The Disneyland Resort is celebrating 70 years of making magic for guests who visit The Happiest Place on Earth this year. Throughout the year, there will be many ways for guests to celebrate this milestone in the history of Disneyland. This includes the return of Paint the Night parade and a new verse being added to it’s a small world. In the Opera House, there will be plenty of nostalgia for Disney fans to experience. This includes Walt Disney – A Magical Life and a new exhibit dedicated to Disney past, present, and future.
Disney announced that both the exhibit and this new show featuring an Audio-Animatronic Walt Disney will be debuting at the Opera House on July 17, 2025. Guests who visit the Opera House will get a completely new experience between the exhibit in the lobby, Walt Disney – A Magical Life, and a new exit experience as well. Below are the details of what will be found.
The first things guests will experience when they enter the Opera House on Main Street, U.S.A. is a new gallery experience that features the evolution of Walt Disney’s dream of Disneyland. This became the theme park that inspired and continues to inspire generations. It also changed the entertainment world forever. The display will include images, art, and artifacts. Some of these have never been seen before on display. They all show Disneyland before, during, and after Walt Disney’s dream became a reality. Relics and memorabilia have been curated by Walt Disney Imagineering and the Walt Disney Archives from the early days of Disneyland. There will also be things on display that show the evolution of the park that Walt Disney envisioned and walked through showing what it has become today.
Further inside the lobby, there will be another exhibit showcasing the history of Audio-Animatronics technology. This begins with what things were like in Walt’s day and continues up to where things are today. This will show Walt’s inspiration and also reveal the inner workings of this technology. It will also show how far Audio-Animatronics figures have advanced through the decades.
If that isn’t enough, Disney is also collaborating with The Walt Disney Family Museum. The museum has selected over 30 artifacts to be on display in the lobby for these experiences. Some of the treasures on loan from The Walt Disney Family Museum include original items from Walt’s private apartment above the Fire Station on Main Street. This includes the original rocking chair, lamp, and table. None of these have been publicly exhibited at Disneyland before.
There will also be some of Walt’s humanitarian accolades on display from The Walt Disney Family Museum as well. Guests will get to see these items up close, including Walt’s 1955 Emmy award for the Walt Disney’s Disneyland TV show, his Presidential Medal of Freedom awarded by President Johnson in 1964, and the Walt Disney Commemorative Medal presented to Lillian Disney by President Nixon in 1969.
Once guests have checked out these exhibits, they will enter the main theater to experience Walt Disney – A Magical Life. This will showcase the incredible story of Walt Disney’s life. It will utilize remastered footage and audio records to take guests on a cinematic journey that begins with Walt’s early endeavors to his journey to Los Angeles and beyond. Finally, the curtain will rise and guests will experience Walt Disney’s office. Then, through the magic of Audio-Animatronics storytelling which Walt Disney helped pioneer himself, Walt will share both some heartfelt stories and words of wisdom.
Initially, Walt Disney – A Magical Life will be offered as the sole show at the Opera House. After its initial run, Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln will be shown in rotation with the new show.
Disneyland will never be completed. It will continue to grow as long as there is imagination left in the world,” Walt Disney said. Upon exiting the theater, guests will get a look at projects and moments of how Disneyland will keep moving forward. It will also show how this has been done for decades.
All of these experiences at the Opera House will be opening on July 17, 2025. What do you think of them? What are you most excited about? Share your thoughts and opinions in the comments below!
