Disney 100th Anniversary Celebration Kicks Off January 27

The countdown is on to the Disney 100th Anniversary Celebration, the most magical celebration spanning the world. Beginning January 27, 2023, you can be among the first to experience the Disney100 Celebration at Disneyland Resort—Where Wonder Comes to Life! For over 100 years, Walt Disney Animation Studios has unlocked a special kind of wonder in our lives. These films have inspired us to dream bigger, unleash our spirit of adventure, discover the power within—and realize that it’s kind of fun to do the impossible. Wondrous Journeys is an enchanting celebration of the wishers, dreamers and artists at Walt Disney Animation Studios who have shared their imagination and talents with the world.

Let’s take a closer look at what awaits you as the Disney 100th Anniversary comes to life. 

What Is Disney 100?

The Disney 100th anniversary celebration is a worldwide event, kicking off in the heart of the magic at the Disneyland Resort. Disneyland will celebrate with special décor, character outfits, food, drink, and merchandise. The most exciting news is that the celebration brings all-new nighttime entertainment, including a spectacular fireworks show and a reimagined version of World of Color. Even more exciting is the return of The Magic Happens parade in spring, and a new ride opens with the celebrate

Walt Disney World is also jumping into the magical celebration as EPCOT will unveil a new fireworks show. At Magic Kingdom, the much-beloved Happily Ever After will make its much-anticipated return on April 3, 2023, featuring all-new projections along Main Street, U.S.A.

Internationally, Hong Kong Disneyland will unveil a redesigned statue of Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse.

At D23 2022, then Disney CEO Bob Chapek said, “Ten decades of creativity, innovation, and determination created The Walt Disney Company you know today — the most enduring and beloved name in entertainment. It’s an awesome responsibility to lead Disney as we begin our second century of telling stories and creating magic that will endure for another 100 years.”

The year-long Disney 100th anniversary celebration kicks off on Jan. 27, 2023, at Disneyland Resort and part of the kick-off includes the debut of Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway ahead of the rest of the renovated Toontown which is reopening March 8, 2023. But wait there’s more as the high-stepping excitement continues when the Magic Happens parade makes it return on Feb. 24, 2023, to Disneyland Park. 

Tickets and Reservations.

For the Disney 100th Anniversary Celebration at this time, you will still need to make a theme park reservation to visit each of the individual parks but the Disneyland Resort has temporarily paused new theme park reservations, and over on the east coast, annual pass holders do not need reservations after 2:00 pm. In addition, for those with Park Hopper tickets, starting Feb. 4, guests will be able to park hop as early as 11 a.m. instead of 1 p.m.

Disney 100 Entertainment and Attractions at Disneyland

Two all-new nighttime spectaculars and a new ride will make their debut for the Disney 100 Years of Wonder celebration starting Jan. 27, 2023. In spring, the iridescent Magic Happens parade joins the party. Here’s what’s in store!

World of Color — ONE at Disney California Adventure 

This all-new nighttime spectacular celebrates the legendary storytelling that Walt Disney began 100 years ago. The story shows how a single action, such as a drop of water, creates a ripple that can grow into a wave of change. The journey builds to an uplifting finale that shows us that when we come together, many drops can form an ocean. The show features original and classic courageous, loving and inspiring characters as well as a new original song, “Start a Wave,” along with 17 other compositions. It’s the first Disneyland Resort nighttime spectacular to include characters, music, and scenes from Walt Disney Animation Studios, Pixar Animation Studios, the Avengers, and Star Wars all in the same show.

Wondrous Journeys – A projection and fireworks show at Disneyland Park 

This new nighttime show features all 60 Walt Disney Animation Studios films to date. The 9:30 p.m. pyrotechnics and projection show is filled with artistry, music, storytelling, and heart. Projections will turn Main Street, U.S.A., Sleeping Beauty Castle, the façade of “it’s a small world” and the Rivers of America into an artist’s canvas. Most nights are projection shows with the addition of fireworks on select nights only.

“Wondrous Journeys” features an all-new song- “It’s Wondrous.” Throughout the show, you’ll be swept away on an adventure through artistry, music, storytelling, and more. The show celebrates the imagination and talent of the dreamers at Disney Animation over the past one hundred years, stretching from Mickey Mouse to Mirabel. Projection effects include blank pieces of paper, pencil sketches, and bits of color, as animation breathes life into Disney characters from classics to the beloved characters (and scenes) of recent films. Keep your eyes on the skies above Sleeping Beauty Castle to see Baymax fly by!

Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway ride in Mickey’s Toontown 

All aboard! This whimsical attraction which is already a must-do at Disney Hollywood Studios finally gets ready to roll into Mickey’s Toontown right on schedule for the Disney 100th Anniversary celebration! It is the first major Mickey-themed ride at Disneyland. The queue differs from the version of this ride at Disney’s Hollywood Studios at Disney World. The ride features an original story (and catchy theme song) in which Mickey and Minnie are premiering their newest short, “Perfect Picnic,” at the El CapiTOON Theatre. Before you enter the theatre, you’ll explore a magical display featuring props and costumes from the cartoon world. Then, you’ll step from the human world straight into the unpredictable cartoon world of Mickey and Minnie, and board a trackless train with Goofy as the engineer.

With Goofy at the wheel, what could possibly go wrong? It’s a magical, out-of-control trip with surprising twists and turns! Hold onto your ears because it’s a multi-dimensional cartoon world, so anything can happen! The ride has state-of-the-art technology and dazzling visual effects to immerse you in Mickey’s and Minnie’s zany animated world. This ride opens for the Disney 100th anniversary celebration ahead of the rest of the reimaginedToontown. Guests can once again step back into a newly reimagined cartoon universe on March 8, 2023.

Reimagined Toontown -March 8, 2023

Toontown is getting a fresh makeover in honor of its newest attraction including all-new grassy play spaces Be on the lookout for a brand-new area coming to Toontown – CenTOONial Park, which highlights a fountain designed for play complete with water tables. The fountain will also come alive at night. Nearby, a dreaming tree provides opportunities to play, crawl, and explore.

Goofy’s House and Donald’s Boat are being “reimagined in creative and exciting ways” with all-new sensory experiences. Goofy’s How-To-Play Yard is a playground that’s ideal for children of all ages with a soft, spongey ground, an elevated clubhouse, and a sound garden. Donald’s Duck Pond has a splashy play area featuring giant spinning water lilies, balance beams, and rocking toys. Gadget’s Go Coaster returns with brand-new and exciting changes. Mickey’s House, Minnie’s House, and Roger Rabbit’s CarTOON Spin are set to reopen in the reimagined toon universe.

New Entertainment and Attractions at Disney World

Disney World is still in the swing of things in its 50th-anniversary celebration, so no official dates for the Disney 100th Anniversary Celebration starting date have been released yet but after the 50th celebration ends in March, two nighttime spectaculars are set to light up the skies in 2023.

Magic Happens Parade -Feb. 24, 2023

This magical parade originally made its way down the parade route on Feb. 28, 2020, for what sadly turned out to be a  limited run.  For most guests who did not happen to visit the Magic Kingdom during the first two weeks of March back in 2020, this is a brand-new parade that’s been waiting 3 years for its triumphant return. 

At EPCOT, an all-new nighttime spectacular will come to life on the World Showcase Lagoon in late 2023 with  Harmonious with its last show on April 2, 2023, and EPCOT Forever will return for a limited-time run starting April 3.

Meanwhile,  the iconic Happily Ever After fireworks will make its magical return to the skies on April 3, 2023, at the Magic Kingdom. This beloved show returns to Walt Disney World with enhancements. While it is not known at this time if they will be specific to the Disney 100th anniversary celebration, just knowing that this much-beloved classic is making its return is a reason to celebrate. 

But the biggest news of all is the opening of  The TRON Lightcycle Power Run coaster is set to race into the Magic Kingdom on April 4, 2023! 

Disney 100th Anniversary Décor

Disneyland Resort is getting all dressed up in its sparkling platinum best. Mickey, Minnie, and the rest of the gang will be radiant in their celebration outfits. The shimmering outfits reflect Disney’s optimism and creativity. Platinum withstands the test of time, just like our favorite Disney characters.

To celebrate “wonder,” the Sleeping Beauty Castle will be adorned with platinum banners and bunting. Look for the three Good Fairies over the archway who will illuminate the castle with shimmering pixie dust. Two water fountains spring to life on either side of the castle in the moat. To top it off, you can make a wish on the star sparkling from the tower.

Disney 100 Food and Beverage, Merchandise and More

As with any Disney celebration, you can expect special food and beverage selections including food including all the magical extras that make Disney, Disney. Be on the lookout for 100th celebration Mickey sippers, Disney 100th Anniversary Celebration popcorn buckets and more. And no trip to Disney would be complete without bringing home a piece of the magic with you and it will all the sparkle and shine worth of the 100th Anniversary.

Expect to be seeing lots and lots and lots of platinum, black and light purple ears, spirit jerseys, clothing items, toys, decor, bags and sippers. But even better, you won’t have to wait as the Disney 100th Anniversary Celebration merchandise has started arriving at Disneyland and Walt Disney World.

Disney wants to make sure that the magical memories you make during this monumnetal event stay with you long after your trip to the Happiest Place on Earth and the Most Magical Place on Earth and with that in mind starting Feb. 4, 2023, and continuing through the Disney100 Celebration, PhotoPass downloads from any rides will be complimentary to all ticketed park guests at Disneyland Resort. And to think that 100 years ago, it all started with one man’s dream, and a mouse. What are you most looking forward to during the Disney 100th Anniversary Celebration?  Disney100, here we come!