What I Learned During a Week at Disneyland’s 70th Anniversary Will Surprise You

The celebration for Disneyland’s 70th anniversary has officially kicked off in California, and I was fortunate enough to spend an entire week there thanks to Disney Parks. During my stay, I gained valuable insights into the various aspects of this year-long event. It’s hard to believe that it’s already been 70 years since its inception! As a resident, I can vividly recall the “Diamond Celebration” that took place 10 years ago for the 60th anniversary; looking back now, it seems like a completely different park altogether.

In the past, areas like Galaxy’s Edge, Pixar Pier, and Avengers Campus didn’t exist, and rides such as Guardians of the Galaxy and Tiana’s Bayou had different themes. However, that’s in line with Walt Disney’s dream of a park that is always evolving. As Disney once stated, “Disneyland will never be finished, so long as there is imagination in the world.” Now, 70 years later, there’s even more to look forward to as we approach the anniversary.

Disneyland 70th Anniversary Info

Disneyland’s 70th birthday celebration kicks off on May 16 and will continue through summer 2026. The festivities are planned to extend beyond a typical year and will include joyful events taking place in both theme parks, Downtown Disney, and the Disneyland Hotel. Unlike the last significant anniversary which was diamond-themed, this time the focus is on pure happiness.

Disneyland’s well-known phrase “the happiest place on Earth” has been in use since its opening (or as we know it, “Black Sunday”), so it seems fitting to base the theme for its 70th anniversary celebration around joy. This theme is reflected throughout the resort with its vibrant decor, newly enhanced parades, the revamped World of Color show, and the selection of food and merchandise designed to inspire feelings of satisfaction.

Disneyland Hotel

Alongside the festivities of Disneyland’s 70th anniversary, the Disneyland Hotel is also marking its 70-year milestone. Established by Jack Wrather and Maria Helen Alvarez in 1955, the hotel initially offered only eight rooms and was managed by the Wrather Corporation for many years. Later, following Jack Wrather’s death in 1988, Disney acquired the entire company, making the hotel part of the Walt Disney Company.

Over time, the hotel grew significantly, adding numerous towers, a vacation club, a conference center, an extensive pool complex, and one of the renowned dining spots in the resort – Trader Sam’s. Now, it offers more than 1,300 rooms, including the high-end, lavish suites such as the Mickey Mouse Penthouse.

If you’re not keen on joining the park festivities during its 70th celebration, you can instead experience some of the excitement by visiting the Disneyland Hotel. There, you can marvel at the decorations, buy souvenirs and special 70th edition merchandise, and even try out the new breakfast menu at Trader Sam’s (the restaurant now opens at 8am). If you’re looking for more than just food, Broken Spell – a bar located in the convention center – is an ideal spot to unwind and enjoy a drink.

Disneyland 70th Anniversary Merchandise

Without a doubt, the most striking aspect of Disneyland’s 70th anniversary is the abundance of merchandise. From clothing and ear hats to backpacks, knick-knacks, pins, water bottles, and more, there’s an overwhelming array of exciting goods to discover. However, it’s essential to keep in mind that prices will be a factor to consider as well. Here’s a peek at some of the most impressive merchandise we came across during our visit.

The only Star Wars-themed 70th merchandise I saw was a multicolored R2-D2, which is available in multiple shops, but notably at the Trading Post. However, if the large toy is too big, there’s a smaller version at World of Disney.
Likewise, continuing with the Spider-Man focus in Avengers Campus, there’s a multicolored Spider-Bot available for purchase.
A character-themed mint box is being sold during the 70th anniversary that represents the original ticket book parkgoers would use to redeem at certain rides.
To celebrate Walt Disney himself, as part of the nostalgia collection, there’s a limited edition pin that also acts as a locket. It has “Grand Opening. 1955.” on the front, with a photo of Walt on the inside.
Also part of that collection is a jacket and a mug, both of which have Walt Disney’s signature and a quote from him. But the really cool thing is that they also contain the exact GPS coordinates (in decimal form) to the central island on Main Street.
Clothing-wise, there are several 70th-themed t-shirts and sweaters. I purchased a grey sweater with red, white, and blue elastic bands that had the classic Disneyland font on it.
There’s a similar sweater with a fairly transparent Disneyland map, along with various lands named on multiple flags, on it. That one was popular during my visit, as was a bright orange sweater.
Now if you’re a fan of storage items, there are plenty of handbags and tote bags with 70th themes on them. My favorite was the tote bag, as it was a decent size and was the only one with Mickey Mouse front-and-center.

A point worth mentioning is that you don’t need to enter the parks to purchase most of the merchandise. In fact, there are numerous items available at World of Disney, Disney Home, Star Wars Trading Post, and even the Disneyland Hotel. The two stores within the hotel, as well as The Coffee House, stock a variety of 70th anniversary goods. Consider visiting these spots before entering the park, particularly if you plan to leave your purchases in a hotel room or car later on.

Disneyland 70th Anniversary Food

Theme parks like Disneyland often offer delicious, albeit costly, meals. It’s no secret that they don’t skimp on pricing, and Disneyland is no exception to this trend. Throughout the year, and several times during it, the park introduces unique themed dishes for visitors to savor. This time around, there are plenty of offerings – so many, in fact, that you can find a special item at almost every eatery within the park.

As with other celebrations, Disneyland’s 70th anniversary food and drinks encompass breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and drinks, such as coffee. The dark roast blend and Specialty Cold Brrr-ew from Joffrey’s Coffee & Tea Company carried me through each day. They had hints of Disney in them, with chocolate, confetti, and syrups.
Several items on the menu were inspired by the original food and sweets served at Disneyland in the 1950s, and then through the following decades. These are things like the W.E.D. Chili Cheese Baked Potato that’s served at the Troubadour Tavern.
Other reimagined classics are the Fried Tamale Walking Taco (fried beef tamale), Cowboy Fries (fries, nacho cheese, and sautéed ground beef), and the Banana Split Churro (quite literally like it sounds), among others.
Of course, on the flip side, there are a few classics that have been brought back from those early years: the classic Banana Split and the Apple Pancake Rolls, which one of the chefs told us was pretty much identical to what it was like all those years ago. So if you want a taste of Disneyland’s past, go for that.
I’m still vying to try the Grilled Tahitian Ribs at Bengal Barbecue, and I want to get the Abominable Snowman Sipper, but unfortunately I couldn’t find it in time before I left the park. Next time!

Spending numerous days and a substantial amount of money tasting various foods, desserts, and beverages at both Disneyland and California Adventure is certainly possible. However, for an optimal experience during your visit, I recommend trying the traditional favorites instead.

Disneyland Park & Disney California Adventure Parades & Shows

In both parks, you’ll find modifications on popular attractions such as It’s A Small World and Toy Story Mania, along with enhancements to renowned shows and parades including Paint The Night and World of Color.

1) Coco characters have been incorporated into It’s A Small World ride in honor of its 70th anniversary, featuring Miguel and Dante figures. This could also pave the way for the reintroduction of Plaza de la Familia at Disney California Adventure this summer. Additionally, special 70th anniversary targets have been added to Toy Story Mania, with Pixar celebrating its 40th anniversary by the time the event concludes in 2026.

MagicBand+

With a MagicBand+, you can quickly activate five attractions in the park: Main Street Cinema, Silver Spur Supplies, Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, Skipper Lockers, and Autopia. By using your band at these locations, you’ll receive a souvenir ticket to keep as a memento. However, there may be instances when the ticket booth runs out of tickets due to high demand, in which case you might need to come back later or on another day.

Each ticket station is tailored to the venue it’s located in. The one we used was from Main Street Cinema, which happened to be nearest to the park entrance – and it had fewer visitors when we were there!

Disneyland Parades & World Of Color

Additionally, Paint The Night makes its return, with the Frozen float reappearing following a multi-year absence. If you’re interested in catching a parade before the evening sets in, consider visiting Main Street in Disneyland around midday. There, you can enjoy Mickey and Friends Celebrate! Cavalcade, a brief, 5 to 10-minute spectacle that showcases beloved characters such as Mickey Mouse, Goofy, Aladdin, the Genie, Captain Hook, and popular Disney Princesses like Jasmine, Pocahontas, and Merida.

Not only is all that exciting, but what truly stands out is the grand spectacle at California Adventure – the World of Color Happiness water show. This display, simply put, is astonishing. It lasts about 30 minutes (plus a bit more due to a fresh introduction), and it embodies everything Disney Parks have mastered over the past decade and a half in presenting this production.

Here are some things to know about it:

The core theme of the new World of Color is happiness, and it’s done by celebrating all movies from Disney’s 100 years, not just recent hits.
It begins and ends with Walt Disney’s quote from Disneyland’s opening day, “To all who come to this happy place… welcome!”
For the first time, the Muppets are also involved. Because the Muppets are also celebrating their 70th anniversary, Disney and Muppets collaborated to have them perform the pre-show check right before World of Color starts. It’s approximately 4 minutes long and features all the Muppets, including Mrs. Piggy singing.
The entire World Of Color Happiness show is led by Inside Out 2’s emotions. There are multiple sequences, with each one focused on different movies and characters, but all related to the Inside Out emotion for that sequence.
For example, Fear’s sequence is all about Disney villains like the Evil Queen, Maleficent, and Jafar.
Anger’s sequence has a big focus on The Incredibles, Hercules, and other big heroic characters. And the fun part here is that, because Anger is hot-headed, the sequence ends with a huge fire plume that can be felt from a great distance.
Joy, Sadness, Anxiety, Fear, Anger, and other emotions are used throughout the show, with the moral being that, together, they make happiness.
Disney is using everything in their arsenal for this show; the wet zone has been extended, there’s the fire plume, the lights on the Incredicoaster are used much more than in previous iterations, and there are bubbles that spray throughout Paradise Pier.
One really cool thing is that, whereas parades and previous World of Color shows have focused on the big properties, so many lesser-loved or lesser-discussed movies get a lot of love here. “I’ve Got A Dream” from Tangled and “This Wish” from Wish both play midway through the show, for example. They pretty much hit everything.

The festivities for Disneyland’s 70th anniversary are underway right now, with the celebration continuing all the way through summer 2026. Therefore, you need not rush to make your reservation; there’s ample time to decide and lots to explore.

2025-05-20 04:12