If you’re planning a Disneyland Resort vacation for 2024, but you’re unsure of when you’d like to visit, you’ve come to the right corner of the internet. Disneyland is truly ahead of schedule, announcing its FULL lineup of every festival and special event slated to take place in 2024. In a move that was a first for the Happiest Place on Earth, we can plan a full year ahead – and if you’re a Type A Disney planner like myself, that’s probably music to your ears.
Let’s break down all of the festivals and special events in chronological order for 2024, including what other important happenings will take place over the next 12 months at Disneyland.
Lunar New Year Celebration
The new year always starts off with the Lunar New Year Celebration at Disneyland Resort, and 2024 is no exception. The limited-time event will take place from January 23 through February 18.
Lunar New Year festivities can be found at Disney California Adventure, with food booths set up around the park featuring specialty food and beverage items that celebrate Chinese, Vietnamese, and Korean traditions and cuisines. The festival also features Mulan’s Lunar New Year Processional, commemorative merchandise, decorations, and more.
Celebrate Gospel
A pair of two-day events take place in the month of February at Disneyland Resort. The first is the return of Celebrate Gospel, a music concert taking place at Fantasyland Theatre on February 17 & 24, 2024.
Celebrate Gospel has historically been offered as part of Disneyland honoring Black History Month. In 2024, the concerts feature community choirs from across Southern California and will be headlined by Marvin Sapp (Feb. 17) and Tasha Cobbs Leonard (Feb. 24).
Anaheim Ducks Days
Sports fans, be sure to stop by Disney California Adventure in late February to celebrate Anaheim Ducks Days! The fan-favorite event returns in 2024 on February 22 and 23.
On Anaheim Ducks Days, you’ll be able to catch a cavalcade in Hollywood Land, in addition to special photo ops and appearances by current and legacy Ducks.
Disney California Adventure Food and Wine Festival
Disney California Adventure’s flagship Food and Wine Festival is back in 2024, and we have the dates to prove it! It will return from March 1 to April 22, filled with all of your favorite small bites and sips!
In addition to the food booths, the Food and Wine Festival in recent years has brought with it the limited-time return of Soarin’ Over California, in addition to live entertainment and specialty merchandise.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL GUIDE TO THE 2024 DISNEY CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE FOOD AND WINE FESTIVAL!
Star Wars Season of the Force
The Force is strong in spring 2024, with the Star Wars Season of the Force taking place at Disneyland Resort. The festival will occur from April 5 through June 2. During this time, Hyperspace Mountain will return as a seasonal overlay in Tomorrowland, and limited-time food and beverage items will be available for purchase.
Also, in Tomorrowland, be on the lookout for the new updates coming to Star Tours: The Adventures Continue. Announced at the Destination D23 parks presentation, new characters and destinations will be added, including Ahsoka Tano.
Over in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, guests will want to hang around for the fireworks each evening. Per Disney, “Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge will provide fresh perspective on the fireworks above Disneyland Park, with galactic music sweeping through the spires.”
Pixar Fest
You read that right: Pixar Fest is BACK in 2024! If you remember, back in the summer of 2018, Pixar Fest made its debut with limited-time entertainment, merchandise, and specialty treats around Disneyland Resort. The festival returns from April 26 through August 4 at both Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park.
In California Adventure, guests can check out a new daytime parade, “Better Together: A Pixar Pals Celebration!” Look closely; the parade features a float featuring characters from Pixar’s Turning Red, including Mei and 4*TOWN!
At night, the fireworks show “Together Forever – A Pixar Nighttime Spectacular” returns to Disneyland. Keep your eyes peeled for Carl’s house from Up as it soars high above Sleeping Beauty Castle.
Halloween Time
Every Disneyland fan’s favorite time of year, Halloween Time, is starting EARLIER in 2024. The season usually starts around the first of September, but in 2024 it kicks off on August 23 and runs through October 31.
Halloween Time brings plenty of limited-time tricks AND treats to Disneyland, including the beginning of Haunted Mansion Holiday. Over in California Adventure, Plaza de la Familia: A Celebration of Coco returns in 2024 from August 23 through November 2.
Halloween Time also signals the return of Oogie Boogie Bash. The beloved after-hours event will be back in 2024, but exact dates have yet to be announced. The event usually has its first event around the 5th or 6th of September, so be on the lookout.
The Holidays at Disneyland Resort
The year can’t end without my personal favorite time of year: the Holidays at Disneyland Resort! The holiday season officially arrives in 2024 on November 15 and will likely run through early January. I love the holiday season at Disneyland, and 2024 promises to have more of the same with the continuation of Haunted Mansion Holiday, “it’s a small world” Holiday, “A Christmas Fantasy” Parade, Believe In Holiday Magic Fireworks, World of Color – Season of Light, and more!
Disney California Adventure also hosts its annual Festival of the Holidays this time of year. Expect the festival to kick off on or around November 15 as well. Outside of the festival’s food booths, expect plenty of limited-time treats to enjoy throughout the resort.
Click here to look back at the 2023 lineup of holiday treats at Disneyland Resort.
Disneyland After Dark
A select number of after-hour Disneyland After Dark events will take place in 2024 from January through June! Here is the full lineup of after-hours events, all taking place at Disneyland Park:
Sweetheart’s Nite
Celebrate your special someone at Sweetheart’s Nite! The Valentine-themed after-hours event returns in 2024 on more evenings than ever. It will take place on January 23, 25, and 30, as well as February 1, 6, 8, 12, and 14. Sweetheart’s Nite has historically been an incredible after-hours opportunity to meet some rare characters, and that trend seems to continue in 2024!
Disney Channel Nite
This brand-new after-hours event is for all you Disney Channel fans out there! Dress up as your favorite Disney Channel character in this throwback party taking place on March 5 and 7. This event will feature a “High School Musical” pep rally, a “Phineas and Ferb” dance party, “Camp Rock” karaoke, Disney Channel Trivia, specialty food, and more.
Star Wars Nite
Just in time for Star Wars Season of the Force, the fan-favorite Star Wars Nite will return to Disneyland Park in 2024. The dates for this event will be April 16, 18, 23, 25, and 30, as well as May 2, 7, and 9. Ticket on-sale dates are forthcoming.
Pride Nite
Disneyland After Dark 2024 wraps up with Pride Nite! This after-hours event was a huge hit in 2023 and I’m very happy to see it return in 2024. This event will take place on June 18 and 20. Ticket on-sale dates are forthcoming.
Other 2024 Events and Openings
Beyond the full lineup of festivals and special events Disneyland announced for 2024, there are several other exciting happenings that you’ll want to make note of in your calendar:
runDisney events return
After a multi-year hiatus, runDisney is finally returning to Disneyland in 2024! It all starts with the Disneyland Half Marathon weekend taking place January 11-14, and in September, runners can participate in the Halloween Half Marathon Weekend (Sep 5-8).
More exciting additions coming to Disneyland
Throughout 2024, there are even more exciting events taking place across Disneyland. On January 30, Pixar Place Hotel completes its transformation and officially opens to the public (the resort has been reaching various stages of completion in recent months, including the opening of the brand-new Great Maple Restaurant).
On May 24, Fantasmic! will return to Disneyland Park following an unplanned, temporary closure. When the show returns, new special effects will be a part of the show, and the classic Peter Pan scene will return (which means we bid adieu to the Pirates of the Caribbean scene). Downtown Disney District is going through its phased transformation, with new restaurants on the horizon for 2024. The lineup includes Mexican-inspired Paseo and Céntrico by Michelin-starred Chef Carlos Gaytán, and Din Tai Fung, a fan-favorite Chinese restaurant chain known for its soup dumplings.
This exciting year culminates in the opening of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure in New Orleans Square. The attraction joins an already growing list of offerings inspired by The Princess and the Frog, including the new Tiana’s Palace counter-service restaurant in Disneyland Park. The attraction is set to open in late 2024.
PHEW! 2024 is shaping up to be a very exciting year at Disneyland Resort. I know I wish I could pack my bags and move into the Happiest Place on Earth for the entire year with all of these offerings. Be sure to follow along as more updates are made available.
Click here to begin planning your 2024 Disneyland Resort vacation!
