In February 2020, Guests visiting Disneyland Park were treated to a brand-new parade called Magic Happens. The new show premiered on February 28, 2020, and featured fun music, gorgeous costumes, and floats representing hit Disney movies like Moana to classic tales like The Sword in the Stone. Unfortunately, just a couple of weeks after the show premiered, Disneyland Resort was forced to close its gates due to the rapidly spreading coronavirus.
The parade has remained backstage since the theme park reopened in April 2021, but Disney announced back in September at the D23 Expo that the Magic Happens parade would be coming back. And now we finally know when!
Calling all dreamers! ✨ The “Magic Happens” parade will return to @Disneyland on Feb. 24, 2023! This sensational daytime parade had a limited debut in 2020, so we can’t wait for you to see this unforgettable spectacle that celebrates magical moments from favorite Disney stories! pic.twitter.com/hiQnSkwlrt
Were you unable to make it to The Happiest Place on Earth during the few weeks the show was at Disneyland? Here’s more information on what you missed (but can soon enjoy).
As part of the Disney100 Celebration at Disneyland Resort, celebrate the return of this unforgettable spectacle that reminds us you don’t need wings to fly, shooting stars are for wishes and magic doesn’t end at midnight!
With a wave of his wand, Mickey Mouse leads a cavalcade of fabulous floats, whimsically costumed performers and popular Disney pals around the park and into your hearts—all while moving to a high-energy contemporary musical score that puts a spin on classic Disney hits. In addition, a stirring song co-composed by singer-songwriter Todrick Hall brings some of your favorite Disney tales to life like never before.
Watch Moana ride the crest of a beautiful wave in her voyager canoe, followed by Coco’s guitar-strumming Miguel joined by his dog Danté and other fantastical spirit animals and behold the enchanted forest from Frozen 2 as Anna, Elsa, Olaf, Kristoff and Sven pass by. The parade’s grand finale commemorates memorable moments from Disney classics in an incredible procession that’s not to be missed!
You can also watch the complete parade by clicking here or by watching the video below.
Magic Happens will be returning to Disneyland Resort as part of The Walt Disney Company’s 100th Anniversary celebration. The anniversary will kick off on January 27, 2023. Sleeping Beauty Castle will receive a festive makeover, there will be new food and beverage offerings, and there will be TWO new nighttime spectaculars — Wondrous Journeys at Disneyland Park and World of Color – One at Disney California Adventure Park.
Last year, Guests visiting Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort were introduced to Disney Genie+, a paid system that took the place of Disney’s incredibly popular FastPass system. Disney Genie+ required each Guest in a party to pay a certain amount per day in order to access a ride’s Lightning Lane — the new name for the FastPass lane. While Genie+ used to be a set price, it now fluctuates based on the day of the week and the time of the year and can go as high as $30 per person.
Since its inception, Disney Genie+ has been unpopular with Guests. Even though now-fired CEO Bob Chapek touted how many people were purchasing Genie+ and how it was improving the “Disney experience”, a number of Guests admitted that they were only purchasing the product because they felt it was the only way they would be able to experience a lot of what Disney Parks have to offer.
In the year that Genie+ has been available, many Guests feel that the lines are worse than ever. Lightning Lanes have extended through entire lands, which is frustrating to both those who have purchased Genie+, and those who haven’t. Disney — and possibly returning CEO Bob Iger — have appeared to hear the complaints and have now clarified that they will limit just how many Guests can purchase Genie+ on a given day.
Theme park reporter Scott Gustin shared before and after photos of the changes made to the Disneyland Resort website:
Disneyland updated its Genie+ page in the past few days to include a line about the possibility of Genie+ sales being stopped based on demand. Screenshots of before and after.
Disneyland updated its Genie+ page in the past few days to include a line about the possibility of Genie+ sales being stopped based on demand.
Many who commented were shocked that Disney wasn’t limiting the number of Genie+ purchases already. Gustin then clarified that this might not be a change in the policy, but a website wording change, so Guests could be aware that they may not always be able to purchase Disney Genie+. We do not know how many people are allowed to purchase Genie+ every day.
With Bob Iger back at the helm, Guests are hoping that he will get rid of Genie+ and bring back the old FastPass system. The major complaints about Genie+ have been the lack of availability of rides and the fact that Guests need to pay to ride an attraction after already paying hundreds of dollars to get into the theme park.
It’s Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse’s birthday! In honor of this special occasion, the Disneyland Resort is pleased to announce the official reopening date of Mickey’s Toontown in Disneyland Park – March 8, 2023!
It was this time last year that we first announced Mickey’s Toontown would undergo an ambitious reimagining, and reopen with some all-new experiences for families and young children to have more opportunities to play together inside Disneyland Park. At D23 Expo in September, we shared a bit more about the interactive play areas and how we are stepping into a new era of inclusive experiences in this land for families of all ages.
We are all excited to see just how Mickey’s Toontown will become a vibrant symphony of sights, sounds and sensations very soon. Here’s a look at some of what you can expect when the land reopens on March 8!
The reimagined Mickey’s Toontown will provide open, grassy play spaces for everyone to unwind, starting with CenTOONial Park, the first space guests will see when they enter the land. CenTOONial Park will be anchored by two new interactive play experiences; a beautiful fountain featuring water tables designed for play that invite guests to have a sensory experience, plus a nearby dreaming tree with sculpted tree roots providing an opportunity for children to crawl and explore.
Mickey’s Toontown will be home to the new attraction, Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway! Inside the El CapiTOON Theater, Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway will put you in the wacky and unpredictable cartoon world of Mickey and Minnie, where Guests will board a train with Goofy as the engineer. One magical moment after the next leads you to a zany, out-of-control adventure filled with surprising twists and turns that the entire family will enjoy!
As you may have read, Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway will open on Jan. 27, when the Disney 100 Years of Wonder Celebration comes to life at Disneyland Resort!
Over in Goofy’s neck of the woods, Guests will find Goofy’s How-To-Play Yard, as shown in this new aerial rendering of the area.
Dedicated to all things play, Goofy’s How-To-Play Yard incorporates a whimsical sound garden where kids will discover new ways to make wacky noises, as well as enjoy an all-new, elevated clubhouse.
When Guests step inside Goofy’s House, they’ll find a fun, interactive candy-making contraption that only Goofy could imagine! The confectionary contraption begins high outside of Goofy’s home, as drips of honey fall from a beehive onto a chute that slides the colorful drops around and down into the home. From there, junior candymakers will help Goofy make the candy, and the silly sounds of household appliances will combine to make a truly Goofy symphony.
Donald’s Boat will be perched in the duck pond of the Goof homestead. Imagine larger-than-life spinning water lilies, balance beams and rocking toys at Donald’s Duck Pond that will help little ones get the wiggles out. Kids will definitely love making a splash in this space! Guests can also look into the boat through the portholes to witness bubbles of fun inside the flooded vessel and interact with some familiar ducklings including Huey, Dewey, Louie and Webby.
For those wanting to get a little ‘nutty,’ Guests can head over to Chip ‘n’ Dale’s GADGETcoaster, where Mickey’s Toontown’s favorite tinkerer, Gadget Hackwrench, has created a one-of-a-kind, fun-sized coaster for the town’s tiniest citizens.
And at Mickey’s House and Minnie’s House, Guests will once again be able to step right into their homes and enjoy a self-guided tour as they discover special surprises in every room. They may even be able to visit with Mickey and Minnie while they’re there, should they be home!
Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin will also return, where Guests can board Lenny the Cab and spin through the streets and alleys of Toontown as they follow the adventures of Roger Rabbit.
And when Guests feel a snack attack coming on, they’ll be able to turn to two new places to appease their appetites in the land: Café Daisy, where acclaimed culinary expert, Daisy Duck, serves up diner classics at her sidewalk table eatery; and the Toontown Farmers Market at Good Boy! Grocers, a friendly roadside stand, offering grab and go drinks and treats.
Be sure to stay tuned to Disney Travel News for more information about the transformation of Mickey’s Toontown as we get closer to March 8. And in the meantime, please join us in wishing our beloved Mickey and Minnie a very happy birthday!
Both a Theme Park reservation and valid admission for the same Park on the same day are required for Park entry. Park reservations are limited, subject to availability and not guaranteed. Visit https://disneytraveltradeinfo.com/dlr for important information to know before visiting the Disneyland Resort.
Disneyland Resort has just kicked off its holiday celebration, which will run until January 8, 2023. The Merriest Place on Earth features the Festival of Holidays at Disney California Adventure, Believe! In Holiday Magic Fireworks, and fun holiday layovers like Haunted Mansion Holiday, “it’s a small world” Holiday, Mater’s Jingle Jamboree, and Luigi’s Joy to the Whirl.
In addition to Festival of Holidays, both Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park will have a number of seasonal food offerings, including nearly a dozen new churros.
Less than three weeks after the holiday’s end at Disneyland Resort, a brand-new celebration will be kicking off — the 100th Anniversary of The Walt Disney Company. And Disney is going to be celebrating the milestone in a big way. A party like that takes a while to put together, so Cast Members are already prepping!
Instagrammer TheCaliBae shared a video of a giant platinum Mickey Mouse being wheeled through Disneyland and into the back, where it will wait until it makes its Disneyland debut on January 27.
Beginning Jan. 27, the Happiest Place on Earth will receive new platinum-infused décor throughout the resort, new sparkling looks for Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse and their pals, special food and beverage offerings, merchandise and more.
At Disneyland park, Walt Disney’s original Sleeping Beauty Castle will be dressed in style for the anniversary. Celebrating wonder, the castle will be adorned with elegant platinum banners and bunting, accented by a magnificent cabochon featuring the three Good Fairies who illuminate it with their shimmering pixie dust. Two majestic water fountains will grace either side of the moat, while a beautiful wishing star will sparkle from the tower above.
“World of Color – One” at Disney California Adventure park will celebrate the storytelling legacy started by Walt Disney a century ago. It will tell a new story of how a single action, like a drop of water, creates a ripple that can grow into a wave of change. It brings some of the most courageous, loving and inspiring characters to life in new ways. The show will also feature a new original song, “Start a Wave.”
While Disney shared a number of fun facts about the 1ooth Anniversary celebration at Disneyland Resort, they have not said what will happen at Walt Disney World Resort or Disney’s other theme parks — Shanghai, Tokyo, Hong Kong, and Paris. However, they have said that the company’s 100th will be honored globally.
Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort initiated the Lightning Lane system last year, replacing the free FastPass+ system with a paid alternative through the Disney Genie app.
Many Guests have complained about the service and the need to spend all day planning your Disney Parks visit minute by minute. Even an expert app developer claimed they would be fired if his team designed the Disney Genie system.
This week, an influencer spoke about his experience with Disney Genie+ and Lightning Lane. @kingzippy is a family-friendly content creator with 7.4 million TikTok followers. He visited Walt Disney World Resort with his daughter and shared this video about his experience there:
“Mickey Mouse, what happened to Disney?” he asked. “I went to Disney to get off of my phone and just enjoy my vacation, and then the whole time, I’m sitting there on my phone.”
Additionally, the influencer felt it was unfair that Guests still in their hotel rooms get to select Lightning Lane return times at the same time as Guests in the Disney Parks.
“It’s not fair that Carol sitting in her hotel room, gets to schedule she’s going on ‘it’s a small world’ at 10 to 11 a.m. while I’m walking around the Park wondering how I’m going to get in the Lightning Lane,” he explained. “… It’s not fair for the people at the Park that are really trying to get on rides, meanwhile, Carol is in her hotel room scheduling her entire day.”
“I just want to buy a FastPass. Give me a wristband and let me just go on all the rides,” the Guest said. “So Mickey Mouse, if you give me the option to just buy a FastPass wristband, I will pay whatever money you want, and I will schedule a vacation to Disney next week.”
In written comments, he explained that when he arrived at Park open, all Lightning Lane rides were booked through 3-5 p.m. Though he eventually figured out how to better utilize the paid service, he still felt it wasn’t worth it.
“I figured it out at magic kingdom thankfully we got on every ride but I was still on my phone the entire time instead of enjoying it with my daughter,” he replied to one commenter.
Despite the negative feedback, Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort recently increased the price of Disney Genie+. At Walt Disney World Resort, some Individual Lightning Lanes can cost up to $25 per Guest.
