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USA Today
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Disneyland's 70th anniversary: A look at the new entertainment, celebration outfits
Disneyland's 70th anniversary: A look at the new entertainment, celebration outfits Show Caption Hide Caption Disneyland offering special anniversary ticket offer Disneyland is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year, leading to a handful of discounts and deals to celebrate the occasion. Fox - LA Disneyland Resort is celebrating its 70th anniversary with year-long festivities starting Friday. New entertainment includes the "Celebrate Happy Cavalcade," "Tapestry of Happiness" projection show, and "World of Color Happiness!" nighttime spectacular. Returning favorites include the "Paint the Night" parade and "Wondrous Journeys" fireworks show. ANAHEIM, Calif. – When Walt Disney first welcomed guests to his happy place in 1955, he told them, 'Disneyland is your land.' Over the past 70 years, many longtime guests have made it so, returning to the Southern California resort for personal milestones including birthdays and engagements, as well as everyday occasions like the latest food or festival entertainment. Now, it's Disneyland's turn to celebrate. The resort's 70th anniversary festivities kick off Friday with new experiences and returning favorites that feel like a love letter to existing fans. It's also an invitation for first timers to discover why Disneyland is called the Happiest Place on Earth and to make it their own. Here's what's in store for the yearlong celebration. New 70th anniversary entertainment, outfits and more The theme of the 70th anniversary is Celebrate Happy and everything about it – from its infectiously bubbly and seemingly ubiquitous theme song performed by the Jonas Brothers to its bright blue, pink and purple decor – is designed to delight. 'We wanted this to be the best birthday party ever and we want all of you to celebrate with us,' David Caranci, manager, Creative Development for Walt Disney Imagineering, said during a preview USA TODAY attended earlier this week. Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse and their friends have vibrant new party outfits just for the occasion, which guests can see in person during meet and greets and in the new Celebrate Happy Cavalcade at Disneyland Park. That mini parade is also where guests can spot Duffy the Disney Bear and his friend Shellie May, who typically only appear in Disney's parks in Asia. Duffy is marking his 20th anniversary at Disney parks and it's ShellieMay's first major appearance at Disneyland. At night, guests can see a new projection show called Tapestry of Happiness on the facade of 'it's a small world" at Disneyland. It's inspired in the artistic style of Disney Legend Mary Blair. On the park's actual anniversary date, July 17, a new show called Walt Disney – A Magical Life will debut at Disneyland's Main Street Opera House. It will feature Disney's first audio-animatronic of Walt Disney. Other Main Street U.S.A. experiences and a new "it's a small world verse" will also premiere July 17. Story continues below. 'We've got the big spectaculars, we've got the parades, but we've also got those moments that you can experience and have just a little bit of magic every night,' said Jennifer McGill, executive producer for Disney Live Entertainment. The latter is the name of a short projection show at Disney California Adventure (DCA). Multiple times each night, Tinker Bell will appear to transform Carthay Circle into Sleeping Beauty Castle during Celebrate Happy: A Little Bit of Magic Every Night. DCA's big new nighttime spectacular is called World of Color Happiness! It's the seventh full-length iteration of World of Color and anchored by characters from the 'Inside Out' franchise. "If you don't leave that show humming, dancing, moving feeling all the wonderful emotions, I'll be very surprised,' McGill said. Guests will want to arrive early for a good viewing spot because the show is preceded by a new pre-show starring the Muppets, who are also celebrating their 70th anniversary. Don't leave without trying Toy Story Mania, which has a special anniversary overlay. Guests can earn extra points by shooting at '70' targets throughout the attraction. Throughout the resort, including at Downtown Disney District, guests will also find more than 70 new food and beverage offerings, four different collections of anniversary merchandise and various photo backdrops to mark their visit. Returning Disneyland favorites Some of those anniversary food and beverage offerings are inspired by past park menu items. 'We're really excited to have some of these nostalgic classics back in the parks,' said Disneyland Chef Steven Medina, pointing to opening day dishes like banana splits and Apple Pancake Rolls on a display table. 'And can't talk about Disney history with food without talking about chili. You know Walt was very notoriously famous for loving the chili here in the parks, so we brought those in two different ways.' One is a W.E.D. Chil Cheese Baked Potato, named after Walter Elias Disney. The other is a Chili Cheese Corn Dog coated in corn chips. Other nostalgic items include a Dancing Shimmering Lights drink, which is a nod to Disneyland's Videopolis area in the 1980s, and a Hook's Galley Tuna Melt, which throws back to the park's early era Chicken of the Sea Pirate Ship and Restaurant. Though not quite as old, Disney California Adventure is welcoming back Better Together: A Pixar Pals Celebration!, a daytime parade, which debuted last year. It features characters from various Pixar films including 'Turning Red,' 'Toy Story' and 'Monsters, Inc.' Disneyland is bringing back one its most popular nighttime parades, Paint the Night, which debuted during the park's 60th anniversary celebration. The park is also reviving its beloved nighttime spectacular Wondrous Journeys, which highlights 60 Disney Animation films. 'One of the things that I think is really special about the 70th is that we have a lot of new exciting offerings, but we also have listened to the fans, and we are bringing back those classics that not only our guests but our cast members truly, truly love," McGill said. Story continues below. What else is happening across Disneyland There's lots more happening across the resort that isn't tied to the the 70th celebration. On Friday, Disney California Adventure debuted a new show called Disney Junior: Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Live! It's primarily geared toward families with young children, but grownups may enjoy it as much as kids. 'I really wanted to make sure that this show was for the entire family,' said show director David Underwood. 'Our show really feels like mini musical.' The premise is Mickey and Minnie are throwing a party, but their friends don't show up, so they go out to find them. 'And this kind of is where the fun begins,' Underwood said. There's singing, dancing, bubbles and of course the Hot Dog Dance so synonymous with the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. Pixar Pals Playtime Party and Stitch's Interplanetary Beach Party Blast will return to Disneyland Park on May 23. Pride Nite returns in June. Disney Jr. Let's Play! Party will arrive at DCA and Downtown Disney this summer. Halloween Time, Plaza de la Familia and Holidays at the Disneyland Resort return later this year. Through it all, the resort continues to offer the staples that have endeared it with 70 years of guests: an escape from the worries of the world outside, a place to feel like a kid again, and a little bit of magic courtesy of cast members, as Disney fans have shared with USA TODAY. The reporter on this story received access from Disney. USA TODAY maintains editorial control of content. (This story has been updated to add a photo.)
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Tia Mowry's New Project Lets Kids Take Charge Of Family Vacations
Who says the grown-ups have to plan the vacation? In a bold and seriously adorable move, Visit Anaheim has just launched the Imaginagency, the world's first travel agency run entirely by kids, and it's as fun and imaginative as it sounds. Even better? It's led in part by actress, entrepreneur, and full-on mom boss , along with her kids Cree and Cairo Mowry-Hardrict. 'I'm thrilled to partner with Visit Anaheim on this fun, imaginative project,' Tia Mowry said. 'Anaheim is special to me. It's where I lived while working in LA, and now I get to return with my kids to create something magical. It's a full-circle moment for me, and I can't wait for families to experience Anaheim through the eyes of kids because it's a place where imagination can run wild.' She added, 'The cherry on top was being able to collaborate with my own children and seeing their over-the-top vacation ideas!' Launched in response to a new survey showing that 86% of kids want more say in family vacation planning, Imaginagency is giving kids the power to call the shots, and they're not holding back. From pancakes and theme parks to hockey games and hiking trails, these tiny travel agents know exactly what they want. So, who are the masterminds behind the movement? The 'Imaginagents' include six superstar kids aged 6 to 13. Cree Mowry-Hardrict, 13, actor and Tia Mowry's oldest son; Cairo Mowry-Hardrict, 6, Tia's daughter and full-time cutie; Tynka Gudas, 9, daughter of Anaheim Ducks captain Radko Gudas; Brayden El Moussa, 9, son of HGTV stars Tarek El Moussa and Christina Haack; Olivia Bledsoe, 9, local Anaheim expert; and Nigel Zhang, 9, also a local Anaheim expert. Each Imaginagent created their own bookable itinerary, and they're every bit as creative as you'd expect. Cairo planned a delicious, dessert-filled adventure featuring pancakes, donuts, and ice cream. Cree's visit is part of the excitement surrounding Disneyland Resort's 70th Anniversary, kicking off May 16, 2025, and running through summer 2026. The milestone celebration promises nonstop fun for all ages, with new experiences and the return of beloved favorites like the Paint the Night parade and Wondrous Journeys nighttime spectacular. Meanwhile, Tynka offers a hockey lover's dream inspired by the Anaheim Ducks. Brayden goes full throttle with scenic views and thrills, and Olivia and Nigel serve up park-hopping, hiking, shopping, and theme park fun. 'Kids bring a special kind of magic to the travel experience,' Scott Oklin, Chief Marketing Officer of Visit Anaheim, said. 'Through Imaginagency, we're not just giving families a trip to remember, we're allowing kids to lead the way with their own creativity. Whether it's cheering on the Anaheim Ducks or taking a spin on thrilling rides, we're all about turning kids' big ideas into unforgettable moments for the whole family.' And that's not all, because Visit Anaheim and Tia Mowry are turning this initiative into a full-blown contest. Starting today through July 14, families can visit to browse the six official kid-curated itineraries, use the Itinerary Builder to create their own dream Anaheim vacation, and enter for a chance to win an epic family getaway valued at up to $10,000. Kids who submit their own itineraries will be entered to win a three-night, all-expenses-paid trip to Anaheim for a family of four, including airfare, hotel, meals, theme park tickets, and more. The launch of Imaginagency comes just as Anaheim is celebrating its Golden Decade, with the city continuing to grow as the ultimate family destination. Nestled in the heart of Orange County, between the glam of Los Angeles and the laid-back vibe of San Diego, Anaheim is already home to Disneyland Resort, and soon to be home to even more exciting attractions like the upcoming OCVIBE entertainment district. Between its magical parks, tasty eats, and now, a kid-powered travel agency, Anaheim isn't just kid-friendly. It's kid-run. So, if your little one has always wanted to plan the family vacay, now's their big moment. Let them take the wheel and maybe pack some extra snacks for Cairo's itinerary.
The Guardian
05-03-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Disneyland Resort is turning 70: six unforgettable experiences to share this year
It's the theme park that never ages. When Disneyland Resort opened its doors in Anaheim, California, in July 1955, it set the global standard for immersive holiday destinations. Seventy years later it is still innovating. People arrive from around the world all year round to visit its two theme parks, and the magical combination of nostalgia, futuristic fantasy and fun offers every generation a reason to discover (and rediscover) its charms. 'Celebrate Happy!' is Disneyland Resort's 70th anniversary theme, and plans for this very special birthday include a line-up of limited-time entertainment and experiences. Be sure to see the new Mickey and Friends Celebrate Happy! parade at Disneyland Park, and a returning favourite, the Better Together: A Pixar Pals Celebration! parade at Disney California Adventure Park. Both parades feature music, dynamic and colourful floats and appearances by many of your favourite Pixar and Disney Characters. Look out for the iconic Sleeping Beauty Castle – it will be dressed in its best 70th attire – and the new range of special birthday merchandise so you can take a piece of the party home with you. If you've watched a Disney film in the past two decades, you'll be familiar with the image of fireworks exploding over Sleeping Beauty Castle. Now you can see them in person. This year, as part of the resort's 70th birthday celebrations, the night-time Wondrous Journeys fireworks display will light up Disneyland Park, complementing a hi-tech lightscape that will be projected across many of the park's iconic buildings. The popular Paint the Night parade also returns to bring some of your favourite stories to life while drenching the park in colour and light. If you're looking for excitement, Disneyland Resort doesn't disappoint. Start planning for the exhilaration of the Incredibles-themed Incredicoaster – you'll be zooming up and down to save Jack Jack. There's more adrenaline on offer at Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge, where the attraction Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance offers a journey through an epic and immersive battle between the Resistance and the First Order. The thrills keep coming with The Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT. Join Rocket on his escape mission and feel the drop when your stolen lift makes a sudden plunge. Tiana's Bayou Adventure is one of Disneyland Park's newest reimagined attractions. Inside this wonderland of woodland animals are many familiar Characters, such as Mama Odie, Louis the Alligator and Tiana herself. It's a musical journey of twists, turns and festive fun that climaxes in a 15-metre drop. The streets come alive with some of your favourite Characters at Disneyland Resort. During the 70th celebration, you can catch Mickey, Minnie and some of their friends in their best birthday outfits. Say hello – it might just be the perfect time for a selfie. Looking for a superhero? You might bump into Black Panther, Captain Marvel, Captain America, or one of the Guardians of the Galaxy. Star Wars fans should keep an eye out for roaming Stormtroopers, Chewbacca, Kylo Ren and more. And it wouldn't be Disney without some of your favourite Pixar Characters. Don't miss the chance to say hello to Woody and Buzz from Toy Story, Mr and Mrs Incredible from The Incredibles or Joy and Sadness from Inside Out. You'll leave with new friends, amazing photographs and precious memories. Who hasn't dreamed of a ride on the swirling teacups at the Mad Tea Party or boarding a pirate ship on Pirates of The Caribbean? Whether you're seven or 70, the classic Disney experiences are as joyful today as they were in 1955. Discover the thrill of the jungle on The Jungle Cruise ride in Adventureland, explore futuristic Tomorrowland, featuring the iconic Space Mountain, or get spooked at The Haunted Mansion – they're the iconic Disney experiences you'll want to come back for again and again. It's impossible to see and do everything at Disneyland Resort in one day. It makes sense to plan a multi-day visit, and you're going to need somewhere to rest. Disneyland Resort has three on-site hotels: Disney's Grand Californian Hotel and Spa, Disneyland Hotel and Pixar Place Hotel. Staying in any of these includes early access on select days to one of the parks, so you can tick even more experiences off your bucket list. Within walking distance of the parks are many Good Neighbour hotels – so there is something to suit every budget. Too excited to sleep? Don't miss visiting Downtown Disney District, where you'll find a world of cuisines and shopping to explore, as well as music, bars and a bowling alley – it's the perfect excuse to stay up late. Ready to book? With the 70th Celebration happening from 16th May 2025, there has never been a better time to 'Celebrate Happy!'. Contact your travel agent and plan your next holiday to Disneyland Resort in California today. *Both a theme park reservation and valid ticket for the same park on the same date are required for park entry. Entertainment and offerings are subject to availability, restrictions, and change or cancellation without notice. Park admission and offerings are not guaranteed. Visit for important information before visiting Disneyland Resort in California. ©2025 Disney ©2025 MARVEL ©2025 Disney/Pixar ©2025 & TM Lucasfilm Ltd.
Los Angeles Times
27-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Dine amid flowing lava at downtown L.A.'s new immersive restaurant
To set foot inside the Gallery, a new restaurant and bar in downtown, is to be whisked into a world fit for a theme park. Walk in via its bar, and gone are views of Olympic Boulevard. In the place of windows, you'll find a fantastical, idealized take on a major city, a skyline vision that looks ripped from an animated film. Stroll into the dining room and at first you may see a blank canvas, only soon its walls and tables awaken to place you underwater, in nature or surrounded by a scalding hot warehouse where lava flows over clocklike gears. The goal is wonder — at times, you can place your hand on the table and wait as fish swim toward you. Or you can trace a circle around a plate and watch flowers spring to life around it. Each scene — each dish in the five course meal — is conjured via a performer, their dance-like moves choreographed to digital projections designed to evoke a sense of curiosity. It is, to use a time-honored phrase, dinner and a show. Yet the team behind the concept — veterans of the theme park industry — hope the Gallery feels wholly modern, ever-changing and somewhat alive. Linger, for instance, in the bar, and you'll notice dozens of scenes unfolding inside the windows of the skyscrapers, each one an improvised, abstracted story. The full dinner experience, called 'Elementa,' launches this Friday with a menu developed by Joshua Whigham, the former chef de cuisine at José Andrés' now shuttered L.A. outpost of Bazaar. A two-hour dinner that explores the five classical elements, it's the first of what creators hope is many a show to utilize the space. 'It's a tough world we live in,' says the Gallery co-founder Daren Ulmer. 'If I can give you some relief, I think it's therapeutic — to take you to some other world and allow you to imagine, to dream, to get away, to relax and in some cases, to inspire.' When Disneyland celebrated the 100th anniversary of the Walt Disney Co. throughout 2023, it did so with a new nighttime fireworks show, 'Wondrous Journeys.' That production, which features glances at every animated film the studio has produced, will return this year for the 70th anniversary of Disneyland. Ulmer, via his company Mousetrappe Media, collaborated with Disney on the experience, designing projection mapping that could be seen on Sleeping Beauty Castle and elsewhere. Over the years, you may have also caught Mousetrappe's work on a show at the Hollywood Bowl, as the studio crafted projections for performances of 'The Nightmare Before Christmas.' Mousetrappe's extensive portfolio also includes experiences at the Kennedy Space Center and One World Trade Center, among many other cultural projects. For the Gallery, Ulmer created a new company dubbed Allureum, but it's closely connected to Mousetrappe, featuring many of its same staff, including co-founder Chuck Fawcett. And it pulls from Ulmer's love of theme parks. When it came to looking at the next phase of his career, Ulmer, 57, however, began looking at nightlife. 'I'm not going to go build a new theme park, but what ought there be?' Ulmer says. 'I started to focus on this gap between dinner and a movie and going to a bar and a rather expensive day at a theme park.' Ulmer went on research trips, visiting what he calls 'compelling' local locales like SkyBar, Castaway and Perch. He took in projection dinner shows on cruise ships, animated table shows, some more traditional dinner theater and, of course, elaborately themed restaurants. He was looking for a mix of food, entertainment and theming. 'I found a lot of people did two of those well, but very rarely did all three together,' Ulmer says. 'I wasn't seeing a lot of places that really designed something that put all three of those on equal footing from the ground up.' The Gallery is the latest themed restaurant in a city with a long history with the format. Only this one relies heavily on technology rather than memorabilia or elaborately designed sets that have placed us anywhere from a prison to a submarine. The Gallery is aiming for a stylish yet playful vibe; the purple-hued urban bar, known as Horizon, possesses an optimistic yet retro take on a city. And while a seat in the dining room isn't cheap — 'Elementa' will run about $200 per person — with communal interactive tables, the feel is anything but exclusive. 'We're not here today without Planet Hollywood, Hard Rock Cafe, Rainforest Cafe and all of those things of the past,' says Ulmer, even though he stresses he's slightly concerned that diners may have preconceived notions about some of those locales. Many, after all, have not traditionally been known for the sort of elevated food the Gallery is aiming for. Ulmer realizes that those in the food space may view the Gallery as something of a gimmick. 'I expect the food world to be skeptical,' Ulmer says. 'There have been gimmicky things in the past. I ask them to trust us and look and see where we go from here.' He says that chef Whigham 'is literally a José Andrés protege designing this menu.' Ulmer cites Whigham's work at Bazaar as particularly impressive, and says he 'was an inspiration for this project due to this passion for making dining an emotional experience.' 'Elementa's' menu may shift but expect courses to align with projections on the table and on the walls — such as a seafood dish surrounded by images of the ocean. One of Whigham's creations for the 'water' element, for instance, is hamachi and seaweed with kabocha squash and tamari-shiitake dashi dressing. A 'fire' dish? Tenderloin and mushrooms with coriander and peppercorn crust. This contrasts with the more casual plates at the Horizon bar during its soft opening, which have leaned toward upscale yet familiar pub food: a calamari appetizer, a bountiful hummus plate, cheese and charcuterie, an 8 oz. ribeye, and an assortment of sandwiches and pizzas. 'Elementa' will be the special occasion meal, but for the concept to work, the Gallery's bar Horizon will have to also become a gathering spot. It's easy, for instance, to get lost in the scenes that play in the windows and doors of the city buildings, which were filmed utilizing improv actors from comedy troupe the Groundlings. 'It's that public house,' Ulmer says. 'We want to be a place people gather and hangout, and it's transformational. That's why the cityscape has media in it. You can expect that to change holiday to holiday, and we'll have triggered events in there. When we find out it's your birthday, the city will celebrate your birthday for a moment.' Few meals begin with an overture. Your night at 'Elementa' will, courtesy of a short musical composition from Ulmer. It begins with a dramatic flourish, but soon becomes something more fantastical, with shades, perhaps, of John Williams' uplifting themes from 'E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.' The rest of the evening is marked by the work of impressionistic composer Claude Debussy, lending the meal a cinematic flourish. The idea is that we are all actors in a performance. Throughout the dinner, guests will be encouraged to look for and create unexpected interactions. Place a candle, for instance, in the center of the table, and lava and ashes may erupt around it. Elsewhere, reach out toward the hands of the person across from you, and a cosmic bridge may appear below you. That's ultimately the underlying theme of the meal — to create and solidify connections. Ulmer says he was influenced heavily by Cirque du Soleil. 'Cirque du Soleil is an extremely emotional experience,' Ulmer says. 'There's a thread and a theme and a general setting, but it's not Act One, Act Two and Act Three. It's just about human emotion, drama, scale, color and the experience. If I were to liken us to anything, we have a Cirque du Soleil-type approach to the dining experience.' At about $200 per person, Ulmer recognizes that 'Elementa' will not be for everyone. 'Everyone can't make it here,' Ulmer says. 'We understand that. We'd like to make it as accessible as we can. We are aspiring to offer and exceed the level of experience that up until now has only been available in 12 to 20 seat $400-type experiences. Our goal is to be a Michelin-level dining experience with our Disney and Universal-level of experience combined with it.' And yet if the Gallery's two dining offerings are a success, Ulmer is looking at more affordable, family-friendly options outside of 'Elementa' or the bar presentation of Horizon. He envisions using the space to program one-off meals on days or evenings when 'Elementa' isn't running. This is also a way, he says, to cultivate repeat customers who may have already seen 'Elementa.' 'We will also have experiences that will offer more like a traditional restaurant,' Ulmer says. 'You'll have a reservation and you'll come in here and the environment will be alive and maybe something happens every 10 or 15 minutes, but it's not a linear five course meal like 'Elementa' is. For instance, maybe on a Sunday afternoon it's a Napa Valley wine tasting experience, and you're looking at the vineyards of Napa out of virtual windows. We have so many possibilities for how we can use this platform.' And while Ulmer says 'Elementa' is family friendly, as he believes children with adventurous food palates will enjoy the show, he's also looking forward to Saturday matinee programming geared specifically for families with young kids. If all goes according to plan, then, the restaurant itself may change as often — or even more than — the menu.
