One of my favorite things about Disney California Adventure Park is its evolution from primarily representing iconic geographical features of the golden state – like its Redwood Forests and beachfront piers – to also showcasing California’s diverse population through annual festivals.
Among these multicultural events is the Lunar New Year celebration, which after taking 2021 off, is returning to ring in the Year of the Tiger from Jan. 21 to Feb. 13, 2022.
“This festival is incredibly special,” said Disney California Adventure Park General Manager Gary Maggetti. “It is the most immersive festival that we do. It has sights, sounds, flavors, everything that you want to experience; we have it all.”
The popular limited-time festival highlights Chinese, Vietnamese, and Korean cultures through delicious Asian-inspired food and beverage offerings, favorite characters dressed in special Lunar New Year attire, and “Mulan’s Lunar New Year Procession” with traditional dancers, drummers, and this year, a brand new float featuring red and gold lanterns that illuminate during after-sunset performances. The procession makes its way along the “performance corridor” (from Silly Symphony Swings to Embarcadero Gifts) – and back – each day at 1:30 p.m., 2:45 p.m., 4:45 p.m., 5:45 p.m., and 7 p.m.
The celebration also features special Lunar New Year merchandise, including pins; adult, kids, and ladies T-Shirts; a tumbler; a red Lunar New Year spirit jersey; a Minnie keychain; a Donald figurine; and a unique Mickey plush from Shanghai Disney Resort.
For a more in-depth look at the merchandise for Lunar New Year, be sure to take a look at the article below.
Lunar New Year Character Appearances and Entertainment
One particularly fun feature of Lunar New Year at California Adventure is the inclusion of special Disney characters to represent the current year of the Chinese Zodiac – some who rarely (if ever) make appearances otherwise.
In 2019 (the Year of the Pig), Fifer, Fiddler, and Practical from the 1933 “Three Little Pigs” animated short made a rare appearance as part of Mulan’s procession.
And for 2020’s Year of the Rat, Mickey and Minnie Mouse were treated to spectacular new red and gold embroidered costumes created by award-winning Chinese couture designer Guo Pei (to learn more about the costumes, check out episode 104 of Disney Insider on Disney+).
This year, Tigger is bouncing into the celebration for the Year of the Tiger, but I can’t help wondering which character might have represented the Year of the Ox had the parks not been shut down in 2021. Would it have been Clarabelle Cow who appeared at Disney’s Shanghai and Hong Kong parks? Or might Disneyland have reached way back into Disney history and selected Ferdinand from the 1938 Disney animated “Ferdinand the Bull” short or Babe the Blue Ox from 1958’s “Paul Bunyan”? Sadly, we’ll have to wait until 2033 to find out.
In addition to seeing Tigger, Mulan, Mushu, Chip, Dale, and Goofy in the procession, guests can also meet Mulan and Mushu, Micky and Minnie, and the Three Little Pigs at the Paradise Garden Gazebo
Also, guests can take pictures with Raya in Redwood Creek Challenge Trail where the hero of Disney’s 2021 animated film “Raya and the Last Dragon” is making her first appearance at any Disney theme park.
A couple of Raya tips: The queue stretched well over an hour on the festival’s opening day, but if you just want to lay eyes on Raya (meaning no meet and greet and no selfies), check with Cast Members if the “walk-through” option is available. Just know they really do mean walk-through, so be prepared to keep moving and snap a photo quickly as you pass. Also, Raya’s area has special lighting effects, so it’s worth waiting until later in the day to see her.
Another unique feature of the celebration is the many interactive cultural opportunities, including complimentary crafts, the lucky wishing wall where guests can add messages for the upcoming year, calligraphy artists, and performances at Paradise Garden Bandstand by San Francisco-based Chinese music ensemble Melody of China on weekdays and local performance groups on Saturdays and Sundays.
Displays in Paradise Garden also explain how Lunar New Year is celebrated by Korean, Chinese, and Japanese families and let guests find out which animal represents their birth year.
Lunar New Year Food and Beverages
While all California Adventure’s festivals feature innovative bites and sips, Lunar New Year allows Disney chefs to create Asian-inspired dishes “with a Disney twist” for four Festival Marketplaces – Longevity Noodle Co., Lucky 8 Lantern, Prosperity Bao and Buns, and Red Dragon Spice Traders – as well as other dining locations and carts throughout the park.
According to Disneyland’s Culinary Director, Chef Jeremiah Balogh, over 30 special Lunar New Year menu items are available at more locations than ever, making it a truly park-wide celebration.
“We have Lunar New Year-inspired offerings in the marketplaces and Paradise Garden Grill, but also in…Lamplight Lounge and the Pacific Wharf area,” he said. “You’re going to recognize the flavors, the spices, the presentations – and you’re also going to see those twists that only Disney can do.”
Disney twists notwithstanding, the responsibility to accurately present traditional Asian dishes – some that “have been around for generations” – is not one Chef Balogh takes lightly, and he noted that many menu items come from the cultural backgrounds and personal travel experiences of Disneyland Cast Members.
Let’s take a look at the long list of food and beverage items offered for the 2022 Lunar New year Festival:
Longevity Noodle Co
- Garlic Noodles – $7.00
- Spicy Pork Dandan Noodles – $7.50
- Salted Pistachio Cold Brew – $6.50
- Young Master Brewery – Neon City Pale Ale – $13.25
Lucky 8 Lantern
- Shrimp Fried Rice – $8.00
- Beef Bulgogi Short Rib – $8.25
- Peach Yuja-Ade – $6.50
- Soju Peach Yuja-Ade – $14.00
- Kloud Brewery – Original Gravity Lager – $10.50
Prosperity Bao and Buns
- Char-Siu BBQ Pork Bao – $8.00
- Mickey Chinese Hot Dog Bun – $7.00
- Prosperous Tiger – $15.00
- Lychee Celebration – $14.00
Red Dragon Spice Trader
- Spicy Three-Cup Chicken – $8.00
- Impossible Lion’s Head Meatballs (plant-based) – $7.50
- Mickey Purple Sweet Potato Macaron – $6.50
- Dancing Firecracker – $6.50
- Master Gao Brewery – Baby Jasmine Tea Lager – $13.25
If you’re feeling like getting a festive momento for Lunar New Year, you can add a glowing lotus flower cube to any drink for an additional $5.50.
Paradise Garden Grill
The menu here is fully revamped just for the Lunar New Year celebration. This dining location will be serving favorite Asian-inspired cuisine during the festival’s run. The menu features past favorites from previous Lunar New Year festivals.
- Korean-Style BBQ Chicken
- Spicy Kung Pao Tofu
- Whole Fried Fish
- Pork Banh Mi
- Green tea Raspberry Parfait
- Tiger Milk Tea with Brown Sugar Boba
- Soju Cocktail
- Mulan Sipper
Paradise Gardens Special Events Cart
- Gochujang Wings
- Asian-style Street Corn
- Korean-style BBQ Nachos
- Orange-flavored Cotton Candy
- Mango-Pineapple Pie
- Puffed Rice Pale Ale
Seasonal Cart in Redwood Creek Challenge Trail
- Brown Sugar Steam Bun
- White Hot Chocolate
- Warm Apple Cider Cocktail
Studio Catering Truck
- Hoisin Pork Sliders
- Green Tea Slush
- Lemongrass-Ginger Lemonade
Lucky Fortune Cookery
- Hong Kong-style Milk Tea
- Mulan Sipper
Cappuccino Cart
- Baked Char Siu Bao
- Mango-Pineapple Pie
Lamplight Lounge
- Korean-style BBQ Nachos
- Kung Pao Bao
- Oolong Donut
- Lunar Cocktail
Grand Californian Hotel Holiday Cart
- Lantern Whoopie Pie
- Assorted Pretzel Sticks
- Mickey-shaped Tiger Sugar Cookie
Lunar New Year Sip and Savor Pass
To maximize their culinary experience, guests can purchase a Sip and Savor Pass for $43 that includes six tear-off tabs that can be redeemed for select food and non-alcoholic beverages at participating kiosks and dining locations. Disney Magic Key holders can unlock extra savings with a $3 discount on passes.
To minimize wait times, guests can order items from any of the four marketplaces at the register at any kiosk, so basically, you can choose the shortest line, order everything at once, and then take your receipt to the corresponding pick-up areas. However, the option to order from multiple marketplaces at once may not always be available (particularly towards the end of the day). Another thing to be aware of is that some items may run out (again, particularly towards the end of the day), so if there are any “must-have” menu items, make sure to get them early in the day to avoid any potential disappointment (I’m looking at you mango-pineapple pie).
The Lunar New Year celebration at Disney California Adventure Park continues through Feb. 13, 2022.
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Let’s Hear From You
Are you looking forward to the Lunar New Year celebration at DCA this year? any foods you are interested in trying? Lunar New Year merch caught your eye? Let us know in the comments below.
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