Have you celebrated the Lunar New Year at Disneyland before? I recently had the very special opportunity to experience it firsthand with a group of my girlfriends and I’m going to share everything you need to know before you go so you can celebrate the Year of the Pig until February 17th!
When my friend Erin Ziering first invited me to celebrate the Lunar New Year as an inaugural Disney Girl’s Night Out I couldn’t have been more excited. She was hosting her first ever GNO with Disneyland with an intimate group of 8 mom influencers/bloggers and I was just honored to be considered. Working with Disneyland is one of those dream jobs that you just have to pinch yourself when it happens. It was a magical night and one to remember!
When I arrived at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa to park and meet each other, I was greeted by a Disney cast member and was given a VIP gift bag filled with a Celebration Mickey plush, sparkling purple ears, a commemorative pin, and a beautiful Lunar New Year notebook and pen set!
Our first stop on the itinerary was to take some photo opps at Downtown Disney. They have so many colorful celebration walls with Mickey and Minnie on them, I couldn’t help but to take a few photos!
We then went inside Disney California Adventure Park and watched Mulan’s Lunar New Year Procession at the Paradise Gardens Park. If you haven’t been there before it’s right across from The Little Mermaid ride!
When it was done we had the opportunity to experience some authentic food in the Marketplace with our Sip & Savor pass. Annual Passholders will receive a discount and a special Passholder lanyard as well as collectable buttons at select locations! This pass costs $39 and will provide you with 6 coupons redeemable for Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese-inspired food with some magical Disney flavors at the Lunar New Year Marketplace locations:
- Longevity Noodle Co.
- Lucky 8 Lantern
- Prosperity Bao & Buns
- Red Dragon Spice Traders
- Paradise Garden Grill
- Festival Food and Beverage Cart
I tried the Crispy Shrimp Fried Rice with Garlic, Bacon and Edamame and the Stir-fried Vegetables & Pineapple with Soy Protein, Steamed Rice and Crunchy Chow Mein Noodles at Lucky 8 Lantern. Honestly, I loved both of them and could have easily had seconds or thirds they were so good!
I also tried the Mickey Chinese Hot Dog Bun at the Prosperity Bao & Buns. I love anything and everything Mickey shaped, so this was a must try. The bun is served at room temperature and was fluffy and sweet.
And I tried the Firecracker Three Cup Chicken with Steamed Rice and Steamed Short Rib Shumai with Spicy Korean Sauce, Sriacha-Mayonnaise and Cucumber Salad at the Red Dragon Spice Traders. Both were a little spicy and a lot delicious! I love spicy food with a sweet and savory kick and these hit the spot!
There is also a character meet n greet section in the back of the park in Paradise Gardens near Paradise Garden Grill. You can meet Mulan, Mushu, Mickey, and Minnie!
And there is a lot of really fun and unique merchandise you can buy including really beautiful ears to add to your collection!!!
And some other crafts and activities you can partake in while you are there celebrating!
After we filled our bellies with delicious eats, we walked over to Disneyland to watch Mickey’s Soundsational Parade. In fact, we had reserved seating and had to move from one section to the other and even had the rare opportunity to walk down Main Street during the parade, which made our GNO so much more fun!
Photo by: Sally from Lovestalgia
The parade is nothing short of spectacular with all of your favorite songs and characters! The parade runs from Main Street to It’s a Small World at either 3:30pm and or 6:00pm (depending on the day) and runs for 36 minutes. It’s do fun and colorful and definitely a must do when you are at the park! You’ll find yourself singing and dancing the entire time!
After the parade we walked back over to Disney California Adventure Park to have an intimate dinner at the Wine Country Trattoria. My favorite part about this dinner is how much we bonded as friends as we went around the table and shared our personal and professional goals for the year and how we can support each other. Nothing feels better than to support and be supported by other women and this group of powerhouses are nothing short of amazing. I loved how much we strengthened our friendships with each other and I know I learned so much from these incredible women that I am forever thankful for!
After dinner, we walked back over to Disneyland to watch Mickey’s Mix Magic on Main Street! Using state of the art equipment, Main Street is transformed into magical kaleidoscopic projections and exciting lights and lasers to your favorite Disney tunes. And on select nights, including the night we were there, the show coincides with the fireworks!! I even shared it worldwide LIVE on my Instagram feed!
DJ Mickey virtually spins a playlist of remixed Disney tunes, including:
- “It’s a Good Time”
- “I Wanna Be Like You”
- “Ev’rybody Wants To Be A Cat”
- “Friend Like Me”
- “Grim Grinning Ghosts”
- “Un Poco Loco”
- “Let It Go”
- “It’s a Good Time” (Finale)
But don’t you think the night ended there! When the kids are home, the moms will play! And we made the most out of being at the parks and went on a ride together! We chose the Mad Tea Party teacups! I don’t think I spun and laugh so hard in years! We had so much fun and if you visit my Disney Lunar Highlights on my Instagram feed you’ll see us in action on the ride having the time of our lives!
A BIG thank you to DISNEYLAND and ERIN ZIERING for such a memorable evening. I hope this is the first of many to come and I hope I can continue to share more Disney adventures with all of you!!
See you real soon!!!
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