10 Ways to Celebrate the 30th Anniversary of Disneyland Paris (Including Photos, Video from Our Trip)

Hi everyone!

Disneyland Paris officially kicked off its 30th Anniversary celebration on March 6th, 2022 in advance of the official April 12th anniversary date (Disneyland Paris opened April 12th, 1992). We enjoyed the celebration during the nearly 2 weeks we were there this month, including a 2-night media event. I wrote up 10 ways to celebrate the anniversary and we will also be talking all about it on our Mousesteps Weekly YouTube Show this weekend. We will continue posting videos to our Disneyland Paris 30th Anniversary YouTube playlist as well.

Here are 10 ways to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of Disneyland Paris!

All photos by Denise Preskitt, Mousesteps

1 – See “Dream….and Shine Brighter”. Billed as a daytime show, it is much more than that. There is a cavalcade of characters and other performers that travel down Main Street to Central Plaza before many of them take to the stages in a wonderfully choreographed event. The music is tremendously catchy, with the song “Ready for the Ride” and 30th Anniversary song “Un monde qui s’illumine”, along with a mashup of Disney songs. Miguel from “Coco” made his Disneyland Paris debut with “Dream…and Shine Brighter”. While we had very little rain this trip, we did also experience what is essentially a rainy day cavalcade instead of a show. The rain cavalcade included floats and Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, Goofy and Pluto in raincoats.

Just as with other parades and shows that include Central Plaza, you can watch the show dozens of times and see it differently each viewing.

2 – Stay for the “Disney D-Light” drone sequence at Sleeping Beauty Castle. The Disney D-Light drone preshow and postshow to “Disney Illuminations” are amazing.  With the music, the drones, the fountains and more, it is one of the most wonderful and memorable Disney castle displays I’ve ever seen. It is the first time that a Disney resort has used drone technology as part of an outdoor show above the castle. As of March 17th, Disney D-Light will be enhanced even further.

3 – Enjoy the “Gardens of Wonder” at Central Plaza. There are 10 gorgeous themed gardens with 30 Disney and Pixar sculptures that spin around, adding a kinetic energy to the area both day and at night. After dark, the sculptures that include Baymax, the Toy Story Aliens and Disney princesses add to the ambience during “Disney D-Light”.

Princesses Merida and Belle in the Gardens of Wonder

Maleficent in the Gardens of Wonder

4 – Find special 30th Anniversary food and treats around the Disneyland Paris parks and resorts. Disneyland Paris hasn’t offered a lot of specialty treats and other food items in the past, but the resort went completely in the opposite direction for the 30th celebration. SO many choices are available. There are specialty items on buffets, in table service restaurants, at food carts, the hotel bars and more. In addition, there are themed napkins, table mats and paper coasters.

Here are some offerings from Agrabah Café in Disneyland Park, including macarons and other 30th anniversary treats (plus a piece of baklava).

5 – Purchase 30th Anniversary Merchandise. There will be a total of over 350 exclusive items – this is so many more items than we’ve seen before at the resort for an event! We picked up a couple of Spirit Jerseys, jackets, ear headbands, magnets and a few other items. Merchandise will be added as the celebration progresses.

6 – Wave to Mickey and Minnie in their iridescent finest on the Main Street Train Station. We found Mickey and Minnie in the mornings waving to guests from atop of the train station. They have terrific new costumes for the occasion, which they also wear in “Dream…and Shine Brighter!”

7 – Enjoy the 30th Anniversary decorations both day and night. The Gardens of Wonder and other decorations look as beautiful during the evening as they do during the day. The Town Square gazebo offers its own special lighting magic and the Main Street U.S.A. window displays are worth checking out.

8 – Stay at a Disneyland Paris hotel. If you want the immersive Disneyland Paris experience, I recommend staying at Disney’s Newport Bay Club or Disney’s Hotel New York – The Art of Marvel. We were invited to two nights at Disney’s Newport Bay Hotel this trip and the room was very comfortable (the hotel went under a major refurbishment a few years back). Disney’s Hotel New York – The Art of Marvel gave new life to Disney’s Hotel New York, it’s very sleek and stylish with two solid restaurant choices.

9 – Visit the bars at the Disneyland Paris hotels and try specialty 30th cocktails. We stopped by each hotel bar this trip except for the Skyline Bar at Disney’s New York – The Art of Marvel (which is actually my favorite hotel bar at Disneyland Paris). Each bar offers the 30th Anniversary specialty drinks, along with a couple of resort specific drinks and then a more standard menu. For atmosphere, besides the Skyline Bar, I especially enjoy the Redwood Bar at Disney’s Sequoia Lodge. We will have an article soon about all the Disneyland Paris hotel bars!

10 – Book a reservations for Walt’s Restaurant (reopening April 12th, 2022). The iconic Main Street U.S.A. restaurant has been closed for over 2 years (Jeff and I were the last to officially dine in the restaurant) and I’m excited it is finally reopening! Disney says, “A selection of vegan options and a kid’s menu will also be available, and the beverage team has created a large choice of exclusive cocktails such as the refreshing Fruit Celebration Cocktail with a tasty blend of Gin, Elderflower Liqueur, Blackberry, Green Apple, Grape and Lemon” and there will also be a Celebration Cake, “a white chocolate and strawberry pastry cake served under a dome.”

Guests can also meet Minnie Mouse in Stella McCartney pantsuit from March 6th – 31st, 2022 as part of the 30th Anniversary and Women’s History Month.

I will update this article with more videos in the coming week, and we will be adding more articles and videos from our trip all month. I highly recommend Disneyland Paris for the 30th Anniversary celebration. While we were invited for the 2-night media event, we had already booked our trip with airfare, hotel and such on our own (this was our third visit since June, 2021).

What I love about Disneyland Paris is that there is terrific entertainment and attractions all year round. Sleeping Beauty Castle recently underwent a major refurbishment and looks better than ever, and Avengers Campus opens at Walt Disney Studios Park this summer (no date has been announced as I’m writing this). With all of this and the city of Paris only an RER ride away, the 30th Anniversary of Disneyland Paris is a great time to visit.