Summary
We are so frogcited to celebrate Lunar New Year at Disney California Adventure in 2023! The growing festival leaps into the new year celebrating two animals — the Year of the Rabbit (for the Chinese zodiac calendar) and the Year of the Cat (for the Vietnamese zodiac calendar). Oswald the Lucky Rabbit and his sweetheart, Ortensia the cat (a very rare character from the 1920s), are bouncing in for some Lunar New Year Disneyland fun. With appearances from Mulan and Mushu, and of course, Mickey and Minnie, the celebration includes a Lunar New Year procession, complete with more beloved characters, firecrackers, dancers, drummers and a dragon. The procession gets extended over the entire parade route this year! Never have we been so hoppy to begin a new year!
Overview of Lunar New Year at Disneyland
Lunar New Year celebrates the traditional turning of the Chinese lunisolar calendar. Over the past few years, Disney has seen this festival explode (it's a firework thing) in popularity since it began. Lunar New Year at Disneyland Resort runs from Jan. 20 to Feb. 15, 2023.
The number of days for the festival has expanded in recent years, and we have been toadally excited about the new food and entertainment. You can taste even more traditional food, beverages and sweet treats from Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese and other Asian cultures at two additional Asian marketplaces and other dining locations this year. While you nibble your treats, you can enjoy music and shows.
Entertainment at Lunar New Year at Disney California Adventure
You will generally find festive Lunar New Year entertainment throughout the day and well into the evening. While all of the entertainment is frogciting, our favorite spectacle is Mulan's Lunar New Year Procession. The procession now takes over the entire parade route from Hollywood Land to Paradise Gardens Park. The procession travels in that same direction for all showtimes.
At the start of the procession, Oswald is rolled out in a palanquin as he greets guests. He is followed by a float carrying Mulan and Mushu alongside traditional drummers. Goofy also dances and waves from the back of the float. The float is adorned with golden tasseled firecrackers and red and gold lanterns. Catch it again in the evening, if you can, because they glow! The ceremony also features a dragon dance, as well as Chip 'n' Dale and lotus flower and fan dancers. The dragon looks particularly cool at night.
Check the entertainment schedule for the procession, which takes place several times in the afternoon and early evening. On the Paradise Garden Bandstand, listen to Melody of China performing Chinese folk, classical and contemporary instrumental songs. Take a seat in the afternoon to enjoy your festival food in this area, while you watch and listen to the trio play various traditional instruments, such as the Chinese dulcimer (yangqin), lute (pipa) and fiddle (erhu).
Vocal Seoul, an L.A.-based Korean-American a cappella group, sings contemporary music in the afternoons and evenings at Sonoma Terrace. Downtown Disney also celebrates the holiday, with a new Lunar New Year mural on the corner of the ESPN Zone building this year.
“Hurry Home – Lunar New Year Celebration” returned in 2023 for Lunar New Year at Disneyland. This six-minute World of Color pre-show begins at 9 p.m. PT, before the first World of Color showtime of the night. (Starting Jan. 27, 2023, there is an all-new show, World of Color — One, to celebrate the Disney 100 Years of Wonder anniversary.) Featuring Mulan and Mushu, this story of family and friendship is told through the use of water fountains, lights, projections and music. The show follows a little lantern on its quest to return home and reunite with loved ones for the annual celebration of good luck and fortune. Find times for this show on the Disneyland app.
Characters at Lunar New Year at Disneyland
You can meet Mulan, Mushu, Mickey, Minnie Oswald and Ortensia, all dressed in their Lunar New Year’s best, at Paradise Gardens Park. Hop into line in the morning when it first opens for the shortest character waits. Characters usually come out between 10 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Oswald the Lucky Rabbit and Ortensia the cat, who made her Disneyland Resort debut, join in the fun this year as the main hosts of the celebration. Oswald and Ortensia do not greet guests at the same time since they represent the Chinese and Vietnamese cultures respectively. You can also run into Pluto while walking around Paradise Gardens Park!
Raya — from "Raya and the Last Dragon" — can be found at Redwood Creek Challenge Trail beginning Jan. 20, 2023. She usually greets guests from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. At times, cast members may cap the line to meet Raya around 7:30 p.m. Her area is beautifully decorated with colorful lanterns to welcome her guests. She spends a lot of quality time with each party.
Lunar New Year Crafts and Activities
If you're looking for a quick break between tasting all the savory food and visiting your favorite characters, you can participate in free crafts during Lunar New Year at Disneyland. Complete a dragon's pearl coloring craft along the parade route or experience Chinese calligraphy with local artisans. Be sure to write down your wishes and tie them to the Lucky Wishing Wall (in Paradise Gardens Park) in hope of a prosperous New Year!
@undercovertourist Lunar New Year at Disney California Adventure came 𝑟𝑜𝑎𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔 back for the Year of the Tiger! 🐅 #lunarnewyear #dcalunarnewyear #undercovertourist ♬ original sound - undercovertourist
Disneyland Lunar New Year Merchandise
We love seeing the exclusive Lunar New Year Disneyland merchandise available during this time of year. The bags, ears, clothing, red envelopes and more can help you fully celebrate the Year of the Rabbit or Cat. You can purchase some souvenir Mickey Mouse red envelopes to bring home to your family, filled with wishes for good fortune and happiness in the coming year. There are Loungefly ears, spirit jerseys, rabbit-themed jackets, plushes and all kinds of goodies to help you celebrate Lunar New Year Disney-style.
If you're a Magic Key holder, hop by the Magic Key area under Silly Symphony Swings for a free Lunar New Year button, available from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. daily. It's toadally cute! Magic Key holders get a $3 discount on the Sip and Savor pass, as well as a decorated lanyard that comes along with it.
Lunar New Year Festival Food
One of our favorite parts of Lunar New Year at Disney California Adventure Park is trying delicious foods. Several restaurants in the park offer Asian-inspired menu items during the event, and six Festival Marketplaces offer Asian dishes with a Disney flair. Items can be purchased individually, or you can purchase a Sip and Savor Pass, which comes with six tabs to be exchanged for select food and nonalcoholic beverage items.
For a full list of 2023 Lunar New Year food and beverages (offerings change each year), hop over to our Food Menus post. This year, the menus are available in the Disneyland app and are not printed out (we've also created a downloadable version of the festival menus that you can use!). We used them on opening day and found they helped to easily locate the different foods offered for the festival.
A Sip and Savor Pass costs $45 ($42 for Magic Key holders), without tax included. The 2023 Sip and Savor Pass can be used through Feb. 15, 2023, and can be purchased at the Sip and Savor Cart, Seaside Souvenirs, Lunar New Year Marketplaces and the Merchandise Pergola. The lotus flower glow cube is not on the Sip and Savor Pass. After doing the math, I discovered that you'll want to use it for items over $7.50 (over $7 for Magic Key holders) in order to actually save money.
One of my favorite ways to save time is to find the food booth with the shortest line and order several of your foods at once. Then you can take your receipt to each of the other booths to collect your food items. We love skipping lines! Just don't lose your receipt! You'll find plenty of seating where you can enjoy your treats in the Paradise Gardens Park festival area.
Whether you usually celebrate Lunar New Year in your home, or you want to learn more about this holiday, you will love experiencing Lunar New Year at Disneyland. The frog family and I have learned a lot about the celebration over the past few years, and we always enjoy taking part in the festivities. The tadpoles love it too!
Hoppy Lunar New Year! We wish you health, peace and prosperity this year!
Have you celebrated Lunar New Year at Disneyland? Let us know in the comments if you've joined in on this festive celebration, and what your favorite activities were. Start the new year off with the most bang for your buck with hoppin' deals on discount Disneyland Resort tickets.
Related: Complete Guide to Disneyland Events
Keep hopping!
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