The Pixar themes festivities began April 13 and go till September 3, 2018. Michaela and I both went to Pixar fest at different times, using different strategies. I went with my husband for two days, and Michaela went with our cousins using a Park Hopper. This post will let you know what to look forward to at Pixar Fest and will discuss how to make your trip work.
1. Character. There are a ton of Pixar characters to see across both parks. With the opening of Pixar Pier it is unclear if these characters will be permanent, or if they will only be around for a limited time.
- The Incredibles: Mr. and Mrs. Incredible, Frozone and Edna Mode
- Monsters Inc.: Mike and Sulley
- A Bug’s Life: Flik and Princess Ada
- Toy Story: Buzz, Woody and Jessie
- Up: Dug and Russell
2. Food. There are a ton of Instagram worthy snacks and foods. Check out this food guide from Disney that lets you know what is available across the two parks. The guide is organized by movie to help you find a treat from your favorite movie. Warning: If you are trying to sample a lot of items, be prepared to dish out some cash as some of these items can be very pricey.
- Toy Story
- Cars
- The Incredibles
- Monsters Inc
- Up
- Inside Out
- Coco
- Ratatouille
3. Pixar Play Parade. This parade takes place at Disneyland Park at 3:30 pm and 6:00 pm. The parade includes some great floats of the various Pixar movies. Warning: There is water involved in this parade, so you may get splashed by the characters in the parade.
4. Paint the Night Parade. This is a night time parade that takes place at California Adventures at 8:50pm. The parade reminds me of the main street electrical parade. Many of the floats are similar to the past paint the night parade, but there are some new ones for Pixar Fest.
5. Together Forever Fireworks show: This firework show takes place at Disneyland at 9:30 pm. This has got to be one of the most magical shows I have seen at any Disney park. The projections on the castle are amazing and the storyline had me laughing and crying. There are even some special visitors over the castle during the show.
If possible, we suggest going to the parks over multiple days to really soak up all that Pixar Fest has to offer. If you are pressed for time (or money, because tickets are getting expensive) it is doable to see all that Pixar Fest has to offer. To make this happen see the earlier showing of the Pixar Play Parade so you have enough time to stake out a good seat for the Paint the Night Parade. Since the night parade and the fireworks show are close together, get a seat for the parade closer to the entrance so you can make a quick exit to the Disneyland park.
