Disney Lunar New Year 2025

Last updated on February 19th, 2025 at 01:36 pm

Lunar New Year returns to Disneyland Resort January 17 – February 16, 2025 with seasonal foodie favorites, cultural entertainment and more as we celebrate the year of the snake.

Year of the Snake

It’s time to celebrate Disney Lunar New Year—a celebration of Asian tradition and cultures, along with well wishes for the future. 

2025 is the Year of the Snake. In Chinese culture, people born in the year of the snake are considered rational, calm, thoughtful, and loyal to their loved ones. Who do you know that was born in the year of the snake? 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. 

• 2025 Year of the Snake: Kaa 
• 2026 Year of the Horse: Maximus from Tangled
• 2027 Year of the Goat/Sheep: Jolly Holiday Lambs
• 2028 Year of the Monkey: Abu from Aladdin
• 2029 Year of the Rooster: Alan-a-Dale from Robin Hood
• 2030 Year of the Dog: Pluto
• 2031 Year of the Pig: Three Little Pigs
• 2032 Year of the Rat/Mouse: Mickey & Minnie Mouse
• 2033 Year of the Ox
• 2034 Year of the Tiger: Tigger
• 2035 Year of the Rabbit: Oswald, Thumper, Rabbit and Judy Hopps 
• 2036 Year of the Dragon: Mushu

My Chinese Zodiac is Year of the Dog, which was last celebrated in 2018. But my favorite Lunar New Year item I have is this jacket from the last time we celebrated Year of the Rabbit!

Here’s how to find out what year you are based on the 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

Every time I attend, I look forward to learning more about Chinese, Vietnamese and Korean cultures throughout this festival. Our Lunar New Year celebration begins now with answers to frequently asked questions.

What is Disney Lunar New Year?

Disney celebrates Lunar New Year by honoring Asian cultures through music, food, dance and tradition, with the addition of beloved Disney characters. In 2025, we celebrate year of the snake.

If you or someone you know was born in 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013, they are also year of the snake!

Lunar New Year is celebrated at Disney California Adventure Park January 17 – February 16, with actual Chinese New Year celebrated on January 29, 2025.

I love being there for Lunar New Year each year and one year gave my kids their own red envelopes with Disney gift cards inside to really take part in the celebration. 

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. 

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

For about $45 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. 

In 2025 choose from 3 collectable Sip and Savor designs, designed by artist Ann Shen: 

• Chinese featuring Donald and Daisy Duck in traditional Chinese attire
• Vietnamese featuring Goofy and Clarabelle in traditional Vietnamese ensembles
• Korean featuring Mickey and Minnie in traditional Korean clothing

Each Sip and Savor is available in six digital coupon versions. Just scan and pay for your food or drink items and be on your way!

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 than the regular price.

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. 

Marketplace Food

You know those Disney shirts that say “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, I can see why you might just be coming for the food. 

Take a look at Lunar New Year menu to plan what you’ll eat at the parks in 2025 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.

Bamboo Blessings Marketplace 

• Mini Char Siu Pork Shanks with rice and pineapple chutney
• Strawberry Milk Tea Macaron: Strawberry buttercream with a milk tea center—Lunar New Year favorite, year after year!

• Brown Sugar Milk Tea: Joffrey’s Coffee & Tea Co. Ceylon Tea, hotteok-inspired brown sugar syrup, maple and butter pecan syrups, and oat milk garnished with banana milk-infused whipped cream (Non-alcoholic beverage)
• Dragon Fruit Cocktail: Dragonberry rum, white rum, lychee purée, dragon fruit and Chinese five-spice syrups, lime juice, and house-made coriander tea garnished with a dried dragon fruit wheel 

Longevity Noodle Co. Marketplace

• Garlic Noodles with zesty garlic butter sauce and Parmesan cheese—these are delicious!

• Shrimp Lo Mein Noodles with stir-fried vegetables 
• Tropical Coconut Cooler: Coconut cream, coconut milk, house-made jackfruit syrup, dragon fruit syrup, lychee nectar, and cherry juices garnished with mango coconut foam and rainbow jellies—on my list to try in 2025! Update this was delicious! I would totally buy this again, I was so in love with the flavors!

• Mandarin Citrus Mule: Mandarin vodka, grapefruit liqueur, lime juice, Mandarin and apricot purées, and candied orange syrup topped with ginger beer and garnished with orange rock candy

Lucky 8 Lantern Marketplace

• Quesabirria Eggroll with guajillo pepper consomé

• Chocolate Firecracker: Light chocolate mousse, chocolate ganache filling, chocolate almond dacquoise, and popping candy featuring DOVE Dark Chocolate—on my list to try in 2025! Update this was good, very predictable flavor with the chocolate mousse so it was exactly what I wanted and expected.  

• Guava Lemongrass Cocktail: Silver rum, guava nectar juice, house-made lemongrass syrup, and lime juice garnished with a lemon wheel
• Year of The Snake Margarita: Reposado tequila, lime juice, kiwi syrup, and mango purée garnished with a snake gummy

Prosperity Bao and Buns Marketplace

• Kung Pao Bao with plant-based chicken, toasted peanuts, and scallions 
• Red Panda Bao: Jumbo pork and vegetable bao with chile-garlic sauce 

• Harland Raspberry Yuja Lemonade Ale 
• Strawberry-Lychee Cocktail: Bourbon, strawberry purée, lychee syrup, and lime juice garnished with a skewered lime gummy
• Lunar New Year Beer Flight 
• Study Break Lychee & White Tea Hard Seltzer 
• Three Weavers Expatriate IPA 
• Brewery X Panda Pool Party Lager

Red Dragon Spice Traders Marketplace

• Fire Chicken Wings with sesame-seaweed crunch
• Spicy Gochujang Chicken Tacos with yuja citrus cabbage slaw 
• Peach Makgeolli Cocktail: Peach rice wine, citron vodka, ginger liqueur, cucumber syrup, and white grape and lime juices garnished with a skewered frozen peach and grape

Wrapped with Love Marketplace

• Phở Dip with rice noodles, sliced beef, shaved jalapeños, pickled onions, and Phở broth
• Fried Lemongrass Chicken Dumpling with plum sauce
• Mandarin Orange Cream Puff filled with citrus cream and Mandarin compote
• Taro Vietnamese-style Iced Coffee: Joffrey’s Coffee & Tea Co. Vietnamese-style Coffee, cocoa powder, and condensed milk garnished with taro-chocolate sweet cream 

Mobile Order Food

As Lunar New Year expands, you can also find festive food throughout Disney California Adventure Park. Certain items can be purchased with a Sip and Savor pass, but traditionally that has NOT been available to mobile order.

Mobile order these Lunar New Year food items to skip the wait times, especially if you’re not using the Sip and Savor Pass.

Aunt Cass Café

• Vietnamese Coffee Churro at Churros near Goofy’s Sky School and at Señor Buzz Churros on Pixar Pier
• Toasted Sesame and Red Bean Churro at Churros at Hollywood Land

• Firecracker Marshmallow Wand at Bing Bong’s Sweet Stuff and Trolley Treats
• Mickey Lantern Caramel Apple at Bing Bong’s Sweet Stuff and Trolley Treats—on my list to try in 2025!

And at Lamplight Lounge (reservations recommended) you can try Vietnamese BBQ Pork Chop with spicy garlic noodles and chile-marinated cucumbers, Green Tea Donuts and Three Weavers Brewing Company Synthwave Sour Ale. 

There’s also tons of Lunar New Year food options and treats at Downtown Disney and the Disney Resort Hotels.

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 comes 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. 

Mulan & Friends

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 on select days 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.

New in 2025 Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse will debut all-new outfits with representations of traditional Korean attire!

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 2025? 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!

World of Color

Will World of Color be back for Lunar New Year?

YES! Wolrd of Color, along with Hurry Home will show this season. See Hurry Home across 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.

Shopping

I love to do a little shopping at Disneyland, okay a lot of shopping. The Lunar New Year merchandise is available online at the Disney Store. 

 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

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 (what is now San Fransokyo).

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!

2024 was the first year I missed Lunar New Year, but I know I’ll be there for sure in 2025.

Let me know how you’ll be celebrating Lunar New Year in 2025 and I hope it includes a visit to Disneyland Resort!