DISNEYLAND UPDATE: Celebrate 70… and Build a Better Tomorrow(land)?

Disneyland turned 70 this week—and threw itself quite the party. From new shows and nighttime spectaculars to Duffy’s big return and mountains of anniversary merch, the resort is doing its best to “Celebrate Happy.” But beneath all the confetti lies a park at a turning point… and we were there to witness it firsthand.

This week’s massive Disneyland Update is packed with news, entertainment, and expectation. We’ll introduce you to Disneyland’s brand-new President and the all-star Imagineering team now steering the park’s future. And we’ve got thoughts—especially as Disneyland tries to position itself as a true global destination. Can this new leadership team fix what’s broken, live up to sky-high guest expectations, and actually deliver on the promises of DisneylandForward?

Plus, we’ve experienced everything the 70th anniversary celebration has to offer, from Duffy and ShellieMay’s cheerful cavalcade to the return of Paint the Night and Wondrous Journeys, an emotional new World of Color, and some very colorful projection shows. We’ll show you what’s worth your time, and what’s… more of a work in progress.

Also in this update: A long-awaited restroom finally reopens—with a twist. A Downtown Disney favorite slowly disappears. Construction and refurb updates from around the resort. We visit a new Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Live show. And yes, merch, merch, and more merch.

So grab a bench (if you can find one in the shade), because we’ve got photos, video, and analysis from every corner of the resort—and a very honest look at what Disneyland’s next 30 years need to get right.

Disneyland’s Next Decade or Two

As Disneyland marks its 70th anniversary with a cheerful “Celebrate Happy” campaign, there’s no denying the resort has reached a critical crossroads. In those seven decades, it has transformed from a quirky dream into a global icon—but if Disneyland is going to remain relevant and beloved through its 100th birthday, the decisions made today will matter more than ever.

This past week, we had the opportunity to meet Disneyland’s new President, Thomas Mazloum, during a media event commemorating the park’s milestone year. Thomas steps into the role following his leadership of Disney Signature Experiences—overseeing the cruise line, Adventures by Disney, Aulani, and DVC. It’s a background steeped in hospitality and focused on delivering high-quality guest service.

His predecessor, Ken Potrock, helped secure the greenlight for DisneylandForward, a rezoning initiative that unlocked new development opportunities for the resort. But while that move opened the door to future growth, it may have come at the expense of the present—resort maintenance, cast training, entertainment value, and overall guest satisfaction have all taken a hit. Now it’s up to Thomas—and his partners in Imagineering and operations—to both chart the future and fix what isn’t living up to the Disney standard today.

It’s a pivotal moment. Disneyland has never looked better on the surface, but the guest experience has eroded in ways that are hard to ignore. Visitors face a maze of reservations, mobile orders, virtual queues, and paid line-skipping tiers just to get through the day. Add inconsistent cast training, missing amenities like shaded seating and indoor rest spots, and long lines for everything, and it’s no surprise that “happy” sometimes feels like a faded memory of times gone by.

But isn’t a “Celebrate Happy” campaign the perfect moment for leadership to take a good, hard look at what’s keeping guests from actually feeling… well… happy?

The good news? These problems are fixable. And none of them are Mazloum’s fault—yet. That gives him a rare opportunity to reset the guest experience. With his service-driven background at Disney Cruise Line and Adventures by Disney, he’s well-positioned to champion a return to something simpler, more seamless, and genuinely enjoyable. Because the goal isn’t just new lands and flashy IP—it’s a Disneyland experience that feels intuitive, comfortable, and joyful again.

Mazloum won’t be doing this alone. A new team of Imagineering leaders—Daniel Jue, Emo O’Brien, and Nick Ross—have taken over the Disneyland portfolio. Their most recent work, Tokyo DisneySea’s Fantasy Springs, is being hailed as one of Disney’s most impressive expansions ever, with richly detailed lands based on Frozen, Tangled, and Peter Pan. It’s the kind of immersive, story-driven experience fans have been craving—and the kind of ambition our Disneyland desperately needs.

Which brings us back to DisneylandForward. With zoning restrictions eased, there’s talk of a third gate, a hotel and retail district near the convention center, and other major additions. But before growing outward, the current parks need serious attention. Tomorrowland’s outdated sprawl, Autopia’s gas-chugging loop, the long-shuttered Fantasyland Theater and Hyperion—these are opportunities begging for reinvention.

Internally, Disney has been floating the idea of promoting Disneyland as a true global destination—a place where guests might spend a full week, like at Walt Disney World. It’s a bold goal. But to get there, the resort must offer more: more capacity, more comfort, more value. If “Destination Disneyland” is going to succeed, the experience can’t feel limited or transactional. Guests can’t leave feeling like they overpaid and Disney under-delivered.

So, to Thomas and his new team: welcome. You’re stepping into a resort with unmatched history and fan devotion—but also a growing list of operational challenges and guest frustrations, many of which are amplified by sky-high prices and ever-tightening rules. The next chapter of Disneyland is yours to shape. Make it worthy of the last 70 years—and ready for the next 30.

Crowd Conundrum

While the parks were definitely packed on Friday—the first official day of Disneyland’s 70th anniversary celebration—it wasn’t the rides that were drawing the longest lines. Despite park reservations being fully booked, attraction wait times remained relatively short. Instead, crowds were piling up for a very different reason: merchandise, commemorative treats, interactive souvenirs, and a quirky new MagicBand+ game.

Attraction waits at 4pm looked like the off season…

Magic Key holders made up an estimated 50% of the crowd that day, and they tour very differently from out-of-town visitors. Rather than racing to Space Mountain or Rise of the Resistance, many headed straight for the shops, food booths, or the latest collectible. For example, while it might’ve taken you 20 minutes to enter Disney Showcase on Friday, those lines are already thinning out now that many locals have secured their must-haves.

What guests were lining up for is to tap their MagicBands in new interactive spots peppered throughout the park. Some of these locations spit out 70th anniversary souvenirs after you tap (one ticket per day at each location).

 

 

 

 

 

 

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MagicBand+ Locations:

• Main Street U.S.A. – Tilly’s Ticket Booth at Main Street Cinema
• Frontierland – Booth at Silver Spur Supplies (there are three interactive spots here)
• Fantasyland – Window by Bibbidi Bobbodi Boutique (no tickets dispensed here)
• Adventureland – Skipper Lockers at Jungle Cruise
• Tomorrowland – Autopia (coming soon)

But one item in particular caused a stir—and we’re still trying to decide if it’s brilliant, bonkers, or a bit of both… A $60 Key to the Kingdom (and maybe a pin)

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Already one of the most sought-after 70th souvenirs is a large light-up electronic key, styled with a Disneyland “D” and a transparent body that glows when activated. At first glance, it’s a fun, if oversized, keepsake. But it’s what the key does that sent guests scrambling.

Scattered throughout the park are nine oversized keyholes, one in each of Disneyland’s themed lands. Insert your key into a keyhole, and voilà—lights flash, bubbles burst, and a bit of Disney “magic” is unlocked.

But there’s a twist: Once you’ve used the key in all nine locations, it unlocks a surprise souvenir inside the key—a single collectible pin representing one of the lands. The catch? You only get one pin per key. So, to collect the complete set of nine, you’ll either need to buy (at minimum) nine $60 keys… or do some serious trading with other guests. (We’re told Disney has set up pin boards to help facilitate swaps.)

Sound a little extreme? Maybe. But on opening day, the keyholes drew long lines, the keys quickly sold out, and social media was flooded with unlock videos. For better or worse, Disney found a way to gamify merchandise, and fans took the bait.

Disneyland 70th Celebration

Even though Disneyland’s actual 70th anniversary (and the debut of Walt Disney – A Magical Life) isn’t until July 17th, there’s plenty to keep us busy until then, with both daytime and nighttime parades, spectaculars, and projection shows… not to mention all the celebratory bites and sips.

Celebrate Happy in Disneyland Park

In the park that started it all, the new Celebrate Happy Cavalcade is led by Duffy the Disney Bear and his friend ShellieMay (making her Disneyland debut). These adorable friends are extremely popular in Disney’s Asian parks (and Aulani), but they rarely make it to Anaheim, so we’re so happy to see them!

What we strangely HAVEN’T seen yet is any Duffy merchandise in the stores or a meet and greet (as is so popular in Disney’s Asian parks). But we have a feeling both will be coming soon.  

The colorful costumes and toe-tapping Jonas Brothers tune have rocketed this cavalcade to one of our celebration favorites. A quick and simple shot of happiness. 

Check out all the Duffy and ShellieMae cuteness here:

When the sun goes down, be sure to head to Small World to catch the charming new projection show called Tapestry of Happiness that combines whimsical Mary Blair-inspired images, iconic attraction sound effects, and music (the Jonas Brothers are EVERYWHERE). This is an easy to miss show… don’t. It’s very well done and a lot of fun.

Then stay put for Paint the Night, which shines as bright as ever with over 1 million LED lights, the return of the spectacular 30-foot-tall Frozen float, and you guessed it, more Jonas Bros.

You can watch our Tapestry of Happiness & Paint The Night double feature here:

But wait, there’s more!

The amazing Wondrous Journeys from Disney’s 100th celebration is also back, so as soon as you can regain your composure from seeing Paint the Night, skedaddle over to the castle for the most beautiful fireworks show on earth (though you can also watch at Small World or Rivers of America).

We captured a front-row view of the spectacular nighttime spectacular:

And here’s a tip: 

DISNEYLAND 70TH ANNIVERSARY PRO TIP:  See three nighttime shows from a single location. Find a spot on the raised viewing platforms facing “it’s a small world” and watch Tapestry of Happiness, Paint the Night, and Wondrous Journeys all from the same spot. Yes, fireworks may be better from the castle courtyard, but you can’t beat the convenience of the Small World location… plus, the fireworks are shot from just behind ToonTown, so you really FEEL them here. 

Music Box Madness

As you make your way across the esplanade to California Adventure, be sure to check out the photo op sculpture accompanied by semi-creepy (and definitely sleepy) music box versions of Disney tunes. We don’t know if Chucky (or that creepy new Mickey Mouse popcorn bucket) is going to jump out and kill us or if we are supposed to take a nap before entering the park.

For a taste of the almost unbearable esplanade soundtrack, listen to our short one-minute clip. Our thoughts and prayers are with the front gate cast who have to listen to this for the next year and a half. We hope Disneyland is sending crisis counselors to help them through this difficult time.  

Celebrate Happy in California Adventure

The fun-filled Better Together: Pixar Pals Celebration parade that debuted in August for Pixar Fest has already returned to California Adventure after less than a year.

While the floats look like a high school homecoming celebration, the dancers and characters are very energetic and interact with the crowds, so this is a don’t miss parade for the kids. 

You can watch the full parade here:

And the new World of Color – Happiness show featuring a Muppets pre-show and the emotions from Inside Out may just be our favorite World of Color yet. And the new version of Rainbow Connection by Boyz II Men, which opens and closes the main show, hits all the feels.

Virtual Queue reservations are strongly recommended for World of Color.

Watch the full show here:

As an extra pinch of 70th-anniversary pixie dust, Tinker Bell is taking over the Carthay Circle Theater for a brief but beautiful projection show called Celebrate Happy – A Little Bit of Happiness (and there’s that Jonas Brothers song again!)

You can see the show here:

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Disney Jr. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Live

We had an opportunity to see the new Disney Jr. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Live show in California Adventure, and while kids will definitely love it, if you’re visiting without rugrats, you may want to skip it (especially if, like us, you have trouble sitting on the floor for extended periods of time).

We heard one mom say this show was a big upgrade from the last. With bubbles, snow, and disco lighting, it’s sure to dazzle the littles. 

You can watch the whole show (from the comfort of your own home) here:

70th-Anniversary Merchandise

The resort is overflowing with anniversary merchandise collections, and in fact, there’s so much merch that we haven’t been able to take photos of everything yet… but don’t worry, we will!

Bookmark this link because we’ll continue to update our guide:

TAKE A LOOK: All Disneyland 70th Anniversary Merch Collections Now in Stores! 🎉

For our complete coverage of the 70th-anniversary celebration, check out our guide:

DISNEYLAND 70TH ANNIVERSARY GUIDE: Celebrations, Tributes & What’s New

Constructionland

Adventureland Restroom Reopens (with a great surprise)

After a lengthy closure that stretched over two years, the construction walls have finally come down around the men’s restroom in Adventureland. Rather than replicate the old rock wall and waterfall (really more of a trickle), the newly finished space reveals a shrine-like structure with an integrated fountain and King Louie.  

Colorful Bromeliads are planted around the base of the fountain. It’s nice to see the area upgraded with a bit of character.  

Downtown Disney

Tortilla Jo’s is all but a memory. Just a bit of the bottom floor remains. 

In the meantime, Earl of Sandwich is starting to be boxed in. Moving fast now.  

This & That

Live at 5

You won’t want to miss this special edition of MiceChat’s weekly live video from Disneyland. Dusty is joined by Carly Caramanna (AdventuresByCarly) and Julie Tremaine to discuss all things Disneyland 70, while they wander the parks looking at construction and new things. Of course, there’s lots and lots of gossip… as you’d expect from this trio of devoted Disney divas.  

New Stories Added to Animation Academy

New clips have been added to the Animation Academy lobby, including “Coco,” “The Princess and the Frog,” “Moana,” “Soul” “Zootopia,” and “Encanto.”   

Gone are the two clips from “Lady and the Tramp,” one clip from “Pinocchio,” and Olaf’s “In Summer” number from “Frozen.”

Take a quick look at the new scenes: 

Never Too Much Merch

We’re overloaded with the extensive selection of 70th-anniversary merch – so much so that we filmed a special Disneyland Merchandise Live to talk about it. Join Natalie and I as we walk the Main Street shops…

MiceShots

On Thursday and Friday, Mike and Sarah camped out for prime spots to shoot the Wondrous Journeys Fireworks Spectacular and Paint the Night Parade. They also selected some of their favorite shots from around the resort to share this week.

Have you seen the new Coco characters in the Mexico scene? Miguel and Dante now appear to the right of your boat. 

If you can get yourself a spot at the rope in front of the castle for Wondrous Journeys, it’s a real treat. This is such a gorgeous and emotional show. All of your favorite Disney animated films are here…

AND… if you’re wondering how the show looks from Galaxy’s Edge, there have been some subtle enhancements, including some new projections on the mountains (or petrified trees, as Imagineering says they are).  

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Discount Disney Tickets and Travel 

Disneyland may be 70, but—as Walt himself famously said—“Disneyland will never be completed. It will continue to grow as long as there is imagination left in the world.”

With new leadership in place, big plans on the table, and a guest experience that’s still a work in progress, we want to hear from you… What are your hopes for Disneyland’s future? What do you think needs fixing most? Are you feeling the “Celebrate Happy” spirit—or just celebrating that you finally found a bench in the shade?

Share your thoughts in the comments below. We’re listening—and we sincerely hope Disney is as well.