Your Guide To The Happiest Place On Earth As Disneyland Celebrates 70 Years

While Disney World in Orlando often steals the spotlight, California's Disneyland was the original Disney theme park, first opened in July of 1955. So 2025 is a big year. My daughter and I had the pleasure of attending the park’s 70th anniversary media preview—and let me tell you, the party has kicked into high gear with new parades, stunning fountain and projection shows, whimsical merch and, of course, must-try tasty treats.

But before you start singing “Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah,” it’s important to create a plan of attack. Disneyland—and its sister property, Disney California Adventure Park—is truly special, but it takes effort and organization to maximize that magic.

Here’s everything you need to know before you experience all the excitement of Disneyland’s 70th anniversary.

Where to Stay

Staying on-property is the best way to experience Disneyland. It allows for maximum time at the parks and provides a convenient home base for afternoon naps or changes of wet clothes after water rides. Plus—and maybe the best perk—registered hotel guests get early access to the parks and can beat the crowds by 30 minutes.

There are three excellent hotel options, with the furthest being less than 15 minutes (by foot and depending on how fast your littles walk) from your hotel room to the park entrance.

My kiddo and I stayed at Disneyland Hotel, a resort with modest accommodations and several pools and waterslides to keep you cool on the hot days. The best part? A bar offering up the classic Dole Whip pineapple soft serve just outside our door (with “adult” options available to parents who need to decompress after too much “It’s a Small World”).

Pixar Place is easiest on the wallet and has an incredible rooftop activity area, complete with pool, waterslides, cabanas and lawn games, while Disney’s Grand Californian is the most impressive and has spectacular Mickey-themed suites available.

New parades and can't-miss shows

While the 70th anniversary festivities offer an array of unique experiences, Disneyland has truly outdone themselves with their mesmerizing parades, projection shows and fountain presentation. Add these to your must-do list:

Paint the Night Parade: This 17-minute, after-dark parade lights up Disneyland with over 1 million LED bulbs on luminescent floats and costumed dancers. The spectacle features all the favourites: Frozen, Cars, The Little Mermaid, Peter Pan, and, of course, Minnie and Mickey.

Wondrous Journeys Fireworks Show: Cinderella’s Castle turns into a canvas for animations that take you through the history of Disney. Combined with classic songs and incredible pyrotechnics, it’s a feast for the eyes but will also tug at the heartstrings. My daughter and I shared a few tears, standing hand-in-hand with our eyes to the sky.

World of Colour Happiness! Nighttime Show: Over at California Adventure Park, the new fountain and laser show is based on Walt Disney’s famous words: "To all who come to this happy place… welcome!" The display features the cast of Inside Out, walking the audience through all the emotions we feel every day. Again, this one is a tear-jerker!

Other parades: For a quick rest in the afternoon, pull up a curb and check out Better Together! A Pixar Pals Celebration! at Disney California Adventure, or the Celebrate Happy Calvalcade at Disneyland. Both are approximately 5 minutes long, but give you a chance to see some rare characters.

The Tapestry of Happiness: This projection show uses It’s a Small World as the backdrop for a sweet visual love letter, featuring classic Disney films. You’ll also hear the new song, “Celebrate Happy,” which was written specifically for the 70th anniversary. It’s quite catchy. So catchy, in fact, that after hearing it at every parade and show, you won’t be able to get it out of your head for weeks.

Must-try treats

Disney Parks are famous for their goodies, and I highly recommend digging into all the treats, particularly the special 70th anniversary snacks. Add these to your menu:

The Classics: A trip to Disneyland isn’t complete without a Mickey-shaped beignet from Tiana’s Palace or a churro from one of the many carts. Each has a 70th anniversary version available, but for me, simple is the way to go. A mouse-inspired ice cream bar can be great on a hot day, but beware: the ice cream carts serve up rock-hard frozen goods. If your little one is eager for their dessert, know that you’ll be waiting five to 10 minutes before you can even bite into these treats, let alone escape without your tongue getting stuck!

Jolly Holiday Bakery Cafe: If a sit-down lunch is what you’re after, the now TikTok-famous Beef Birria Toasted Cheese sandwich at the Mary Poppins-themed restaurant will do the trick. It was my 13-year-old’s favourite meal during our stay. I went with the grilled cheese, which wasn’t bad either. Top it off with a Raspberry Rose Mickey Macaron. Delish!

Alien Pizza Planet: If Italian is your thing, this Toy Story restaurant offers a place to sit while you share a pizza or some pasta. The portion sizes are generous, so don’t over order. The alien-shaped 70th Anniversary Macaroooon is an adorable and tasty idea to end with something sweet.

Drink up! For a pick-me-up, grab a Black Caf Cold Brew in Galaxy’s Edge – this coffee-lover's dream is topped with sweet cream cheese and chocolate puffed cereal. The refreshing Sparkling Peach Punch is new for the 70th and can be ordered with or without alcohol at Red Rose Tavern.

Get interactive

The Key to Disneyland is the latest interactive attraction at the park, introduced specifically for the 70th anniversary. The gist: you purchase a large key that you use to unlock stations around the property, earning a collectible pin, if successful. While the scavenger hunt experience is entertaining, getting caught up in the end game could result in wasted time. However, if you have time to spare, it’s worth the investment!

The best rides

Purchasing a Lightning Lane Pass will add to your costs, but it’s worth the time saved. The add-on allows you to hop into shorter lines, ensuring you don’t miss any must-rides. Single attraction passes are available, as well as multi-passes. Choose what fits your budget (as best you can). At Disneyland, time is money!

Explore the Rider Switch option. This is best illustrated with an example. If Mon and Dad both want to experience Haunted Mansion, but the kiddo is too nervous, you can wait in line together. Mom can go in first, while Dad waits with the little one, and then they can switch off without having to rejoin the lines. This is great for young ones who don’t meet ride requirements or are hesitant to tackle anything too scary.

Don’t miss It’s a Small World or Toy Story Midway Mania. Both have fun new features for the 70th.

For a mom and her 13-year-old daughter, we definitely had our favourite experiences. Here’s what we recommend:

The Avengers Campus at Disney California Adventure is unmissable for Marvel fans. My daughter was brought to tears several times (and I was, too!), particularly watching Black Panther’s all-female warriors perform. Web Slingers, an interactive Spider-Man ride, is all kinds of fun.

Galaxy’s Edge (Star Wars) is truly remarkable and detailed, even if you aren’t the biggest fan. My kiddo enjoyed facing off with Storm Troopers, who are constantly patrolling, and riding Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run and Rise of the Resistance, which might be the best ride across all Disney parks in my opinion. Stay for the fireworks set to the incredible film score.

Explore Downtown Disney

Just outside the park entrances, you’ll find an elaborate promenade with restaurants and shops. The great thing about this area is that everything is open until midnight, so skip the souvenir lines in the park and wait until you leave. Grab your merch (there are many, many new items for the 70th) to be sure you have a souvenir from your magical and memorable trip.

Embrace the Disneyland App

The Disneyland app is useful well before you get to California. You can use it for hotel bookings, park tickets, restaurant reservations and itinerary building.

The app really comes in handy when you get to the park and is the ultimate time saver. You can:

• Store your tickets and passes electronically
• Assess wait times for all attractions
• Make ride bookings via the Lightning Lane Pass (which comes with extra costs, but is well worth the investment and allows you to hop into shorter lines)
• Place mobile food orders to avoid long lines at restaurants
• Collect photos taken by park staff
• Get reminder notifications so you don’t miss any of your scheduled events

Come prepared

It’s a long day, so arm yourself with the tools to survive. Here’s what you need:

• A refillable water bottle. You’ll find water stations throughout the parks
• Little snacks. Yes, you can bring in outside food, provided nothing is in glass containers
• Sunscreen. And then more sunscreen
• Small books or games to keep youngsters occupied in lines
• A battery pack to recharge phones and tablets
• A stroller no more than 31" (79 cm) x 52" (132 cm). You’ll find handy stroller parking stations around the park. Wagons are not permitted
• An autograph book to collect signatures from Mickey and friends

Whether you're a lifelong Disney fan or visiting for the first time, Disneyland's 70th anniversary is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. With a little prep and a lot of joy, it’s a magical celebration your family will never forget.