The Disneyland70 celebration has drawn massive crowds to Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park, and now it’s causing headaches before guests even get through the gates. Last week, a visitor described an unusually long wait just to get through Disneyland Resort security at a time of day when crowds typically subside.
Though the official anniversary of Disneyland Resort falls on July 17, the Disneyland70 celebration began on May 16, 2025. The milestone event includes specialty food and drinks, limited-edition merchandise, themed character appearances, and new and returning entertainment across both Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park.
In Disneyland Park, guests can catch the new “Celebrate Happy” cavalcade featuring Duffy and ShellieMay—characters rarely seen at domestic Disney parks. “it’s a small world” has been updated with two new Coco (2017) dolls, and at night, the ride’s facade lights up for the “Tapestry of Happiness” projection show. The Wondrous Journeys fireworks and “Paint the Night” electrical parade have also returned as part of the celebration.
Across the esplanade at Disney California Adventure Park, guests are enjoying the return of the “Better Together: A Pixar Pals Celebration” parade and the all-new “World of Color Happiness” interactive nighttime spectacular. Toy Story Midway Mania! even got a Disneyland70-themed refresh.
However, the Disneyland70 fanfare has led to record-breaking midweek crowd levels. Reddit user u/Development-Fiesty reported arriving at Disneyland Resort around 7:00 p.m. expecting a calmer evening, only to encounter an overwhelming security line stretching far beyond what’s typical for that time.
“7pm security line,” the user wrote alongside a photo showing dense crowds waiting to pass through the checkpoint.
They weren’t alone in their frustration.
“I was there Thursday,” shared u/JustLo619. “It was on[e] of the most crowded nights I’ve seen in my 40 plus years going to the park.”
Many fans believe the influx of guests is tied to the return of “Paint the Night,” one of the most popular parades in recent Disney Park history.
“People don’t remember or didn’t experience it, but a decade ago, paint the night brought crowds Every. Single. Night. The entire time it ran,” u/stellalunawitchbaby2 replied.
The Disneyland70 celebration isn’t slowing down anytime soon. On July 17, the park will debut a newly discovered song verse from the Sherman brothers on “it’s a small world,” and the Main Street Opera House will premiere “Walt Disney – A Magical Life.” The new show features the first-ever Walt Disney audio-animatronic and will eventually rotate performances with Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln.
The Disneyland70 celebration runs through summer 2026, but if early crowd levels are any indication, guests may want to plan ahead—especially if they hope to avoid long delays just to get inside the Southern California Disney parks.
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