Disneyland This Week—Spring Break Crowds Descend, Easter Treats, Major Thrill Ride and Restaurant Reopening

Happy Saint Patrick's Day and welcome back to Mickey Visit Disneyland This Week! Each week we'll unearth Disneyland offerings and tips you could easily miss completely. We have all of the essential dates for your visit.

These updates provide the most important information for your visit every single week whether you are a frequent visitor or visiting for the first time in years. We cut through the noise to hone in on what dates and news matter for this week. Click here to see our most recent Disneyland This Week update from last week for all the things you missed at Disneyland and our first Disneyland This Week update for all my thoughts on what we are hoping to achieve with these weekly updates.

My name is Gavin Doyle. Each week I and members of my team including Lindsay Brookshier, Emily Midgley, and Bridget Waldman from @CaliforniaDisneyBliss, will work together to bring you the most essential Disneyland information. This is your one-stop resource for everything happening at Disneyland the week of March 17, 2025.

One Big Thing – Spring Break Crowds Arrive

This week, Spring Break crowds are in full force at Disneyland as many families are taking time with kids off from school to enjoy a trip. This is one of the busier times of the year at Disneyland, but you can still get a lot accomplished if you come in with a solid touring strategy for seeing all of the highlights! We visit often during this time and despite the crowds, it is one of our favorite times of year at the parks due to the special events and celebrations at Disneyland in the spring.

Spring Break crowds typically pick up in mid-March and the parks stay busy until late April. This is a good time to enjoy a 3-day or longer trip (see our Disneyland 3-day itinerary) so that you have time to experience all that the parks have to offer without feeling pressured to rush to get to all of the highlights. Arriving at the parks in the morning hours to rope drop will allow you to experience popular Disneyland attractions with lower wait times. If you're more of a night owl (or want to do both!), then consider staying later in the evening until park closing to ride your favorites with shorter wait times. See our Disneyland evening strategy here.

When the parks are more crowded, it's essential to make good use of Disneyland Lightning Lane Multi Pass, especially in the mornings and afternoons. Return times for popular rides will be quickly pushed further into the day when the parks are busy. Make sure you don't hold up your availability to make additional Lightning Lane selections by choosing a return time later in the day. If the only option for popular rides is a later return time, see our best trick for getting the Lightning Lane you want almost every time. If you're persistent enough, you will have success with this!

Also, make sure that you take advantage of mobile ordering when the parks are crowded to skip long ordering lines. If you already know what you'll be having, it is a good idea to place mobile orders for food early in the day so you don't get stuck with a pickup time that is later than you planned. You can always adjust the time if needed. See our guide to mobile ordering food at Disneyland for more tips.

Important Disneyland Dates This Week

• Indiana Jones Adventure is closing for refurbishment today. This popular ride will be undergoing a longer refurbishment spanning the busy Spring Break season at Disneyland. See details on this ride closure and its duration.
• A new Easter Thumper popcorn bucket is available at Disneyland starting this Thursday, March 20. You can see details on where you can buy it in our full Disneyland popcorn bucket guide! See the photo of the popcorn bucket above.
• Disney also revealed the Disneyland Easter foods across the resort. These treats are now available! You can see photos and descriptions of the Easter foods in our Disneyland Easter guide.
• Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission: Breakout! reopens from its closure on Friday, March 21, 2025. This popular thrill ride has been closed for refurbishment for a short time. See details about that ride closure here.
• Jolly Holiday Bakery Cafe reopens from its extended closure on Saturday, March 22, 2025. This popular restaurant has been closed since January for a long refurbishment. This is one of the key restaurants at Disneyland and one of our top Mickey Visit best Disneyland restaurants. Earlier today, some seasonal items were visible on its menu, including the return of three popular items: the Beef Birria Toasted Cheese, Strawberry-stuffed Croissant, and Turkey on Ciabatta. There were also several new items on the Jolly Holiday menu including a new Donald Macaron with cherry buttercream and vanilla bean creme. These items were listed as available starting on “March 21,” so there is a chance that Jolly Holiday could be reopening early on Friday, but the website still lists the reopening date as the 22nd. Those items have now been removed from the menu that is currently showing.

• During Women's History Month, there is a special PhotoPass picture to celebrate! This is in the same spot as the Magic Key holder Magic shot (more on this below) in Fantasyland next to the Alice in Wonderland attraction, across from the Matterhorn Bobsleds. Tilly, the mannequin at Main Street Cinema on Main Street U.S.A., is dressed up for the month too as you can see above! The entrance to Disneyland features a floral Minnie Mouse for Women’s History Month.
• Today is the 60-day window for Disneyland dining reservations for May 16, the first day of Disneyland 70th's anniversary celebration. We expect this day will draw a lot of visitors with the new offerings debuting and favorite entertainment returning, so make sure you are on top of making reservations for any popular dining locations that will book up quickly! See everything you need to know about Disneyland's 70th anniversary celebration here.
• Disneyland shifts into longer hours of operation this week with nightly fireworks and Fantasmic showing. As we enter into this busier time of year, both parks will have longer hours, and Mickey's Mix Magic will have fireworks every night until March 30. See more Disneyland operational updates in our full section below.
• Carthay Circle is still open during its remodeling. It looks closed from the outside, but both dining spots are open although Carthay Circle Restaurant upstairs has an obstructed view.
• March 18 this week is the double anniversary of Pirates of the Caribbean and the Blue Bayou at Disneyland! The Blue Bayou Restaurant at Disneyland opened on March 18, 1967, the same day as the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, making it the first restaurant in the world to be built inside a ride.
• The new Disneyland 70th anniversary special ticket offer for the summer is on sale. This special offer is valid for visits from May 16 through August 14, 2025. You can see more details on the Disneyland Anniversary Ticket Offer and pricing here. Keep in mind that you will get the LOWEST prices for this special offer by booking through our travel partner, Get Away Today, with additional savings for our Mickey Visit readers when you book through our exclusive link. Book Discount Tickes HERE>
• Storytellers Cafe is closed for refurbishment for a few weeks in March. The restaurant page says that during the closure, the Disneyland character dining experience Mickey’s Tales of Adventure Breakfast Buffet and Brunch is available in the Trillium Room. Storytellers Cafe also has a dinner buffet available in the Trillium Room. Hearthstone Lounge will be open in its place with expanded hours and offerings.
• Spring character dining experiences are open for booking. Easter Day brunch and dinner reservations are now open at Storytellers Cafe. You can read more about this special Easter dining experience for details on the pricing, menu, and more. We expected this to book up pretty quickly, but lots of times are still available. Reservations are also now open for the Goofy’s Kitchen Celebrates Springtime! buffet which starts April 3, 2025. This themed character dining experience features floral decor, music, and Goofy and friends in “garden-inspired garb.”
• Disneyland After Dark: Star Wars Nite tickets are still on sale to the general public. The event takes place on select dates from April 8 to May 6, 2025 at Disneyland Park. At the time of writing, there are still tickets on sale for all party nights of the event except for May 4, 2025, which is sold out. We're surprised that the party is selling a little bit more slowly this year.
• Special food offerings are still available at locations across Avengers Campus to celebrate the release of Captain America: Brave New World, including the Red Gamma Gulp, Captain America Shield Sipper, Liberty Punch, Pepperoni Pizza Pocket, Red Rage Wings, and Cheese Pizza pocket.

Key Disneyland News You Missed

• Last week, we shared how the Grand Californian's private theme park entrance to Disney California Adventure is currently closed due to construction. Guests who have a stay booked in the premium theme park rooms overlooking Disney California Adventure will want to be aware of the impact of construction noise during this time.
• We received some big news about upcoming Disney projects at a SXSW Conference panel. We got some new details for the Mandalorian storyline coming to the Millennium Falcon in 2026 and its opening date, more details about the new Tony Stark ride coming to Avengers Campus, and news that the Fantastic 4 characters will be coming to Tomorrowland in Disneyland.
• Disney released the third episode of the Youtube series “We Call It Imagineering” with some behind-the-scenes looks at new rides at Disneyland and Disney World that we just got news about at the SXSW Conference this past weekend. See new reveals of what was featured in this episode here.
• We recently got a bunch of new details on Disneyland's 70th anniversary celebration! We got a look at the colorful decorations that will be featured across the resort, a special projection show on the facade of “it's a small world,” and more. You can see our roundup of these Disneyland 70th anniversary new announcements here. News included more details about the World of Color show, the 70th anniversary character cavalcade, new changes to rides debuting for the 70th anniversary, and more.
• Disney recently revealed some of the new Star Wars popcorn buckets that will be available for Season of the Force. These are so much fun! Check out these Star Wars popcorn buckets and other novelties and where you can find them.

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Magic Key Benefits Continue in March

Special perks for Magic Key Annual Passholders continue this month and into the next. These are a way for them to incentivize passholder visits during what is a slower time for vacation goers.

• During the Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival, Magic Key holders get a few different perks, including a discount on the 8-coupon Sip and Savor Pass with a special Magic Key lanyard (while supplies last), a special dining and photo-op area between Avengers Campus and Cars Land, and special Magic Key festival t-shirts and pins available (while supplies last) at Acorns Gifts & Goods, Elias & Co., Festival Gifts, and Studio Store.
• Through March 31 during Women's History Month, Magic Key holders can pose with a special prop for a PhotoPass Magic Shot honoring Mary Blair. This is located in Fantasyland next to the Alice in Wonderland attraction, across from the Matterhorn Bobsleds, and is available from park opening to dusk (approximately 4:30 PM). See the Magic shot above!
• Disneyland shared ahead of the start of Star Wars Nite parties that Magic Key holders can get a commemorative 3-button set on event nights. This will be available on event nights at the Magic Key destination near the walkway to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge just past Hungry Bear Barbecue Jamboree from 9:00 PM to 1:00 AM, while supplies last.
• Magic Key holders can enjoy special food offerings including the Box O' Sliders at Galactic Grill, and Ice Cream Floats from Golden Horseshoe.
• Magic Key holders can get select meal combos that include a special Magic Key tumbler at Alien Pizza Planet or Galactic Grill via mobile order, while supplies last.
• For the Pixar Putt mini golf course, Magic Key holders get a special discounted rate of $25 per Magic Key Holder.

Disneyland Operational Updates

• Disneyland shifts to longer hours of operation this week with Disneyland Park open until 12am and Disney California Adventure open until 10 pm.
• The World of Color – One show runs each night along with the Mickey's Mix Magic show. Fireworks will be shown for Mickey's Mix Magic along with the projection show throughout the entire week. Fantasmic! will also be offered every night of the week.
• Disneyland has not announced a parade that will be offered in the time between now and the 70th anniversary celebration (click here for details). There is currently a Mickey and Friends Cavalcade along the parade route at Disneyland Park twice a day. Disneyland will be bringing back Paint the Night and Better Together: A Pixar Pals Celebration starting in May 2025.

What We're Thinking About This Week

• Emily is excited for the Jolly Holiday reopening, and along with it, the return of the Beef Birria Toasted Cheese! This is one of our top Mickey Visit best Disneyland foods and her go-to for a quick meal when it's offered.
• Gavin is counting down the days for the kickoff of the 70th Anniversary celebration. We are now within the 60-day window for making dining reservations.
• Lindsay is excited for Jolly Holiday Cafe to reopen this weekend! This quick service spot is her family's late night dining tradition since it's the only restaurant that stays open with mobile orders available after park closing. This will be great to take advantage of if you follow our evening night strategy which is helpful during any busy season at Disneyland.

Where In Disneyland Is This?

Do you know where in Disneyland this hidden Mickey is? Share your guess in the comments below!

Answer to last week's “Where In Disneyland Is This?” These are the stairs in Fantasyland that used to lead to the Fantasyland station for the Skyway! Click here to see that image.

Disneyland Crowd Calendar This Week

This week, you can expect to see mostly above normal crowds as we get into the busier Spring Break season in mid-March. This part of the spring is one of the busiest times of the year at Disneyland. You can see our top tips for navigating the Spring Break crowds in our “One Big Thing” section above.

You can see our rating of all upcoming dates in our Mickey Visit Disneyland Crowd Calendar.

New Disneyland Ride Closures This Week

Redwood Creek Challenge Trail in Disney California Adventure closes for refurbishment this week starting on March 24, 2025.

Here are some of the other current ride closures that are continuing into this week:

• Indiana Jones Adventure is closed for refurbishment
• Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: Breakout! is closed for refurbishment (reopening this week!)
• The Disney Gallery is closed for refurbishment
• “it's a small world” is closed for refurbishment (see guide below for reopening date!)
• Jolly Holiday Bakery Cafe is closed for refurbishment (reopening this week!)

You can see reopening dates for some of the above attractions and other upcoming closures in our Disneyland ride refurbishment guide.

Other Disney Content We're Watching

Each week we'll share some of our favorite information and fun content from across Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube in an effort to spotlight some of the great creators who work so hard to share details from Disneyland.

First up, we have this video from Matt Desmond (@disneyscoopguy on Instagram) sharing this fun moment featuring the Dapper Dans wearing green for St. Patrick's Day today!

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Matt Desmond (@disneyscoopguy)

Building off of our previous “Where In Disneyland Is This?” clue, we wanted to feature this video about the history of the Skyway stairs from @amentalmouse on Instagram.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by A Mental Mouse | Disneyland History, Hints & Humor (@amentalmouse)

We also wanted to include this review of the SoCal Corn Dog from Corn Dog Castle from @foodatdisneyland on Instagram, which is a particularly interesting offering available during the Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival!

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Foodatdisneyland (@foodatdisneyland)

Heads up! Reservations Open for Disneyland Dining / Park Reservations

For any trips before the below dates, you should be considering booking park reservations and dining reservations.

• Today is the 60-day window for Disneyland dining reservations for May 16, 2025.
• Today is the 180-day window for making Disneyland theme park reservations for September 13, 2025. This applies to most non-Annual Pass tickets.
• For Magic Key Annual Pass Holders, the 90-day window from today to make theme park reservations is June 15, 2025.

See our top tips for getting Disneyland dining reservations and the best Disneyland restaurants we would recommend.

Disneyland Lightning Lane Cost This Week

• Today, the Lightning Lane Multi Pass service costs $36 if you purchase it when you arrive.
• For the two Lightning Lane Single Pass rides, the cost is $28 for Rise of the Resistance and $22 for Radiator Springs Racers.

You can see our guide to Lightning Lane Multi Pass at Disneyland for our expert tips on making the most of the service.

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