
Every time we look at them, we’re reminded of the wonderful times we had during our visits.
Disneyland has upped the ante with adorable and fascinating gear such as a customizable Bubble Wand, a Fire Engine Walt, and a talking popcorn bucket.
Photo: Disney Eats
Disney has also added something new for the event, a mysterious novelty key whose purpose you’ll discover at nine locks throughout the parks.
Duffy and ShellieMay Appear
We’ve already watched the Celebrate Happy Cavalcade, and it’s received our stamp of approval.
One of the reasons why we love this mini-parade is that some of our favorite Disney characters appear, including a couple of rare ones!
At this cavalcade, Duffy and ShellieMay hold court as the earliest duo to appear.
The beloved bears usually appear at Disney’s Japanese and sometimes Chinese theme parks. It’s a rare privilege to watch them at Disneyland.
It’s a Small World Transforms into Tapestry of Happiness
Tapestry of Happiness
Digital projections have become a vital part of It’s a Small World.
Disney doesn’t host these projections all the time, making them rare and noteworthy when they occur.
As a part of Disney 70, It’s a Small World will transform into a Tapestry of Happiness, showing an animated mosaic that includes Sorcerer Mickey.
We caught a preview of this presentation as well, and it’s one of our favorite parts of Disneyland 70.
The best part may be the new song, Celebrate Happy, an instant classic from the Jonas Brothers. Here’s a clip of Tapestry of Happiness:
As an aside, you’ll hear the song at other places during Disneyland 70, but it works great here.
Paint the Night Returns
Here’s another big reason to visit Disneyland in 2025. The beloved Paint the Night parade has finally returned.
Yes, Disney listened to the years of begging and pleading by loyal fans and brought back the show for what’s effectively its tenth anniversary run.
Paint the Night Parade – Disneyland Resort 70th Celebration
The show debuted in 2015 but then shut down in 2017 in favor of the Main Street Electrical Parade.
At the time, Disney moved Paint the Night to Disney California Adventure, where it remained for just six months.
Paint the Night Parade – Disneyland Resort 70th Celebration
Now, seven years later, the parade makes its triumphant return…and it’s OH so shiny. Savor every second of Paint the Night while it lasts.
Walt Disney Returns
Photo: Disney
If you asked the average Disneyland fan to name the main reason why they’re visiting the parks this year, they’d mention Walt Disney.
That’s because something remarkable will happen on the actual 70th anniversary date of Disneyland Resort.
Photo: Disney
Walt Disney – A Magical Life will debut on Main Street, U.S.A. This new show will hearken back to the earliest days of Disneyland, a time when a visionary made it all possible.
Imagineers have created an Audio-Animatronic of Walt Disney himself to appear in the show.
Walt Disney Animatronic
So, Disney has involved from the home for Carousel of Progress, a show about the technological improvements during Uncle Walt’s life, to this.
Now, we can watch this celebration of the animator and entrepreneur who created Mickey Mouse, Disneyland, and so many other things we love.
Walt Disney – A Magical Life is one of the most important Disneyland attractions ever. You will want to watch this one ASAP.
Wondrous Journeys Returns
This fireworks show shares some similarities with Paint the Night.
Disney created this presentation as a tribute to the company’s centennial anniversary. So, it was always intended to last for a limited time.
Wondrous Journeys
However, Wondrous Journeys proved popular enough that fans asked for its return.
Disney once again obliges us as part of the Disneyland 70 event, and this show definitely lives up to the hype. Here, take a look!
World of Color Happiness! Debuts
World of Color Happiness!
The final new entry for 2025 is World of Color Happiness!, although I feel a bit weird describing it that way.
Obviously, World of Color has anchored the evening festivities at Disney California Adventure for nearly 15 years now.
However, park officials have done an excellent job of modernizing the show by adding new iterations every once in a while.
A round-number anniversary like Disneyland’s 70th anniversary definitely justifies a new version, which is what we’re getting!
Even better, World of Color Happiness! focuses on the joy that Disney storytelling brings us every time.
Disney has built the story around the first words Walt Disney ever uttered at Disneyland.
“To all who come to this happy place, welcome.” Yes, it’s an entire show embracing the magical power of those words.
Who wouldn’t want to watch that?
You Can Save a Fortune Right Now
Photo: Washington Post
There’s one other amazing reason to visit Disneyland in 2025.
For the first time in recent memory, Disney is offering tons of discounts, thereby saving you lots of money on your vacation.
Photo: skillastics.com
I’m not privy to all the specifics, but you can speak with an official MickeyTravels agent to learn the best deal for you and your ‘ohana.
As a gentle reminder, MickeyTravels is the best in the world at what it does.
MickeyTravels can book your next Disney vacation!
It’s a Diamond Earmarked Authorized Disney Vacation Planner, which is the highest level possible.
And even though you’re speaking with the best of the best, MickeyTravels agents provide their services entirely free of charge to you.
MIckeyTravels
So, this is a no-lose proposition for you. You get to visit The Happiest Place on Earth during its Disneyland 70 celebration!
And you can book with confidence knowing that your MickeyTravels agent will hook you up with the best possible deal.
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