Iconic Nighttime Disneyland Experience Teases Return

Key Takeaways

• The “Paint the Night” parade may be returning to Disney’s California Adventure in 2025.
• The popular nighttime event is rumored to be coming back for Disneyland’s 70th anniversary.
• The parade debuted in California in 2015 for the park’s 60th anniversary Diamond Celebration.

Following a recently released teaser announcement, Disneyland fans may have more exciting experiences to look forward to in 2025. After years of waiting and anticipation, the electric “Paint the Night” parade could be returning to Disney California Adventure in Disneyland very soon.

Inspired by the iconic Disney “Main Street Electrical Parade,” “Paint the Night” is a nighttime parade that cruises through the Disney California Adventure Park. The parade features various beloved Disney and Pixar characters, including characters and floats from Peter Pan, Cars, Monsters, Inc., Toy Story, and more. The parade debuted in California in 2015 as part of the resort’s 60th-anniversary Diamond Celebration and returned seasonally until 2018. Since then, neither Disneyland nor Walt Disney World in Florida have had a consistent nighttime parade, although Walt Disney World did recently feature a nighttime drone show at Disney Springs.

However, that could be changing very soon according to a teaser post on the Disneyland official Instagram page. The social media account shared a teaser that features Mac from Pixar’s Cars lighting up set to the background music of “When Can We Do This Again?” from Wreck-It Ralph along with a caption asking the same question. Many fans were quick to guess what it meant in the comments, with several questioning when “Paint the Night” would officially return to the park. Several of the other official Disney social media accounts also chimed in, furthering speculation and excitement that the stunning nighttime show would return.

Popular Nighttime Parade Potentially Returning to Disneyland

The parade is likely returning for the resort’s 70th anniversary next year. Not much is known about the milestone celebration, but Disneyland is known for going above and beyond for its anniversaries. Although there has been no actual official confirmation on whether the parade is returning in full, with its original lineup of characters and floats, it could be very exciting for many Disneyland guests who want to be able to experience the electrical parade once more. In addition to the new parade, guests will be able to see construction start on the new attractions coming to Avengers Campus next year. The rides, which were announced during the D23 event this summer, will feature Iron Man and the Avengers and will double the size of the existing Avengers Campus area.

The reveal comes right after the announcement of the Disneyland Magic Key holder preview dates for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, which will start by the end of October. The attraction was first announced for both Disneyland and Walt Disney World in 2019, with the Florida location opening in June 2024. The Disneyland version will open to the public on November 15, 2024. In addition, several other announcements have been made confirming new updates that are coming to Disneyland and Walt Disney World.

During the Disney D23 event earlier this summer, Disney Parks Chairman Josh D’Amaro revealed several new attractions and areas coming to Walt Disney World. The long-rumored Villains Land expansion will be coming to Magic Kingdom within the next ten years, Animal Kingdom will be getting two new attractions inspired by Indiana Jones and Encanto, and Monsters, Inc. will be coming to Hollywood Studios. Overall, these announcements are exciting for Disney guests and fans, especially as Universal Orlando ramps up work leading up to the opening of Epic Universe sometime next year.