Something EPIC (and historic) has happened at Disneyland Resort!

At Disney California Adventure in Disneyland Resort, the Lunar New Year is being celebrated from January 23rd through February 18th, 2024. Sure, you can go there to stuff your face with new and delicious snacks or spend all your cash on special merchandise. But if you want to see something REALLY unique, you HAVE to check out the entertainment because a BRAND NEW character meet-and-greet has debuted(!!!).

Let’s break down ALL of the entertainment available at the festival so you don’t miss a thing.

NEW Character Meet-and-Greet

In a historic FIRST appearance at Disneyland Resort, during the Lunar New Year Festival you can actually meet Meilin Lee and her mom, Ming Lee from Pixar’s Turning Red! WOW! Red Panda Mei previously made a character debut at Shanghai Disney Resort and we know that there will be a Turning Red float in the parade celebrating Pixar Fest this year (and the guys from 4*TOWN will be there!!) but this is the first time these two characters have appeared in this particular way at a Disney park.

The characters have Chinese-Canadian heritage, so it’s really fitting that they should first appear at this festival. You’ll find them over at San Francisco Street. And Meilin is so excited about observing Chinese traditions with her mom that you might just spot her starting to show her Red Panda side!

Look who it is! Meilin Lee and her mom, Ming Lee from the Disney and Pixar film, Turning Red are making their first appearance during the #LunarNewYear Celebration! #Disneyland #MediaEvent pic.twitter.com/NGXNPhUhHw

— Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) January 23, 2024

Considering that this is the FIRST TIME these characters have made a meet-and-greet appearance in this way, the line for the meet-and-greet could get long so you’ll want to keep that in mind.

Mulan’s Lunar New Year Procession

Of course, it’s not a Disney day without a parade right?! Well, you can catch a sort of mini-parade — Mulan’s Lunar New Year Procession — during the Lunar New Year Festival. This procession goes from Hollywood Land to Paradise Gardens.

Things start off with music filling the air and performers filling the street. Then you’ll catch appearances by Mulan, Mushu, some Disney characters, and some incredibly talented Asian entertainers. Keep an eye out for the Chinese dragon — that’s a particular highlight of this unique show!

The Procession lasts around 20 minutes and is offered a few times each day — typically around 12:45PM, 2:30PM, 5PM, and 6:45PM (but check the Disneyland app for the latest updates).

More Characters

Want to see more characters? Throughout Disney California Adventure, watch for Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse (who you’ll see dressed in some colorful outfits).

You’ll also want to stop by the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail, which is where you’ll be able to meet Raya from Raya and the Last Dragon!

Hurry Home – A Lunar New Year Celebration pre-show

In the evening, you can watch a special pre-show for the World of Color nighttime spectacular. The pre-show is called Hurry Home – A Lunar New Year Celebration.

The pre-show starts at 9PM (check the times guide for the latest updates) and lasts around 6 minutes.

During the pre-show, you’ll follow Little Lantern on a special adventure home for a celebration of good luck. The music for the show was actually created by Academy Award-winning composer Tan Dun so be sure to listen closely to the tunes featured in it!

Lunar New Year Wishing Wall

Want to participate in some Lunar New Year activities? Those are available too! Head to the Lunar New Year Wishing Wall in Paradise Gardens to make a wish and add your own message of hope and happiness for the new year.

It’s a great way to really immerse yourself in the situation and can give adults and little ones alike a great activity to participate in (in between all the snacking!).

Musical Performances

There are a number of musical performances available throughout the Festival in a few different spots. Here’s what you need to know.

Vocal Seoul at Sonoma Terrace

Stop by Sonoma Terrace to hear the a capella group Vocal Seoul! The group is made up of Korean-American singers.

You’ll find this group performing Fridays to Sundays during the Lunar New Year Festival.

Paradise Gardens Bandstand Presents New Tradition

At the Paradise Gardens Bandstand, you can watch New Tradition — a Los Angeles-based trio that, according to Disney, “bring a unique improv performance style to music classics and modern day hits through their versatile musicianship and Vietnamese cultural roots.”

New Tradition will be performing on January 23rd, 24th, 25th, and 26th; and February 5th and 6th, 2024.

Paradise Garden Bandstand Presents Melody of China

Melody of China is a Chinese music ensemble formed by “professional musicians from some of the most prestigious conservatories in China,” according to Disney. They perform classical, folk, and contemporary music.

You can see them perform January 29th, 30th, and 31st; and February 1st, 2nd, 14th, 15th, and 16th, 2024.

Paradise Garden Bandstand Presents Luna Lee

If you want to hear something really unique, visit when Luna Lee is performing. She performs a centuries-old traditional Korean stringed instrument called the gayageum, and she plays it in a modern rock style!

According to Disney, “Luna Lee is a recording artist, performer and gayageum sound engineer.” You can see her perform on February 7th, 8th, 9th, 12th, and 13th, 2024.

And that’s a look at the entertainment you can’t miss at the Lunar New Year Festival. But don’t forget that the Festival will also be full of unique merchandise items to pick up and (of course) all kinds of tasty snacks!

CLICK HERE to see full menu details for the Festival and links to all of our booth reviews.

Don’t miss out on a Disneyland trip and don’t let the idea of planning a trip overwhelm you! Speak to our friends at Small World Vacations. They can help you plan your vacation and even help you save money!