To mark the Walt Disney Company’s 100th anniversary, Disneyland Resort is hosting a year-long celebration, Disney100, which features a new ride, two new nighttime shows, new food options and more.
The new dark ride, Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway, opened to the public on Friday. The attraction is the first ride at Disneyland that stars Mickey Mouse, Minnie and the rest of the gang.
The ride takes guests on a journey filled with nostalgia, but implements modern technology, such as a trackless ride system.
Two new nighttime shows, “World of Color – One” and “Wondrous Journeys,” will play throughout the centennial celebration.
“World of Color – One” will be shown at Disney California Adventure at Paradise Bay. The storyline that accompanies the show discusses how a single drop of water can create a ripple effect.
“Paradise Bay is transformed into a dazzling array of fountains, lighting lasers, fog, flame, FX, harmonies with music and songs, and stories of some of our courageous and loving and favorite characters who dare to be wave makers and change the world,” a Disney official told a media panel Thursday.
The show includes a new original song, “Start a Wave,” and features moments from beloved Disney movies like “Pocahontas,” “The Lion King” and “Coco.” The show also includes elements from “The Avengers” and “Star Wars” film series.
“Wondrous Journeys,” the other nighttime show playing at Disneyland, serves as a homage and love letter to Walt Disney Animation Studios, Jordan Peterson, a show director with Disney Live Entertainment, said.
The show was a collaboration between Walt Disney Animation Studios and Disney Live Entertainment, a branch of the company that helps produce Disney Parks entertainment, such as parades and shows.
Instead of having the show give fans a timeline of the Walt Disney Animation Studios films, Peterson said that the show would take guests on the journey of Disney characters as they discover their dreams, endure hardships and the realization that they have what it takes to make their dreams come true.
Big Hero 6” character Baymax will also fly above Sleeping Beauty Castle during the show.
The resort also showcases art, theme park items and props from Disney’s 100 years in the new Disney100 Gallery on Main Street, U.S.A.
Guests can walk through the exhibit and see different character drawings, a replica of Dumbo from the live-action film and more.
David Cramci, the manager of creative development at Walt Disney Imagineering, helped curate the gallery for the celebration.
“The gallery is meant to be a story of Walt Disney’s company history through art,” Cramci told KTLA. “When guests come in, they are going to see art, some never before seen, along with a lot of new artwork, hand drawings, and a lot of computer-generated drawings.”
The exhibit will also give guests a look into the new attractions coming to Disneyland, such as “Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.”
The company’s 100th-anniversary celebration will also include a grand opening of the reimagined Mickey’s ToonTown area and the return of the Magic Happens parade. Mickey’s Toontown will reopen on March 8 and the Magic Happens parade will return to the resort on Feb. 24,
New food and Disney merchandise will also debut during the yearlong celebration.
Sleeping Beauty’s castle will also be decorated in platinum décor for the festivities.
