Big Disneyland Entertainment Returns for 2022!
5 min read
After a year of scaled-back entertainment offerings, Disneyland is planning big things for 2022. With several fan-favorite offerings returning, next year is slated to be a return to large-scale entertainment around the resort. Here’s a look at what’s planned for the year ahead…
Main Street Electrical Parade
Disneyland teased the return of the Main Street Electrical Parade earlier this year, but it wasn’t particularly clear when it would be coming back. While there is no anticipated date for the parade’s start date, it will be celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. We’re always hoping for some updates and new additions of parade floats for this nighttime spectacular, but this classic parade is sure to bring people back into the parks to watch (if they can get a park reservation).
Fantasmic! & World of Color
Since the parks reopened this year, there has been a severe cutback in nighttime entertainment. While there were projections and fireworks on a regular basis, there was no Fantasmic! or World of Color to keep people engaged in evening entertainment. However, sometime next year both of those nighttime spectaculars will be returning.
Fantasmic!
Disney’s longest-running nighttime spectacular is set to return to the Rivers of America next year. Disneyland has only confirmed that it will be taking place again starting in 2022, without a specific date.
The show’s water screen projectors underwent refurbishment over the last few months. Now the next step will be hiring and training performers. We’re looking forward to seeing Mickey fight off the forces of evil once again!
World of Color
Over at Disney California Adventure, things have been fairly quiet at night. But hopefully, it won’t be quiet for much longer. World of Color will be making its return to the park sometime next year.
Paradise Bay had been drained in order to complete a major refurb on the show. This light and water pageant is the primary nighttime entertainment in the park, so it’s been a big deal for there to be no real nighttime spectacular right now. Again, there is no specific start date.
as of today, the lagoon has been almost entirely refilled!
Disneyland Forever
Disneyland firework shows are always a spectacular end to a night in the park. While Disney’s go-to show is generally Mickey’s Mix Magic, the park has plans to bring back Disneyland Forever, the show from Disneyland’s 60th Diamond Anniversary. This is a fan-favorite show, and one we’re particularly looking forward to seeing again.
Fantasyland Theater Entertainment
Live entertainment has been slowly trickling back into the parks since the reopening in April. One area that hasn’t fully reopened is the Fantasyland Theater, where Mickey and the Magical Map played before the shutdown in 2019. While that particular show has not been confirmed to be returning, Disneyland has announced that there will be two entertainment offerings headed to the Fantasyland Theater in the near future.
Celebrate Gospel
On select days in February, the Fantasyland Theater will host live choir performances that celebrate the tradition and heritage of Gospel music. Last year, the Celebrate Gospel event took place on a single day in DCA’s Hyperion Theater. By moving the Gospel choirs to Disneyland and spread across several days it should give more guests an opportunity to join in the celebration of Gospel music and Black History Month.
Tale of the Lion King
Also headed to the Fantasyland Theater is another DCA entertainment offering: Tale of the Lion King. This show is a human retelling of The Lion King told by Storytellers of the Pride Lands and is a mix of live music and dance.
Moving this show to the Fantasyland Theater is a great idea— and one that we had suggested during its debut run in 2019. Its original location was out in the unshaded area of Paradise Bay and though the show is fun, many guests were unable to watch due to the inhospitable conditions of heat and a lack of shade. We really hope that people will take time to watch this charming show starting next spring.
What’s Still Missing?
Although all this entertainment headed back to the Disneyland Resort is great news, there’s still some major offerings that have not been announced. While the Fantasyland Theater is where Mickey and the Magical Map took place, it was not included in the lineup of returning entertainment. That could mean that it is permanently canceled and that a major new production is in the works (perhaps in conjunction with the opening of Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway).
Also missing from Fantasyland is the Tangled show, storytelling, and swing dancing in the Royal Theatre. Right now, that area is used for princess photo opportunities. There’s no telling when or if those particular entertainment offerings will be returning.
Additionally, when Frozen closed at DCA, cast were told it was a permanent closure and not to expect it to reopen when the parks eventually did.
But what we’re most surprised was not announced was Disneyland’s newest parade that ran for less than a month, Magic Happens. The parade debuted in February 2019 and when the parks closed for over a year, the show was not brought back.
We hope that it makes an appearance next year, but it has not been confirmed yet. In the meantime, you can take a trip down memory lane with our article about Magic Happens below:
FIRST LOOK at Disneyland’s New Magic Happens Parade (PHOTOS!)
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The World-Famous MiceChat Gumball Rally Returns!
After a long hiatus, it’s time for the big return of the MiceChat Gumball Rally at Disneyland. The event is a competition to see who can ride the most attractions at Disneyland in a single day. Guests compete in small groups of 2 to 4 members and spend the day doing what Disney fans love most… riding the attractions!
So, say goodby to those nice people on the dock… because the Gumball Rally is rolling your way on February 12th.
Book your theme park reservations NOW and sign up for the Rally! We are also offering discounted theme park admission and discounted hotel rooms this year via our partners at Get Away Today. Don’t miss out!
Gumball Rally Event information * HERE *
Let’s Hear From You
It looks like there’s a pretty decent lineup of entertainment headed to Disneyland next year. Is there something in particular you’re looking forward to? Is there still something missing from the resort that you wish would come back? Are you hoping that Magic Happens makes another appearance next year? Share your thoughts in the comments.
