Photos: New Esplanade Centerpiece Complete as Disneyland Gets Ready to "Celebrate Happy"
Guests entering the Esplanade of the Disneyland Resort will see a brand new sculpture in the space between Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure. The sculpture, part of the Disneyland Resort 70th Anniversary Celebration, has an artistic interpretation of Sleeping Beauty Castle adorned with attraction icons and our favorite characters.
Throughout the Esplanade, banners which once featured attractions found at both Disneyland and Disney California Adventure, have been replaced with the anniversary logo and the characters in their anniversary attire. This is to be expected though, as nearly every celebration or season at the event features these banners changing in some way.
Around the base of the sculpture, you’ll find more 70th fun with all the characters and attraction art, plus the mantra for the celebration - “Celebrate Happy"
In the photos below, you can see more of the character banners up close, along with how they look surrounding the massive castle sculpture.
Another fun thing to note, each of the spires on the castle sculpture features a flag with a different opening day land, along with a cutout featuring something indicative of that land. For example, Fantasyland has a carousel horse, and Adventureland has a Jungle Cruise boat, etc. Some will also point out that three of the five symbols are opening day attractions as well - the carousel, Jungle Cruise, and the Mark Twain. However, Tomorrowland’s flag features Space Mountain (1977) and Main Street USA features the Partners statue, which arrived at Disneyland in 1993.
Fans have been waiting for this Esplanade festival centerpiece since the concept art was released, making this part of the resort part of the celebration before folks even get into the park.
Officially beginning May 16th, 2025, and running through summer 2026, the Disneyland Resort 70th Celebration will honor seven decades of happiness and many moments of joy in the making. Guests can “celebrate happy" with limited-time entertainment, colorful décor, themed food and beverages, collectible merchandise, and more.
The 70th celebration will introduce all-new entertainment experiences alongside some returning favorites across the resort. In Disneyland Park, fan-favorites like the "Paint the Night" parade and "Wondrous Journeys" will return, plus the arrival of new experiences like "Tapestry of Happiness" and "The Celebrate Happy Cavalcade."
In Disney California Adventure Park, the all-new show, "World of Color Happiness!" debuts and "Better Together: A Pixar Pals Celebration!" parade returns. To partake in all of these festivities, be sure to reach out to our friends at Mouse Fan Travel who can help you “celebrate happy" for yourself this year.