Disneyland’s 60th Anniversary Diamond Celebration – 10 Reasons to Visit!

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Disneyland 60 Reasons to VisitDisneyland turns 60 on July 17, which makes this a dazzling year to plan a trip. Whether you’re a Disneyland enthusiast or planning your first visit, we’re sharing 10 reasons why you should plan a trip to Disneyland for the Diamond Celebration! Disneyland 60 Castle1. Dazzling Diamond Decor

The whole area really is dazzling with beautiful shades of royal blue and diamond decor all over the place. You’ll find a special Diamond Celebration marquee on the Carthay Circle Theatre at California Adventure. But, the big star is Sleeping Beauty Castle. More than 100,000 blue glass crystals shimmer on the rooftops and you can see it’s adorned with additional beautiful decorations. And while it is indeed beautiful during the day, the castle absolutely sparkles at night! Disneyland 60 Castle at NightAnd speaking of everything at night – there is SO much to enjoy! In fact, you’ll want to plan your trip to include two nights to fit it all in. Plan to catch the new parade and fireworks spectacular at Disneyland one night and you can’t miss the new World of Color at California Adventure the other!

2. Paint the Night Electrical ParadePaint the Night ParadeThis parade is AWESOME. So awesome in fact that we decided to go back and watch it again a second night! With over 1.5 million individually controlled LED lights, this parade packs some serious sparkle and color! The music is fabulous and we love all the characters/movies chosen to be represented! Our littlest guy absolutely went NUTS when Mack came driving down the street. SO. MUCH. FUN! Mack Paint the NightThere’s definitely a reason this one is so popular! It’s worth the wait (or staying late for). The whole family will love it! Be sure to check out our Paint the Night viewing tips here!

3. Disneyland Forever Fireworks Show Disneyland Forever Fireworks ShowI’m a sucker for Disneyland fireworks (and cry every time). But this one really is amazing. The ending is just beautiful with the “Kiss Goodnight” song (written by Richard Sherman of Mary Poppins and “It’s a Small World fame). But, the whole show is incredible. Not only are there the fireworks that we’re used to from Disney, but this show involves the the largest use of projection mapping technology in any Disney Park!! You’ll see projections all down Main Street U.S.A, the mist screens on Rivers of America and the façade of “it’s a small world” – even the Matterhorn is involved as it transforms into Nemo’s Mt. Wannahockaloogie and the ring of fire during the show! Disneyland Forver Fireworks
4. Diamond Anniversary “World of Color- Celebrate”

As I shared when we first saw World of Color a few years ago, it’s a must see show! It’s always SO good! But, we absolutely loved this anniversary edition. All the parts with Walt were so touching! It never ceases to amaze me how one man’s vision & imagination turned into something loved by millions of people some 60 years later. Incredible! Walt Disney Tribute World of ColorAnd while the whole show was fabulous, our house full of Star Wars fans was really excited about that section. There’s even  a little bit from the new The Force Awakens movie! The boys went NUTS! Star Wars World of Color5. Updated Rides

A few classic Disneyland favorites have all gotten updates – The Haunted Mansion, Peter Pan, and The Matterhorn. In Haunted Mansion, be on the look-out for the Hatbox Ghost! And, you’ll find a much scarier Abominable Snowman in the Matterhorn than before! MatterhornFunPhoto6. Fun Photo Opps

Be on the lookout for fun photo opportunities throughout the park. I love our silly family photo at the Matterhorn. And obviously, you’ll want to get a picture in front of the decorated castle!!

We give all the #DiamondCelebration fun at @Disneyland a very enthusiastic thumbs up! #Disneyland60

A photo posted by Sara (@momendeavors) on

7. Frozen Fun
The Frozen Fever continues at Disneyland. Guests can see Elsa, Anna, and Olaf in the Paint the Night parade. You may even get treated to a little snow on Main Street during the fireworks and there are some extra special Frozen effects during World of Color. There’s also a new Frozen show at Fantasy Faire in the Royal Theatre! Frozen Disneyland8. Themed treats

We all know the a trip to Disney just isn’t the same without a fun treat (or two or three or four). And, during the Diamond Celebration there is no shortage of beautiful treats to be found. Our favorite was that amazing anniversary cupcake (found at the Jolly Holiday Bakery Café at the end of Main Street). We split it as a family with everyone getting a little slice. SOooooo tasty!

Disneyland 60 treats9. Fun Merchandise

In addition to special anniversary treats, you’ll find special 60th Anniversary merchandise all throughout the parks – from t-shirts, picture frames, water bottles, mugs, key chains, ornaments, bags, ears, and more! My favorite is the Diamond Celebration Minnie ears! Diamond Minnie EarsI got a pair of gold Mickey ears during the 50th Anniversary in 2005. So, this time, I HAD to have a pair of “diamond” Minnie ears! They’re all kinds of sparkly fun!

10. Disney Nostalgia

“To all who come to this happy place: Welcome. Disneyland is your land. Here, age relives fond memories of the past, and here youth may savor the challenge and promise of the future…Disneyland will never be completed. It will continue to grow as long as there is imagination left in the world” Disneyland Entrance SignSince Disneyland was the first park and the only park that Walt actually got to oversee construction of, there is just SO much nostalgia here. That’s always the case, but during this 60-year anniversary celebration it really is palpable. And, it’s something worth experiencing!

Disneyland Hotel

For extra magic, I highly recommend a stay at the Disneyland Hotel during your Diamond Celebration visit. The hotel also opened in 1955 (October) and is joining in the 60th Anniversary with celebratory and nostalgic decor throughout! The boys LOVED the giant magical Disneyland map!

Click here for more hotel details –> Disneyland Hotel Review

Disneyland Hotel Diamond Celebration

Are YOU planning a visit during the 60th celebration? Have you already been? Let us know in the comments below!

Disclosure: We were invited on a media visit (in which some of our stay was complimentary) for the purposes of this press coverage. However, all opinions, experiences, and photographs are entirely my own.

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I’m Sara, a mom to three adorable boys living in the Arizona desert. As a former teacher, I love sharing my passions with others. So, have a look around for creative inspiration about cooking, creating, celebrating, traveling with kids, and more everyday mom endeavors!

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8 Responses

  1. We are so excited to get annual passes for Disneyland this year and I can’t wait to see all of the new shows! Thanks for a great post!

  2. Hi there, from The Happiest Blog on Earth! I love how you mention to check out the Disneyland hotel. It’s great place to see more of Disneyland at a laid back and relaxed pace. We also love pin trading inside the hotel :).

  3. We went March 15 & 16th 2016. Family of 7. Our 5 boys first trip to Disneyland! Everything was amazing, down to all the 60th anniversary decor. The fireworks show was great! Love it so much hubby and I chose to go to Disneyland in August for our 15 year anniversary instead of an island getaway!!

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