Isn't she pretty?? I can only hope I look this good when I turn 60!

​Disneyland in Anaheim is continuing to celebrate the 60th Anniversary Diamond Celebration in the parks but the celebration is only on until September so if you haven't had a chance to visit the park in all her bedazzled beauty, there is still time! As a part of the Diamond Celebration, three spectacular evenings shows were created and re-imagined for the celebration to combine heartfelt tributes to Walt Disney and his vision with the newest technology available to create the most magical experience for guests! Nostalgia and modernity combine to bring awe-inspiring and unforgettable experiences. 
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1. PAINT THE NIGHT PARADE

Paint the Night is a nighttime spectacular parade with millions of LED light and a catchy tune with all your favourite Disney characters! There are 2 shows each night - 8:30pm and 10:30pm (times may change on different days so check before your trip for specific show times, but these were the times of the show for the week we were visiting) as it is definitely something you will want to do! It is one of the most popular attractions for guests and many pass holder guests enjoy the parade so you will see people reserving their spots for the parade as early as 5:30pm! Benches and curbs are priority viewing seats so they are snagged early if you want a front row view. 

If you check the parade route ahead of time, the parade begins at "it's a small world" and continues toward the castle, down Main St. and ends in the Towne Square near the entrance of the park. For the second show, the parade route is reversed and it begins in Towne Square, heads through Main St, towards the castle and ends at "it's a small world".

 Many of your favourite Disney and Pixar characters dazzle and shine while they dance away into the night! 

Main St and the castle area are the most popular viewing areas so spots in these areas are always reserved early as they are also in a prime location for viewing the fireworks that are on after the parade. 

Strategize your ideal location based on your plans. 
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1. "it's a small world" - this is where the early parade begins. Be among the first to see the parade as it starts! The parade lasts about 20 minutes and then you are free to head to other attractions and rides to enjoy with less crowds and line ups as most people will be watching the parade! (Just don't head towards the castle or Main St.) If you are planning on leaving the parks after the early parade, then I wouldn't suggest this area for viewing.

2. Castle area and Main St. There are lots of areas around the castle and Main St that people start snagging spots early. The week we were visiting, people were holding their spots with blankets and snacks by 5:30pm and the first parade wasn't until 8:30pm! If you decide to watch from the castle area, make sure you try to get a spot in the circle by Tomorrowland and not Frontierland as the parade doesn't go by that area. 

These central areas are also ideal to view the fireworks after the parade. If you are in these central areas, be prepared for mass crowds and you will not be moving very quickly if you want to head to another area! But they are prime locations to view the fireworks and the projection show on the castle and the Matterhorn during the fireworks show. No need to fret if you are in "it's a small world" though, the projection show is also visible in that area too! So wherever you are to view the fireworks, you'll still get the magical experience of the fireworks show! 

3. Towne Square - if you are planning on exiting the parks after the parade and the fireworks, especially with young ones, I would suggest finding a spot in Towne Square. This is where the early parade ends. Stay for the fireworks, enjoy last minute shopping before exiting at your convenience. Then you can avoid the mass exodus of crowds once the fireworks are complete. 

3. WORLD OF COLOR - CELEBRATE! 

World of Color - Celebrate! takes the Wonderful World of Walt Disney to a whole new level with a live water, lights, special effects and musical show to celebrate Walt Disney, his vision from his early beginnings with animation, a mouse, Disneyland dreams to the unforgettable Happiest Place on Earth it continues to be today. End your day in Disney California Adventure with World of Color - Celebrate! 

The show is hosted by Neil Patrick Harris and Mickey Mouse as they celebrate Walt Disney. Through music and special effects, your hosts pay tribute to the early dreams and creations of Walt, and move you through his journey into the popular Disney favourites of today.  

FASTPASS
If anything, don't miss World of Color!! If you go early enough into California Adventure, you can obtain a FastPass for World of Color. The FastPass distribution for it is at Grizzly River Run. Then you will have preferred viewing area access and don't have to go early to find a good viewing spot for the show. FastPasses are available in limited quantity on a first come, first served basis though and they usually run out fairly early in the day. This particular FastPass does not count toward your daily limit so you can hold a World of Color FastPass, as well as another FastPass for a different attraction. 

If you are a foodie like me, then you will want to experience Disney fine dining cuisine at least once during your trip! Disney cuisine is legendary and the quality, service and experience is a memorable experience! My kids still talk about the food they ate on the Disney cruise a couple of years ago! 

We decided to experience the World of Color dining package at Carthay Circle, the restaurant recreated to pay homage to the theatre that Walt's Disney's first film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, premiered. 

Walking through the restaurant takes you back in time to an era of stylish and chic elegance. (My daughter quietly informed me that we were not dressed properly to dine here.) 

Carthay Circle specializes in seasonal cuisine, featuring California favourites so the menu is based on seasonal availability of ingredients to ensure they are used at highest peak for flavour and colour. The dining package offers a three course meal for children and adults and a decent selection of menu items that are sure to satisfy any palette. 

Disney at night is so different than Disney during the day! Make sure you try to experience even just a little bit of everything during your trip to Disneyland. You can't do it all. There is just too much to experience! And with the 60th Diamond Anniversary Celebration, the tributes to the history and nostalgia pull at your heartstrings as you can see, feel and experience everything that Walt envisioned. How can one person have the vision to create the Happiest Place on Earth and inspire so many to fiercely protect his vision and ensure that every single person, regardless of age, can enjoy the most magical experience in the Wonderful World of Disney. Whether it is your first visit, or repeated weekly visitor, the feeling of walking under the bridge magically transports you into a world where your dreams come true and you simply can't stop smiling! The Happiest Place on Earth delights the child in all of us! 

"I hope we don't lose sight of one thing - that it was all started with a mouse" ~ Walt Disney 

Disneyland in Anaheim, California held their annual 24 hour marathon event on May 22, 2015 where the parks are open for 24 hours, from 6:00am on Friday, May 22 until 6:00am Saturday, May 23, 2015. Park closes at 6:00am for cleanup and reopens to the public as per regular schedule at 9:00am on Saturday. Disneyland decided to launch their 60th Anniversary Diamond Celebration activities with the 24 hour marathon event. Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida also held their 24 marathon event at the same time to kick off their "Coolest Summer Ever" summer party activities! 

I was joined by my fellow Disney addict-partner-in-crime, Vinnie, to tackle the 24 hour marathon event as Disney marathoner rookies (makes us sound like runners....she is but I'm not!). We didn't make it there for 6:00am rope drop time but arrived early in the morning, fresh faced and ready to see what the  Diamond Celebration experience will bring! 

Here is what we learned from our experience! 

1. ARRIVE EARLY. This may be a no brainer for many Disney addicts and hard core fans but may not be so obvious for ones who are not as familiar with Disney fanatic events. Particularly for this year, this 24 hour event was even more special and memorable as it was the kick off to the Disneyland Diamond Celebration activities and attractions! People began lining up at 10pm on Thursday night. By 2:30am, there were over 7000 in line. Crazy?? Not for Disney fanatics who wanted to be present for the 6:00am rope drop and receive a special commemorative Disneyland 60th Mickey ears. 

(We were not there for that part of it but we have connections! Special friends with exclusive behind the scenes access who was kind enough to permit me to share his photos. Thanks David/coheteboy! )

2. BE PREPARED FOR LINES. Again, may seem like a no-brainer but you have to mentally prepare yourself for the crowds and deal with line ups EVERY WHERE. We have learned to simply stand in line when we see a line up and then someone goes to  find out what the line is for. One line we stood in was for popcorn. Just popcorn! So we hastily moved so we didn't waste our time waiting in line for something we were not interested in yet. Line up for rides, food, bathrooms, etc... EVERY WHERE. But at least in this experience, we met a lot of really friendly people in line and enjoyed our experiences. (Can't always say that about line ups and crowds!) 


3. RESERVATIONS ARE REQUIRED. We didn't have any specific plans. We didn't know what to expect and we had no idea what to prepare for and how to prepare for an event such as this. So we thought we would "wing" it and see what would happen. Well, without dining reservations, you simply don't get to eat any meals. You could stand in line for the numerous quick service kiosks and stands but one can only eat so many churros and Dole whips before the need for real fuel is required! 

We were extremely fortunate to bump into local friends who are diehard Disney addicts, David and Caitlyn, who know all the ins and outs of everything Disney and gave us a personal tour of Disneyland chock full of history, little tidbits and fantastic tips and suggestions! On top of that, they invited us for dinner with them as they had dinner reservations and their friends could not join them. We jumped at the opportunity because it meant we could eat a real dinner! And have the chance to actually sit down after standing in lines and walking around all day long...:)  

4. FAST PASSES. Get your FAST PASSES when you can as they will run out. FAST PASSES give you the opportunity to return to the attraction at a specified time so you are guaranteed to experience it without waiting in line. This gives you the opportunity to check out another attraction in the mean time. FAST PASSES make life a little less stressful and line ups a bit more manageable as you don't have to wait in line for every single ride. Especially for the extremely popular rides. FAST PASSES do run out and if they are gone for the day, there are no more to be had. The new World of Color show was premiering that day and viewing was only available with a FAST PASS. Although we were generously offered World of Color FAST PASSES by our secret insider access contact for the 3:00am viewing, we regretfully declined (age and parent factor coming into play!) It just means I have to ensure I catch it on my next trip in a few months! This time, I will purchase a dining plan option to get premium viewing seats for the show! 

6. BATTERIES, CHARGERS AND ALL THAT JAZZ! We were armed with our phone chargers and a mobile battery (which provided to be useless if you don't properly charge it ahead of time...*face palm*) but your mobile phone battery takes a huge beating during the day if you are using it to take photos, post photos, text/call, etc...And while we had phone chargers with us, outlets for charging are scarce and probably more difficult to find than Hidden Mickeys in the park! With the amount of people in and around the parks for that particular day, reception was poor and probably ate more of our phone batteries than usual. Charging lockers are available to rent from Disney but were all gone for the day. Again, thankful for our secret-access-Disney-saviour who carried around a mobile phone charger that carried a full 5 phone charge and allowed us to recharge our phones so we could continue to capture more of the Disney experiences! (Oh and in case anyone wanted to call us for emergencies or something...) 

7. CHANGE OF SHOES. Regardless of the shoes you choose to wear for the day, your feet will take a beating, We walked over 20, 000 steps that day! By the end of the evening, we were exhausted. Our feet and our legs were more worse for the wear than anything else. We likely could have made through another couple of hours if we had the foresight to bring a change of shoes just to give our feet something different to walk around in and give our feet the "second wind" it needed to continue on the marathon. 

8. ENERGY. Going to Disneyland is exciting and the energy is overwhelming! Even past the point of pure exhaustion, it's amazing the amount of adrenaline and energy from Disney can fuel you for more experiences! I thought I would need a lot of caffeine to help me get through the day but surprisingly, it wasn't required. The positive energy from Disney addicts who appreciate the wonder of Disney and collectively share their love of Disney provides you with the energy to go on  and do more! While I have been to the parks before for different Disney experiences, a Disney marathon is something different and unique altogether. 

I have never completed a 24 hour event at Disneyland so this was definitely a first experience for us! We may have been rookies but we learned from the best and are going to hone our skills for the next one! 

As much as we would have loved to actually do the whole 24 hours from 6:00am to 6:00pm, the sad reality is that we are not as young as we used to be and the age factor and parent factor comes into play much stronger. Sleep is necessary and required.  With her three kids up before 7:00am up in the morning, we had to make some difficult choices when it was time to leave. 




Leave Disneyland?? It was so hard to leave.....but the longer we stayed, the less sleep we knew we would get! We managed to hang on until 2:00am and were pretty satisfied with our overall 24 hour Disneyland marathon experience! This may have been my first 24 hour event, but it certainly won't be the last!! It was so much fun and definitely worth the experience! (And yes, her kids were up before 7:00am the next morning! :) 

Disney is an addiction and now that I've done this one, I can't wait to go back! Who wants to join me for the next 24 hour event?? Let me know!! 

Disneyland turns 60!! Sixty years ago, Walt Disney opened up Disneyland on July 17, 1955 - a dream he had imagined for so long had come to life! He simply wanted to create a place so magical, so full of happiness that people want to come and put all their troubles behind them. And it was beyond his wildest imagination that it has turned into the the iconic place of happiness for everyone, everywhere in the world to enjoy the "happiest place on earth". 

The Diamond Celebration is all about celebrating the history of Disneyland, the last 60 years of Disney classic and traditional, iconic, vintage memories and visions of Walt Disney with new tributes honouring his vision with the newest technology and resources available to us today. It is the perfect mix of new and classic treasures that pay a loving tribute to the man himself. 

Many rides have been upgraded and refurbished to offer a new and updated experience. Most notably, Peter Pan's Flight, the Matterhorn Bobsleds and the Haunted Mansion are the newest upgraded attractions that are definitely worth checking out! The Hatbox Ghost was brought back to the Haunted Mansion after a 50 year absence, and the Yeti in the Matterhorn Bobsled is scarier than ever! 

But the biggest and newest news for the Diamond Celebration is the debut of three new night time spectacular shows that were shown to guests on May 22, 2015. It is so exciting to be among the first to watch the new shows! 

"Paint the Night" is a new night time parade that is a modern and updated version of their classic Main Street Electrical Parade. It's a energetic, upbeat moving dance party with over a million LED lights dazzling the amazing floats! See larger than life characters from classic Disney to new Pixar characters dancing to the music with more than 80 performers in light up costumes accompanying the floats. The parade is also running in Hong Kong Disneyland to much success but this is the first time it is playing in Disneyland California. 

(My photos simply are nowhere near to snuff to capture the true essence of the parade!) 

And if you have some time to watch the whole parade, here is a video from Inside the Magic, so you can watch the parade in its entirety! 

"Disneyland Forever" - a new fireworks show that lights up the sky with projected imagery on the castle and along the buildings on Main Street USA. It is a fireworks show that honours Walt and the classic characters and stories of Disney.

If you want to watch the fireworks show complete with projections on the Sleeping Beauty castle, Inside the Magic has provided a fantastic video which shows the Disneyland Forever Fireworks presentation in full! 

Last but certainly not least is the new "World of Color" show at Disneyland California Adventure! It is a water and lights show that has been updated and revised to pay tribute to Walt and include new stories of Disney and Pixar characters. With new host Neil Patrick Harris and Mickey leading the show, it is definitely a show not to be missed! 

I don't have any photos from the World of Color show but coheteboy has some AMAZING photos from his behind the scenes viewing experience! Thanks for allowing me to share them! 

Inside the Magic provides another video of the FULL show experience! 

So if you are heading to Disneyland anytime in 2015 for their Diamond Celebration, you definitely need to check out all three of the new night time shows! 

The "Paint the Night Parade" and "Disneyland Forever" Fireworks show are both in Disneyland Park and available on a first come basis for ideal locations to watch. Bring blankets or sheets and scope out the location you wish to watch. 

"World of Color" plays nightly at California Adventure and a FASTPASS is available at the Grizzly River Run area to obtain viewing in the Paradise Bay area. You can also purchase a dining package to obtain tickets for access to Center Stage viewing area for premium views of the shows. Dining packages are available at Carthay Circle Restaurant and Wine Country Trattoria. 

If you watched or experienced any of  their new nighttime shows, or any of their new Diamond Celebration experiences (food, merchandise, attractions, etc,,,) let me know what you think! 

If you would like assistance in planning your Diamond Celebration Disneyland vacation, please let me know!! I would love to assist!