Disneyland Resort is ringing in the Year of the Snake with its annual Lunar New Year celebration, now in full swing at Disney California Adventure Park through Feb. 17, 2025. The multicultural festivities honor Chinese, Vietnamese and Korean traditions — Disney style — with stunning décor, themed food, character appearances and festive entertainment. Here are the best ways to celebrate Lunar New Year at Disneyland.
Featured Photo: Courtesy of Disneyland
Lunar New Year Marketplaces
Sample festive Asian-inspired dishes from beautifully decorated Lunar New Year Marketplaces and participating dining locations throughout the Disneyland Resort. To save some money, pick up a Sip and Savor pass, which gets you six redeemable coupons for festival food and non-alcoholic drink items at a discount. Here are some menu highlights to whet your appetite.
Longevity Noodle Co.
A Lunar New Year staple, tradition dictates that long noodles promise a long life. At Longevity Noodle Co., try Garlic Noodles tossed in garlic butter and parmesan. To drink, try the Tropical Coconut Cooler, made with coconut cream, coconut milk, house-made jackfruit syrup, dragon fruit syrup, lychee nectar, and cherry juices garnished with mango coconut.
Lucky 8 Lantern
At Lucky 8 Lantern, Quesabirria Egg Roll with Guajillo Pepper Consomé, filled with Oaxaca cheese beef birria is an inventive take on the traditional egg roll. For an adult beverage with a young-at-heart candy twist, the Year of The Snake Margarita, made with Reposado tequila, lime juice, kiwi syrup, and mango purée is garnished with a snake gummy.
Bamboo Blessings
Here you’ll find Mini Char Siu Pork Shanks, a Strawberry Milk Tea Macaron almost too pretty to eat, plus Brown Sugar Milk Tea and a Dragon Fruit Cocktail.
Prosperity Bao & Buns
Kung Pao Bao with plant-based chicken, toasted peanuts, and scallions from Prosperity Bao & Buns is my favorite plant-based dish I’ve ever had at a Disneyland festival. Meat eaters should try the Red Panda Bao with pork and vegetable and chili-garlic sauce. Sip cocktails like the Strawberry-Lychee Cocktail or taste a variety of beers in the Lunar New Year Beer Flight.
Red Dragon Spice Traders
Fire and spice are the name of the game here with Fire Chicken Wings and Spicy Gochujang Chicken Tacos. Counteract the heat with a Peach Makgeolli Cocktail.
Wrapped with Love
This year, Wrapped With Love serves up Pho, dumplings and a Mandarin Orange Cream Puff plus a Taro Vietnamese-style Iced Coffee.
More Lunar New Year Food and Drink Spots
Lunar New Year dishes are available from quick-service locations and food and beverage carts throughout Disney California Adventure, and select dining locations in the Hotels of the Disneyland Resort and the Downtown Disney District. Check them all out in this year’s festival Foodie Guide. If you’re not the grazing type or you’re just in the mood for a full meal, head to Paradise Garden Grill. Here you can try the biggest head-turning dish of the festival, a Whole Fish, served family style for two with steamed rice and stir-fried vegetables. Other options include the Banh Mi Sandwich and Korean-style BBQ Chicken. The Tiger Milk Tea with BobaBam Brown Sugar Boba is another attention grabber this year.
The festival’s annual instagram darling dish, the Mickey-shaped Hot Dog Bun, a Mickey-shaped brioche bun stuffed with hot dogs and topped with sesame seeds and scallions, is available at select outdoor vending carts throughout the park.
Lamplight Lounge
My favorite restaurant at Disney California Adventure Park, Pixar-themed Lamplight Lounge is a must-visit on any trip to Disneyland and features some seasonal specials for Lunar New Year. Vietnamese BBQ Pork Chop is served with spicy garlic noodles and chile-marinated cucumbers. For a sweeter snack, try the Green Tea Donuts.
Entertainment
Mulan's Lunar New Year Procession
Mulan’s Lunar New Procession is a dazzling, must-see parade that makes its way several times daily throughout all of Disney California Adventure park. Mulan and her dragon pal Mushu are accompanied by costumed performers and celebratory music.
Hurry Home – Lunar New Year Celebration
This nighttime water show on Paradise Bay is set to a score by Academy Award-winning composer Tan Dun and tells the story of a small lantern’s journey to reunite with family for the annual Lunar New Year Celebration. The show appears before the park’s nighttime spectacular, “World of Color — ONE.”
Live Music and Dance
Paradise Gardens and Sonoma Terrace are both great spots to grab a table after you’ve rounded up your festival dishes to sample while listening to live music and performers showcasing Chinese, Vietnamese, and Korean heritage and cultural traditions.
Disney Characters
The Lunar New Year celebration provides some unique opportunities to meet specially costumed and rare characters. Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse have debuted new costumes representing traditional Korean attire. Guests can meet them at the Paradise Gardens Gazebo, where Mulan and Mushu, and Goofy also meet during the festival.
Meilin Lee and her mother Ming Lee from Turning Red meet guests at the pathway between Grizzly Peak and Paradise Gardens Park.
Learn
Art walls display information about Lunar New Year, sharing the story of the celebration in each of the cultures represented at the festival. Guests can also learn what “year” (tiger, pig, dog, etc.) they are and kids and adults can try complimentary arts and crafts, including dragon’s pearl coloring craft and Chinese calligraphy.
The Lucky Wishes Wall is a meaningful space where guests can walk beneath strings of lanterns displaying the written wishes of other guests and add their own to the mix.
Shop
Commemorative Lunar New Year merchandise in bold reds and golds like a Spirit Jersey, tumbler, Minnie Ears, and more are available as fun souvenirs of this very limited time event.
Ways to Save on your Disneyland Visit
A limited-time Kids’ Special Ticket Offer for a 1-Day, 1-Park ticket for kids ages 3-9 is available for as low as $50 per child, now through March 20, 2025. Southern California residents can also take advantage of a limited-time three-day ticket offer for visits through May 15., 2025. Additional discounts including for overnight stays at the Hotels of the Disneyland Resort are detailed at Disneyland.com.
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