Disneyland After Dark: 90’s Nite
A couple of weeks ago, Matt and I shipped Squirt off to the grandparents for the night so that we could attend a once in a lifetime opportunity: 90’s Nite at Disneyland. These Disneyland After Dark events started last year and they offer guests a chance to explore Disneyland after closing hours. Each event has a special theme, and I’ve been tempted by past themes, but when I saw 90’s Nite, I knew that was the one to go to. The 90’s were a golden age for Disney movies and TV, and they were the years of my childhood so obviously we have a special bond. Overall, the event was fun, maybe not worth the crazy price tag ($99 per person), but all things considered, I’m glad we went. It was a fun night, and there were fanny packs, so really what more could you ask for?
By far the highlight of the night was getting to pose with the monkeys from Fantasmic. If you know me at all, you know that Fantasmic is basically my favorite Disney thing in the history of Disney things. I’m still not over the changes. I have a very clear memory of where I was the first time I watched the show (in the 90’s!) and it has been a constant in my life for the past twenty years. Can’t say that about most people or things! We waited a long ass time to get to pose with the monkeys, but it was totally worth it.
One of the benefits of after hours events is shorter ride lines (though maybe not as short as I would have liked). We waited about twenty minutes for Indiana Jones, which was nice because we never get to go on this ride. As we were exiting, we came upon Indy himself, who was randomly strolling around through the outdoor line “exploring” and “excavating” and “not holding still long enough for a clear picture”. The only other time I’ve seen Indy in the park was at another special event, but I feel like he needs to become a permanent resident.
You know you’re a Disneyland diehard if you remember getting one of these decoder cards when the Indiana Jones ride first opened. I totes remember waiting in line for three hours and using this card to decipher some of the messages. Can’t remember what any of the messages were because I’m old now, but I do remember these being a lot of fun, and I was too excited to get another one. If you’d like one for yourself, keep an eye on my Instagram (@falonloveslife) because I will be giving one away, along with a 90’s Nite fanny pack (see monkey pic, Matt and I are both wearing ours!).
We were treated to a (short) special fireworks show set to the music of the Disney Channel afternoon line up from the 90’s, featuring Rescue Rangers and Duck Tales, plus a little bonus song from A Goofy Movie. I was a little bummed the fireworks didn’t feature any of the music from the golden age movies (hello BATB, Lion King, and Aladdin!), but it was a fun little show. I wasn’t super into the cartoons as a kid, I was more into MMC and Kids Incorporated, but they had a ton of Disney afternoon photo ops and things for those who were Disney Channel kids.
Another highlight of the night was getting to ride Star Tours, twice! Squirt is still iffy on Star Tours, we can usually get him to go, but he doesn’t love it yet, so it was nice to ride it without having to worry about him being scared. Also, it’s always nice to have a date night, especially at Disneyland!
So not going to lie, not sure I would ever go to one of these events again in the future, at least not until Squirt is older and would be able to hang that late. It was a lot of fun, but we are old, and we checked out two hours before the event ended. We got to do everything on my must do list, but the lines for photo ops were ridiculously long so there were ones I would have liked to do if we had more time. If you are someone who can be there until 1:00 am, then it’s an awesome party, especially for a theme you’re into. But if you’re old like us, maybe save your cash.
Have you been to a Disneyland After Dark event? What did you think?
April 3, 2019 @ 1:45 pm
It looks fun - I like that they are doing theme nights!