Disneyland 70th Park Plan — How to Maximize Time During the Anniversary Celebration

Disneyland is celebrating turning 70, and it's the party of the year! The celebration introduces new shows, food, dance parties, merchandise, character outfits and new ride elements to Disneyland Resort. We've come up with a Disneyland 70th park plan to take you through your day, so you don't miss out on any birthday celebration fun.

You can do most of it in one day with a park hopper ticket, or split it up between two or three days, so you can see one nighttime spectacular per night and take your time to do it all. No matter how you divide your time, our Disneyland 70th park plan will guide you through what is hoppening and when, so your magical day feels seamless. Hop over to our post on what not to miss before the 70th ends to make your checklist.

Our Disneyland 70th Park Plan

Here are 14 steps to getting in on all of the important parts of the Disneyland 70th Anniversary Celebration. Whether you try to fit as much in during a shorter trip or spread it out over several days, you can use this Disneyland 70th park plan to map out your perfect day.

Save money with the Kids Summer Ticket Offer, which allows you to take your kids to Disneyland with park hopping for as low as $48 per day through Undercover Tourist! It's valid May 22 through Sept. 7, 2026.

Watch out for Disneyland After Dark events on April 12, 14 16, 28, 30, May 4, 6, June 16 or 18. Disneyland Park closes early at 8 p.m,. (There is no 70th nighttime entertainment in Disneyland Park on those nights, except maybe Tapestry of Happiness and Wondrous Journeys projection show if it's dark enough at 7:30 p.m.)

Showtimes are subject to change. Be sure to check the Disneyland Hours & Events calendar for the date you plan to visit. (You can view the schedule up to six weeks in advance.)

1. Arrive at Rope Drop and Use Lightning Lanes

We always have the best time when we maximize our time. And the best way to do that is to arrive early (by park opening) and to use Lightning Lanes whenever possible.

Whichever park you start at, arrive early to maximize time and take advantage of low crowds and cooler temperatures in the morning. Use your morning time to ride attractions, try new foods and visit with characters. Look for 70th "sticker" targets in Toy Story Midway Mania! (remains through the holidays) or see the new "Coco" dolls in "it's a small world." As of July 17, 2025, listen for a third, new verse of the "small world" song! Both of those rides and many others are offered on Lightning Lane Multi Pass. You can save on Disneyland tickets pre-loaded with Lightning Lane Multi Pass. After you look over this park plan, you'll see why you want three to four days to do it all!

2. Set Your Alarm for the Virtual Queues for World of Color Happiness!

Every day at noon, the virtual queue opens for World of Color Happiness! If you have a Disney California Adventure reservation or a park hopper reservation starting at either park, set your alarm for 11:55 a.m. to be ready for the chance to join the virtual queue at noon. Read more about this process in our virtual queues post, as space may fill up quickly for the new show. If you are not in the park before noon, you might consider a World of Color dessert party or dining package.

World of Color Happiness! runs through Halloween Time and Holiday Time/Festival of Holidays this year.

3. Take Advantage of Family Entertainment in the Late Morning to Early Afternoon

As ride wait times and the sun peak in the afternoon, there are two great escapes. There's a new Disney Jr. Show in Disney California Adventure. Disney Jr. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Live! has Minnie and Mickey and pals along with singing, dancing, bubbles and the parents' favorite — AC! (It's replaced by a family-friendly Halloween show — Mickey's Trick and Treat — during Halloween Time.)

At the Fantasyland Theatre at Disneyland Park, get out of the sun and into dance mode with Bluey and Bingo as of March 22, 2026! Bluey's Best Day Ever! shows usually hoppen throughout the day. Whether your little ones need to get the wiggles out or take a sensory break, this area with alternating action with downtime will meet your needs perfectly.

4. Eat Lunch and Shop for 70th Merchandise

There are many ways to fill your belly and your soul with celebration food and merchandise. I don't know about you, but I had my froggy eyes on some Pulled Pork Mac and Cheese in a Bread Bowl at Refreshment Corner and a 70th Spirit Jersey with the 70th Create Your Own Headband. No regrets. And I always need a caramel apple, of course!

The Strawberry Shortcake Macaron at Jolly Holiday Bakery Cafe also stole my heart. With fresh strawberries in the middle? It tastes as good as it looks! But it's not always on mobile order. You might have to hop in line to get it.

5. Catch the Celebrate Happy Cavalcade in the Afternoon

This new cavalcade takes place at 1:30 p.m. and 2:45 p.m. at Disneyland Park. See the characters in their 70th outfits and wave to Goofy and Max, as well as to rare characters from the Asian Disney parks, such as Duffy and ShellieMay! Character cavalcades are short and sweet, and usually do not require a lot of time to wait to see them. Plus, you get to see a lot of characters at once and a hoppin' good song that will make you want to celebrate!

6. Meet Characters and Get PhotoPass Magic Shots

Meet characters (in celebration outfits in Disneyland Park). Take PhotoPass photos with Disneyland 70th Magic Shots.

7. Use Midday to Unlock Special Experiences in Disneyland Park

There are several magical moments during the Disneyland 70th Anniversary Celebration. Here are a few ways to capture them:

• Purchase a Key to unlock magical interactive experiences at lock stations in each of the nine lands at Disneyland. Once you unlock all nine (look for the tenth and final topiary near the park entrance), the key will open to reveal one of nine commemorative pins. (You can wait until things cool down and the sun is not so bright to use these. You'll see the light-up elements better when it's not so bright out.)

• Use your charged MagicBand+ to unlock unique interactions inspired by opening day attractions in Main Street, U.S.A., Adventureland, Tomorrowland, Fantasyland and Frontierland. Later, during nighttime entertainment, the band will light up and vibrate in sync with the shows.

8. Enjoy Indoor Exhibits new for the 70th

As of Disneyland's actual birthday on July 17th, enjoy these new indoor exhibits and attractions:

• First-ever Walt Audio-Animatronic in "Walt Disney – A Magical Life" at the Main Street Opera House theater in Disneyland (enjoy the new gallery of art and artifacts from the early stages of Disneyland) as of 2 p.m. (Abraham Lincoln is in the morning.)
• Tribute to the Sherman Brothers in the Main Street Cinema
• A new third and final verse on "it's a small world"

9. Eat Dinner

There are so many new Disneyland foods to try! Check out the 70th menus in our Disneyland 70th foodie guide. Mobile order in advance to skip the lines. You can even order food and dine while you wait for nighttime entertainment.

10. Paint the Night 

There are two Paint the Night parades in Disneyland Park, when the park is open until midnight and sometimes one parade when the park closes at 11 p.m. You might want to hop in place early for the first one. If you watch on Main Street, you can just hop onto the street after the parade to watch fireworks. We recommend watching the second show, though. You can sit on a curb after fireworks end and see the second parade with less waiting. Grab a snack and rest while you wait. It's been a long day, and you deserve it!

11. Wondrous Journeys with Fireworks 

This nightly fireworks show takes place at 9:30 p.m. right in between the Paint the Night Parade showings. You have four areas to watch from and get the accompanying projections and music:

• In front of Sleeping Beauty Castle
• Main Street U.S.A.
• The façade of "it's a small world"
• Rivers of America — This is a great spot if you are also watching Fantasmic!, which has showings before and after the fireworks. Get a Fantasmic! dining package for a great seat down in front, and you can get two shows for the price of one!

12. "Tapestry of Happiness" Projection Show 

Enjoy a visual love letter to Disneyland played out with nostalgic moments inspired by the art of Mary Blair. This 5-minute projection show will hoppen each night on the façade of "it’s a small world," creating an animated mosaic of Disneyland attractions, moments and memories. It also features the 70th theme song, "Celebration Happy" (by none other than the Jonas Brothers!), along with other favorite Disney tunes.

13. Projection Show on Cathay Circle

There is another, smaller projection show on the Carthay Circle restaurant's façade. Tinker Bell lights up the building every 30 minutes from sunset until 10 p.m.. It's a short but sweet show moment in which guests are invited to "celebrate happy" with lights, music and projections in the evenings.

14. World of Color Happiness!

This all-new fountain show will light up the waters of Disney California Adventure's Paradise Bay twice a night at 9 p.m. and 10:15 p.m. (One show when the park closes at 10 p.m.) You do not get to pick the showtime when you join the queue when it opens at noon. After the 9 p.m. queue fills up, the 10:15 p.m. queue opens up.

There are several World of Color dining packages and even a dessert party. But the best way to see the show for free is by joining the virtual queue, which we discussed back in the beginning of this post.

The show explores the theme of "happy" through a world of emotions hosted by Joy and the other Emotions from the "Inside Out" films. During the show, the Emotions manifest music and moments from beloved stories from Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar Animation Studios. You'll be dazzled by colorful fountains, dynamic lighting, colorful lasers, fog and dramatic flame effects to create a "happy" tribute to the Disney stories we all love.

In addition to classic Disney songs, World of Color Happiness! features a rendition of "Rainbow Connection" by Boyz II Men, and a new original song, "Makes Me Wanna Move" by Fitz (the frontman of Fitz and the Tantrums). You'll be encouraged to dance and sing along. And before the show even begins, the Muppets, led by Joe the Legal Weasel, will deliver a special message through projections and fountains. Who better to "get things started" than the Muppets?

Don't froget to vote for your favorite emotion in the Disneyland app before the show!

How to Catch All the 70th Nighttime Entertainment in One Night

Do you want to try to do it all in one night? If you get the 10:15 p.m. World of Color show virtual queue, you can watch the first Paint the Night, followed by fireworks on Main Street, and then hop to Disney California Adventure (quickly and with a park hopper ticket) before 10 p.m. to see the 10:15 p.m. World of Color show. But you need to be able to move fast to do it all. You have to enter California Adventure before the gates close at 10 p.m. Then, if you still have some bounce in your step, book it back to Disneyland after World of Color for the last "Tapestry of Happiness" projection show on "it's a small world." You're probably going to want to sleep in the next day, so do not make ambitious morning plans. Show times vary based on park hours, so check the schedule.

What About Fantasmic!?

This plan ignores one of our favorite nighttime spectaculars —  Fantasmic! If you also want to see Fantasmic!, we highly suggest a multi-day trip and getting a Fantasmic! dining package. If you are staying in Disneyland Park, you can see Fantasmic!, Wondrous Journeys fireworks and Paint the Night all in one night. See one show or parade before fireworks and the other after. Having a Fantasmic! dining package toadally helps with this plan. Fantasmic! is on select nights in spring.

The first step in activating this park plan is to purchase your Disneyland tickets and make your theme park reservations. Hoppin' news! Get a Dining Dollars Promo Code for 15% off Disney gift cards with any Disney ticket purchase from Undercover Tourist! Then use your card and ticket savings to get 70th anniversary food and merchandise!

Related: What to Expect at the Disneyland 70th Anniversary Celebration

Related: Frogtastic Foodie Guide to Disneyland 70th Anniversary Food and Drinks

Hoppy planning!