A NEW Disney Attraction Opens This Summer, and It Comes with a BEHIND-THE-SCENES Peek!

Disneyland Park is making history this year!

©Disney

Disneyland is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year with some fun theming and event-specific offerings. As it honors 70 years of “The Happiest Place on Earth”, Disneyland will also be reopening the classic Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln attraction, alongside the new Walt Disney — A Magical Life. The show will feature a one-of-its-kind audio-animatronic of Walt Disney and it’ll also include a fun behind-the-scenes sneak peek!

For the first time in history, guests will “see Walt Disney through the magic of Audio-Animatronics technology” when Walt Disney — A Magical Life debuts in the Main Street Opera House on July 17th, 2025 — the 70th Anniversary of the Opening Day of Disneyland.

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According to Disney, “Here you’ll encounter the story and history of Audio-Animatronics technology, from Walt’s day leading to the advancement of where we are today. You’ll learn about Walt’s inspiration and see firsthand the inner workings of this technology, and how far Audio-Animatronics figures have advanced through the years.”

Guests will experience the story of Walt Disney’s life through remastered footage and audio recordings as the story depicts Walt’s early endeavors all the way to Los Angeles. Then, “when the curtain rises, guests will be transported to Walt’s office.”

D23 Horizons Showcase

This new show will have an initial run as the only show playing in the Main Street Opera House, but will ultimately be shown in rotation with Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln (the longtime lone occupant of the opera house) once the initial run is complete.

Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln uses what was once state-of-the-art audio-animatronic technology when Walt Disney “first introduced the groundbreaking technology.” The audio-animatronic was the first ever made by Walt and stars in a show where guests can see President Abraham Lincoln deliver a patriotic speech about inspiration, justice, and the meaning of the United States Constitution.

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The Main Street Opera House will also host an exhibit “featuring the evolution of Walt Disney’s dream of Disneyland.”

We’ll get behind-the-scenes looks at never-before-seen images, art, and artifacts on display that show Disneyland before, during, and after Walt’s dream became a reality. Further into the Opera House, we’ll find the story and history of Audio-Animatronics technology, as well as a collaboration with the Walt Disney Family Museum that boasts original items from Walt’s private apartment above the Fire Station on Main Street such as a rocking chair, lamp, and table.

We’ll also be able to see Walt’s 1955 Emmy award for the “Walt Disney’s Disneyland” TV show, his Presidential Medal of Freedom awarded by President Johnson in 1964, and the Walt Disney Commemorative Medal presented to Lillian Disney by President Nixon in 1969.