As Disneyland works to celebrate diversity through music, tasty foods, 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 Disney California Adventure Park in June
Celebrate Black artists and characters at DCA during the whole month of June!
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, starting May 16, 2025. The parade returns for the Disneyland 70th anniversary celebration.
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," "Monster's Inc" and more.
The Paradise Garden Bandstand may hosting musical acts in June
Celebrate Soulfully at Disneyland Park in June
Keep the celebration going over in Disneyland with some beloved characters and a new ride!
Meet Tiana in the streets of New Orleans Square and Ariel (from the live action film) over by "It's a Small World." Have a splashin' good time on Tiana's Bayou Adventure.
You can find artists signing their purchased work at Disneyana on Main St. U.S.A. on select dates.
Food
Look for special items in the parks. Yum!
Celebrate Soulfully in Downtown Disney in June
In June, you can enjoy live music and experience special food offerings in the Downtown Disney district in honor of Black History Month.
Live Entertainment
On select days in June, the Downtown Disney LIVE! stage hosts live bands for day time and night time performances. Genres such as hip hop, reggae, R&B, funk, Motown, jazz and more.
The daily showtimes are 1:00 p.m., 2:00 p.m., 3:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. The nightly showtimes are 6:30 p.m., 7:30 p.m., 8:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Showtimes may vary due to fireworks.
Visual Art
On select days, the WonderGround Gallery showcases artists. You will have the opportunity to meet and have your purchased art signed by the artists at Disneyana in Disneyland.
The Lovepop store features a "Black is Beautiful" pop-up card.
Food
Jazz Kitchen Coastal Grill & Patio offers a modern twist on New Orleans cuisine and features Jazz live on stage in the Gulf Room.
Celebrate Soulfully at the Hotels in June
Make sure to check out all that the Disneyland Hotels have to offer in June as well!
Sway to Live Music at the Pool at Disney's Grand Californian Hotel
There is daily music from June 1 through 30, 2024. Enjoy Jamaican, Afro-Cuban and reggae music. Performances are hourly in the afternoons at 12 p.m., 1 p.m., 2 p.m., 3 p.m. and 4 p.m.
Lounge and listen in the lobby of the Disneyland Hotel
On Fridays and Saturdays you'll hear artists perform at 5 p.m., 6:15 p. m. and 7:30 p.m.
See a familiar face over at Pixar Place Hotel
You may see Joe Gardner from the movie "Soul" at the piano in the lobby playing some smooth jazz tunes in the afternoons and evenings.
Celebrate Black History Month at Disneyland Park in February
In February, you can enjoy Black History Month inside Disneyland Park. 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.
Park guests could 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 and Feb. 15, 2025 to enjoy music performed by award-winning artists and community choirs from across Southern California.
Food and Treats at Disneyland Parks
Troubadour Tavern serves African-inspired treats. During “Celebrate Gospel,” you can also try special treats on select days in 2025.
River Belle Terrace served these platters in 2024:
- Brunch Platter: Pancakes, scrambled eggs, biscuit and gravy and house slaw
- Dinner Platter: BBQ brisket, fried chicken, buttery mashed potatoes and a biscuit with gravy
Cafe Orleans offered a prix fixe meal from Feb. 1 through April 1, 2024:
- Deviled eggs and pickled vegetables with bread & butter pickles, teardrop peppers and brussels sprout leaves
- Prix-Fixe Meal with gumbo or Caesar salad with cornmeal fried fish, hushpuppies, steamed rice, succotash and turtle cheesecake
And don't froget that Tiana's Palace has traditional New Orleans offerings every day of the year.
Celebrate Black History Month in Downtown Disney in February
During February, you can do crafts inspired by Black heritage, enjoy live music and experience special food offerings in honor of Black History Month.
Entertainment and Art
Each night in February, the Downtown Disney LIVE! stage hosts live bands nightly. Acts in 2024 included LALA Brass, Forward Motion Band, The Rhythm & Blues Brothas and more. On select weekend days, the festivities kick off in the afternoon with inspiring Gospel music performances by Sacred Groove and The Singers of Soul.
The Lovepop store features cards for Black History Month.
Do Family Crafts and Attend Artist Events
You can do free crafts near the Star Wars Trading Post. Artist events take place at WonderGround Gallery in Downtown Disney and at Eudora's Chic Boutique in New Orleans Square (in Disneyland Park).
Meet artists and purchase art. If you purchased artwork by the featured artist on the event day at the event location, you had the hopportunity to meet the artist and get select merchandise signed.
Food
Salt & Straw offered a special ice cream flavor in February of 2024. We can't wait to see if theres a new one for 2025.
- Cinnamon & Honey Fried Chicken Ice Cream: In partnership and support of Black-owned business, Ezell’s Famous Chicken out of Washington State, this savory and spicy ice cream is made with fresh croissants, torn into bits, that are then deep-fried with chicken fat until crispy and then churned into salted vanilla ice cream. A touch of cinnamon, a splash of honey and a shake of secret spices gives you a sweet Cajun heat with pleasant pops and crackles.
Celebrate Black History Month at Disneyland Hotels in February
Entertainment, Art and Food (2024 offerings)
On Thursdays and Saturdays in February 2024, The Mood Indigo Group filled Disney's Grand Californian Hotel's Hearthstone Lounge with energetic jazz music.
At Disney's Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, three locations (GCH Craftsman Bar, Hearthstone Lounge and Storytellers Café) offered two drinks:
- Golden Soul: Uncle Nearest 1884, ginger liqueur, creme de cassis, lime juice and raspberries
- Crowns & Hops 8 Trill Pills
At Disneyland Hotel, the Lobby Lounge served brand-new foods:
- Shrimp and Grits
- Sweet Potato Fries Poutine: Sweet potato fries, gravy and cheese curds
- Barrel Aged Smoked: Uncle Nearest 1884 Bourbon, turbinado sugar, Angostura Bitters, Peychaud’s Bitters and a luxury ice cube
- McBride Sisters Sparkling Rosé
- Crowns & Hops Pilsner
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.
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
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. Guests are 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 continue the adventure post-kiss and join the hoppin' Mardi Gras celebration. 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.
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
Stay cool!
