Disneyland Update: Lunar New Year 2018 at California Adventure
Lunar New Year has returned to the Disneyland Resort to celebrate the Year of the Dog, now through February 18th. Many of the entertainment offerings that debuted last year have returned, in addition to a few new surprises and an expanded menu of limited time food offerings. To experience Lunar New Year Disney-style, head to Disney California Adventure Park.
The fun greets you almost instantly, with banners and park maps themed to the celebration leading up to the entrance. Mulan and Mushu have returned for character greeting experiences, and Pluto has an adorable purple outfit to celebrate his big year. New this year, Mickey and Minnie Mouse also have red and gold outfits to help ring in the Lunar New Year.
Mulan’s Lunar New Year Procession is back as well, with four shows per day in the Paradise Gardens are. This dazzling show features bright colors and hypnotizing dances with fans and ribbons, in addition to Mulan and Mushu taking part in the celebration. New to the show this year is Goofy in a god of good fortune costume, as well as live drummers.
From Shanghai, China, Disneyland has invited the GuGu Drum Group to perform at Paradise Park. This 30-minute show features songs, stories, and high energy drum performances that are truly unique. The costumes for the female drummers are eye popping, with large quail feathers in their headdresses and their segment builds up to a dizzying rapid rhythm. The biggest, most powerful drum is saved for last. Get a front row spot if you want to feel your teeth rattle each time it’s used. A highlight reel is below, but you can watch the full performance here.
Two performers have been invited to share the stage at the Paradise Garden Bandstand. I was able to experience Dat Nguyen, a blind Vietnamese singer who performs the guitar, lute, flute, and melodica. His set features traditional and original compositions and he is at the park on select days during the celebration. The other performer is Luna Lee, a Gayageum musician from Korea who performs contemporary covers and traditional pieces.
Also in Paradise Gardens, Guests can participate in a few hands-on activities. They can make paper lanterns, add their wish to the Lucky Wishing Wall, and learn the art of Chinese calligraphy. There’s also a special section just for Annual Passholders, where they can receive a complimentary button, have access to their own Lucky Wishing Wall, and an exclusive Photo Pass photo spot.
Another way the Lunar New Year celebration has changed for 2018 is the addition of more merchandise offerings. There are two off-the shelf t-shirts available (a unisex and womens cut) and an Annual Passholder exclusive shirt at select locations. Pins are a given, and there’s AP exclusives in that category as well. But the most unique items are paper decorations for your home and gift envelopes, all featuring Disney character artwork. There is also a Mickey plush in a red and gold outfit with a Shanghai Disneyland stamp on the bottom of his left foot. The Pluto shirt is currently the only item available on ShopDisney.
[gallery size="medium" td_select_gallery_slide="slide" link="file" ids="223743,223744,223745,223746"]There is also a preshow to World of Color that serves as a kiss goodnight to your day’s Lunar New Year fun. Hurry Home - A Lunar New Year Celebration tells the story of a young lantern celebrating the new year and includes Mushu and Mulan in this beautiful display of water, light, projection, and fireworks. Families will feel closer together as the young lantern returns home, cozying up to two bigger lanterns.
Also new for the 2018 Lunar New Year celebration are food kiosks and limited time menu offerings. To learn more about the food offerings, proceed to the next page.
Three food kiosks line the path to Paradise Gardens, similar to the Food & Wine Festival, and the chefs at the Disneyland Resort have created some truly special food offerings this year. The kiosks celebrate food by country, with Korea, China, and Vietnam represented. A smaller food cart in Paradise Park also has a few more options, and the menu at Paradise Garden Grill has been completely overhauled.
My favorite food offering was Xiao Long Bao at the China Marketplace, pork soup dumplings with black vinegar and ginger. Each serving includes three dumplings and dipping sauce. I also tried Sanbeiji (Three-cup Chicken), which was really yummy, although the sauce is a bit spicy and the last few bites of rice where most of the spice settled was too much for my palette. There’s also a really special drink at this kiosk called Baixiangguo Lucha, passion fruit green tea with lychee popping pearls. I’m not big on green tea, but this was so refreshing and the popping pearls were delicious. This drink comes with a light-up lotus blossom, and Guests can also obtain it with several other drinks at the celebration.
[gallery size="medium" link="file" td_select_gallery_slide="slide" ids="223749,223750,223752"]I also got to sample one of the desserts from the Vietnam Marketplace. Bang Khoai Lang Tim is a large macaron cookie with purple sweet potato and gold leaf garnish. Hands down, this was the best macaron I’ve ever had. The signature drink at this kiosk is Ca Phe Sua Da, Vietnamese iced coffee, and the Banh Chu’ng (sticky rice cake with pork) looked delicious. Seafood lovers were really happy with the Chao Tom (sugar cane shrimp skewers with sweet and sour sauce), but as a favor to Ariel, the only thing I eat from the sea is seaweed.
[gallery size="medium" link="file" td_select_gallery_slide="slide" ids="223753,223754,223755,223756"]From the Korean Marketplace, I sampled a dessert called Yang Gaeng, which is a sweet raspberry and red bean jelly. I really enjoyed the flavors, although the texture takes some getting used to as it has a jello-like top layer and a gritty bean paste bottom. Other offerings at this kiosk include Yachae Mandy (steamed vegetable dumplings with sesame garlic sauce) and Kimchi Bokkeumbap (vegetable fried rice).
[gallery link="file" size="medium" td_select_gallery_slide="slide" ids="223757,223751"]The marketplace kiosks are great if you want to sample small plates, but Guests looking for a full meal should check out the Paradise Garden Grill’s Lunar New Year menu. I tried the Galbi (short ribs with rice and kimchi) and the mango pudding for dessert, both excellent options. The signature dish is the Ca Ro Phi Chien Gino (whole crispy tilapia with chili-lime vinaigrette served family style with soup, vegetables, and rice), which serves two. This is a whole fish, head, tail, and bones included. The Banh Mi Thit Nuong looks like a hot dog at first glance. It’s a baguette with marinated pork belly and vegetables, an Asian fusion that looks very appetizing. During Lunar New Year, Paradise Garden Grill also has table delivery service where the food and silverware comes to you.
[gallery size="medium" link="file" td_select_gallery_slide="slide" ids="223758,223759,223760,223761,223762"]With visiting performers, character experiences, crafts, shopping, and dining all themed to Lunar New Year, there are so many reasons to visit Disney California Adventure before the celebration ends on February 18th. If you’re planning to experience everything the celebration has to offer, plan at least half of your day in the park. And with the celebration growing each year, I'm excited to see what the creative teams at Disneyland do for Lunar New Year 2019.
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