There’s so much excitement surrounding the Disneyland 70th Anniversary Celebration, and with good reason! “Paint the Night” is back! A new “World of Color” show! Delicious looking themed treats! So much themed merchandise you’ll need a second mortgage! And a $60 “Key to Disneyland” that lights up and spits out one whole trading pin!
With so much to see, eat and ride, I want to take a look at how a solo traveler can enjoy the nostalgia all across the Disneyland Resort, and point out a few things you shouldn’t miss!
To all who come to this happy place: Welcome. Disneyland is your land. Here age relives fond memories of the past – and here youth may savor the challenge and promise of the future.
The anniversary festivities are in full swing at the Disneyland Resort. They’ll continue through the summer of 2026. While there will be new things offered for the holiday seasons and upcoming festivals, let’s go over the early offerings at the anniversary celebration that you’ll want to take in.
Brand New Disneyland History Tour
Disneyland history buffs will be excited to check out the newest tour add-on, A Story of Celebration: 70th Anniversary Guided Tour. It’s a two-hour walking tour that requires reservations in advance and will run you $120 per person.
There are some nice benefits to this tour, outside of the sheer amount of nostalgia you’ll feel.
- Learn about some significant Disneyland moments from the past, and hear what the park calls “rarely shared stories”
- Ride two original park rides – the Mark Twain Riverboat and the Disneyland Railroad
- You get Lightning Lane entry for a select attraction
- You get access to a special reserved viewing area for the “Paint the Night” parade
- Free popcorn during the parade
- A special tour memento
While the hype for “Paint the Night” parade is VERY high right now, it will start to die down in the coming months. However, it will still be crowded and may be tough to find a good viewing spot for the early parade. So this tour can certainly help you not have to arrive so early to get a good spot.
Parades and Fireworks at Disneyland Park
Parades and Shows at Disney California Adventure Park
One of the things I LOVE to do as a travel advisor is help you build a strategy that includes the best times to get to the parade or show, and the best place to watch from. So be sure you email me to help you put a plan together!
Strategy Tip: Rides are ALWAYS less busy during parades and shows. ESPECIALLY at night. And ESPECIALLY when a celebration like this one first starts. So if you want to get in more ride time, be sure and check your Disneyland app for the parade and show times, and get yourself to a popular ride line just before they start!
Dining and Dessert Packages
While it is certainly easier to get a spot to see one of the shows or parades as a solo traveler, one way to guarantee you get a good view without having to show up two hours early is to add on a dining or dessert package. These packages are limited and sell out EXTREMELY quickly, so be sure to reserve them early. Better yet, use a travel advisor (like me!) who gets up early on the day reservations open and books them for you!
Both the Pixar Pals parade and World of Color show offer dessert parties in California Adventure. They have a pretty similar dessert box for $94, and both offer prime seating afterwards. While you may not have trouble finding a good viewing spot for the parade, the reserved seating for World of Color can’t be beat.
On the Disneyland side, dining packages are offered for the Paint the Night parade and Wondrous Journeys. Paint the Night offers a lunch package, then reserved parade seating. Wondrous Journeys offers a dinner package and private seating. These packages run $55 – $89 per person.
Themed Foods
Of course, it wouldn’t be a celebration without new themed food! New cookies, specialty Mickey-shaped waffles, and themed macarons will be all around the resort. A few places are even offering dishes that were available when Disneyland first opened, but with modern twists. Things like Hook’s Galley Tuna Melt and a Fried Tamale Walking Taco sound delish!
Obviously it’s not a trip to Disneyland without a beignet and a churro! Just for the anniversary you can grab a House-Filled Celebration Beignet and a 70th Celebration Churro.
And never fear, ye who collect popcorn buckets and cups! A new 70th Light-Up Mickey Mouse Balloon Popcorn Bucket and 70th Celebration Popcorn Bucket will be available all over the parks. You can also take home a 70th Celebration Stainless Steel Tumbler and 70th Celebration Sipper and MAYBE you’ll use them one other time in your life…
Special MagicBand+ Prizes and Interactions
For you die-hard fans with MagicBands, there’s special prizes just for you!
There are five locations around Disneyland Park where you’ll tap your MagicBand+ and get a special commemorative ticket themed by the park’s opening-day rides and attractions. There’s tickets for those with MagicBand, those with MagicBand plus Magic Key, and those with MagicBand plus Disney Vacation Club ownership.
You can only tap each of the five locations once per day, and the lines can be fairly long. But if you love memorabilia and keepsakes, this is for you!
You’ll find the tap locations at:
- Tilly’s Booth at Main Street Cinema
- Frontierland Booth at Silver Spur Supplies
- Fantasyland Window by Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique
- Skipper Lockers at Jungle Cruise in Adventureland
- Autopia in Tomorrowland
You’ll need to have your MagicBand+ linked to your Disney account before you start tapping away. If you don’t have one be sure to order it before your trip. You can also purchase one on site at several of the shops and at the Disney Store. And of course there is a 70th Anniversary MagicBand+ for purchase.
What I think is the COOLEST addition to the MagicBand+ is the way they interact during some of the parades and shows! If you’ve ever been to a concert that used the light-up bracelets, this is similar. If you have a MagicBand+, be sure to check out World of Color Happiness!, Wondrous Journeys and Paint the Night for some really interactive surprises!
As a solo traveler, celebrations like this can be so much fun, and much easier to navigate! Just remember, a LOT of people are going to be waiting in line for the specialty things like the commemorative tickets and the Key to Disneyland keyholes (which I’m not even going into here because it’s $60 for a light up toy that’s really geared toward children and has got to be one of the worst money-grabs when it comes to merchandise I’ve ever seen), so if that’s your focus, you’ll have to be patient.
But when you are a party of one, it’s so much easier to get around these kinds of events. Especially when it comes to getting a good view of parades and shows.
There’s a lot of other fun 70th things happening too, like ride updates that include 70th banners, an upcoming special show on Walt Disney’s life and special Photo Pass lenses. Make sure you check your Disneyland app for a full guide and map of where everything is happening!
Don’t forget, it’s not just the parks that are celebrating the 70th anniversary. Downtown Disney and all three on site hotels have special events, photo booths, special food and merchandise during the celebration. So if you need a break from the crowds at the park, they might offer a slightly less crowded escape for a bit.
What are you most excited to check out during Disneyland’s 70th Anniversary Celebration? Be sure and put it in the comments below. And pin this blog post so it’s easier for you to find when you need it!
And when you’re ready to plan your visit, I’m here to help! Whether you need tickets, a package or just want to strategize, that’s what I do! Comment below or send me an email with “Disneyland 70th” in the subject line so we can put together your next adventure!