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As Disneyland works to celebrate diversity through music, food, art and experiences throughout the year, we’re going to take a closer look at the hoppenings for Celebrate Soulfully and Black History Month at Disneyland. This celebration expands offerings to honor Black heritage and culture during Black History Month at Disneyland in February and also for Juneteenth during the whole month of June. There are also a few year-round offerings and exhibits we will get into if you can’t visit in February or June.
Celebrate Soulfully at Disneyland Parks in June
Celebrate Black artists and characters at DCA during the whole month of June! As you journey through Hollywood Land, discover the remarkable inventions of Lanny Smoot, a Walt Disney Imagineer and Special Effects master who was recently inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame.
You can find Joe Gardner performing with his students on the "Soul" float in the Better Together: A Pixar Pals Celebration! parade all summer long for the Disneyland 70th anniversary celebration.
Take a seat at the Paradise Garden Bandstand to listen to live performances, daily at 12 p.m., 1 p.m., 2 p.m., 3:30 p.m., 4:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. Performers include The Rhythm & Blues Brothas, Sequin Dream, Cliff Beach Quartet, Island Reggae Band and more!
Food Offerings
Grab a Buffalo Chicken Beignet Slider from Royal Street Veranda or a Red Velvet Cake from Cafe Orleans specifically for the celebration!
Celebrate Soulfully in Downtown Disney in June
In June, you can enjoy live music and experience special food offerings in the Downtown Disney district.
Live Entertainment
The Downtown Disney LIVE! stage hosts live bands for daytime performances on select days, and nighttime performances every day of the month. Genres such as hip hop, reggae, R&B, funk, Motown, jazz and more.
Food
Immerse yourself in soulful sounds and savor signature coastal cuisine at Jazz Kitchen Coastal Grill & Patio. Indulge in the delectable Nod to Nicaud from Sip & Sonder. This refreshing cold brew coffee infused with chicory and cane sugar is a tribute to the remarkable legacy of Rose Nicaud. Born into slavery, Rose is celebrated as the first coffee vendor in New Orleans.
Celebrate Soulfully at the Hotels in June
Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa
Take in the vibrant energy of summer as live performers grace the Pool Deck. They showcase a diverse range of easy listening genres, including neo soul, lo-fi hip hop and R&B. Showtimes daily are every hour on the hour between 12 p.m. and 4 p.m.
Disneyland Hotel
Fridays and Saturdays during June offer jazz, blues and Neo soul over at Broken Spell Lounge. Showtimes include 5:30 p.m., 6:45 p.m., 8 p.m. and 9:15 p.m.
Celebrate Black History Month at Disneyland Parks in February
In February, you can enjoy Black History Month inside Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure. Here is a look at what's hoppening in 2025.
Entertainment and Art
Uplifting performances by award-winning Gospel music stars, recording artists and community choirs can be enjoyed. "Celebrate Gospel" returns to the Fantasyland Theatre at Disneyland Park. Gospel means "good news." Gospel music celebrates the power of a song. It's about perseverance and finding joy in the face of adversity. On Feb. 8, one of the performers told a story about losing his house in the Alta Dena fires, and wrote (and the choir performed) a song of hope called, "Things Will Get Better After This."
Park guests can stick around for the day’s lineup or drop by for just a few songs. "Celebrate Gospel" has been a Disneyland Resort tradition for more than a decade. It used to take place at Disney California Adventure but hopped to Disneyland in 2022.
Hop by Feb. 8, 2025, to hear the six-time Grammy-nominated artist, DOE. Her soulful sound and captivating lyrics make way for a new era of gospel music.
On Feb. 15, 2025, you'll hear Melvin Crispell, III. Show times are from 2:30 to 7 p.m.
Here's the lineup:
- Rhema House Community Choir
- Arts & Learning Conservatory Gospel Voices of Orange County
- Faithful Central Bible Church FReSH Generation
- De'Ante Duckett & The Justified Crew
- FM2 & Intentional
- LA Inner City Mass Choir
- Sacred Groove
- Melvin Crispell, III
Crispel is a four-time Grammy-nominated Gospel singer who captivates his audience with music and hope.
You can also color free "stained glass window" crafts and add a flower to the Wall of Giving Flowers. Write what you are thankful for on the flower.
Food at Disneyland Park
During "Celebrate Soulfully," you can try special treats on select days in 2025.
Troubadour Tavern (available Jan. 31 through Feb. 23 on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays only)
- Fried Chicken Bowl – fried chicken, baked mac and cheese, collard greens and sweet potato cornbread (This is so yummy!)
Tiana's Palace (available Jan. 31 through March 2)
- Catfish Po'Boy – southern-style dusted catfish filet with lettuce, tomatoes and mayonnaise on toasted New Orleans French bread with remoulade sauce served with black-eyed pea stew, hot water cornbread and house-made pickles
And don't froget that Tiana's Palace has traditional New Orleans offerings every day of the year.
Disney California Adventure
Over in Hollywood Land, you might find a beautiful display of Disney legend Floyd Norman's work. Norman was the first Black animator at the Walt Disney Animation Studios and contributed to some of the most classic and beautiful animated films. These include "Sleeping Beauty," "101 Dalmatians," "Robin Hood," "Jungle Book," "Mulan," "Monsters, Inc." and more.
Celebrate Black History Month in Downtown Disney in February
During February, enjoy live music, special food offerings and shopping in honor of Black History Month.
Entertainment and Art
Each night in February, the Downtown Disney LIVE! stage hosts live bands nightly. Performances highlight R&B, hip hop, reggae, funk, Motown, jazz and doo-wop.
Every Saturday evening in February, talented Black artists perform at Jazz Kitchen Coastal Grill & Patio.
The Lovepop store features a Black is Beautiful Pop-Up card for Black History Month. 50% of every purchase of the card designed by Black artist, Anthony Conley, will be donated to The Conscious Kid – a research and policy organization promoting healthy racial identity and development in youth.
Food
Ballast Point Brewing Co.
During February, Ballast Point will support the 8 Trillion organization, which supports racial equity and Black-owned brewing companies.
- Jalapeno Cornbread Chicken and Waffle Sliders – southern chicken jalapeno cornbread Belgian waffle with cinnamon maple aioli, applewood smoked bacon and cheddar jack cheese, served with fried okra and Cajun ranch dipping sauce
Parkside Market
- Nod to Nicaud – cold brew coffee with chicory and cane sugar. Inspired by one of the first women of color vendors in New Orleans, Rose Nicaud.
Celebrate Black History Month at Disneyland Hotels in February
Entertainment
Pixar Place Hotel
- Joe Gardner from "Soul" performs smooth jazz tunes on the piano afternoons and evenings year-round
Broken Spell Lounge (Disneyland Hotel)
- Celebrate Soulfully artists perform on Fridays - Sundays from 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.
- Jazz duos perform on Mondays - Thursdays from 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Disneyland Hotel Lobby
- A Capella group, Sequin Dream, performs on Fridays and Saturdays from 3 p.m. to 6:45 p.m.
Food Offerings
Broken Spell Lounge
- Barrel-aged smoked old fashioned
- Shrimp and grits
GCH Craftsman Bar and Hearthstone Lounge
- Golden Soul (Uncle Nearest)
- Apricot Manhattan
Year-Round Offerings at Disneyland Resort
You can celebrate all year long with these offerings.
Eudora’s Chic Boutique Featuring Tiana’s Gourmet Secrets at Disneyland
The backstory to this New Orleans Square retail store is that Tiana collaborated with her dressmaker mother, Eudora, to open a shop. The shop sells accessories to create and serve masterful Orleans-style cuisine and more. It also sells clothing and ears inspired by Tiana. It's located near Blue Bayou.
Meet Tiana
My little sister Lily loves to meet Tiana. We feel very bonded to her as frogs, you know. You can find her in New Orleans Square, sometimes on the Mark Twain Riverboat and sometimes at the Royal Hall. She also appears during Disney Princess Breakfast Adventure character dining at Napa Rose.
Meet Ariel
Ariel (from the live-action film) can be found over by "it's a small world" year-round!
Enjoy Some Gumbo and Beignets at Tiana's Palace
Tiana's Palace, located in New Orleans Square, is a new restaurant. The Cajun/Creole restaurant is based on the Disney film, "The Princess and the Frog," and its protagonist, Tiana. It's located in the building of the former French Market restaurant. You can read up on the menus and see photos in our post on Tiana's Palace.
Meet and Watch Black Superheroes in Action at Avengers Campus in Disney California Adventure
Do not miss out on seeing the Dora Milaje in action at Avengers Campus. You can also meet Black Panther or Captain America. Toadally cool. I cover all the Avengers Campus characters in another post.
Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln Video in Main Street Opera House at Disneyland
Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln is currently under refurbishment for a few months, along with the Frederick Douglass video.
Produced in collaboration with National Geographic, this short video plays in the lobby of the Main Street Opera House at Disneyland Park, outside of "Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln." It tells the story of the relationship between Frederick Douglass — an African American advocate for freedom, justice and democracy — and Abraham Lincoln. It recognizes their work together in the fight against slavery. Robin Roberts narrates the presentation, which features expert testimonials and the family of Douglass. It plays before the doors open for Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln.
A cast member pointed out that there is an error in the video, so we will share that with you too. The video says that the Emancipation Proclamation freed slaves in the South. But what it did was free slaves in the Confederacy. Three Southern Union states still practiced slavery at that time. Chattel slavery was not abolished in all states until the 13th Amendment was established.
Five & Dime
At Disney California Adventure, soulful singer Dime and her jazz quintet perform hits of the 1920s and 1930s. You can find them driving through Hollywood Land to their show spot in front of the Carthay Circle fountain.
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure
Splash Mountain at both Disneyland and Disney World underwent a major re-theming with a new storyline, starring Princess Tiana. Get ready to be "goin' down the bayou" with Princess Tiana, Prince Naveen, Louis, Ray, Mama Odie and other favorites from the film "Princess and the Frog." To quote Tiana, these frogs think it's "the bee's knees!"
The new ride, Tiana's Bayou Adventure, is centered on the backstory that Tiana is hosting a party and needs to head into the Bayou to find a special ingredient. We'll embark on a journey with her and Louis to find that special ingredient. Guests will be drawn in by original zydeco music — a special blend of rhythm and blues that originated in Louisiana — inspired by songs in the film. Louis will explain where this music is coming from. The band members sing and play instruments made from natural items found in the bayou. Imagineers describe this attraction as a love letter to New Orleans.
Sip & Sonder
Recognized as one of the best cafes in L.A. by the Los Angeles Times, this Black woman-owned coffee shop is an exciting addition to the Parkside Market roundup. There are all kinds of espressos, cortados, cappuccinos, americanos and lattes to choose from. There are also drinks on tap such as cold brew and an iced oat milk latte. You'll find matcha and chai lattes as well as a lavender tea latte. The specialty drinks include a vanilla charcoal latte, a vanilla dirty chai latte, a honey lavender latte and a lavender mocha latte. If you can't decide which one to get, you can grab a flight of all four specialties!
Are you ready to celebrate soulfully and celebrate Black History Month at Disneyland? Did you know you can save on theme park tickets and hotel stays with Undercover Tourist?
Related: Guide to Disneyland Special Events
Related: How to Plan for a Disneyland Trip
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