Want to pack as many iconic nighttime spectaculars as you can into a single day at the Disneyland Resort? Follow this Unofficial Guide to seeing all of Disneyland’s most dazzling productions.
To celebrate Disneyland Resort’s 70th anniversary, both Disneyland and Disney California Adventure are offering a full schedule of new and returning nighttime spectaculars, forcing guests to make some hard choices for their after-dark entertainment. But if you follow our field-tested guide, you can experience four different Disneyland E-ticket productions—plus a bonus nightcap treat—in only one evening!
In order to follow this itinerary, you’ll need to use a park-hopper ticket on a day when Disneyland is open until midnight and Disney California Adventure is open until 10 p.m. This plan is only possible on nights when World of Color has two performances and no hard-ticket special events are scheduled, so carefully check the calendar of Oogie Boogie Bash or other after-hours parties before your visit.
9:05 p.m.: Fantasmic! at Disneyland
The key to making this plan work is to start your night by watching the first performance of Fantasmic! You can find standing room along the far ends of the Rivers of America shoreline if you show up an hour before showtime, but the easiest method is to buy a dining package that allows entry to the center seating section. Rancho del Zocalo’s dining package is your best value and currently provides access to the exact same seating areas as the more expensive Cafe Orleans and River Belle Terrace options.
Unfortunately, Fantasmic! is not what it once was, with Murphy the animatronic dragon permanently immolated and many stage and pyrotechnic effects disabled. Even in its diminished state, it still features a stirring score, some impressive shipboard stunts, and a plethora of classic characters.
Watch a full performance of Disneyland’s Fantasmic! with this video:
9:35 p.m.: Wondrous Journeys at Disneyland
Don’t run off when Fantasmic! finishes because Rivers of America also makes a fine backdrop for Wondrous Journeys, the nightly fireworks and projection mapping show. You’ll only be able to catch the briefest glimpse of Baymax flying around the castle from here, but you can see all the fireworks, as well as projections on the Fantasmic! mist screens.
Experience a full performance of Wondrous Journeys from Rivers of America with this video:
10:15 p.m.: World of Color Happiness! at DCA
As soon as the final fireworks of Wondrous Journey fade, move as fast as you can towards Adventureland, and walk past the Tiki Room to Jolly Holiday’s porch. If you’re lucky, a backstage passageway will allow you to travel quickly behind the Emporium towards the park exit; if not, cut through the candy store to Main Street. Once you’ve exited Disneyland, cross the Esplanade and enter DCA’s turnstiles; they should allow a little leeway on closing time. With a little hustle, you should be able to make it over to Paradise Bay before the Muppet safety announcement begins 5 minutes prior to the published showtime.
Technically, you should have secured a Virtual Queue reservation for the second World of Color show earlier in the day, but as a practical matter, the attendants rarely check passes for the lightly attended late performances. Find a spot to stand in the Blue viewing section, preferably in the rear of the terraced area close to the far-left exit aisle. Your goal is to have a good view of the lagoon and the ability to quickly exit immediately after the performance. Unfortunately, you’ll need to skip the colorful post-show encore if you want to stay ahead of the departing crowds.
See a full performance of World of Color Happiness! here:
10:45 p.m.: Paint the Night Parade at Disneyland
After the last splash of World of Color, rev up your engines again and race ahead of the herd to the front gate. Cross the Esplanade again and reenter Disneyland, taking the right-hand tunnel beneath the train tracks into Town Square. You should be able to find plenty of elbow room around the Main Street Opera House; we’ve snagged coveted curb seating mere minutes before Paint the Night steps off from the nearby gate.
Since Paint the Night begins at Main Street USA, you’ll be among the first to see the final float pass by, and then you’ll be free to make your way through the shops towards Tomorrowland before many guests have seen its start. You even have time for a quick ride or two on the east side of the park prior to getting in position for the night’s final performance. Or if you’re visiting right now, you can catch the limited-time projection show on Space Mountain celebrating the new Fantastic 4 film, which runs at :04, :24, and :44 after each hour past sunset.
Enjoy a complete running of the Paint the Night parade from Main Street USA in this video:
11:45 p.m.: Tapestry of Happiness at Disneyland
For a final kiss good night just before midnight, find a spot in front of It’s a Small World just before the last showing of Tapestry of Happiness, a projection mapping show that brings the ride’s facade to life with Mary Blair-inspired animations honoring Disneyland’s past and present. It’s a cute show with a catchy Jonas Brothers theme song, a great finale to your night before the long walk back to reality.
Enjoy Disneyland’s Tapestry of Happiness by watching this video:
One final tip: This 3-hour marathon of entertainment is exhausting and will add several zeroes to your daily step count. Don’t attempt to rope-drop the next morning after executing this plan!
Which is your favorite nighttime spectacular at Disneyland Resort? Let us know in the comments below.
For all there is to see and do at Disneyland, check out The Unofficial Guide to Disneyland by Seth Kubersky with Bob Sehlinger, Len Testa, and Guy Selga Jr. All Disneyland fans should also check out The Disneyland Story: The Unofficial Guide to the Evolution of Walt Disney’s Dream by Sam Gennawey.
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