Pixar Fest is set to return to the Disneyland Resort from April 26 through Aug. 4, 2024, bringing guests together for “a celebration of friendship and beyond” for the first time since the event launched back in 2018.
The official announcement promised everything from colorful décor and themed menu items to commemorative merchandise at the Disneyland Resort theme parks, hotels and Downtown Disney District, where each will have “a Pixar twist of friendly fun for a limited time.”
As a devotee of the iconic animation studio for most of my life, I love everything Pixar. While I hold it to a higher regard than it seems that their owners, The Walt Disney Company, seem to, I still enjoy most of the fare that finds its way into the Disney parks, including the offerings of Pixar Fest, based on the 2018 celebration. This year, the “festival of friendship” is highlighted by heartwarming entertainment featuring Pixar stories. An all-new daytime parade, “Better Together: A Pixar Pals Celebration!”, will debut at Disney California Adventure Park, and at Disneyland Park, “Together Forever – A Pixar Nighttime Spectacular” returns with some all-new scenes. During the celebration, guests may encounter new characters such as Ember and Wade from Elemental, Red Panda Mei from Turning Red and more. So what am I looking forward to?
Characters
The last Pixar Fest at Disneyland Resort took place in 2018, and since then a number of other Pixar Animated Features have been released (whether in theaters or not), including Soul, Luca, Turning Red, Onward, Toy Story 4, and Elemental.
With that, I look forward to a lot of new characters running around. Personally, I’m excited to partake in the hustle and get a picture with Red Panda Mei from Turning Red, and we know she’ll be there thanks to announcements and concept art. They also revealed that Wade and Ember would be arriving for Pixar Fest as well. However, we know that friends from Onward have been seen at the Disney Parks before, so I would like to see Ian and Barley (and maybe Guinevere) staged somewhere for meet and greets.
I don’t anticipate any characters from Lightyear, as that could get confusing for many guests to see the Toy version of Buzz walking around in one place and then Human Buzz in another. Frankly, the concept of the film confused the masses, so why would this be any different? However, after the fan-favorite reception of Forky from Toy Story 4, I wouldn’t be surprised if Disney Live Entertainment brings him to life in some way for the festivities. Just, please Disney Live Entertainment, this is Pixar Fest, not Oogie Boogie Bash – so leave the Bensons and Gabby Gabby out of this.
Esplanade Music
I’m a big fan of how Disneyland Resort incorporates the Esplanade music based on the festivals or celebrations going on at whatever moment you visit. Save for the Disney 100 Years Of Wonder last year, when I would hear songs from EPCOT’s Harmonious or Magic Kingdom’s Enchantment or Happily Ever After while waiting to get into Disneyland or Disney California Adventure. That was quite jarring as a Disney Parks fan if I’m being honest.
With Pixar Fest though, back in 2018, it was quite the perfect complement to hear scores from the various films from the animation studio when waiting to get into the parks are milling about for photos and what have you. Similar to the character experiences, there have been numerous new films from the studio with dozens and dozens of new tracks that could be mixed in.
Using the previous Esplanade playlist as a template, Some I’d love to hear in an updated list:
- Elemental
- “Hot Air Balloon”
- “Bubble Date”
- Lightyear
- “Lightyear”
- Turning Red
- “Turning Red”
- “The Aunties”
- “Let Your Inner Panda Out”
- Luca
- “Portorosso”
- “Buonanotte Boys”
- Soul
- “Born to Play”
- “Collard Greens & Cornbread Strut”
- “Falling”
- “Jump To Earth”
- “Pursuit/Terry’s World”
- Onward
- “Going On A Quest”
- “The World Was Full of Wonder”
Together Forever
The nighttime spectacular custom made for Disneyland Park during Pixar Fest is coming back, and the park is touting that it will have new scenes. While I’m personally a big fan of the WALL-E portion of the show, I know most fans are looking forward to the return of the flying house from Up, or maybe even Buzz Lightyear. While most of the show plays on the themes of friendship and being together, I would love to see a scene from a recent film that would play into that. Similar to how WALL-E’s “Define Dancing” moment took us into space using the projection tech down Main Street USA, what if we could also see a new scene that takes us to the SkyDome in Toronto for that 4*TOWN concert that got a little out of control from Turning Red. It’s musical, and it features family and friends coming together as one, and it’s an upbeat moment in a show that has a lot of somber ones. Plus, I’m not seeing the Giant Ming Panda or this scene coming to World of Color anytime soon, so it’ll have to be here. One critique that I do ask is PLEASE change the “You’ve Got A Friend in Me” finale. Yes, it's the trademark song from their first feature, but you can’t turn that song into an emotional and moving finale song that packs a punch like say Magic Kingdom’s Happily Ever After, no matter how hard you try. Just change it.
Better Together: A Pixar Pals Celebration
What seems to be the big marquee event for this year’s Pixar Fest is the debut of an all new parade, Better Together: A Pixar Pals Celebration. The official description reads: “Debuting at Disney California Adventure Park during the celebration, see this dynamic daytime parade filled with exciting floats featuring some favorite friends and new Characters from the latest Pixar films, including Turning Red.” It’s the first part of that that really holds my attention, “Debuting at Disney California Adventure Park during the celebration…” This implies that the parade is not just for the celebration, but will stick around after.
I’ve previously written about what I would like to see out of this new parade, using the implication that this parade will be around for a while. After all, the original Pixar Play Parade, which is probably the best comparison for this new one, originally debuted in 2008, and stuck around for quite some time. It saw minor changes here and there (and a brief hiatus due to construction at Disney California Adventure) before moving over to Disneyland and getting three new floats as part of 2018’s Pixar Fest, meaning that parade ran for a full decade.
As such, I’d like the new parade to have that kind of staying power, which typically means fun floats, dance routines, and a fantastic soundtrack. Perhaps the ability to merge new fare into the procession with ease.
Inside Out 2
Speaking of new fare from Pixar Animation Studios. Roughly in the middle of the Pixar Fest fun at the Disneyland Resort is a beautiful synergistic miracle – the release of the highly-anticipated feature, Inside Out 2. With more details about the celebration set to release ahead of the launch in April, I’m sure we’ll hear more about how Inside Out 2 will come into play with Pixar Fest. I have no doubt we’ll see it represented in the new parade, and with all the positive crowd reaction to the new emotion set to debut in the film, Anxiety, I’m sure we’ll see that character and perhaps the other new emotions as well.
Pixar Place Hotel
Officially opening well ahead of the kickoff of Pixar Fest, with the transformation from Disney’s Paradise Pier hotel officially completing on January 30th, the Pixar Place Hotel will be the best place to celebrate Pixar Fest I’m sure. While no details have been announced at this time as to how the new hotel will get in on the fun, what we’ve seen so far is phenomenal to get immersed into the films of Pixar Animation Studios. Themed pools, rooms, and even fitness centers feature beautiful art by Pixar artists. Not to mention those amazing fire pits all shaped like the characters that feature fire! Take a look!
Disneyland recently put out a casting call for performers who can portray Joe Gardner from Soul. While they haven’t officially released where this character might show up, I can’t help but point out this beautiful piano in a very fun Soul-themed area of the hotel that might be involved. Of course, that’s some wild speculation, but you never know!
If you want to see the new Pixar Place Hotel and the fun of Pixar Fest at the Disneyland Resort, Laughing Place recommends our friends at Mouse Fan Travel.