Anaheim, California
CNN
—
Disneyland is celebrating its 70th anniversary starting May 16, and the resort is offering special ticket pricing through August 14.
Adults can enter one of the resort’s two theme parks for $100 or $120 per day, depending on the package.
There are two ways to get the ticket discounts, and both require visiting multiple days.
A 3-day adult ticket package is available for $360, allowing guests to visit any three days between May 16 and August 14. The visits do not have to be consecutive and include holidays and weekends. Park reservations are required, and park hopping (the ability to visit both Disneyland and Disney California Adventure on the same day) can be added for an additional $90 per package.
This pricing is what Disneyland was charging for a 3-day ticket in late 2022. Two price hikes later, that type of ticket now regularly costs $415, if purchased without a discount.
A 4-day adult anniversary ticket deal is also available for $400 total, with the same advantage of visiting on four separate days anytime until August 14. Park hopping can be added for an additional $95 per package.
Even though these tickets can be used on holidays and weekends, those dates can quickly fill up in Disneyland’s reservation systems. Reservations can be made in the Disneyland app during the process of purchasing tickets.
Disneyland Resort’s three hotels are also bookable for 30% off on select stays through September 26, for guests staying a minimum of four nights.
While Disneyland’s 60th anniversary in 2015 and the Walt Disney Company’s 100th anniversary in 2023 were more glittery celebrations, this 70th anniversary of Disney’s original theme park is meant to be “the best birthday party ever,” said David Caranci, Walt Disney Imagineering manager creative development, with a brighter, more playful feel.
The theme, “Celebrate Happy,” is represented in bold colors showcased in a new crest and banners on the castle and in new outfits for characters. A new song by that title has been performed by the Jonas Brothers and will be heard throughout the resort during the coming months.
The celebration is currently slated to run through summer 2026.
New food specials await guests, including tributes to Walt’s famous chili in the form of a loaded baked potato, and a corn chip-topped fried beef tamale in honor of a former Disneyland restaurant called Casa de Fritos, where Doritos were invented.
New merchandise and a 70th anniversary guided tour will be available, along with a Disneyland key that guests can purchase and insert into lock stations in nine different areas to reveal an icon, a lighting effect and music. Unlocking all nine stations can bring more surprises, including a commemorative pin.
A brand-new version of the “World of Color” nighttime water show in Disney California Adventure Park debuts on May 16. “World of Color Happiness!” features characters from beloved Disney and Pixar movies, including “Inside Out.” Before the performance, guests inside the park will be able to vote for one of the emotions from “Inside Out” to get a special spotlight in that evening’s show. For the first time, there will be a pre-show featuring the Muppets, who are also celebrating their 70thanniversary.
Disney is also bringing back a few favorites that fans and employees have loved in the past: the “Wondrous Journeys” fireworks and projection mapping show that first debuted in 2023, the Pixar Pals “Better Together” daytime parade which debuted last year, and the “Paint the Night” nighttime parade, which features more than 1.5 million LED lights and has not been performed at the resort since 2018.
The new “Disney Junior Mickey Mouse Clubhouse” live stage show premieres on May 16 in Disney California Adventure Park. The show’s director, David Underwood, called it a mini musical, where Mickey and Minnie go door to door, looking for their friends and figuring out why they haven’t yet shown up to the clubhouse for their party.
A new, five-minute projection show called “Tapestry of Happiness” is inspired by the art of Mary Blair, the art director who designed the original It’s a Small World attraction. It will play three times per night on the ride’s façade. Creators have called this a “love letter” to Disneyland through the eyes of a child, with nods to Dapper Dans performers and Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room, for example. The ride itself will feature a couple of new characters from “Coco.”
A daytime “Celebrate Happy Cavalcade” will celebrate 70 years of the resort, led by Mickey and friends. Disney bears Duffy and ShellieMay — rarely seen in US parks — will join the cavalcade. The latter will be making her debut in the United States, after she and Duffy have enjoyed enormous popularity in Disney’s theme parks in Asia.
