On Friday, May 16, 2025, the Paint the Night Parade officially debuted to the public as a part of the Disneyland Resort 70th Celebration. To say its return was powerful would be an understatement. Guests entering Disneyland throughout the day passed signs noting that waiting would only be allowed 2 hours early for things. This, however, was incredibly hard to enforce.
As the afternoon turned into evening, guests could be seen trying to stake out spots. In some cases, this meant wandering around the area they were eying. Other parts of the parade route had guests simply deciding to sit down and wait. By the time the two-hour window officially had been reached, many spots along the parade route were taken. By the time it was under an hour until the first parade, announcements were being played saying that the viewing areas were full.
Finally, it was time for the parade to begin. The lights went down, the music began, and the crowd went wild. This could be heard up and down the packed parade route. The energy was appropriately electric as the parade made its way through Disneyland. Below is a look at the first parade on the opening night of the Disneyland Resort 70th Celebration.
Following the parade, people crammed into the streets to watch Wondrous Journeys. This popular fireworks spectacular made its return after debuting as part of the Disney 100 Years of Wonder celebration. This was a celebration of 100 years of The Walt Disney Company.
Following Wondrous Journeys, the parade route again became packed as guests scrambled to find a place to watch the second showing of the Paint the Night parade. The parade was offered at 8:45 PM and 10:45 PM. Both shows were packed. This was the opening night, so this was to be expected. If this run is like other runs of this parade, in the future, the first parade will continue to be fairly packed, and it will become easier to get spots at the second parade.
The return of Paint the Night is just one of the many offerings across the Disneyland Resort for the Disneyland Resort 70th Celebration. Daps Magic’s full coverage can be found at DapsMagic.com/Disneyland70. Be sure to stop by regularly for updates, photos, videos, and more!
What do you think of the return of the Paint the Night parade? What is your favorite part of this parade? Are you going to see it in person during its run at The Happiest Place On Earth? Share your thoughts and opinions in the comments below!
