Thousands of guests descended on Disneyland on Thursday night for Disneyland After Dark Sweethearts’ Night. This special ticketed event celebrated Valentine’s Day with unique characters, photo opportunities, entertainment, food, and more! Going into the event, there weren’t a ton of details on what would be experienced. However, once guests were checked in, it quickly became apparent that there were going to be lots of experiences to be had.
Characters
There were quite a few characters be found throughout the night. Some of them were in specific locations and others could be found wandering around. At The Royal Princess Ball, an entire Disney royal court could be found. They included:
- Prince Charming & Cinderella
- Prince Eric & Ariel
- Prince Naveen & Tiana
- Aladdin & Jasmine
Throughout the rest of the park, there were characters to be found all over the place. Some of them were characters that can be found semi-frequently at Disneyland. Others were pretty rare. Some of the highlights of the night had to be Milo & Kida and also Hercules & Meg. Other characters that could be found at Disneyland included:
- Mickey Mouse & Minnie Mouse
- Horace Horsecollar & Clarabelle Cow
- Bert & Mary Poppins
- Flynn Ryder & Rapunzel
- Woody & Jessie
- Prince & Snow White
- Prince Phillip & Aurora
- Anastasia & Drisella
- Gaston
- Cruella de Vil
The characters and guests alike were having a blast celebrating the night.
Entertainment
There was a healthy collection of entertainment to be found throughout Disneyland for Sweethearts’ Nite. In fact, it would be hard to pick a favorite too quickly. The entertainment for the night included:
- Dueling Pianos – Frontierland
- Moonlight Cruise – Frontierland
- The Royal Princess Ball – Fantasyland
- Steel Drum Band – Adventureland
- “Get Your Ears On” Celebration Dance Party – Tomorrowland
- Mickey’s Mix Magic – Small World Promenade & Main Street, USA
- Dapper Dans – Main Street, USA
The dueling pianos could be found at Rancho del Zocalo Restaurante and were an incredible amount of fun. There was great music, humorous moments, and great audience participation. The Moonlight Cruise on the Mark Twain was also beautiful. The cruise through the night also included a jazz ensemble. The favorite had to have been The Royal Princess Ball. The royal court danced to the music of a live band with each other and also guests. It was like getting to be a part of a true Disney royal ball!
Photo Locations
There were several photo locations around the park as well for the night. In Frontierland, there were two locations. One had an Up background and the other was themed around Toy Story. In Fantasyland there were multiple backdrops to be found. They included backdrops themed around Aladdin, The Little Mermaid, Sleeping Beauty, and Tangled. Main Street, USA had a Lady and the Tramp photo location. Tomorrowland had a Sweethearts’ Nite backdrop. Throughout the entire night, long lines could be seen for all of the locations.
Dining Offerings
As often happens for these special events, there was a collection of special foods being offered. Here is a look at what was offered:
Fantasyland
- Red Rose Taverne: Minnie’s Surf & Turf Artisan Flatbread for Two
- Churro Cart: Storybook Romance Chocolate Churro
Main Street, USA
- Gibson Girl Ice Cream Parlor: Sweetheart Hot Fudge Donut Sundae
- Jolly Holiday Bakery Cafe: Toasted Spicy Chicken * Cheese Sandwich with Tortilla Soup
- Refreshment Corner: Specialty Foot-Long Hot Dog
- Churro Cart: Minnie’s Churro
New Orleans Square
- Churro Cart: Burning Love Valentine Churro
- Mint Julep Bar: Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Beignets
- Royal Street Veranda: Lobster Bisque with Herbed Crustini
Tomorrowland
- Alien Pizza Planet – “A Better Place”: Spaghetti & Meatballs Garlic Bow
- Galactic Grill: Sweetheart Beverage; Chicken Ceaser Sandwich
- Churro Cart: Maple Bacon Churro
Frontierland
- Churro Cart: Chocolate Churro
Extras
There were also some other additional perks offered throughout the night. Photopass photos were included to all guests at Disneyland After Dark Sweethearts’ Nite. For Disneyland Annual Passholders, there was a special button that could be picked up in Tomorrowland. There was also classic Disney love songs playing throughout the park all evening.
Final Thoughts
Disneyland After Dark Sweethearts’ Nite was a very pleasant surprise. With the lack of knowledge beforehand about what would be happening in the evening, it was difficult to predict how the evening would go. However, once we arrived at the park and saw all that there was being offered it quickly became apparent that this was going to be a fun night. The Royal Princess Ball, Milo & Kida, and Hercules & Meg were definitely highlights of the night. Right up there would be the Mark Twain Moonlight Cruise and Dueling Pianos. Overall, this was a very fun evening and just built even more anticipation to the next Disneyland After Dark for 90’s Nite!
