Disneyland Celebrates Pixar With Summerlong Festival That Kicks off This Week
After first appearing in 2018, Pixar Fest at Disneyland returns this spring and summer. The limitedtime festival runs April 26 through August 4.
Pixar Fest brings new entertainment, food, merchandise, and more to the Disneyland theme parks and Downtown Disney, the resort’s shopping and dining district. The festival brings even more from Pixar Animation Studios to Disneyland Resort this year, with the newly redesigned Pixar Place Hotel which opened in January.
Summer is a popular time for families to visit Disneyland Resort. Incorporating Pixar Fest into this season brings more value to a theme park ticket, with added entertainment, exclusive merchandise, and more. Those in the know are thrilled to see Pixar Fest return and explain why guests traveling to the Anaheim resort have good reason to be excited, too. Pixar Fest Returns to Disneyland Resort
Pixar Fest is a widespread celebration of Pixar Animation Studios, with things to see and do in the theme parks, Disneyland’s resort hotels, and the Downtown Disney District.
This summer will not be the first time guests get to enjoy Pixar Fest. The event first appeared at Disneyland Resort in the summer of 2018. Many of this year’s festival offerings are new or refreshed, so locals who have experienced Pixar Fest before have plenty to look forward to in 2024.
Gavin Doyle, founder of Mickey Visit and bestselling author of Disneyland Secrets, is excited about Pixar Fest’s return to the Happiest Place on Earth. He notes, “Pixar Fest takes the sense of fun from the Pixar movies and brings it to all aspects of Disneyland
Resort. There are so many great Pixar characters that we don’t get to generally see in the parks that appear during the celebration. That will be a key highlight for sure.”
Limited-time Entertainment in Both Theme Parks Entertainment will be the highlight of Pixar Fest. Parades and shows will be available throughout the day at Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park. During the day, a new parade called “Better Together: A Pixar Pals Celebration!” will march through California Adventure with floats featuring beloved Pixar Characters.
As Doyle explains, fans have wanted a daytime parade back in California Adventure. The parade will be, “a welcome addition back in Disney California Adventure, which has lacked a full daytime parade offering for some time. I am excited to see the high-energy performers dancing down the parade corridor. That high-quality entertainment is something that guests really expect when they purchase a Disneyland ticket.” Those high-energy performers will bring many recent Pixar movies to life, including Soul, Turning Red, and Luca.
At night, Disneyland Park will feature the return of the fireworks show “Together Forever – A Pixar Nighttime Spectacular.” The show will feature new scenes not previously seen in the 2018 Pixar Fest. “Together Forever” brings unique twists to the traditional Disneyland Fireworks. Doyle says guests should be on the lookout during the show. “Rather than Tinker Bell flying high over Sleeping Beauty Castle, we get to see the house from Up instead, complete with its colorful balloons.”
Club Pixar will be another nighttime entertainment opportunity for guests to enjoy at Hollywood Backlot in Disney California Adventure. The evening party atmosphere will include a DJ, live performances, games, photo opportunities, and themed food and beverages.
Exclusive Food and Merchandise Available Some of the highlights fans look forward to with any Disney theme park festival are the exclusive food and merchandise items. During Pixar Fest, several restaurants and shops around Disneyland Resort will offer these items only from April 26 to August 4.
Starting on May 10, several food booths, known as marketplaces, will sell festival-specific items in California Adventure. Disneyland regulars will recognize these booths from other festivals, like the annual Disney California Adventure Food and Wine Festival and the Festival of the Holidays. Disney Parks Blog revealed that the marketplaces will take their themes from Pixar’s Soul, Ratatouille, and Elemental.
Utilizing these marketplaces for Pixar Fest is just one way Disney adds new offerings to this spring and summertime event. Doyle adds, “I am particularly excited about how the food aspect will play a role in Pixar Fest. I love that they are bringing back the park’s festival food booths while incorporating fun Pixar themes.”
Pixar Fest collectibles — including popcorn buckets modeled after Pizza Planet delivery vans from Toy Story — will be available, though the parks have limited sales to two per transaction. Merchandise will be available for purchase in the theme parks, as well as in Downtown Disney, which does not require a ticket for admission.