Lunar New 12 months at Disney California Journey is a celebration of Chinese language, Korean and Vietnamese traditions that runs January 20 via February 15, 2023. It’s the primary large occasion of the 12 months at Disneyland Resort, and on this submit, we’ll share ideas & information for visiting, plus photographs from the annual occasion. (Up to date January 20, 2023.)
The 2023 Lunar New 12 months celebration at Disney California Journey rings within the 12 months of the Rabbit within the Chinese language zodiac calendar and the 12 months of the Cat within the Vietnamese zodiac calendar. The Chinese language zodiac calendar performs a big function in shaping the traditions, holidays, and meals loved in Asian communities everywhere in the globe.
In Chinese language tradition, the rabbit has the distinctive attribute of ready for an opportune second after which leaping into motion. Greater than some other zodiac animal, the rabbit symbolizes luck. Throughout this restricted time occasion, you’ll be capable of partake in a joyous cultural celebration with a contact of Disney magic, that includes Asian-inspired meals and drinks, vibrant décor, memento merchandise, uncommon characters, thrilling leisure, and loads of cats and rabbits…
Lunar New 12 months celebrates the celestial journey of the solar and the moon on their voyage towards one other 12 months. Disneyland Resort’s particular competition invitations you to make recollections with your loved ones and buddies whereas sharing needs for good well being, luck and prosperity all year long to return.
Culturally, Lunar New 12 months is a multi-day annual custom that’s the customary time to replicate on the previous and step into a brand new lifetime of hope, prosperity, and happiness. Very similar to ¡Viva Navidad!, which is like an occasion straight out of circa-1982 EPCOT Heart, Glad Lunar New 12 months additionally combines genuine tradition with Disney enjoyable.
It’s an amazing little celebration, and actually makes me want that Disney went via with its plan for a collection of “Small World Celebrations” that started a number of years in the past with Opa! A Greek Celebration. Maybe now that Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is open, DCA will begin providing some counter-programming to attract locals away from Disneyland.
The Lunar New 12 months leisure is nice. There’s an academic element that feels impressed by precise Lunar New 12 months celebrations. This offers visitors an genuine slice of tradition alongside the enjoyable of the Mulan processional and particular character meet and greets.
Fortunately, it’s not merely characters from Mulan and Mickey Mouse in conventional Lunar New 12 months garb–there’s precise substance to this.
For Lunar New 12 months 2023, Mulan’s Lunar New 12 months Procession is as soon as once more a cavalcade fairly than a small processional with a present cease in entrance of Paradise Backyard. In 2023, the procession might be prolonged all through all of Disney California Journey alongside the parade route from Paradise Gardens via Hollywood Land.
Second, the culinary panorama will increase for 2023, with the addition of two new Lunar New 12 months marketplaces: Bamboo Blessings and Wrapped with Love. They’ll be a part of the returning marketplaces, together with Fortunate 8 Lantern, Prosperity Bao & Buns, Pink Spice Merchants, and Longevity Noodle Co.
“Hurry Dwelling – Lunar New 12 months Celebration” additionally returns, introduced previous to “World of Coloration.”
This heartwarming nighttime water present tells the story of slightly lantern’s quest to reunite with household for the annual celebration of fine luck and fortune. Throughout the celebration, you’ll be able to verify the Disneyland app for showtimes.
Final 12 months, Mulan’s Lunar New 12 months Procession debuted a beautiful new float with Mulan, Mushu, Goofy, and conventional Chinese language drummers. Embellished in pink and gold to represent success and happiness, the float options shiny bunches of pink firecrackers with golden tassels, and delicate pink and gold lanterns that come aglow for after-sunset performances.
My favourite viewing spot–and the place I shot these photographs–is close to Prosperity Bao & Buns, with Mickey’s Enjoyable Wheel (or no matter they’re calling it now) within the background.
The costumes are beautiful within the processions. In the event you can go to a late afternoon present, try this, as the sunshine hitting the performers makes for some very nice photographs.
There are a ton of performers within the Mulan procession–most likely about 20-30.
We’d additionally suggest catching the final procession of the day, because it happens after darkish and the lanterns on the floats are illuminated.
Given this and the top quality of the performances, I’m shocked Disney doesn’t attempt to prolong the Lunar New 12 months celebration a bit longer. It’s a very nice draw, most likely not that costly to placed on, and is admittedly in style with visitors.
Moreover, the Paradise Backyard Bandstand presents day by day dwell performances that includes enchanting conventional musical devices, together with Chinese language, Korean and Vietnamese folks dancers. The San Francisco-based musical group Melody of China performs a fusion of Chinese language folks, classical and up to date instrumentals.
New for 2023, Sonoma Terrace presents thrilling dwell leisure throughout Lunar New 12 months. Featured are Chinese language music ensemble Melody of China, Korean-American a cappella group Vocal Seoul, and quite a lot of group performing teams.
In fact, character meet & greets are a part of the occasion, which is a pleasant contact for households. Take pleasure in particular appearances by Disney characters on the Paradise Gardens Gazebo, the place you could spot Tigger, Mulan and Mushu, Mickey and Minnie, and the Three Little Pigs–all dressed of their festive finery.
On prime of that, the titular character from Walt Disney Animation Studios’ movie Raya and the Final Dragon, returns to Disneyland Resort through the 2023 Lunar New 12 months celebration. Beneath a forest cover deep within the coronary heart of Redwood Creek Problem Path, you could encounter the heroic Raya.
As famous above, the 2023 Lunar New 12 months festivities ring within the 12 months of the Rabbit within the Chinese language zodiac calendar and the 12 months of the Cat within the Vietnamese zodiac calendar. For this event, Oswald the Fortunate Rabbit and his sweetheart Ortensia the (Fortunate?) Cat be a part of
the Lunar New 12 months!
This marks Ortensia’s debut at Disneyland, and for the event each Oswald the Rabbit and Ortensia the Cat are wearing particular outfits paying tribute to those cultural celebrations. (Count on lengthy strains as Disneyland followers love uncommon characters–particularly ones showing for the primary time who even have historic ties to Walt!)
Whereas in Paradise Gardens, head over to the Fortunate Needs Wall to share your personal particular needs of hope, well being and happiness.
There’s additionally complimentary arts and crafts, together with dragon’s pearl coloring craft and Chinese language calligraphy with native artisans. Plus, new face portray alternatives have been added to the celebration, obtainable for buy.
The perfect half about Lunar New 12 months at DCA is that it doesn’t really feel prefer it’s merely a ruse to promote some costly occasion merchandise and overpriced menu objects to locals (though that’s a part of the equation). There’s a real effort to make this an enriching and entertaining expertise for visitors, and that is precisely the sort of factor that belongs in EPCOT.
There are many cool decorations up round Paradise Backyard.
It could not seem to be it from the photographs right here, however there’s loads to see exterior of the procession.
Along with this, there’s different dwell leisure on the band stand stage you can get pleasure from whereas consuming, plus stations the place visitors can get their faces painted, artwork stations for youths, and a number of other spots arrange with instructional information about Lunar New 12 months within the numerous cultures that commemorate it.
Though it’s the winter “low season” at Disneyland Resort, Lunar New 12 months will nonetheless draw crowds. Count on that to carry true during the occasion. The meals cubicles are particularly busy, as are the meet & greets, which routinely have hour-plus strains.
On the plus facet, you’ll be able to seize a final minute spot for the cavalcade and have an amazing view. Identical goes for the leisure in Paradise Backyard, which is a comparatively uncrowded space of Disney California Journey.
Now, let’s take a better have a look at the meals being served up at DCA’s Lunar New 12 months festivities…
Lunar New 12 months Meals Menus
One of many highlights of Lunar New 12 months at Disney California Journey is the marketplaces, serving quite a lot of Asian-inspired dishes ready with a Disney twist. These embody Longevity Noodle Co., Fortunate 8 Lantern, Prosperity Bao & Buns, and Pink Dragon Spice Merchants.
These meals cubicles are the identical stands used for DCA’s Meals & Wine Pageant and its Pageant of Holidays. Whereas Lunar New 12 months’s culinary element will not be as fleshed out as these occasions, it’s beginning to increase and are available into its personal. We’ve already tried a number of dishes from the final two incarnations of the occasion, and have typically favored what we’ve tried.
Observe that resulting from there being so few meals cubicles, the strains can get lengthy. We suggest rope dropping the marketplaces, ordering as near 10:30 am as doable. From what we’ve seen, Longevity Noodle Co. has the longest strains, with visitors stretching again via the World of Coloration seating space all through the day for this market. Prioritize this one.
Alternatively, you’ll be able to place orders at a single market, after which go to the pickup strains at different cubicles from there. These return strains can nonetheless be prolonged, however you’ll save a very good period of time this fashion (assuming Disney doesn’t “disable” the multi-booth ordering, which does occur occasionally).
For the very best worth in your epicurean journey, we suggest shopping for the Sip & Savor Move. This offers six vouchers, redeemable for meals and nonalcoholic drinks at Lunar New 12 months Market kiosks and different choose eating places.
We often make a cross of the marketplaces earlier than redeeming any vouchers, making be aware of the objects which might be most costly out of pocket, and thus supply the very best bang for buck with the Sip & Savor Move. rule of thumb is paying for the desserts out of pocket and utilizing the Sip & Savor Move on the extra formidable savory snacks.
Longevity Noodle Co. Meals Menu:
- Garlic Noodles: Lengthy noodles tossed in zesty garlic butter with parmesan
- Spicy Pork DanDan Noodles: Pan-fried noodles with floor pork and spicy tri-chile sauce
- Raspberry Oat Milk Tea: Joffrey’s Espresso & Tea Co. Ceylon Tea, raspberry and demerara syrups, and oat milk garnished with skewered raspberries (New)
- Lotus Flower Glow Dice
Fortunate 8 Lantern Menu:
- Quesabirria Eggroll with Guajillo pepper consommé full of Oaxaca cheese, beef birria, and a facet of guajillo pepper consommé (New)
- Mandarin Mousse Cake: Layers of mandarin mousse with vanilla cake and clementine compote completed with white chocolate crunch balls and a tangerine glaze (New)
- Coconut-Lavender Matcha Foam Iced Espresso: Joffrey’s Espresso & Tea Co. French Bistro Mix, coconut milk, coconut cream, and white chocolate sauce garnished with lavender matcha, coconut foam, sea salt, and purple sanding sugar (Non-alcoholic) (New)
- Lotus Flower Glow Dice
Bamboo Blessings Menu:
- Mickey Mouse-shaped Sizzling Canine Bun: Brioche-style Mickey Mouse-shaped buns full of scorching canine and completed with sesame seeds and scallions
- Mickey Mouse-shaped Purple Candy Potato Macaron: Pink macaron full of purple candy potato buttercream and a crème fraîche middle
- Younger Grasp Brewery Pale Ale with mandarin and bergamot zest
- 4 Sons Lunar New 12 months IPA
- Grasp Gao Brewery Child Jasmine Tea Lager
- Three Weavers Brewing Co. Moon Rabbit: Golden stout with vanilla and Vietnamese cinnamon (New)
- Stereo Brewing Co. Gingerine: Ginger wheat ale with tangerine, honey, and lemon juice (New)
- Brewery X Inexperienced Tea Rice Lager (New)
- Anderson Valley Brewing Co. Black Rice Ale (New)
- Tsingtao Premium Lager (New)
- Tsingtao topped with a frozen mango beer foam (New)
- Fortunate Flight: Tsingtao, Younger Grasp Brewery, Stereo Brewing Co., and Three Weavers Brewing Co. (New)
- Prosperity Flight: 4 Sons Brewing Co., Grasp Gao Brewery, Brewery X, and Anderson Valley Brewing Co. (New)
- Lotus Flower Glow Dice
Prosperity Bao & Buns Menu:
- Pepperoni Pizza Bao Bun served with marinara (New)
- Char Siu BBQ Pork Bao with pickled pink onion and jalapeño
- Peach Yuja-Ade: Yuja-lemongrass purée, dragon fruit and peach syrups, lemon juice, and butterfly pea flower tea garnished with a lemon wheel (Non-alcoholic)
- Soju Peach Yuja Ade: Soju, yuja-lemongrass purée, dragon fruit and peach syrups, lemon juice, and butterfly pea flower tea garnished with a lemon wheel
- Lychee Celebration: Gin, prosecco, lychee syrup, yuja-lemongrass purée, and grapefruit juice garnished with an edible purple orchid
- Lotus Flower Glow Dice
Pink Dragon Spice Merchants Menu:
- Gochujang Elote: Steamed corn on the cob rolled in gochujang aїoli and cotija cheese drizzled with spicy gochujang sauce (New)
- Pink Spice Fried Hen Bites: Fried hen chicharrones in spicy pink chile sauce (New)
- Guava Whiskey Cocktail: Whiskey, ginger liqueur, guava nectar, coconut cream, and lime juice garnished with a lime wheel (New)
- Dancing Firecracker: Pineapple and lime juices, guava nectar, spicy honey, and house-made hibiscus syrup garnished with a lime wheel (New)
- Lotus Flower Glow Dice
Wrapped With Love Menu:
- Pork and Shrimp Wontons with a black garlic sauce (New)
- Bok Choy & Mushroom Dumplings with a black garlic sauce (New) (Plant-based merchandise)
- Pineapple Baijiu Cocktail: Darkish Rum, baijiu, Allspice Dram, pineapple and orange juices, and falernum syrup garnished with a dried pink pineapple chip (New)
- Grapefruit-Melon Wine Cocktail: Sauvignon blanc, grapefruit liqueur, watermelon purée, rock melon syrup, and lime juice garnished with skewered grapes (New)
- Lotus Flower Glow Dice
Paradise Backyard Grill Menu:
- Kimchi Bokkeumbap: Kimchi, potato, carrot, and onion fried rice with egg and Korean chili paste topped with crispy candy and bitter tofu and black sesame seeds (New) (Plant-based Merchandise)
- Shrimp Lo Mein: Lo mein noodles tossed with shrimp, mushrooms, onions, carrots, and bok choy (New)
- Dak Bulgogi: Korean BBQ hen served with rice and kimchi
- Bánh Mì: Grilled pork stomach with pickled carrots, cucumbers, daikon, and jalapeños with a spicy mayo
- Candy and Bitter Complete Fish served with steamed rice and stir-fried greens (served family-style for 2) (New)
- Tiger Milk Tea with BobaBam Brown Sugar Boba (Non-alcoholic) (New)
- Hite Beer
- Blackberry Soju Cocktail: Soju, blackberry purée, and lemon juice with a touch of ginger (New)
- Lotus Flower Glow Dice
Lamplight Lounge Menu:
- Surf & Turf Fried Rice: 5 Spice-rubbed New York steak, sautéed shrimp, fried rice, ginger pea purée, and chile oil topped with a carrot salad (New)
- Sesame Seed Donuts: Donuts topped with sesame seed brittle and served with a kaya jam dipping sauce (New)
- Three Weavers Brewing Co. Seafarer Kolsch-style (New)
- Lamplight Lounge Lunar New 12 months Cocktail: Han Soju, Aperitivo Aperol, carrot and orange juices, and cream of coconut garnished with a raspberry and mint (New)
Lamplight Lounge – Boardwalk Eating Menu:
- Pork Dumplings with Chinese language broccoli, roasted mushrooms, Fresno chiles, and fried shallots (New)
- Lamplight Lounge Lunar New 12 months Cocktail: Han Soju, Aperitivo Aperol, carrot and orange juices, and cream of coconut garnished with a raspberry and mint (New)
As proven above, Paradise Backyard Grill has a particular menu for Lunar New 12 months, and some different choices could be discovered on the Pageant Meals and Beverage Cart.
Our favourite tends to be Paradise Backyard Grill, because it serves full meals which might be formidable and pleasant. One among our favourite “traditions” through the occasion is becoming a member of Man Selga of TouringPlans.com to devour the Complete Fried Fish, which tastes so a lot better than it appears to be like. I’m additionally a giant fan of the Bánh Mì, if you need one thing a bit extra…standard.
Total, Glad Lunar New 12 months is an occasion that’s properly value experiencing in the event you’re a Disneyland native, actually into cultural experiences, or are considering of an early-year Disneyland Resort trip. We have been actually impressed by the general high quality of Glad Lunar New 12 months, and ended up spending about half the day over in Paradise Backyard having fun with it. It appeared very in style with different visitors, and we’ve by no means seen Paradise Backyard this busy–it’s even busier throughout this than throughout Viva Navidad.
As an added bonus, January and February are typically nice months to go to (in the event you don’t thoughts some refurbishments) because the crowds are at their lowest factors of the 12 months, and “winter” in Southern California has air quotes round it for a cause. The occasion itself is a really top quality little providing you may spend a few hours experiencing, and is a pleasant gesture for locals and those that need one thing new or distinctive. For most individuals, it isn’t going to be one thing round which a visit needs to be deliberate, however contemplating that it’s solely working for 4 days, it’s wonderful.
Planning a Southern California trip? For park admission offers, learn Suggestions for Saving Cash on Disneyland Tickets. Study on-site and off-site lodges in our Anaheim Lodge Opinions & Rankings. For the place to eat, take a look at our Disneyland Restaurant Opinions. For distinctive concepts of issues that’ll enhance your journey, take a look at What to Pack for Disney. For complete recommendation, seek the advice of our Disneyland Trip Planning Information. Lastly, for guides past Disney, take a look at our Southern California Itineraries for day journeys to Los Angeles, Laguna Seashore, and tons of different locations!
Your Ideas
Excited to satisfy Oswald the Fortunate Rabbit or Ortensia the Cat for the primary time through the 2023 Lunar New 12 months festivities at DCA? Something on the meals cubicles look good to you? Does Lunar New 12 months Celebration seem like a traditional “edutainment” expertise, or does it look uninteresting to you? When you’ve got been, what do you consider Glad Lunar New 12 months? Any ideas so as to add? Listening to from you is half the enjoyable, so you probably have extra ideas or questions, please share them within the feedback!