Disney Lunar New Year 2024

Lunar New Year returns to Disneyland Resort 2024 with shopping favorites as we look back on a seasonal offerings to celebrate Year of the Rabbit. Visit Disneyland Resort from late January through mid February to experience all the offerings of Lunar New Year.

 

Join me as your Disneyland expert to guide you through this multi-cultural celebration at Disney California Adventure Park.

Enjoy Disneyland Resort from late January through mid February to experience all the offerings of Lunar New Year, with actual Chinese New Year celebrated on February 10, 2024. My personal Lunar New Year visit was January 25, 26, 27, and 28, 2023 and I am looking forward to another visit for this occasion in 2024.

Disneyland Resort Lunar New Year 2024

It’s time to celebrate Disney Lunar New Year—a celebration of Asian tradition and cultures, along with well wishes for the future. Our Lunar New Year celebration begins now with answers to your Lunar New Year frequently asked questions.

 

 

What is Disney Lunar New Year?

Lunar New Year celebrates Asian cultures through music, food, dance and tradition, with the addition of beloved Disney characters like Mulan and Mushu and in 2024, we celebrate year of the dragon!

 

 

Lunar New Year is celebrated at Disney California Adventure Park from late January through early February, with actual Chinese New Year celebrated on February 10, 2024. I love being there for Lunar New Year each year and gave my kids their own red envelopes with Disney gift cards inside to spend on snacks and the festival. 

Where is Disney Lunar New Year? 

Traditionally, Lunar New Year is celebrated at Disney California Adventure park, mostly along the pathway that borders Paradise Bay (the water area in front of Pixar Pier) and Paradise Gardens Park. In front of Paradise Gardens you’ll find live entertainment throughout the day and more food offerings.

 

 

How much does Disney Lunar New Year cost?

You can stroll through Lunar New Year marketplaces and enjoy live entertainment for free with valid theme park admission.

Food and drinks are an additional cost (find exact prices on the Disneyland app), just like any other food and drinks in the parks. Get discount Disneyland Resort tickets here. 

When do Disney Lunar New Year marketplace kiosks open?

Lunar New Year marketplace kiosks open daily at 10:30 or 11 am, depending on park hours during the event. 

2024 is the Year of the Dragon. In Chinese culture, Dragons symbolizepower, nobleness, honor, luck, and success. See how to celebrate Disney Lunar New Year at Home too.

 

 

There are twelve animals in the Chinese Zodiac, based on a 12 year cycle and each year corresponds with an animal (rat/mouse, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog and pig) and calculated based on the Lunar calendar. The previous year’s animal continues until the next Chinese New Year.

Take a look at The Garden of Twelve Friends where the 12 signs of the Chinese zodiac are depicted by popular Disney and Disney/Pixar characters at Shanghai Disney.

 

 

While The Garden of Twelve Friends gives us an idea of which Disney or Pixar character might make an appearance at California Adventure, we have seen some adjustments in the past as well. 

• 2024 Year of the Dragon: Mushu
• 2023 Year of the Rabbit: Oswald, Thumper, Rabbit and Judy Hopps 
• 2022 Year of the Tiger: Tigger
• 2021 Year of the Ox
• 2020 Year of the Rat/Mouse: Mickey & Minnie Mouse
• 2019 Year of the Pig: Three Little Pigs
• 2018 Year of the Dog: Pluto
• 2017 Year of the Rooster: Alan-a-Dale from Robin Hood
• 2016 Year of the Monkey: Abu from Aladdin
• 2015 Year of the Goat/Sheep: Jolly Holiday Lambs
• 2014 Year of the Horse: Maximus from Tangled
• 2013 Year of the Snake: Kaa (first year Lunar New Year was celebrated at California Adventure Park, previously at Disneyland Park)

“It is believed that the years represented by the animals affect the characters of people in the same way like the western astrology signs.” 

 

 

My Chinese Zodiac is Year of the Dog, which was last celebrated in 2018. Here’s how to find out what yours is based on what year you were born. 

• Rat 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, 2020
• Ox 1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009, 2021
• Tiger 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010, 2022
• Rabbit 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011, 2023
• Dragon 1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012, 2024
• Snake 1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013, 2025
• Horse 1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014, 2026
• Goat 1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015, 2027
• Monkey 1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016, 2028
• Rooster 1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017, 2029
• Dog 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018, 2030
• Pig 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, 2019, 2031

Disney Lunar New Year Wishes

One of the things I love about Disney California Adventure park celebrations (and there are many throughout the year, like Food & Wine Festival coming next!) is they find a way to involve everyone, young or young-at-heart.

 

In the Paradise Garden area of Paradise Gardens Park, take a moment to write your New Year Wishes on a Mickey-shaped Lunar New Year wishing paper. Hang them on the Lucky Wishing Wall for good luck and prosperity during Year of the Tiger.

You can even create your wishing wall at home! Create your own wishing wall and add wishes for the New Year throughout January and February. 

 

 

Families and children alike will also enjoy decorating a Lunar New Year craft to take home or maybe even stop to get your face painted during Lunar New Year. Note face painting did not return in 2023.

 

Disney Lunar New Year Food

There are many popular Disney shirts with a variation of “I’m just here for the food” printed across the front. No shame here! And with the tasty Asian cuisine offered during Lunar New Year, we can see why you might just be coming for the food. 

Take a look at Lunar New Year food from past years to get an idea for what you’ll eat at the parks in 2024 and what you can recreate at home.

 

 

Each marketplace in Paradise Gardens Park offers Asian inspired cuisine, making for some mighty sampling and tasting your way through Asia, all without leaving Disneyland Resort. Food items range from about $7-12.

What’s the Lunar New Year Sip & Savor Pass? 

For about $43 you can taste your way through Lunar New Year. Choose your favorite food items, Lunar New Year desserts or non-alcoholic beverages with the convenience of a pre-paid Sip & Savor Pass. 

 

Is there a Magic Key discount for the Sip & Savor Pass?

Yes, Magic Keyholders can purchase the Sip & Savor Pass for a few dollars less at about $40.

I suggest checking out the lines and hopping in the shortest one for your entire order. Why? It’ll save you time! Order your food at one kiosk, keep your receipt and pick up food throughout the day by going straight to the pick up window. 

 

 

Disney Lunar New Year Bamboo Blessings Food

• Mickey Mouse-shaped Hot Dog Bun: Brioche-style Mickey Mouse-shaped buns stuffed with hot dog and finished with sesame seeds and scallions.

   

  

• See my Mickey Chinese hot dog bun copycat recipe, this one wins it for me with the Mickey presentation! My kids loved it too.

• Mickey Mouse-shaped Purple Sweet Potato Macaron: Red macaron filled with purple sweet potato buttercream and a crème fraîche center my personal favorite and back again this year!
  

  

• Young Master Brewery Pale Ale with mandarin and bergamot zest 
• Four Sons Lunar New Year IPA
• Master Gao Brewery Baby Jasmine Tea Lager
• Three Weavers Brewing Co. Moon Rabbit: Golden stout with vanilla and Vietnamese cinnamon 
• Stereo Brewing Co. Gingerine: Ginger wheat ale with tangerine, honey, and lemon juice 
• Brewery X Green Tea Rice Lager 
• Anderson Valley Brewing Co. Black Rice Ale
• Tsingtao Premium Lager 
• Tsingtao topped with a frozen mango beer foam 
• Lucky Flight: Tsingtao, Young Master Brewery, Stereo Brewing Co., and Three Weavers Brewing Co. 
• Prosperity Flight: Four Sons Brewing Co., Master Gao Brewery, Brewery X, and Anderson Valley Brewing Co. 

Disney Lunar New Year Red Dragon Spice Traders Marketplace

• Gochujang Elote: Steamed corn on the cob rolled in gochujang aїoli and cotija cheese drizzled with spicy gochujang sauce 
• Red Spice Fried Chicken Bites: Fried chicken chicharrones in spicy red chile sauce 
• Guava Whiskey Cocktail: Whiskey, ginger liqueur, guava nectar, coconut cream, and lime juice garnished with a lime wheel 
• Dancing Firecracker: Pineapple and lime juices, guava nectar, spicy honey, and house-made hibiscus syrup garnished with a lime wheel

Disney Lunar New Year Wrapped with Love Food

• Pork and Shrimp Wontons with a black garlic sauce 
• Bok Choy & Mushroom Dumplings with a black garlic sauce (Plant-based item)
• Pineapple Baijiu Cocktail: Dark Rum, baijiu, Allspice Dram, pineapple and orange juices, and falernum syrup garnished with a dried red pineapple chip 
• Grapefruit-Melon Wine Cocktail: Sauvignon blanc, grapefruit liqueur, watermelon purée, rock melon syrup, and lime juice garnished with skewered grapes

Disney Lunar New Year Prosperity Bao and Buns Marketplace

• Char shiu pork bao, I really like this one, I’d totally go for this multiple times over the course Lunar New Year. 

 

 

• Pepperoni Pizza Bao Bun served with marinara 
• 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

Disney Lunar New Year Longevity Noodle Co. Marketplac

• Garlic Noodles: Long noodles tossed in zesty garlic butter with parmesan, these are delicious!
• Spicy Pork DanDan Noodles: Pan-fried noodles with ground pork and spicy tri-chile sauce 
• Raspberry Oat Milk Tea: Joffrey’s Coffee & Tea Co. Ceylon Tea, raspberry and demerara syrups, and oat milk garnished with skewered raspberries

Disney Lunar New Year Lucky 8 Lantern Marketplace

• Quesabirria Eggroll with Guajillo pepper consommé filled with Oaxaca cheese, beef birria, and a side of guajillo pepper consommé 

• Mandarin Mousse Cake: Layers of mandarin mousse with vanilla cake and clementine compote finished with white chocolate crunch balls and a tangerine glaze 
• Coconut-Lavender Matcha Foam Iced Coffee: Joffrey’s Coffee & Tea Co. French Bistro Blend, coconut milk, coconut cream, and white chocolate sauce garnished with lavender matcha, coconut foam, sea salt, and purple sanding sugar (Non-alcoholic)

Bonus eats! Lunar New Year food expands to various dining locations in the parks. You can use your Sip & Savor pass on select “Sip and Savor” size portions.

Boardwalk Pizza & Pasta

• Milk Tea Taro Cheesecake: Milk tea cheesecake with a taro mousse

Lamplight Lounge

• Surf & Turf Fried Rice: Five Spice-rubbed New York steak, sautéed shrimp, fried rice, ginger pea purée, and chile oil topped with a carrot salad 
• Sesame Seed Donuts: Donuts topped with sesame seed brittle and served with a kaya jam dipping sauce 
• Three Weavers Brewing Co. Seafarer Kolsch-style 
• Lamplight Lounge Lunar New Year Cocktail: Han Soju, Aperitivo Aperol, carrot and orange juices, and cream of coconut garnished with a raspberry and mint 

Lamplight Lounge – Boardwalk Dining

• Pork Dumplings with Chinese broccoli, roasted mushrooms, Fresno chiles, and fried shallots 
• Lamplight Lounge Lunar New Year Cocktail: Han Soju, Aperitivo Aperol, carrot and orange juices, and cream of coconut garnished with a raspberry and mint 

 

 

Lucky Fortune Cookery

• Mango Sticky Rice: Taro and coconut sticky rice with mango gel, toasted coconut, and fresh mango 
• Lotus Flower Glow Cube

Magic Key Terrace

• Pork Spare Ribs with peanut-chile sauce, Asian slaw, toasted peanuts, and crispy noodles 

Pacific Wharf Cappuccino Cart (Mobile order available) 

• Green Tea Horchata 
• Dalgona Coffee Bundt Cake: Coffee Bundt cake filled with sweet milk and topped with dalgona foam 

Pacific Wharf Café

• White Chocolate Apple Bread Pudding: Granny Smith Apples and white chocolate with crème anglaise and whipped topping 

 

 

Paradise Garden Grill (Mobile order available)

• Kimchi Bokkeumbap: Kimchi, potato, carrot, and onion fried rice with egg and Korean chili paste topped with crispy sweet and sour tofu and black sesame seeds (Plant-based Item) 
• Shrimp Lo Mein: Lo mein noodles tossed with shrimp, mushrooms, onions, carrots, and bok choy 
• Dak Bulgogi: Korean BBQ chicken served with rice and kimchi
• Bánh Mì: Grilled pork belly with pickled carrots, cucumbers, daikon, and jalapeños with a spicy mayo 
• Sweet and Sour Whole Fish served with steamed rice and stir-fried vegetables (served family-style for two) 
• Tiger Milk Tea with BobaBam Brown Sugar Boba (Non-alcoholic) 
• Hite Beer
• Blackberry Soju Cocktail: Soju, blackberry purée, and lemon juice with a hint of ginger 
• Lotus Flower Glow Cube

Sonoma Terrace (Mobile order available)

• Pad Thai Spring Roll: Shrimp with scrambled eggs, noodles, crushed peanuts, and Thai basil served with tangy slaw and pad Thai sauce 

Outdoor Food Carts (Available Jan. 19 through Feb. 12) 

• Chicken Bao: Steamed bao with chicken, butternut squash, and lime served with a spicy red curry sauce 
• Teriyaki Turkey Leg 
• Baked Coconut Almond Nian Gao: Baked sticky rice cake topped with coconut and almonds 
• Purple Grape Cotton Candy
• ACE High! Hard Cider Imperial Apple Cider
• Master Gao Brewery Puffed Rice Chinese Pale Ale

Disney Lunar New Year World of Color

Will World of Color be back for Lunar New Year? Yes! 2024 will bring Hurry Home to the waters of Paradise Bay. It is such a beautiful way to end your evening at the parks

 

 

World of Color is a stunning light and water projection show at California Adventure. Hurry Home is a “short” before the main World of Color show featuring Mulan and includes music by Academy Award®-winning composer Tan Dun. Be aware that Hurry Home does end with a short fireworks display.

Disney Lunar New Year Meet Mulan & Raya

Mulan is truly the princess of Lunar New Year at Disney California Adventure park and we love seeing her celebrated!

 

 

During Lunar New Year, join Mulan and Mushu in a bright and vibrant parade, “Mulan’s Lunar New Year Procession”. 

The parade is performed multiple times per day now on the entire parade route in Disney California Adventure Park. You can catch Mulan and Friends traveling throughout Paradise Gardens Park, and on through Hollywood Land with an exquisite display of dance and music with California Adventure as a back drop.

 

 

Tips for viewing Mulan’s Lunar New Year Processional. Check the Disneyland app for the scheduled times. To avoid the sun shining bright in your face during the show, select an earlier time before 4 pm.

 

 

The last performance of the day usually has the sun right in the background. Also note there may be a loud firecrackers finale which may scare the younger children. I was even told about the firecrackers and was still startled by their display.

 

 

Traditional music and music from Disney’s animated movie Mulan surrounds you as Mulan and Mushu lead the way. A celebration filled with music, costumes and dancing, including a Chinese dragon puppet, warriors,  drummers and beautiful costumed dancers make their way through California Adventure Park.

Will we see Raya again in 2024? It only makes sense to have Raya be a permanent part of Lunar New Year but we will update this with details as soon as we know for sure. 

 

 

Raya is usually found in a setting inspired by her native Kumandra, recreated in the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail. In past years we’ve also met featured characters of the year like the three little pigs during year of the pig.

 

 

Throughout the day you can also meet Mulan, Mushu, Pluto and Mickey and Minnie and other characters who will rotate in the Paradise Gardens Park Gazebo near Goofy’s Sky School.

 

 

There’s always someone new to meet and I love it!

Disney Lunar New Year Shopping

I love to do a little shopping at Disneyland, okay a lot of shopping. In 2023, the Lunar New Year merchandise is available on shopDisney. It was some of BEST Lunar New Year finds I have seen Disney put out yet.

 

 

 I mean, look at this jacket. It’s everything!!

 

A new Lunar New Year item this year is the light up lantern. I also love the red envelopes you can purchase for gift giving. I think a Disneyland gift card will go great inside, don’t you? 

Looking Back at Disney Lunar New Year 

I am always intrigued by Disney history, especially of Disneyland Resort. If you enjoy Disney history like I do, you might enjoy some of these fast facts about Disney Lunar New Year.

2011 was the first year I could find documentation of Lunar New Year at Disneyland Resort. It was celebrated as part of “Family Fun Weekends” and limited to two weekends only. This was year of the Rabbit and didn’t seem to be tied to any Disney character during the initial launch. It was also hosted at Disneyland Park.

 

 

2012 Lunar New Year returned but this time to the area near “it’s a small world”. It seemed to be such an emerging celebration that it being Year of the Dragon wasn’t even mentioned. 

2013 was the first time Lunar New Year was celebrated at Disney California Adventure Park and was extended for a 5 day celebration in Pacific Wharf.

 

 

2014 and 2015 gave way to celebrations we know today with more familiar sights like lantern making, wishing wall and more Disney characters in their traditional Chinese attire. The celebration also moved to Pacific Gardens Park area of California Adventure and included a small procession.

 

 

2016 Lunar New Year lasted 17 days! This year was the first to feature the World of Color pre-show “Hurry Home”, added more live entertainment and introduced 3 festival food marketplaces.

2017 and 2018 is the first year I noticed the procession having an official title “Mulan’s Lunar New Year Procession” in addition to all the other events and offerings from previous years.

 

 

2019 was year of the Pig when I was invited by Disney to come enjoy the festivities on behalf of my website and Disneyland with Kids. Festival marketplace offerings also expanded since they were first introduced in 2016.

2020 Lunar New Year celebration did indeed happen. I remember being there on the actual date of Lunar New Year and hearing about the new health concerns. . . and we all know how that turned out. 

2021 with the Resort still closed, we celebrated Lunar New Year at home with tons of fun activities and food. 

 

 

2022 I celebrated by eating way too much at Disney Lunar New Year! I loved having it back.

2023 I bought the best Disney jacket ever and will be wearing every Lunar New Year forward!

Let me know how you’ll be celebrating Lunar New Year in 2024 and I hope it includes a visit to Disneyland Resort!