Artist rendering
Celebrate Happy: Marking its milestone 70th anniversary, Disneyland Resort will “Celebrate Happy” from May 16, 2025 through the summer of 2026. Look for limited-time entertainment, including a new “Mickey and Friends Celebrate Happy!” cavalcade at Disneyland Park*, World of Color Happiness! at Disney California Adventure Park* and more. Plans also call for the return of fan-favorite entertainment, including the Paint the Night parade (pictured right) and Wondrous Journeys nighttime spectacular at Disneyland Park, and Better Together: A Pixar Pals Celebration at Disney California Adventure Park. Of perhaps greatest interest to the Disney Files staff, July 17 will mark the scheduled debut of the new Disneyland Park attraction “Walt Disney – A Magical Life,” a cinematic presentation of Walt Disney’s journey, culminating in a visit with Walt in his office, brought to life for the first time through the magic of Audio-Animatronics storytelling.
“Creating our first Walt figure is an idea that’s been whispered in the hallowed halls of Imagineering for years – decades, even,” said Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D’Amaro when announcing the project at last year’s D23 – The Ultimate Disney Fan Event in Anaheim. “We just had to wait for innovation to catch up with our dreams. And we’re finally ready.”
As the show will advance the Audio-Animatronics technology that Walt and his team pioneered with a revolutionary Abraham Lincoln figure at the 1964-65 New York World’s Fair, it’s fitting that “Walt Disney – A Magical Life” is scheduled to play in rotation in the Main Street Opera House with “Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln.”
“We wanted the show and story to appeal to all ages, and while some of our younger audience may not know as much about Walt Disney, we felt his story could be inspirational to them,” said Tom Fitzgerald, Senior Creative Executive at Walt Disney Imagineering. “Follow your dreams, turn setbacks into success, never give up, and give the world your very best.”
Learn more about the Disneyland Resort 70th anniversary plans online at Disneyland.com.
Muppets on the Move: As announced at last summer’s D23 – The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, Mike, Sulley and the gang from Disney and Pixar’s Monsters, Inc., are heading to Disney’s Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World Resort. When the project’s complete (dates and details to come), you’ll find them in a new Monstropolis-themed land anchored by a “suspended-door” coaster, and featuring a new theater show, dining and shopping.
We’ve since learned that this new land will be located in what’s currently known as the “Muppets Courtyard,” making Muppet-loving Disney Files staffers sweat like the Child Detection Agency spotting a human in Monstropolis. Returning our pulse to healthier levels was this announcement: the Muppets aren’t leaving the park. They’re just “moving right along” to a different attraction.
Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Animal, Dr. Teeth and friends will take over Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, teaming up with some of music’s biggest stars for a rockin’ music festival. In what will become the first Disney ride ever to feature The Muppets, the updated coaster promises to deliver laughs, screams and new tunes. We’re also told to expect plenty of Muppets merchandise on Sunset Boulevard.
The Muppet*Vision 3D attraction and the Muppets-themed PizzeRizzo restaurant are scheduled to operate through June 7, and the nearby Mama Melrose's Ristorante Italiano is scheduled to serve through May 10. At press time, no closing date has been announced for Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith.
Canada’s portal to Polynesia: Château de Voyage, a Disney Vacation Club Welcome Home Center, is scheduled to open this spring in the Canada pavilion at EPCOT (just upstairs from the Northwest Mercantile shop), allowing Members (and guests looking to become Members) to check out the latest Disney Vacation Club accommodations without leaving the park. Inspired by Canada’s Northern Railway, the custom-designed space will invite Members and guests to meet with Disney Vacation Club guides and explore a model room representing accommodations at the new Island Tower addition at Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows. To learn more, or to make an appointment to visit the model room, stop by any of the park’s Disney Vacation Club Discovery Desks (there’s one just outside the pavilion).
Big news for ‘Bluey’ fans: “Bluey,” the Emmy Award-winning animated series that ranked as 2024’s most-watched series globally on Disney+, will reach Disney fans in new ways in the months and years ahead. This January, Disney Cruise Line guests began interacting like never before with Bluey and her sister, Bingo, aboard voyages originating from Australia (where the “Bluey” series is set) and New Zealand. And, as this edition of Disney Files Magazine hits the press, plans are materializing for “Bluey” experiences at both Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort – so keep an eye out for those details. On the film front, BBC Studios and The Walt Disney Company have announced the first-ever “Bluey” feature film, with Disney scheduled to release Bluey: The Movie to theaters around the world in 2027 and stream it on Disney+ after its theatrical run.
