Disneyland spent nearly all of 2020, and the first part of 2021 closed, which means that 2022 will be the first time since 2019 that the Disneyland Resort will have the chance to put together a full year of fun for guests. 2022 will also be the first year in quite some time that the resort is not expecting to open a major attraction or new land, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t going to be some fun to be had at Disneyland and Disney California Adventure in 2022.
From brand new enhancements to the triumphant return of many old favorites, there’s a lot to look forward to this year. Here’s what's happening at Disneyland Resort this year.
Lunar New Year (January 21 - February 13)
The festivities at Disneyland Resort kick off January 21 with the Lunar New Year celebration. This year’s event will see the return if Mulan’s Lunar New Year Procession and a character appearance by Raya of Raya and the Last Dragon. In addition, we’ll see lots of new food offerings on hand for the event as well as activities for kids. Everything takes place at Disney California Adventure and runs until February 13.
Disneyland After Dark (Various Nights February - May)
Any day at Disneyland Resort is a special day but events get extra special a few times a year at night. Disneyland will see the return of special ticketed events in 2022 with the Disney After Dark series, Three themed nights have been announced, with Sweethearts Nite, on five different nights beginning Feb 1 at Disneyland. Villains Nite will take place March 8 and 10 at Disney California Adventure. Then Star Wars Nite will happen at Disneyland May 3, May the 4th, and May 27, to celebrate the 45th anniversary of the release of the original Star Wars. Some of these same events were cancelled back in 2020 when the park shutdown, and if you held on to your ticket, you may be able to exchange it for one of the upcoming events.
Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival (March 4-April 26)
One of the most popular events at Walt Disney World is the Epcot International Food & Wine festival, for the last couple years (pre-pandemic) Disneyland got their own Food & Wine Festival at Disney California Adventure. Foodie’s will want to check out this event as it always has remarkably good food and drink. The event begins March 4 and runs until April 26.
Return Of Fantasmic/World of Color (TBD)
While Walt Disney World got new nighttime spectaculars at two theme parks last year, Disneyland Resort has been left with a single fireworks show that honestly, is not its best. At this point, there are no announcements for anything completely new this year, but we will at the very least see the return of two other shows that are top tier. Fantasmic at Disneyland and World of Color will at Disney California Adventure have been confirmed to return in 2022. We might see updates since the last time they were performed, or maybe they’ll be the shows we’re familiar with, but either way, it will be nice to have them back.
Main Street Electrical Parade (TBD)
But that’s not all when it comes to nighttime shows, and this one deserves its own entry. The nighttime Disney experience by which all others are judged is the Main Street Electrical Parade and that parade, which was born at Disneyland, will be returning to the resort at some point this year. Exactly when it will arrive or how long it will hang around has not been confirmed, but expect it (along with the returning nighttime shows, to arrive early this year, though it may not stay for too long.
Seasonal Parties (TBD, September - December)
When the seasons shift from spring and summer into fall and winter we enter what may be the most magical time at Disneyland Resort. Last year’s Oogie Boogie Bash ticketed event for Halloween at Disney California Adventure and Disney Merriest Nights at Disneyland Park for Christmas were massively successful, so while neither has been officially announced yet, you can be sure that they will be back unless they get replaced by something even bigger.
MagicBand+ (TBD)
MagicBands became an incredibly convenient way for guests to move through Walt Disney World, with a simple wrist strap working as their park ticket, hotel room key, credit card, and more. It was always believed that MagicBands would make their way to Disneyland Resort eventually, but it never happened. But with the new generation of MagicBand, called MagicBand+, that will finally happen. The new MagicBand+ will have all the functionality of the original version, with some fun new additions like LEDs that will light up along with nighttime spectaculars.
Alexa (TBD)
The magic of Disney isn’t just inside the parks, starting in 2022 you’ll find it in the hotel rooms as well. Thanks to a partnership with Amazon, Alexa units will be available in Disneyland Resort hotel rooms beginning in 2022. In addition to all the normal things Alexa can do, these special units will be able to speak to you in the voice of Disney characters and provide specific resort information to make your stay more enjoyable.
Downtown Disney Redesign (Beginning 2022)
Several years ago Disneyland Resort had a plan to open a new hotel over part of the existing Downtown Disney area. Many of the shops and restaurants closed down to make way for the new building, and then the plan fell through. While some locations returned to their former spaces, the area has continued to have a feeling of emptiness. Beginning in 2022 this part of Downtown Disney will get a massive overhaul. It’s not clear exactly what we’ll have when it’s all done, and the work is expected to take multiple years to complete. This will probably be an ongoing update, with various sections opening as they are completed over the next several months. So we'll likely see something new in 2022, and even more beyond that.
2022 is looking to be a great year at Disneyland Resort, but things certainly wont stop here. We already know that a completely redesigned Mickey’s Toontown is set to open early in 2023, which will include the popular Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway attraction. And Disneyland Forward is still in the plan for the years to come. Disneyland is just getting started.
