Disneyland Diamond Celebration Near End

Disneyland will be Retiring Disneyland Forever & the Paint the Night Parade

Say it isn’t so. Hard to believe it’s been almost a year since Sleeping Beauty’s castle got a sparkling renovation, but Disneyland’s Diamond Celebration will be ending next month.

Kick Off

On September 22, 2015, Disneyland kicked off it’s 60th anniversary celebration with new decor, dazzling consumer products, parades and a spectacular fireworks show. The exterior of Sleeping Beauty’s castle was gemified with diamond inspired accents, making it sparkle by day and twinkle at night. Main Street shop windows were re-designed to include items bedazzled and full of silver glitter. Bakeries offered specialty desserts with the Diamond Celebration logos and more. California Adventure Park also got involved in the celebration, with similar building beautification and enhancements.

A MODERN ICON (ANAHEIM, Calif.) –– Peter Pan sits atop the drum float, a tribute to the original ‘Main Street Electrical Parade’ in the all-new after dark spectacular. ‘Paint the Night’ is full of vibrant color and more than 1.5 million, brilliant LED lights and features special effects, unforgettable music, and energetic performances that bring beloved Disney and Disney●Pixar stories to life. (Paul HIffmeyer/Disneyland Resort)

Fireworks & A New Light Parade

With the celebration came a new nightly fireworks show. Disneyland Forever was a firework show like no other, incorporating set design, pyrotechnics, and visual effects. Who else but Disney could turn a mountain into an active volcano, a main street into an undersea adventure, or a castle into the African Pride Lands. Disneyland Forever provided guests with an original immersive experience, pulling guests into the center of Disney magic as they gathered down Main Street.

In addition to Disneyland Forever, Disney’s Paint the Night Parade lit up the night from the “It’s a Small World” attraction to the park entrance. Originally created for Hong Kong Disneyland in 2014, Disney brought the remarkable parade to Anaheim for the Diamond Celebration.

The Parade featured your favorite characters from animated classics like The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Toy Story and of course Mickey Mouse. For it’s signature song Disney looked to the soundtrack from it’s 2012 hit Wreck it Ralph for inspiration. The parade music is a mix of “When Can I See You Again,” by Owl City and many Disney classics. Referred to as “a new electrical light parade” guests will notice many similarities between Paint the Night and the original Main Street Electrical Parade.

Saying Goodbye

The Diamond Celebration officially ends on September 5th, 2016. Guests have about three weeks left to see Disneyland Forever for the very first time, or watch Paint the Night for one last time before they leave Anaheim. While the news of their retirement is sad for many, there may be some good news. Disney has announced it will be retiring the original Main Street Electrical Parade at the Magic Kingdom Park in Orlando. Many believe this is to make room for Paint the Night parade which would be moving across the country to entertain guests of Walt Disney World.

Make sure you visit Disneyland before the Diamond Celebration comes to an end next month. Can’t visit? Watch clips from the parade now and subscribe to our YouTube Channel, Search Princess.