New Disneyland TV Special Just Announced Will Feature New Ride Sneak Peeks

In honor of Disneyland's 70th anniversary celebration, there will be an ABC News special celebrating 70 years of Disneyland. The special will feature celebrity appearances and reflections, behind-the-scenes looks, and sneak peeks at new rides in development for Disneyland.

Keep reading for more details on what this new Disneyland TV special will include, when it will debut, and where you can watch it!

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Disneyland ABC News Special

For Disneyland's 70th anniversary celebration, ABC News will have a special called “The Happiest Story on Earth: 70 Years of Disneyland – A Special Edition of 20/20” that commemorates the 7-decade legacy of the resort. The TV special will include reflections from notable Disney actors and filmmakers, the history of iconic attractions, sneak peeks at future Disney California Adventure additions, and more. The new special airs on Sunday, September 21, at 8:00 PM ET on ABC, and streams the next day on Disney+ and Hulu.

The TV special will include reflections on childhood visits from actors and filmmakers, including Neil Patrick Harris, Jamie Lee Curtis, Jon Favreau, Patrick Warburton, and Tiffany Haddish, comments from CEO Bob Iger on the future of the resort, and an exclusive message from Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, about “what the park means to them and their family.” The special will feature appearances from Julie Andrews, who reflects on visiting the park with Walt, and Josh Gad, who “reflects on his dream come true of ‘working' as a skipper at Jungle Cruise.” The special will also feature insight from Disney Legend Bob Gurr, who reflects on his time working with Walt Disney.

The special will highlight the history of iconic attractions, including Jungle Cruise, Pirates of the Caribbean, and the Haunted Mansion, and a behind-the-scenes look at Disneyland’s parades and nighttime spectaculars. Disney's press release for the special describes how “cameras are granted access to the ‘World of Color' control room — an area typically reserved for working cast members only — offering a look at how these technological marvels come to life.”

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We will also get a special look at the new Audio-Animatronics figure of Walt Disney that recently debuted at the resort and hear from the Imagineers who helped create the attraction. Separately, we recently got the news at Destination D23 that there will be another Walt Disney figure coming to a classic attraction in Magic Kingdom.

We will also get a sneak peek at future Disney California Adventure additions in development, including the expansion to Avengers Campus, the new Coco attraction, and the new Avatar destination coming to the park. You can see details on these new rides and when we anticipate they will open in our separate article here. We're especially looking forward to this segment of the special, as construction has been moving along quickly for the Avengers Campus additions, and we've been anxiously waiting for more details about the Coco and Avatar additions.

You can see the trailer that was released on Good Morning America here:

You can see the full press release from Disney below.

Commemorate seven decades of the magic, joy and innovation of one of the most beloved theme parks in the world when the special event “The Happiest Story on Earth: 70 Years of Disneyland – A Special Edition of 20/20,” airs Sunday, September 21 (8:00 PM ET) on ABC, next day on Disney+ and Hulu. Announced today by ABC News Studios, “The Happiest Story on Earth: 70 Years of Disneyland” pulls back the curtain to reveal the magic behind Walt Disney’s dream, with enchanting stories sure to surprise and delight even the most devoted fans.

Disneyland Resort has enchanted guests of all ages from near and far. Viewers will hear reflections on childhood visits to the park from some of Disney’s biggest fans including Hollywood’s Neil Patrick Harris, Jamie Lee Curtis, Jon Favreau, Patrick Warburton and Tiffany Haddish; observations from The Walt Disney Company Chief Executive Officer Bob Iger on what the future holds for Disneyland Resort; and an exclusive message from Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, on what the park means to them and their family. The special celebrates the countless creators who have contributed to bringing the wonderful world of Disneyland to life and shares rare insight from Bob Gurr, a former Disney Imagineer there on opening day, who reflects on working side by side with Walt Disney himself.

The special also reveals the rich history of the iconic attractions that have fascinated visitors from around the world, including Jungle Cruise, Pirates of the Caribbean, and the Haunted Mansion; and takes viewers behind the scenes of Disneyland’s legendary parades and nighttime spectaculars. Cameras are granted access to the “World of Color” control room — an area typically reserved for working cast members only — offering a look at how these technological marvels come to life. The special also provides a look at the new, first-of-its-kind Audio-Animatronics figure of Walt Disney with the Imagineers who helped create “Walt Disney – A Magical Life.” Additional appearances include Julie Andrews, who remembers visiting the park with Walt himself, and Josh Gad, who reflects on his dream come true of “working” as a skipper at Jungle Cruise.

In addition to honoring the past, “The Happiest Story on Earth: 70 Years of Disneyland” also looks toward the future of Disneyland Resort with an exciting sneak peek at future Disney California Adventure Park attractions, including an expansion to Avengers Campus, a Coco attraction and the new Avatar destination, giving viewers an inside look at how Disney continues to innovate and inspire new generations.

“The Happiest Story on Earth: 70 Years of Disneyland – A Special Edition of 20/20” is produced by 20/20 and ABC News Studios. Matt Lombardi serves as executive producer. Janice Johnston is executive producer for 20/20. David Sloan serves as senior executive producer for ABC News Studios.  

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