Pixar Fest at Disneyland takes place through the summer with a new Pixar parade, themed Pixar fireworks, an extensive list of merchandise, and a variety of Pixar food marketplace booths. You can also find a new character interactions along with themed Pixar photo ops all through Downtown Disney, Disneyland, and California Adventure.
This is a big celebration and Disneyland has gone all out! There is so much to see and do as part of this new event.
We just spent time enjoying ALL the new experiences at the Pixar Fest media event and can't wait to share our best tips with you. We met the new characters, saw the Pixar parade, experienced the new fireworks, plus enjoyed a ton of the Pixar themed food. Based on everything we did at Pixar Fest, here are our BEST tips for you to maximize your fun at this event.
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Get the Best Pixar Parade Viewing Spot
The good thing about watching a parade at California Adventure is there is plenty of opportunity for great viewing spots since the parade route is so long. The parade route goes all through the park from Guardians of the Galaxy to the end of Pixar Pier.
If you want a spot with the best backdrop, watching from near The Little Mermaid will catch the parade with the Pixar Pier in the background. If you are looking for the shortest wait, then my favorite parade viewing hack is to grab the spot in the walkway to Pixar Pier. This area will be blocked off 20 minutes or so before the parade begins which will open up a last minute parade spot.
While Disney is offering a dessert party with viewing for the Pixar parade, I do not think it is necessary since the parade route at California Adventure is so long!
🎈See our FULL review of the new Pixar Fest parade with photos!
How to Watch Pixar Fest Fireworks by the Castle
There are a number of Disneyland fireworks viewing locations but for the Pixar Fest fireworks, I recommend watching them in front of the castle.
The Pixar Fest fireworks feature a special castle flyover by Buzz Lightyear and the house from “Up” suspended by balloons flying over Sleeping Beauty Castle. This is why you NEED to watch this fireworks show in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle! You won't see these special additions from the other viewing locations in the park.
If you are really devoted, you can watch the fireworks from directly in front of the castle but to get a spot worth having in this area you need to plan up on reserving your spot as early as 2-3 hours before the show begins.
My favorite spot is right by the Partner's Statue. I try to position myself just to the slight right of the partners statue. This is one of my favorite places to watch the Disneyland fireworks as it makes for some great pictures with the partner's statue in view. I usually start lining up at least 90 minutes to be close to the front rope which separates the start of this view from the walking path.
🎇See our fireworks guide for all the fireworks views at Disneyland with photos of the views!
Mobile Order Popcorn Buckets
If you are looking for one of the coveted Pixar Fest popcorn buckets then check mobile order options at Disneyland first thing in the morning!
While not all locations will use mobile order for popcorn buckets, we've had success with this in the past for limited time options and this is a great way to beat the long lines for these fun items.
🍿Love Disney popcorn buckets? Read more about them in our collector's guide!
Do the Pizza Planet Scavenger Hunt
You can find the Pizza Planet popcorn bucket hidden in over 50 different spots all over Disneyland, California Adventure, and Downtown Disney! This is a great scavenger hunt to look for as you enjoy the parks.
These Pizza Planet trucks have been themed to their hiding spots in some cases- like the Disneyland Railroad themed one in the picture above.
How to Beat the Marketplace Food Both Lines
One of our favorite tips from the Food & Wine Festival also applies at Pixar Fest! You can order all your food from multiple marketplace booths and one and pick them up at the others! So if you see a long line to order at one booth, find one with the shortest line and order all your food there. Then you just use your receipt to go to the other locations and pick your food up.
Then, make sure to hold onto your receipt (this is how you will redeem your items!) and go to pick up each of the food items you ordered at the other booths across the park when you are ready to eat them. You'll wait in the pickup line and hand your receipt to a Cast Member, who will mark off each food item to indicate it's been picked up and then give your receipt back to you.
Those marketplace booth lines can get long and this is a great way to beat the lines!
Meet all the Pixar Fest Characters
The Pixar Pals Playtime Party takes place in the Fantasyland Theatre at Disneyland and offers multiple character interactions and experiences.
Pay close attention to the schedule to find the rare Pixar characters which have included Merida from Brave, Luca and Alberto from Luca, Wade and Ember from Elemental, Russell and Dug from Up, plus Ian and Barley from Onward. Disneyland posts all the characters and what time they are meeting guests on the Disneyland app.
The characters will be available during one of these scheduled times below:
- 10:30 to 11:30 am- there will be one character set at a time, every 15 minutes
- 11:30am – 5:30pm- the venue will be open and characters will swap out every 30 minutes
With any character interaction, I always recommend lining up at least 20 minutes before they arrive. Once guests visibly see the characters, this is when the line tends to build! If you show up BEFORE the character comes out then you will typically be at the front of any line.
🐶Read more about all the characters at Pixar Fest, including how to meet Dug, in our guide!
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You can find more information on planning your vacation in our guides:
- Pixar Fest GUIDE- Everything You Need to See!
- Best Disneyland Restaurants RANKED 2024. We’ve Tried All!
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