100 Years of Wonder
Celebrating the 100th anniversary of The Walt Disney Company at The Disneyland Resort.
January 27, 2023, might have been a normal day for us, but it was a monumental one for The Walt Disney Company. This marked the start of the 100th-anniversary celebration at the Disneyland Resort.
By now you've probably seen the commercial that aired during the Super Bowl, and noted that the infamous Disney intro has changed to reflect the big day. But what even is Disney 100?
If you're confused, you're not alone. Eagle-eyed Disney fans know that Disneyland opened in 1955, meaning that this year is its sixty-eighth birthday. Disney100 is meant to commemorate the beginning of The Walt Disney Company, which was called the Disney Brothers Cartoon Company when it was established in 1923.
And as with any Disney celebration there is a theme and a tagline. You may have seen TikToker @straw_hat_goofy host the live stream of the kickoff at Disneyland on January 27, or his TikTok where he explains that he actually created the tagline at his former job in marketing.
100 Years of Wonder, the tagline in question, is meant to reflect all the stories, characters, and more realistically, IP, that the company owns. Guests are encouraged to use #SharetheWonder to talk about "the countless memories Disney and its fans have made together over the past century," according to Disney Parks Blog.
Disneyland is the hub (no pun intended) for this celebration. Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway has opened there, and the rest of the reimagined Toontown will open March 8, 2023, and will include a new water sensory area, a sound garden near Goofy's house, two new eateries: Café Daisy (diner) and Toontown Farmers Market (grab and go), and a new ride called Chip ‘n’ Dale’s GADGETcoaster.
Two new nighttime shows are also part of the party: “Wondrous Journeys” and “World of Color— One.” The former is a fireworks spectacular with accompanying projections around the park. Baymax and Pinnochio fly over Sleeping Beauty Castle, and new versions of 16 well-known Disney songs recorded with an 80-piece orchestra complement the visuals.
Additionally, World of Color is getting an upgrade to “World of Color— One,” to highlight the ingenuity and storytelling power of Walt Disney himself. Magic Happens, the defunct parade that debuted before the pandemic, is also coming back. Mickey and Minnie will even show off their Disney100 best.
The celebration lasts through March, and we will reminisce on the actual anniversary (October 13, 2023).
So with a few months to celebrate, it begs the question: how will you #SharetheWonder?