The Lunar New Year celebration is the first Disneyland special event of 2025 that takes place from mid-January through mid-February at Disney California Adventure. This multicultural celebration inspired by Chinese, Vietnamese, and Korean traditions rings in the Year of the Snake with special entertainment, food marketplaces, character meet-and-greets, merchandise, and more.
These are the top five things we’re looking forward to enjoying during the Disneyland Lunar New Year festival this year!
1) One of our favorite things about the Lunar New Year celebration is that it takes place during one of the best times to visit Disneyland. January and February are some of the slowest months of the year at Disneyland if you are trying to avoid the crowds. You can expect several days of these months to have below-normal crowds, as you can see reflected in our Disneyland crowd calendar.
The Lunar New Year celebration is one of the most appealing times of year to visit Disneyland as you can enjoy a productive day of park touring with lower wait times while also enjoying the special offerings of the celebration!
2) You can enjoy rare character meet-and-greets during the Lunar New Year celebration. During last year’s celebration, Meilin Lee and Ming Lee from Turning Red debuted at the park and will be returning again this year! Mulan and Mushu will also make appearances during the celebration. These two are a lot of fun and one of the best Disneyland character meet-and-greets you’ll see all year!
This year, Mickey and Minnie will wear new outfits with representations of traditional Korean attire. The location in Paradise Gardens Park where they appear is beautifully decorated with bamboo, peach blossoms, golden flowers, and banners.
3) There will be six Lunar New Year food marketplaces with offerings celebrating Asian cuisine, as well as special offerings at restaurants across the resort. Some of our favorites from last year’s new Disneyland Lunar New Year celebration foods included the Strawberry Milk Tea macaron, Taro Vietnamese-style Iced Coffee, and the BBQ Pork Bun. One of the highlights of the celebration is sampling several of these offerings with a Sip and Savor Pass throughout the day!
You’ll also find special novelties and merchandise during the celebration. A popular item from last year was the Lunar New Year Stainless Steel Tumbler featuring Mushu! You can also find a selection of special merchandise for the event like spirit jerseys, Minnie headbands, and more.
4) During Lunar New Year at Disneyland, you can find special activities in Paradise Gardens. Kids can enjoy complimentary craft-making, Chinese calligraphy demonstrations, and more. In Paradise Gardens, you will also find the Lunar New Year Wishes Wall, where you can add your own message of hope, health, and happiness for the upcoming year! The area is filled with special decorations and ornamental lanterns during the celebration.
5) The entertainment during the Lunar New Year celebration is not to be missed! Mulan’s Lunar New Year Procession will take place on select days. This is a brief but beautiful procession that travels from Hollywood Land to Paradise Gardens, featuring performers, Mulan, Mushu, and some more Disney characters!
Disneyland World of Color also gets a special pre-show during Lunar New Year called “Hurry Home – A Lunar New Year Celebration,” following the story of a Little Lantern and its journey home for the celebration, with a musical score by Academy Award-winning composer Tan Dun.
You can see our full guide on what to expect during the Disneyland Lunar New Year celebration for more details on the offerings you can look forward to!
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