Disneyland announced new exhibits, artifacts, and more coming to the Main Street Opera House on July 17, 2025 (the park’s 70th anniversary) alongside the opening of “Walt Disney – A Magical Life.”
New Main Street Opera House Experiences
Beginning on July 17, guests who enter the Main Street Opera House will find an “all-new gallery experience featuring the evolution of Walt Disney’s dream of Disneyland.” Walt Disney Imagineering and the Walt Disney Archives have curated relics and memorabilia from the early stages of Disneyland through the resort’s evolution. These include never-before-seen items, images, art, and artifacts.
Further into the lobby will be an exhibit dedicated to the “story and history of Audio-Animatronics technology, from Walt’s day leading to the advancement of where we are today.” Appropriate for the home of “Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln” and, soon, “Walt Disney – A Magical Life,” this exhibit will teach guests about Walt’s inspiration and showcase firsthand the inner workings of the technology.
Disneyland is collaborating with The Walt Disney Family Museum, which has selected over 30 artifacts for these lobby exhibits. Among the artifacts are original items from Walt’s private apartment above the Fire Station on Main Street, including an original rocking chair, lamp and table, all of which have never been publicly exhibited at Disneyland before.
The Walt Disney Family Museum will also loan some of Walt Disney’s humanitarian accolades. These include his 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.
“Walt Disney – A Magical Life” featuring the first-ever Walt Disney Audio-Animatronic has been delayed to open on July 17, the same day as these exhibits.
When guests exit the show (which will temporarily replace “Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln” before they perform together in rotation), they will see previews of upcoming projects that show how Disneyland continues to move forward.
Also debuting on July 17 is a new “it’s a small world” verse and a tribute to the Sherman Brothers. The Disneyland 70th anniversary celebration officially begins on May 16, 2025.
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