Fun Find: Disneyland 60th Shows

Today's Fun Find Friday is in honor of our recent trip to Disneyland.  There were so many wonderful things to see and do throughout the trip.  My personal favorites were the new nighttime shows for Disneyland's 60th Anniversary Diamond Celebration.

Photo Source: Disney Parks Blog

My absolute favorite was the Paint the Night Parade.  It has catchy music, beautiful costumes and amazing float designs.  The Frozen float was stunning and I loved the colorful lighted balls on the Mack float.  I had the soundtrack stuck in my head before we even left for our trip.  In fact, it's still stuck in my head and I'm ok with that.

The show that reduced me to tears by the end was the World of Color Celebrate.  It was a beautiful tribute to Disney movies and to Walt's vision of Disneyland.  I lost it during the "Forever Young" song section with the vintage clips of families enjoying Disneyland.  I thought Neil Patrick Harris did a great job and I'm pleased they had someone who loves Disney narrate the show.  This was also my first time seeing World of Color in general and I was not at all disappointed.  It was definitely worth the wait!

The Disneyland Forever fireworks show was the most versatile of all the shows.  It's so different depending on your view.  The first time we watched it right after the Paint the Night parade on Main Street.  The projections on Main Street were awesome.  We also had a great view of the fireworks framed by Sleeping Beauty Castle.  The only problem with this location was that we couldn't see the projections on the castle.

Another location Eliot and I watched the show from was It's A Small World.  I love how they incorporated each of the locations into the design of the projections.  For example, Simba is projected onto the clock face from this location.  It was also cool to see the It's A Small World facade "dance" versus the Main Street buildings.

My favorite place to watch the Disneyland Forever fireworks was actually from the same location we watched Fantasmic.  Disney uses their speaker system to "invite" you to stay there to watch the fireworks after Fantasmic ends.  Most of the crowd attempts to make it to Main Street for "prime viewing" without realizing the gem of a location they've just left.  Not only do you get a great view, but you can still see most of the fireworks in the background above Thunder Mountain.  This was also the best location to actually see what's projected on Sleeping Beauty Castle.

The Disneyland 60th Diamond Celebration nighttime shows are all incredible.  These videos are awesome, but if you get the chance to experience them live, take it.  You will not regret being immersed in the magical glow of the Diamond Celebration. °o°

Fun Find: Disneyland 60th Anniversary Diamond Celebration

Hey guys!  It's been another busy week around here.  We've been getting pummeled by snow up here in the Northeast.  We had another storm today and more snow is on the way next week!  (Alright... who upset Elsa this time?)  It's been a good week to cozy up inside and to surf the internet!  Thus, I have another fun find for you- the big announcement for Disneyland's 60th Anniversary Diamond Celebration!

Photo Source: Disney Parks Blog

This year Disneyland is pulling out all of the stops for it's diamond anniversary.  You could actually follow along via their Twitter account Wednesday night to hear about the new experiences that will start May 22nd!  However, if you weren't able to follow along, fear not, I've gathered up some photos to share with you!

Photo Source: Disney Parks Blog

The first thing that stuck me was the renderings of the decorations on Sleeping Beauty Castle and Carthay Circle.  I'm a sucker for renderings and I'm pretty excited about what I see!  Both buildings will be encased in diamond decor and festive banners in blue.  This will surely be a sight to see!

Photo Source: Disney Parks Blog

Along with decorations around both parks, Disneyland will also be adding a few new shows to celebrate their diamond anniversary.  Starting May 22nd, World of Color will have a special edition called "World of Color- Celebrate!  The Wonderful World of Walt Disney."  Mickey Mouse hosts the show and it will feature Walt's dream of creating Disneyland.  I'm sure that this will not not be beautiful, but a powerful and emotional experience for Disney fans.

Photo Source: Disney Parks Blog

Another new addition to the celebration is the new "Paint the Night" parade.  The parade will feature innovative floats, special effects, new music and over 1.5 billion LED lights!  Disney fans will get to see familiar characters from The Little Mermaid, Cars, Monsters Inc, Toy Story, Beauty and the Beast, Frozen and more!  I am so excited for this!  I've been wanting to see a new nighttime parade ever since Walt Disney World retired the SpectroMagic parade!

Photo Source: Disney Parks Blog

I've saved the best new entertainment for last- the "Disneyland Forever" fireworks display.  They've definitely done it again with this piece of perfection that only Disney could create.  "Disneyland Forever" not only features fireworks, but it will transform Sleeping Beauty Castle, Main Street, the Matterhorn and other locations into a canvas. Through projection mapping, guests will literally be immersed in their favorite Disney movies.  (This is the largest projection mapping installation in a Disney park thus far.  I hope that means more is to come in the future!!!  Projection mapping is my hero.)

Photo Source: Disney Parks Blog

"Disneyland Forever" also features two new original songs: "Live the Magic" and "Kiss Goodnight" which was written by Richard Sherman.  I watched a media video from the event that featured a snippet of the show with "I See The Light" from Tangled and I was already tearing up.  This show is sure to be spectacular!

Photo Source: Disney Parks Blog

Finally, you can't have a Disney anniversary celebration without merchandise to commemorate the occasion!  Disneyland is going to have over 500 new items from a few new collections to celebrate it's 60th anniversary.  The first collection is the "Character" collection which will feature our favorite Disney characters and the iconic Disneyland attractions.  The coolest part of this design is that each of the four "sections" of the design feature a 15 year timespan in the parks history.  (You'll note that it starts out in black and white and moves to bright vivid colors.  Cool!!!)

Photo Source: Disney Parks Blog

Next is the "Castle" collection which will include the silvers and blues the park will be decorated with for the celebration.  Of course, Mickey and Minnie are in the design!  I love blue and silver together and I can't wait to see what this collection looks like!

Photo Source: Disney Parks Blog

Last, the "Diamond" collection is a stunning nod to the 60th anniversary.  The design of these products will feature simple black, gray and silver tones.  I love how Sleeping Beauty Castle is encased in the diamond design.

Photo Source: Disney Parks Blog

Disneyland has also released a few new designs as a preview of their anniversary merchandise.  These pins will be released each month from January to July.

Photo Source: Disney Parks Blog

I've saved my personal favorite for last... the Mickey balloon popcorn bucket!  I haven't ever collected popcorn buckets, but I think this is a must have!  It comes in red, purple and blue, and they would look lovely on top of my desk!  I've always wanted an actual Mickey balloon.  Now I can have one that will never deflate!

Photo Source: Disney Parks Blog

Finally, here's a quick video to recap the big Diamond Anniversary announcement!

And there you have it!  Disneyland's 60th Anniversary Diamond Celebration looks like it's going to be absolutely amazing.  (I can already picture myself as a sobbing mess of emotions.)  I wasn't planning on going back to Disneyland until May of 2016 for the Tinker Bell race weekend, but I really have to see those new shows and there isn't a date for when the anniversary celebration ends.  Eliot and I are already looking into a few possibilities for a visit... stay tuned!!!  °o°