With 2024 winding down, the Disneyland Resort has officially set its eyes on 2025, and it’s going to be packed full of celebrations and expansion projects. The marquee event of the year is going to be the 70th Anniversary of Disneyland, which is set to begin on May 16th and it will mark the return of the beloved Paint the Night Parade. However, as excited as I am about the monumental birthday, I can’t help but feel deeply disappointed that Disney Channel Nite is missing from the After Dark event lineup for next year.
For those that might not be familiar, After Dark events require separate theme park admission, take place sometime between 9 p.m. and 1 a.m., and are centered around a theme. The special ticketed events include rare character sightings, photo opportunities, and exclusive merchandise, food, and entertainment offerings. The more popular events, like Sweethearts and Star Wars Nites, happen multiple times during a month, while others only happen twice a month — like June’s Pride Nite.
Usually, there is a new After Dark offering every year, and Disney Channel Nite was introduced on Disneyland's 2024 schedule. The two-night occasion celebrated all things Disney Channel-related, and it was the event of the year for those of us still obsessed with all things High School Musical and Hannah Montana-related. However, next year it will be gone.
Disney Channel Nite Was Perfect For Fans Who Grew Up Watching The Cable Channel
I was lucky enough to attend the second evening of Disney Channel Nite, and I truly felt like I was living my best nostalgic life.
Though it boasted one of the longest lines, one of the best experiences was the interactive wand ID opportunity on Main Street, where I got to live out my dream of saying, “My name is Danielle, and you’re watching Disney Channel.” In addition to that iconic moment, the event also had several rare characters in attendance -- including Stitch and his Experiment cousins -- and dozens of iconic photo opp backdrops from some of the best Disney Channel original movies and shows.
In fact, there was so much to do and so little time that I had to make some unfortunate choices and skip a few things. At the time, I didn’t feel too bad about it, because I figured the event would come back in 2025, giving me a chance to do some of the photo op experiences I missed out on the first time. Sadly, that’s not going to be the case, as Disneyland has officially confirmed that Disney Channel Nite will not be returning — at least, not anytime soon.
The Event Deserved To Come Back For Another Year
It’s unfortunate that the Disneyland Resort has given up on this event so quickly. Sure, there were a handful of small issues that needed to be fixed, but that could have been worked out at future events. In fact, part of the fun of attending these events year after year is seeing how they improve upon themselves.
Plus, given that Disney Channel is largely absent in the parks, the After Dark event was truly unique, and it will surely be missed by fans of the cable network.
What’s even more disappointing about this news is Disney Channel Nite didn’t get bumped for a brand new event. Instead, the March After Dark event will see the return of '90s Nite, which first debuted in 2019 and celebrates all the best '90s movies and shows Disney has released.
The good news is there is some overlap between the '90s and Disney Channel Nite, with some of the beloved animated characters from The Disney Afternoon appearing at both events. However, I doubt the marquee moments from this year's event will make an appearance at the '90s-themed one.
This also means that 2025 will be the first year the After Dark calendar is made up entirely of returning events. So, it’ll be interesting to see how many people opt out of this year’s offerings, given that none of them are new.
If you’re interested in attending one of these events, tickets for Sweethearts Nite and '90s Nite go on sale December 12th, no earlier than 9 a.m. PT for the general public.
