Disneyland Resort celebrating Disney's 100th anniversary with several new attractions, shows

ByDavid González KABC logo
Friday, January 27, 2023
Disneyland celebrating Disney's 100th anniversary with new attractions
The Walt Disney Co. is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, and centennial celebrations are kicking off at Disneyland with several new attractions and shows.

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Celebrations to commemorate the Walt Disney Co.'s 100th anniversary are officially underway at Disneyland and Disney California Adventure.

To celebrate the huge milestone, the "Happiest Place on Earth" is decked out in platinum-infused décor, which includes statues and "Disney100" medallions.

Visitors will be able to get their hands on new merchandise and themed food and drinks. But you can't forget about Mickey, Minnie and their friends, who will be joining in on the festivities wearing new, sparkling outfits to mark the occasion.

The 100th anniversary kicked off Friday with the grand opening of Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway.

"This fits into Mickey's story. It's really cute, it's zany," said Jennifer Schartz, the attraction's lead concept designer. "To get to go on their perfect picnic together -- but of course mayhem ensues when Pluto gets stuck in the car -- and then they hit a bump and: voila."

Disney100 will also honor storytellers, creators and fans with two new nighttime spectaculars.

At Disneyland, "Wondrous Journeys" will pay tribute to a century of Walt Disney Animation Studios "with beautiful lighting technology," said Nataly Guzman, a Disneyland Resort ambassador.

An inside look at Disneyland's new Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway attraction

Disneyland's new Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway is a first-of-its-kind attraction starring Mickey Mouse and friends.

"And you will not want to miss this," Guzman said. "You can find it in various parts throughout the park -- here on Main Street USA, in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle, over at the Rivers of America and in front of It's A Small World."

Over at Disney California Adventure, "World of Color -- ONE" will make its debut.

The show will illustrate how a single action, like a drop of water, can create a ripple that can grow into a wave of change.

"It'll transform Paradise Bay into a dazzling display of water, light, color, lasers, fog, harmonized with music and stories of our favorite characters that dare to be wave-makers and change the world," Guzman said.

In an interview Friday morning outside Sleeping Beauty Castle, Disneyland spokesperson Mikey Trujillo urged visitors to check out the special Disney100 exhibit at the Main Street Opera House.

"It details how Walt Disney wanted you to step into his animated films," Trujillo said. "It's the films that inspired the attractions here at the resort, and then in turn how those attractions inspired some films, like "Pirates of the Caribbean" and "Jungle Cruise," that we know and love."

The Walt Disney Co. is the parent company of this station.