The “High School Musical 3: Senior Year – Right Here! Right Now!” show at Disney California Adventure in 2010. (Disney)
Disneyland will roll out a new themed party tied to the Disney Channel in 2024 that pays homage to kids’ TV shows and movies of the past along with three returning after-hours events that have become fan favorites.
Disneyland announced plans for four after-hours, separate-admission special events in the first half of 2024 themed to Star Wars, Valentine’s Day, Gay Pride and the Disney Channel.
Tickets for the Disney Channel Nite and Sweethearts’ Nite events go on sale Dec. 12 for Magic Key annual passholders and on Dec. 14 for the general public.
The new Disney Channel Nite events will be held on March 5 and 7 at Disneyland.
Disney Channel Nite will feature nods to various eras of the Disney’s kids’ television network with a High School Musical pep rally and Phineas and Ferb dance party.
Visitors can take a cruise with the Descendants on the Sailing Ship Columbia along the Rivers of America, take the stage in the Golden Horseshoe for some Camp Rock Karaoke and test their knowledge in the Ultimate Disney Channel Trivia Challenge.
Disney Channel backdrops will include photo ops for Camp Rock, Teen Beach Movie, Lizzie McGuire, Halloweentown and Zenon.
Sweethearts’ Nite after-hours parties will take place on Jan. 23, 25 and 30 and Feb. 1, 6, 8, 12 and 14 at Disneyland.
The Sweethearts’ Nite events include a projection show on Sleeping Beauty Castle, a royal ball hosted by Cinderella and Prince Charming in the Small World plaza, live music in Tropical Hideaway and Lady and the Tramp, Tangled, Sleeping Beauty and Aladdin photo op backdrops.
Tickets for the Disney Channel Nite and Sweethearts’ Nite events range from $139 to $169 per event.
The popular Star Wars Nite that has become a staple of Disneyland After Dark will return on April 16, 18, 23, 25 and 30 and May 2, 7 and 9 at Disneyland.
Star Wars Nite 2023 included a “Celebrate the Nite” fireworks show set to symphonic scores from the film franchise, a March of the First Order led by Captain Phasma in Tomorrowland, appearances by Tusken Raiders and Jawas, lightsaber training and galactic churros.
The Pride Nite event that debuted this year will be back again in 2024 on June 18 and 20 at Disneyland.
This year’s sold-out Pride Nites were the first time Disneyland had hosted an official LGBTQ special event. Unofficial Gay Days Anaheim mix-in events with theme park meet-ups, trivia games, scavenger hunts and parties have been a regular fixture at Disneyland for more than two decades.
The 2023 Pride Nite featured more than 30 Disney characters along with a pair of openly gay superheroes from the Marvel Cinematic Universe — Phastos from “Eternals” and America Chavez from “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.”
The Pride Nite photo op locations throughout the park included the Rainbow Steps on Main Street USA, the Rainbow Crosswalk in Fantasyland and Rainbow Ridge in Frontierland.
This year’s Pride Nite event featured dance parties on Tomorrowland Terrace, at the Golden Horseshoe and along the Rivers of America.
Additional details and on-sale dates for Star Wars Nite and Pride Nite will be announced in the coming months.
All of the Disneyland After Dark events feature specialty-themed entertainment, character meet-and-greets, photo op backdrops, food and drinks, collectible merchandise, commemorative keepsakes and unlimited PhotoPass digital downloads along with select rides and shows.
Pre-party mix-in typically starts at 6 p.m. each night with the private event running from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. each evening. No theme park reservations are required to attend the separate-admission events. Parking is not included.
Originally published at Brady MacDonald