Entertainment
Here's everything new coming to Disneyland in 2025 (so far) — including $67-per-day tickets
Disneyland is turning 70 next year, and the theme park has never missed an excuse to throw a nostalgia-fueled party. The coming months will be no different, and arguably the star of the festivities will be Walt Disney himself, albeit in robotic form.
The Disneyland Resort’s 70th anniversary happenings launch May 16 and are expected to extend through summer 2026. To celebrate, Disneyland and Disney California Adventure will be resurrecting some fan favorites — the buoyant and gleaming nighttime parade Paint the Night will return to Disneyland — and the park will also get a new, technically advanced show that looks to explore Disneyland’s creation and the life of its patriarch.
Coming in May to the Main Street Opera House, currently home to a patriotic attraction centered on Abraham Lincoln, is “Walt Disney — A Magical Life.” Walt Disney Imagineering, the company’s arm devoted to theme-park experiences, will unveil what is promised to be one of its most advanced audio-animatronics to date. As previously reported, the robotic show focusing on the Disney founder, who died in 1966, will be set in his studio office and is expected to feature on of his favorite songs, “Feed the Birds” by the Sherman Brothers.
An audio-animatronics figure of Walt Disney will appear in the show “Walt Disney — A Magical Life,” which will debut in the Main Street Opera House at Disneyland in 2025.
(Disneyland)
But not all of Disneyland’s 70th anniversary proceedings will so overtly look back. Also on the docket: a brand new World of Color show coming to Disney California Adventure. Dubbed “World of Color Happiness!,” the lagoon-based show, featuring fountain projections, is said to be inspired by Disney’s dedication to Disneyland. But it will be hosted by a more modern creation, the blue-haired character of Joy from the “Inside Out” films.
The 70th anniversary event will be the anchor of the Disneyland Resort’s 2025. Yet it’s far from the only noteworthy occurrence coming to the theme park and its connected Downtown Disney retail and shopping district. A look at what major events to expect, based on the season in which you may choose to visit, is below, including more details on Disneyland’s 70th extravaganza and a quick look at some current deals.
The fireworks show “Wondrous Journeys” will return on select nights for Disneyland’s 70th anniversary.
(Richard Harbaugh / Disneyland Resort)
SoCal residents can take advantage of a $67 per day deal in ’25
Disneyland takes a lot of heat for its pricing and purchase add-ons once one is at the park. But Southern California residents interested in an early 2025 visit can get a slight wallet reprieve, as the park is once again offering locals a bargain if they’re willing to commit to a three-day ticket. From Jan. 1 through May 15, a three-day, one park ticket can be had for $199. That works out to just about $67 per day. One day, one park tickets normally range from $104 to $204.
The offer is available now and good for those who live in ZIP Codes 90000 to 93599. One can go on consecutive days or spread the visits around to partake in various winter and spring events. Park reservations are required, and one can add, for an additional fee, a park-hopper upgrade or a line-skipping Lightning Lane Multi Pass. The park-hopper option will add $90 to the cost of the promotion.
Additionally, families can get creative in combining offers. Through March 20, the resort is still offering a one-day, one-park ticket for children ages 3 to 9 for $50. While neither deal extends to the beginning of Disneyland’s 70th anniversary celebration, the resort has announced a hotel promotion that begins May 16 and runs through Sept. 26, with discounts as high as 30% off, depending on the time of stay. However, there is fine print: The hotel visits must be of at least four days.
Meilin Lee and her mother, Ming Lee, from Disney/Pixar’s “Turning Red” meet guests during Disney’s Lunar New Year festivities.
(Christian Thompson / Disneyland Resort)
Winter is for Lunar New Year and sweethearts
Disney’s holiday calendar in recent years has expanded, and though the resort’s Lunar New Year festival at California Adventure doesn’t take over the park in the same was as Christmas or Halloween, it’s become a reliably festive source for inventive food and character interactions that aim to explore Chinese, Vietnamese and Korean traditions. A staple: Mulan’s Lunar New Year Procession, with segments that touch on folkloric dances, martial arts and umbrella choreography. Mulan is also featured in the water short “Hurry Home — A Lunar New Year Celebration.” It will be the Year of the Snake, and while the creature is often treated as a villain in Disney’s animated films (see, for instance, Kaa from “The Jungle Book”), we’d love to see Mickey Mouse get a serpent pal. Lunar New Year runs Jan. 17 to Feb. 16.
Starting shortly after Lunar New Year ends and extending into the spring is the Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival. Expect 10 pop-up food marketplaces offering small bites, cocktails and an emphasis on California beer and wine. The event boasts a number of tasting seminars and cocktail-making sessions and typically features some upscale dinners at resort restaurants and bars. Goofy in his chef costume is given a starring role, but our favorite detail of the Food & Wine festival is no snack or sugary beverage. It’s the return of Soarin’ Over California, the original rendition of the flight simulator attraction. The festival runs Feb. 28 through April 21.
Disneyland is for lovers, and winter brings with it the return of the separately ticketed Sweetheart’s Night, running in Disneyland on 14 evenings between Jan. 21 and Feb. 13. Look for character couples and the opportunity to dance at the fairy tale-themed Royal Ball. Needing something a little less sentimental but still want a dose of nostalgia? On March 4 and 6, Disneyland is hosting a ’90s Nite, featuring throwbacks to Disney films and music from the decade, as well as processional that will highlight “The Lion King” and “Mulan.” Both go on sale Dec. 12.
No dates yet, but expected to open sometime in early 2025 will be new culinary additions to Downtown Disney. A food hall, the Parkside Market, will host multiple eateries offering fried chicken, Korean rice bowls and more, as well as a second-story bar that looks out toward the district’s monorail tracks. At the time of publication, Parkside Market looked to be nearing completion. Also arriving soon is a re-imagined candy and treats shop via the Disney Wonderful World of Sweets.
The new “World of Color Happiness!” will debut in Disney California Adventure in May to celebrate the resort’s 70th anniversary.
(Artist concept / Disneyland Resort)
Spring heralds the start of Disneyland’s 70th anniversary
A host of entertainment and attraction offerings will arrive May 16 when the resort launches its 70th anniversary celebration. In addition to the aforementioned Walt Disney show on Main Street, USA, Disney has provided additional details on “World of Color Happiness!” Some of the animated works will include “Turning Red,” “A Goofy Movie,” “Tangled” and “The Lion King,” and, like past “World of Color” shows, expect a mix of projections on fountains, lasers and pyrotechnics. Disneyland will revive the nighttime “Paint the Night” parade, and California Adventure will a host a return of the Pixar-focused daytime parade “Better Together: A Pixar Pals Celebration.”
There’s more. The fireworks show “Wondrous Journeys” will return for Disneyland’s 70th. Introduced for the 100th anniversary of the Walt Disney Co., “Wondrous Journeys” focuses on the history of the company’s animated works. Also teased are some new evening enhancements, such as projection shows on California Adventure’s centerpiece of Carthay Circle, and Disneyland’s facade of It’s a Small World. In the daytime, Disneyland will provide a character cavalcade rather than one of its full parade productions.
Spring also heralds the return of the “Star Wars”-focused branding celebration that is Season of the Force. Those who opt to watch Disneyland’s nightly fireworks from Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge will be treated to additional projections and effects. Coaster Space Mountain will also once again be re-themed to Hyperspace Mountain, featuring original trilogy effects. Accompanying Season of the Force is another evening ticketed event, the return of Star Wars Nite, which runs on eight evenings between April 8 and May 6. Tickets go on sale Dec. 12, and Season of the Force runs March 28 to May 11.
Halloween festivities launch at the Disneyland Resort on Aug. 22 and the popular Oogie Boogie Bash at California Adventure begins even earlier.
(Joshua Sudock / Disneyland Resort)
Summer brings Pride Nite, and fall and winter holidays begin earlier than ever
Disneyland’s official 70th anniversary date is July 17, so expect summer to focus heavily on continued festivities surrounding the commemoration. Also returning is Pride Nite, which will celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community and run as a separately ticketed after-hours event on June 16 and 18. Expect colorful, rainbow projections and a bounty of playful character interactions, including, no doubt, some cheeky looks and moves from Clarabelle Cow, who has become something of an unofficial mascot for the event.
Summer, increasingly, means Halloween. While the parks’ Halloween Time won’t officially launch until Aug. 22, the ticketed after-hours California Adventure event the Oogie Boogie Bash will host its first gathering on Aug. 17. The evening, which typically features unique meet-and-greets with Disney villains as well as a parade and an illuminated, ever-so-slightly spooky walk through the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail, usually sells out. It will run on 31 nights from mid-August to Oct. 31. On sale information has not yet been announced. Finally, coinciding with the arrival of Halloween Time on Aug. 22 is California Adventure’s Plaza de la Familia, a Día de Los Muertos celebration that heavily relies on imagery from the Disney/Pixar film “Coco.”
Holidays at the Disneyland Resort will follow shortly after, beginning Nov. 14 and lasting through Jan. 7. While Disney has not yet detailed next year’s offerings, expect staples such as the makeover of It’s a Small World and Haunted Mansion attractions, as well as the return of California Adventure’s Festival of Holidays. The latter this year has significantly increased its entertainment content, including two new shows that honor the Latin community.
Concept art shown at D23 for Avengers Infinity Defense, which will feature multiple heroes in a multiverse battle against King Thanos.
(Marvel / Disneyland )
And we will eagerly anticipate some construction — yes, construction
Disneyland last month reopened the popular log flume ride Splash Mountain as Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, and while the resort doesn’t have a a large attraction opening (or re-opening) in 2025, changes are afoot.
Ground is expected to break next year on a major expansion to California Adventure’s Avengers Campus, including the long-teased showcase attraction for the area, Avengers Infinity Defense, which will feature locations such as the Black Panther world of Wakanda, Asgard and New York City. Also planned: Stark Flight Lab, an amusement park-like thrill ride in which guests will sit in two-person pods and then attach to a mechanical arm that will lift them into the air and attempt to simulate sensations of flight.
Such additions, as well as other planned projects such as a “Coco” boat ride in California Adventure and a section devoted to the “Avatar” franchise, will help, hopefully, set up the Disneyland Resort for its next 70 years.
Jodie Foster plays a self-assured psychoanalyst whose composure unravels after a patient unexpectedly dies in the genre-bending French film “A Private Life.”
Rebecca Zlotowski’s latest, in theaters Friday, is part noir, part comedy of remarriage, and part Freudian fever dream about past lives.
This is a film that does not abide by rules or play into any easy expectations about what it should be, resulting in big swings, tonal shifts and even a lurking Holocaust through-line. Also, oddly enough considering such grave themes and subjects, it’s all done with a relatively light touch set, in part, by the cheeky needle drop at its opening: the Talking Heads song “Psycho Killer.” Some parts work better than others, but you can’t help but admire the go-for-broke originality and unabashed femininity of it all. And anchoring it all is Foster, using the full force of her star power and impeccable French to make “A Private Life,” unwieldy and complex as it is, go down as easy as a glass of gamay.
Foster’s character, Dr. Lilian Steiner, is an American expat living and working in France. She’s an accomplished, sophisticated woman who believes she has a grasp on people and the world around her, recording and cataloging all her private sessions with clients on meticulously organized CDs. This act in and of itself is a little odd — her son wonders why she doesn’t just use a more modern method, for instance. But it also kind of gets to the heart of why, perhaps, despite her evident intelligence, there’s a cold disconnect between analyst and subject. Is she even listening to them?
Lilian starts to wonder this herself after she receives a call that her client Paula ( Virginie Efira ) has died by suicide. Paula was not someone she believed was capable of this. Instead of looking inward, she goes back to the tapes to begin an amateur investigation to find some other explanation: It must be murder, she concludes. Suspects include Paula’s daughter Valérie (Luàna Bajrami) and husband Simon (Mathieu Amalric).
She also enlists a sidekick in her sleuthing, her ex-husband Gabriel (a delightful Daniel Auteuil ) who is more than happy to go along for the ride, to listen to her conspiracy theories over several bottles of wine, to be a decoy distraction so that she can snoop through Simon’s house, and, ultimately, to just be there for her, no matter how unhinged she’s becoming. You can just see the love and admiration in his attentiveness. He’s not off put by the crazy; it’s just part of what makes her, well, her. Their rekindled relationship, so effortlessly lived in, so mature, so fun, is by far the highlight of “A Private Life.”
It’s a shame that their romance is basically a side show to the more convoluted rest, which involves a hypnotist and a revelation of a past life in which Lilian and Paula were members of the same WWII-era orchestra and lovers torn apart by jealous exes and Nazis. One of those Nazis is Lilian’s son (Vincent Lacoste), which she awkwardly, drunkenly tells him at his birthday dinner to try to explain why they’ve never been that close. She’s also completely disinterested in her grandchild, which might be one “let’s unpack that” too many in this film. In other words, there’s a lot going on in “A Private Life,” which Zlotowski co-wrote with Anne Berest.
This image released by Sony Pictures Classics shows Jodie Foster, left, and Virginie Efira in a scene from “A Private Life.” Credit: AP/Jérôme Prébois
One thing there’s not enough of is Efira. She gets some moments in flashback, but most of them teeter on the “dead wife montage” cliche. It’s not that Zlotowski wasn’t aware of what she had in Efira (case in point, their poignant, tender work together in “Other People’s Children”), but perhaps she was counting on our familiarity to fill in the gaps.
“A Private Life” is ultimately Foster’s show anyway and she seems to relish the tricky assignment. The tone around her might be on the lighter side, but for Lilian, the stakes are grave with the very essence of her self-worth and life’s work on the line. It’s a fascinating portrait of a woman essentially forced to rethink and revise all of the rules she’d lived by, the facts that she made sense of the world with and submit herself to the idea that some things might just be unknowable — even for a know-it-all psychoanalyst.
“A Private Life,” a Sony Pictures Classics release in theaters Friday, is rated R by the Motion Picture Association for “language, graphic nudity, brief violence, some sexual content.” Running time: 105 minutes. Three stars out of four.
After another impressively profitable weekend in theaters, James Cameron’s “Avatar: Fire and Ash” helped crown its star Zoe Saldaña the queen of the box office.
The third “Avatar” movie boasted $21.3 million in North American sales last week, bringing it to a global total of $1.23 billion. With those impressive stats, Saldaña officially surpassed Scarlett Johansson as the highest-grossing actor of all time.
The Oscar winner has grossed more than $15.47 billion at the international box office, according to box office tracking website the Numbers. Johansson only recently gained the title after surpassing her “Avengers” co-star Samuel L. Jackson with the release of last summer’s “Jurassic World Rebirth.”
What helped buoy Saldaña to the top is the fact that the 47-year-old actor stars in the three highest-grossing films of all time: 2009’s “Avatar” ($2.9 billion), 2019’s “Avengers: Endgame” ($2.8 billion) and 2022’s “Avatar: The Way of Water” ($2.3 billion).
Saldaña is also the only actor to appear in four movies that brought in over $2 billion worldwide. (2018’s “Avengers: Infinity War” grossed $2.05 billion.)
Last year proved that Saldaña’s talent exceeded the realm of popcorn movies when she nabbed her first Academy Award for her supporting role in the controversial musical “Emilia Pérez.” Her win marked the first time an actor with Dominican roots had won an Oscar.
“I am a proud child of immigrant parents, with dreams and dignity and hardworking hands,” she said through tears while accepting the award for supporting actress. “And I am the first American of Dominican origin to accept an Academy Award, and I know I will not be the last.”
Saldaña cemented her Oscar win while side-stepping criticisms of the film — namely regarding its portrayals of Mexicans and transgender people — as well as the scandal that surrounded “Emilia Pérez” co-star Karla Sofía Gascón, when her offensive tweets with anti-Muslim, anti-diversity and racist language resurfaced.
Vaa Vaathiyaar Movie Synopsis: Even as he keeps up an appearance of following in the footsteps MGR in front of his grandfather, a die-hard fan of the legend, Ramu is actually a corrupt cop, who’s helping in a mission to nab activists exposing the government. What happens when an incident triggers the Vaathiyaar in him? Vaa Vaathiyaar Movie Review: In his interviews about the film, director Nalan Kumarasamy repeatedly stressed on the fact that he planned Vaa Vaathiyaar as an attempt at recreating the old-school masala film in his own style. And that’s exactly what he delivers with his film. The simplicity of the MGR film formula meets the new-age-y plot device of Maaveeran in this fond, fun, funky throwback to the masala films of an earlier era. The film does take a while to get going with the beats of the initial set-up coming across as little too familiar. The narrative rhythm, too, is slightly off, with far too many songs popping up at frequent intervals. Though, it helps that Santhosh Narayanan’s songs are short and groovy. And the composer delivers a score that superbly elevates the emotional moments. But once we get into the main conflict, things perk up. An anonymous group of hacker-activists exposes a shootout plot by power broker Periasamy (Sathyaraj) and the chief minister (Nizhalgal Ravi) at a Sterlite-like protest. The government decides to nab them before they can cause further damage to a 142 million euro business deal. How does Ramu – a corrupt cop, who is keeping up a facade of being a do-gooder for the sake of his grandfather (Rajkiran, who has become the default casting choice for such well-meaning boomer roles), a die-hard MGR fan – gets involved in this and where does the OG Vaathiyaar figures in this scheme of things?Vaa Vaathiyaar shows that in this age of hyper-masculine action – and even romantic – films, it’s still possible to make a rousing commercial entertainer with a star without relying on guns and gratuitous bloodshed. The film’s action set-pieces have the hero taking on dozens of henchmen (and cops, too!), but it’s all done in swashbuckling MGR style. And in Karthi, it has an actor who is brave enough to take on a risky role, given the stature in which MGR is held by the Tamil people. Rather than merely mimicking him, which would have ended up as a spoof, the actor wonderfully captures the spirit of the legend’s onscreen image and creates moments that are genuinely heartfelt. Credit should also go to Nalan for finding the right pitch at which the actor should play these portions. While there are quite a few throwbacks to iconic MGR scenes, the filmmaker even succeeds in his modern take on the iconic song, Raajavin Paarvai Raaniyin Pakkam.The film would have been even better with a stronger villain. The film initially builds up Periyasamy to be ruthless and powerful, and with someone of Sathyaraj’s calibre playing this role, we expect more only to be deceived in the end. There’s also some build up to Nivas, a rival cop, who’s keen on nailing Ramu, but this arc, which could have added tension, is left incomplete after a while.That said, Nalan’s bold move to call back to MGR’s real-life hospitalisation and resurgence in the climax leaves the film on an emotional high.
Kansas to receive $2.1M to help formerly incarcerated residents find jobs
Where to watch Kentucky vs. LSU today: College basketball free stream
Women’s Basketball vs Louisiana – Thursday, January 15 – Gameday
Above-ground sensors help Maine Turnpike Authority plan, respond to winter storms
High stakes for Gov. Moore as Maryland General Assembly starts legislative session – WTOP News
Florida High School Football Rankings: Top 25 teams – Oct. 21
Cleary's 21 help Le Moyne down Central Connecticut State 69-64 in OT
How old is Bo Nix? What to know about Oregon quarterback ahead of 2024 NFL Draft
99th annual Pony Swim held in Virginia
Video: ‘It Didn’t Have to Happen This Way:’ U.Va. Faculty Call for Review of Police Response to Protests
Republicans light cigars, cigarettes on burning photos of Khamenei to show support for Iranian protesters
EU Parliament questions defence loan’s ‘€17 billion gift’ to Hungary
Trump administration sends letter wiping out addiction, mental health grants
Video: Clashes With Federal Agents in Minneapolis Escalate
Venezuela releases multiple American citizens from prison following military operation
-
Montana4 days agoService door of Crans-Montana bar where 40 died in fire was locked from inside, owner says
-
Technology1 week agoPower bank feature creep is out of control
-
Delaware6 days agoMERR responds to dead humpback whale washed up near Bethany Beach
-
Dallas, TX6 days agoAnti-ICE protest outside Dallas City Hall follows deadly shooting in Minneapolis
-
Dallas, TX1 week agoDefensive coordinator candidates who could improve Cowboys’ brutal secondary in 2026
-
Virginia4 days agoVirginia Tech gains commitment from ACC transfer QB
-
Education1 week agoVideo: This Organizer Reclaims Counter Space
-
Iowa1 week agoPat McAfee praises Audi Crooks, plays hype song for Iowa State star