JANUARY

Three Kings Day - 2019 Dates January 03 - 08, 2019

When Christmas season has come to a close, there is still more to celebrate in the new year. The 12th day of Christmas is celebrated in Mexico and South America. At Disney California Adventure, you can celebrate Three Kings Day with decorations, coloring, creating a custom jeweled crown, listening to stories or trying traditional treats such as Rosca de Reyes cake.

 

Lunar New Year- 2019 Dates January 25 - February 17, 2019

The Lunar New Year Celebration is a multi-cultural event that includes food, authentic performances and your favorite Disney characters. This event takes place at Paradise Gardens inside Disney California Adventure. Colorful lanterns and other decor welcome you, while hanging banners written in English, Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese wish you a Happy Lunar New Year. You can join the time-honored tradition of writing wishes of good fortune and happiness for your friends and family; receive customized Chinese calligraphy and brush art; color; do free crafts; and purchase some traditional Lunar New Years treats. You can find delectable Asian meals at Paradise Garden Grill, or try a sampling of Asian cuisine from the Luna New Year festival marketplace kiosks.

 

There is a six-minute nighttime water show before World of Color each night — Hurry Home — Lunar New Year Celebration, featuring Mulan and Mushu.

 

Lunar New Year is a well-attended event. The lines to greet characters can get quite long, so hop in line early (by 11 a.m.) for the shortest wait in meeting characters (such as Mickey, Minnie, Chip, Dale, Mulan or Mushu) dressed in their Lunar New Year’s best. You do not want to miss the New Years procession, led by Mulan and Mushu. There are several shows throughout the day. The best place to watch is right in front of the Jumpin’ Jellyfish attraction. This shady spot will offer you a front and center view of the colorfully costumed dancers, dragon, drummers and characters.

​

FEBRUARY

Super Bowl and the Day After - Feb. 3-4, 2019

There are no special Disneyland events for Super Bowl Sunday, but it tends to be a significantly more crowded day. Depending on the location of the Super Bowl and the team that wins, there can be a Super Bowl Parade the day after the Super Bowl (sometimes they go to Disney World). When Peyton Manning announced he was going to Disneyland to celebrate the Denver Broncos' victory in Super Bowl 50, many thousands of fans flocked to the park to celebrate too. The day after the Super Bowl may affect crowd levels and park entertainment for the day … or not. There is no way to plan for this, but if you are in town the day after the Super Bowl, you might want to take these factors into consideration when planning your itinerary.

​

Sweethearts’ Nite  -   February 7, 2019
The Happiest Place on Earth transforms into the most romantic on Feb. 7 and love will certainly be in the air! Dress to impress and bring your sweetheart to enjoy:

• Love song-themed dance parties throughout the park, as well as a “Royal Ball” experience.

• Encounters with beloved Disney couples, including Eugene and Rapunzel, Aladdin and Jasmine, and of course, Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse.

• Immersive photo opportunities featuring romantic scenes from iconic Disney films.

• Sweetheart-themed décor, as well as romantic food, beverage and merchandise offerings.

• Unlimited Disney PhotoPass digital downloads of your photos captured during the event.

​

MARCH, APRIL AND MAY

New Orleans Square Mardi Gras - March 5, 2019

While it's always festive inside New Orleans Square at Disneyland Park, the attraction gets decorated even more for Mardi Gras. In the past, Mardi Gras festivities included Princess Tiana, Prince Naveen, Mickey, Minnie and others coming out dressed to party with special performances, meet-and-greets, themed food, drinks and other entertainment. We expect nothing less in 2019! You can always celebrate Mardi Gras year-round by eating the New Orleans-inspired foods and trying to catch beads when the bands play in New Orleans Square. You can also hop aboard the Mark Twain to listen to live music and maybe meet characters from "The Princess and the Frog!"

​

90s Nite  - March 7, 2019
On Mar. 7, relive fond Disney memories and party like it’s the ‘90s! Come dressed in your ‘90s-best attire and step back in time to experience:

• Special ‘90s-themed fireworks show, throwback musical entertainment and more.

• A re-imagined Disney Afternoon Avenue with special greetings from favorite Disney characters from the ‘90s and interactive photo opportunities.

• Decade-inspired food, beverages and merchandise.

• A commemorative fanny pack and unlimited Disney PhotoPass digital downloads of your photos captured during the event.

 

Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival - 2019 Dates March 01 - April 23, 2019

This is a California foodie's paradise and one of the top Disneyland events in 2019! Taking place each year during March and April, the event offers guests the chance to partake in delicious food and wine offerings every day, plus special workshops, classes and experiences on the weekends. Tad and Lily loved participating in Jr. Chef with Goofy, and we loved the free treat that came with the free experience. Guests can visit Festival Marketplaces, themed around different tastes and drinks of California, and reserve their seats at premium experiences with famous chefs. You’ll also encounter special character meet and greets, including opportunities to meet some rarely seen characters like perhaps, Clarabelle Cow or the Country Bears.

 

Egg-stravaganza - 2019 dates TBD

Hop over to the Disneyland Resort for the biggest Easter egg hunt around! Egg-stravaganza is a fun but low-key scavenger hunt that sends guests scurrying around the Disneyland Resort to find hidden eggs during April. Guests purchase a map and stickers and record their finds by placing the corresponding egg sticker on their map to represent that location. Returning your map to a redemption location is a rewarding experience.

​

Dapper Day - April 14, 2019

Some of the "unofficial" Disneyland events in 2018-2019 and beyond are the best. There are two Dapper Days each year at Disneyland. Guests dress up in their vintage, “Disneybound” and Sunday best to pay homage to the way guests used to dress when Disneyland first opened in the 1950s. These events are unofficial and independently organized, but they do affect crowds. Read our coverage of Dapper Day from a few years ago.

​

Bats Day - May 5, 2019

You can expect to see guests dressed in goth, steampunk, Halloween, rockabilly and more for Bats Day. Bats Day, like Dapper Day, is independently organized and takes place usually in May. This event always makes me long for my frog goth phase. There have been rumors that Bats Day organizers may be ending Bats Day in 2019, but Disneyland still has the date posted, so that’s something to watch. You bet this frog squad will show up all in black!

​

Grad Nites May and June 2019

Throughout May and June you may see daytime crowds surge with celebrating high school seniors in both parks for local high school grad night celebrations. After 9 p.m. the parties move to a location in California Adventure, but Grad Nite celebrators may be in either park during the morning and throughout the day. You can check the Disneyland Calendar up to six weeks in advance to find out which days have Grad Nites in 2019.

​

Star Wars Land: Galaxy’s Edge May 31 2019 (First Phase)

The new Star Wars Land: Galaxy’s Edge is arriving May 31 2019. The new Land with have two “E-ticket” rides allowing guests to Fly the Millennium Falcon and Board a Star Destroyer. Jedi Training: Trial of the Temple will return, and guests of Batuu can have an adult drink at the Cantina — the first and only drinks with alcohol to be served in Disneyland Park (besides at the exclusively private Club 33).

​

JULY

4th of July

Disneyland Park celebrates America's independence during July 4th with red, white and blue decorations, special eats and drinks, and "Disney's Celebrate America! A Fourth of July Concert in the Sky." This can be one of the busiest days of the year.

​

Disneyland’s Birthday - July 17, 2019

"To all who come to this happy place; welcome." Disneyland opened on July 17, 1955. Every year on this anniversary the park celebrates Disneyland’s Birthday. There are special souvenirs available on that day, and some people choose to dress dapper for the occasion. Some people try to attend every year despite the crowds. Even though Disneyland does not actively promote this day, everyone seems to be hopping in droves to the park to join this birthday party. If you plan to attend this day, arrive early and expect typical summer crowds.

​

AUGUST, SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER

CHOC Walk in the Park - Aug. 2019 Date TBD

The CHOC Walk is a fundraiser for Children’s Hospital of Orange County. It takes place at Disneyland and greatly affects crowds, especially for morning arrivals. It can even switch up the early entry park order for the weekend. It includes free parking for participants, plus the ability to buy discount park tickets (5 tickets per wristband). For more information visit the CHOC Walk in the Park site.

 

​